Robot arm with 5DOF, Output Encoder, and LeapMotion

Projects Discussion and Showcase Robotics
1

In my current project, I have to:

Control a Robot arm with Leap Motion, so the Robot follows my palm movement.

e.g. Makeblock Robotic Arm with LeapMotion Control [demo] - YouTube

The Robolink has 5DOF and:

  • 5 x Stepper Motors of different sizes.
    [Bipolar, 4-Wires +GND]

  • 5 x Incremental angle sensor with Hall sensor for zero-point referencing.
    6-wires each
    {White - 5VDC}
    {Brown - GND}
    {Green - Hall Sensor}
    {Encoder Index - Yellow}
    {Channel A - Grey}
    {Channel B - Pink}

The control of the robot has to be through inverse kinematics, using Leap Motion, Node.js to send info to the Arduino UNO and in turn to the motor? (+Power supply, +5 x Motor drivers)

Is there any code examples? The only ones I can find use the servo library. In this case though, I am using stepper motors with a strange type of encoder.
Please share your thoughts about the feasibility of this project, or if I missed any components.

Link to the robot arm datasheet: Robolink Datasheet

Includes encoder datasheet at the end.

2

Is there any code examples?

Lots of them, for all kinds of hardware, to do all kinds of things. Care to narrow that down a bit?

Specific requirements would be good.

You have the hardware connected to the Arduino. Knowing how would be good.

Info about the stepper motors and the stepper motor drivers you are using would be good.

Info about the (massive) power supply you are using would be good.

Sample output from the Node.js application would be good.

Vague handwaving is not good.

3

I have not connected any hardware yet. The initial question is if this kind of serial communication is possible for stepper motors.

Everybody is using the servo library and it makes me wonder...!

Power supply will be enough for the 4 motors.

The motors are 3 x 4.2Amps Bipolar steppers and one 1.8 amp.
I will drive those with 5Amp 24volt puldir driver.

4

Everybody is using the servo library and it makes me wonder...!

To control steppers? Find ONE example.

5

PaulS:
To control steppers? Find ONE example.

To control robot arms.. anyway, I will update you when I have relevant readings

6

tsakitsan:
Everybody is using the servo library and it makes me wonder...!

I suspect that they use the servo library because they use servos on their robot arm.