Arduino Controlled Servo Robot (SERB)

What better way to start experimenting with open source micro-controllers ( Arduino ) then by building your very own open source robot ( CC (SA -BY) )?

What to do with your SERB?

• (here) - How to connect your SERB to the internet and drive it over a Skype video call.
• (here) - How to Control Your SERB Using a Wii nunchuck's accelerometers
• (here) - How to Add Obstacle Detecting Whiskers to Your Robot
• (here) - How to make 30 kits (Open Manufacturing)

Features:

• Fully programmable using an Arduino Duemilanove micro-controller (or another micro-controller of your choosing).
• No need to solder.
• Choice of cutting options for acrylic pieces. (scroll saw, access to a laser cutter, purchasing pre-cut pieces)
• Easily expandable and modifiable with extra bolt holes and included breadboard.
• Dual ball bearing rear wheel.
• Up and running in 1-2 hours. (from kit)
• Open source design (build as many as you like)

(Shameless Plug)
In the UK and like Arduino stuff? check out our newly opened web store oomlout.co.uk

A quick video of a completed Arduino controlled servo robot - (SERB) running the included test program (step 6)

Note: Source files are available on a parallel Instructable (Source Files For) - How to Make an Arduino Controlled Servo Robot - (SERB)

Step 1: Parts & Tools

All bolts can be found at your local Home Depot. The other parts can be found online (I have included a link to my favorite source for each).

Parts List:

A bundle containing all hardware items can be purchased at oomlout.com's store ( here ) ($120)

Nuts and Bolts:

• 3mm x 15mm bolt (x20)
• 3mm x 10mm bolt (x12)
• 3mm nut (x34)
• 3mm washer (x12)
• 8mm x 25mm bolt (x2)
• 8mm nut (x2)
• Skate Bearings (x2) ( VXB ) (these are standard skate bearings so they can be salvaged from a pair of roller-blades or a skateboard)

Tires

• Large O-ring (4.5" ID 3/16" Bead Dash #349) (x2) ( McMaster-Carr Product #9452K407 )
• Small O-ring (3/4" ID 3/16" Bead Dash #314) (x1) ( McMaster-Carr Product #9452K387 )

Electronics

• Arduino Duemilanove (x1) ( Maker Shed )
• Continuous Rotation Servo (x2) ( Parallax )
• 400 Contact Breadboard (x1) ( All Electronics) )
• Quad AA Battery Box (x1) ( All Electronics )
• 9V Battery Clip (x1) ( All Electronics )
• 2.1 mm Plug (x1) ( All Electronics )
• 3 pin header (x2) ( All Electronics )
• A-B USB Cable - Printer Style (x1) ( All Electronics ) (not included in kit)

Batteries:

• AA Battery (x4) (not included in kit)
• 9v Battery (x1) (not included in kit)

Wire:
(all wire is 22 AWG solid I purchase mine through McMaster-Carr )

• 15 cm Purple (x2)
• 15 cm Black (x1)
• 5 cm Black (x2)
• 5 cm Red (x2)

Tools

• Screwdriver (x1) (Philips)
• Needle-nose Pliers (x1)

Comments

[Rust93]

Just to say, my project was based in yours. So, tanks!

[aal krounz]

i need some help ,can i add Easy VR module to Arduino Controlled Servo Robot (SERB)

[aal krounz]

i need some help ,can i add Easy VR module to Arduino Controlled Servo Robot (SERB)

[turbosinaboy]

I can't get the Parallax servos right now. But I can get some Futaba S148 and modify them to continuous rotation. Do you know if the modification is only on the mechanical part?

[SnyperBob]

I just tried uploading the EPS file to Ponoko and it doesn't work. Their website gives this error, for file : 03 SERB Ponoko Cutting Layout P2.eps

"You need to use a finer nib!
The cutting lines and/or vector engraving lines in your .eps file are thicker than we can handle. (We’ve highlighted the problem area(s) in your design here.) Please reduce all cutting and/or vector engraving lines to a thickness of 0.01mm then try again. "

Does anyone have the ability to fix this problem? Can you reupload the correct file to this Instructable please?

[irgonh]

Hi, i have a question do i need a current amplifier to connect the servos?

[robotkid249]

I made sort of this kind of robot with arduino, only a little more complicated. I heard (through the arduino blog) that this design is going public, I would encourage you to use a larger battery because those servos need a lot of energy.

[Gelfling6]

I made a suggestion of using a lower voltage, large-capacity 7.2V 3300-mAH RC car battery, just a matter of connecting the molex connector to the barrel connector for the Arduino, and to the 7805 regulator for the servos.

[oomlout]

Happy to here you made something similar it is a good form to experiment with. We have some more complex robotic projects in the works but thought we would start with the easiest. On the battery front, the servo's can suck through batteries pretty quickly (though not as quickly as a remote control car might). I was thinking of having a bigger battery pack but it would have meant switching battery sizes. I recommend some good re-chargeable AA batteries.

[the gizmoman]

i wander if i can do that with my Lego mindstorm

[Gelfling6]

Pretty sure others already have...
http://www.robotthoughts.com/lego/2000/07/line-rollowing-robot/

Just a matter of knowing how to program it, what sensors it'll use, and how to control it. (remote, autonomous, etc.)

[akatsuki666]

hi.um how an you make a sevo only spin arout 90 degrees.pls respond ty

[becauseican]

when you first buy a servo unmodded it can only spin 180.

[Gelfling6]

Next step, Hamed.Bamdad, http://www.instructables.com/id/Modify-A-Servo-For-Continuous-Rotation/

Or, do you need the servo to only rotate just 90-degrees? Simple enough, simply divide the values sent to the servo in 1/2. instead of 0-90-180, only go 45-90-135 (arduino style.)

[znunez]

I need major help!!!!....I'm trying to add an additional servo with a ultrasonic range finder (SRF 05) to this robot but i need the program to control all servos combined together... i have a program to control just the servo and the sensor but i would love to combine it all together!! Thanks

[robsummitt]

Your probably going to need a servo controller shield or controller. I believe the Arduino servo library only supports 2 servos.

[Gelfling6]

This reply is coming a bit latyer (2 years).. But, the most recent library (included with 0.22 ) is capable of up to 8, dependant on how you identify them. (It took me a few hours to figure how to address them as servo1 and servo2)

[becauseican]

i want to build a ghetto version of this i just added up the cost and it is $33.50 not including a motor controller. Before I order anything i have to ask do i need a motor controller because i read that without one the arduino will get fried is this true please explain.

[Gelfling6]

Not 100% necessary.. Feed the +5V to the servos, from a 7805 regulator, and feed the +9V voltage through a separate wire to the regulator input, Not through the Vin pin of the arduino! (or.. if the servos draw too heavily, you could soon see a burned trace on the Arduino's board.) Do not draw the +5V from the Arduino's on-board regulator to drive the servos.

[Chowmix12]

A motor controller is absolutely necessary. I'm not sure if it is too late, but try this one for free from STmicroelectronics (L298HN.) These motor controllers allow you to isolate your motors power supply from your Arduino's power supply (great for reducing EMI feedback) and allow you two add speed control to your motors for just one pin for each motor.

[Dexter G]

Question: Is there any where else to buy the complete Arduino servo controlled robot kit (SERB) besdies Maker Shed? They are currently out of stock ot that kit and I would like to purchase of these robots. I don't know when Maker Shed will have any kits back in stock.

[hintss]

check the arduino programming guides on arduino.cc they talk about servos

[axeman911]

hello, i bought two continuous rotation servos but i am having trouble getting them to spin individually they always spin together and always in the same direction?

[Gelfling6]

make sure they're connecting to different PWM outputs.. If they're plugged into the same, they're both reacting to the single signal. Also, make sure they're assigned different servo.write instructions, to the two different PWM outputs.

[area36]

I have an Arduino Uno. will that work all the same?

[Gelfling6]

Can't see why not? the uno and duemilinova are essentially the same base device, just newer hardware on the uno.

[Redneck2]

I know this is kind of a stupid question but what do you use this robot for?

[Chowmix12]

Thats a common misconception. Not all robots are just for things like a butler. This is mainly just a robotics platform. you later add sensors and other stuff to make it into a robot.

[hintss]

depends. what do YOU use the robot for?

[get to da parakeet]

erm... how do you make the 9v battery thing??

[hintss]

they have a jig for soldering it. check out their manufacturing instructable

[ardebot123]

Could you power this with solar cells?

[adel95]

Well.... you would have to use some massive caps to do that.... and you still wouldn't be reliable... The Power supply should work like this... 1. You would need a constant power stream to the Arduino Main board... 2. Two separate Caps (perfectly would work 2 1F 2,5V Caps connected in series) 3. You will need a 5V transistors to act like a switch connected to the servos and to one analog input to check if it is high (5V streaming) and than to run the code... Well thats just the basic idea... You could maybe do it easier and sure there is more in this than I said but this would be the really basics....

[dunnos]

Hello mister mcfarlan sir, I am new to this whole robot stuff and all, i once built a robot called beetlebot following the BEAM principle ( that means no chip) is an ardiuno the same a pic? because that is the only controller i can get around here ( my parents don't like the idea of ordering from the internet) i know that the pic has some programming language... i really should investigate that... Anyway, my question: can i get a pic and do all the arduino projects? Thanks in advance, Dennis

[FlutterTree]

OMG UR DP IS CALVIN!!!!!

[dunnos]

CALVIN AND CAPS LOCK FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!

[FlutterTree]

AGREED (THIS IS A BIT LATE THOUGH)

[oomlout]

Hey Dunnos.

BEAM robots are good fun to play with.

An arduino does the same kind of thing as a PIC but is a little different. Sorry for being so vague. I recommend checking out the Arduino web-site ( http://www.arduino.cc ), for all the details.

In terms of getting a PIC to do all the arduino projects the short answer is yes. However it is slightly more technical in you have all sorts of decisions to make (different boards, programming languages compilers etc etc.). (some people really enjoy this). Choosing an Arduino takes care of those details.

I hope you have fun in your electronics persual, and if you have any more questions (or would like me to answer your original ones better) feel free to send me a message.

Regards;
Stuart McFarlan

Good luck in your

[dunnos]

Hey stuart, i know, I love beam robots, currently making one that follows a black line. I dont find that at all vague, something like: it is the same but the pin layout is different code used is different and so on ... i love a challenge, if it wasn't for school i'd be doing that my whole day :) i only would like to know if i would have to learn how to program an arduino also. Also, what does an arduino starter kit cost?

[luke]

hey dunnos, im kind-a in the same place as you, but i just bought my first arduino 2 days ago(im still wating for it to arive in the mail) i got it of a ebay seller for $30usd including postage. its a arduino clone, but it all works the same.
i also sprung for a motor controller shield ( im planing on building a tank.)

but yes you do have to learn to program the arduino ( check this out for a bit more info)

i have downloaded the programing utility and have started looking at the examples, trying to get my head around it, so far it seems to be ok.
luke :D

[hintss]

the actual arduino is $30. clones are way cheaper.

[dunnos]

yes but you actually HAVE an arduino i just got my pic 16f628 and a programmer in the mail

[ursine100]

Will a Mega fit OK on this?

Thanks,

Dave

[wozub]

 A person would have to have god-like skills to successfully go with option 3.

[microman171]

Mine doesn't look like the laser cut one, but it does resemble a SERB...  It took about 3 hours to cut out all of the pieces.

[electronic boy]

dose anyone sell these

[Derin]

How can I get rid of the nosewheel and steer with the back wheels only?

[Derin]

Nevermind,I just realized that the nosewheel was just on bearings and not on a servo of its own.

[markinraleigh]

Thanks can't wait to get to the shop, http://techshopdurham.com, and lase me one one of these.

[Ninni]

Can we use Arduino Diecimila for the bot?

[microman171]

Sorry mate, forgot to give you a picture.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Microman171/Robots#5302953069155480482

[mattameo213]

Woah. Is that the Stuart McFarlan I know (Troop 350?)

[hamed.bamdad]

Thanks friend!

[rics]

Hi Stuart, What do you think, is it possible to create the robot from aluminium considering cutting and bigger weight of the result? Bests, Richard

[geeklord]

yea, $175 is a little too much for me. I'm workin on skis right now anyways.

[rics]

Dear Stuart, I am new to electronics/mechatronics, so I still thinking on the assembly (before start, I hope). As I see the AA batteries look downward. Is not it possible that they simply fall down when the robot goes on bumpy terrain? Bests, Richard

[oomlout]

Hey Rics; No worries here, the battery box holds the batteries in place with rather strong springs. Regards; Stuart

[rics]

Hello,

The robot really looks nice.
Why you do not need to use an H-Bridge motor driver contrary to this 2 similar Arduino project: here and here?
What is the difference? The Arduino or the servo type?

Thanks in advance,
Richard

[oomlout]

Hey Richard; Thanks. The reason there is no need for an H-bridge is the servo-motors have the h-bridge circuitry inside them. So you feed them power and a signal (a pulse between roughly one millisecond (full speed reverse) and 2 milliseconds (full speed forward)). Then the circuitry inside the servomotor takes care of the power switching. Stuart

[microman171]

Hey, This project is great! I couldn't afford laser cutting, and I didn't have a scroll saw. So each piece is hand cut. Doesn't look too flash, but I've never done this before (This wont be the last time :-D) I am going to get the hardware tomorrow, and hopefully get the bearing in the mail soon. I am going to run this robot on a BASIC Stamp (Hope there is room...). Should provide a great robot base for when I figure out what I want to do. After I finish assembly, I will post you a pic :-) Cheers, Micro

[Nunavutnewsrules]

nice instructable. I am thinking of making a cheap version of it with an ATtiny or a ATmega, does any one see any problems with that? Thanks

[askjerry]

We went to the Friday Night Build Session (FNBS on the ROBOMO forum) Mike was like a little kid wanting to build the robot so badly. We jumped in the car and drove the 10 miles back to my house, looked in the closet... no clear plastic. I dug a bit and asked, "How about blue?" It cut very nicely... I was impressed with the method to join the sides using the screws, tabs, and captured nuts. (I'll be stealing that idea for future projects.)

It's a great chassis... I may have to revisit a design or two of my own and finally make a post here. Anyway... it took just over 1/2 hour to cut all the parts from the 6mm (1/8 inch) sheet. I had to rearrange the parts to fit my laser which has a 600x300mm (24x12 inch) bed. There is plastic remaining... so I'm thinking I'll need to design some accessories like a rangefinder holder or camera mount. (At least it's something to think about.)

Jerry

[oomlout]

Great I'm excited that you liked the design, I look forward to seeing what improvements and attachments you come up with. Stuart

[WinfieldMike]

I liked it so much I am having a friend cut one out on his laser. Should have it up and running Friday night. I'll send a pic per your request.

[iain010100]

Very cool! How do we make it self-aware? :-)

[oomlout]

Thanks. The original draft of the Instructable included steps to achieve this, but for the good of humanity I omitted them when publishing

[WingDings]

:D

[Brandon121233]

Sweet nice job, looks alot like my robot Walbot http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-wall-avoiding-Robot!/

[guschabal]

I liked the idea to start handling robot with Arduino. very good.

[Migacz]

Is it remote controled? If not, how does it work?

[oomlout]

dark sponge is right. You can program it with what ever your heart desires. There are some great examples of what can be done with an Arduino at the Arduino Playground . We also have plans on showcasing a few things we get up to with our SERB's at oomlout.com.

[guschabal]

check this is my blogmy blog, is in spanish but i publish some things with Arduino.

[dark sponge]

The Arduino board is a microcontroller that you can program to do just about whatever you want. In this robot, it is programmed to go forward for a random amount of time, turn for a random amount of time, then repeat.

[dark sponge]

You should change your power source to 6 AA rechargeable batteries instead of one 9v battery. It would last longer on a charge and also follow the rules of the contest. Currenty you aren't doing what the contest says to do.

"Simply build something neat that runs on AA, AAA, C, or D batteries, share it on Instructables, and win some eneloop batteries to power your projects in an environmentally safe way!"

[oomlout]

It is a good idea and one I toyed with however I was unable to find servo motors which were rated for 9 volts (6 x 1.5). So in the interest of not including a complex power supply I went with the two battery option. However one of the great things about the Arduino is it's ability to run on power from the USB port. So you can program and test away without chewing through batteries.

[dark sponge]

A 7805 is the simplist way to get a nice, regulated 5 volts. I used one in a robot I made a while ago. It used a arduino diecimila, two regular motors, a servo with an infrared sensor on it, and a motor controller board I built myself. Because the robot was drawing close to 1 amp, the regulator was getting extremely hot. I had to put a gigantic heat sink on it in order to stop it from overheating. A switching regulator is more effecient, but more expensive. Too bad the robot doesn't work anymore. One of the diodes in the motor controller board blew and I haven't had enough free time to change it yet...