The TROBOT is a miniature six-axis articulated robot, modeled after large industrial & assembly line robots. The prototype versions were developed to be interfaced with ABB's Robot Studio software. Robot Studio was designed to program, simulate, and debug real industrial robots in an offline virtual environment. This project uses the power of ABB's 'Virtual Robot Controller' to actually generate robot positional data and to communicate directly to the TROBOT over Ethernet.

See the TROBOT in action here:

Complete detailed project documentation and source code can be found here:

• TROBOT 3.0, Honorable Mention – TI Design Stellaris 2010

• TROBOT 2.0, Honorable Mention – WizNET iMCU 2010

A new Kickstarter project is underway to develop a larger, more robust version of the TROBOT. Backers of this project can select from rewards including complete TROBOT 3.0 (as shown here) or 4.0 (coming soon) kits. For more information checkout the project TROBOT 4.0: A Miniature Articulated Robot and find out how you can get your own TROBOT kit (Limited Time Only)!

Step 1: TROBOT 1.0

The TROBOT was created after I figured out a way to use ABB's Robot Studio software to communicate over Ethernet. I created the TROBOT just to see if I could make a miniature robot work --It worked surprisingly well. Now my goal is to create a low-cost robot that can do something significant.

Step 2: TROBOT 2.0

The TROBOT 2.0 is made of 3/16" thick acrylic. The wood base from version 1 was replaced with an acrylic cut design. Metal Gear servos were used for the lower 3 axes.

Step 3: TROBOT 3.0

The TROBOT 3.0 was made from ABS with a few minor tweaks to the design. ABS was chosen because it is a durable and very tough plastic, and can be chemically welded (bonded) to form tough glue joints.

Step 4: Parts

The parts for the TROBOT's are designed in AutoCAD, then laser cut from 3/16” black ABS or Acrylic sheet. The entire design was cut from an 11”x 16”section (as shown).

Step 5: Assembly

The laser cut parts are then cleaned & prepped to be glued together.

The pictures above show the TROBOT sub-assemblies as they are being assembled.

Ready for servos:
This is essentially how the new TROBOT 3.0 kits will be shipped (when they are available).

Step 6: Servos

The TROBOT uses RC (Radio Controlled) Servos:

An RC servo is controlled by a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal -- Typically controlled by a 1mS to 2mS pulse that repeats every 20mS. 1.5 mS signal tells the servo to center, 1ms is full clockwise travel, 2mS is full counter-clockwise. Servos are available in many different configurations for the amount of travel possible. Some standard servos can move +/- 30º, some up to +/- 90º, some have full or even continuous rotation.

Step 7: TROBOT 4.0: a Miniature Articulated Robot

An effort to create a new and improved TROBOT 4.0 is now underway. Version 4 will be slightly larger and much improved over its predecessors. Featuring smoother motion, a stronger mechanical structure, more payload capacity, and more precision. You can find out more about this exciting Kickstarter project from the video, or at the links below..

FOR A LIMITED TIME -- You can get your own TROBOT 3.0 or 4.0 kit !!!

Checkout the Kickstarter project for the new TROBOT 4.0: A Miniature Articulated Robot (COMING SOON) , and find out how you can get your own TROBOT kit!