Powering 4 servo mg966r for an octopus tentacle

Hi guys,

I'm working on an octopus tentacle. I have 4 mg996r servo's controlling the tentacle with pulleys.
I've tried to connect the 4 servo's with an 6v 3 amp power supply. All of them worked but I know I have way to less amps to control the tentacle.

What would be the right choice for my wall socket power supply and what's the best way to connect it to get the max torque out of my for servo's?

Thanks!

(In the attached pictures 2 servo's are missing)

pulley diameter = 80mm

MG966R servo AZ-delivery

  • Operating Voltage is +5V typically
  • Current: 2.5A (6V)
  • Stall Torque: 9.4 kg/cm (at 4.8V)
  • Maximum Stall Torque: 11 kg/cm (6V)
  • Operating speed is 0.17 s/60°
  • Gear Type: Metal
  • Rotation : 0°-180°
  • Weight of motor : 55gm

1.pdf (791 KB)
2.pdf (955,1 KB)

If each servo takes 2.5A then you obviously need a power supply that can deliver at least 10 amps and you would be wise to use one rated to deliver more than that

It looks to me as though the servos are going to spend the majority of the time stalled, thus drawing maximum current, and the size of the disks attached to their outputs is also a concern as the bigger they are the larger the load on the servos. Are you even sure that the servos are up to the job ?

You might want to look at how this one worked. It adds for e amplification to the servos by way of a motor and jackshaft turning capstans.

To avoid running a power supply at maximum rating, you need a 5 to 6V, 15 to 20 Ampere power supply.

Cheap hobby servos are not designed to be constantly loaded, as you plan to do, so don't expect the project to run for very long.

Thanks for replying!

@UKHeliBob - No, I'm not sure if the servo's are up to the job. But I've them laying around for a while and want to give it shot. I also made tentacles out of flexible PVC. Then, a 5v 2a power supply suits well.

I'm looking for a way to feed the 4 servo's with the max power that's possible. But I'm not sure which wall adapter to choose and how to wire it up wisely. Most adapter won't give me 10+ Amps. Are there ways to increase the amps? Amplifiers maybe? Or do you have tips where I can find a suitable power supply?

@haywardt - Wow! This is cool I'll keep this in mind. Thanks!

Thanks for your reply.

Which servo's and power supply would you use for this project?

You can't amplify the current available from a power supply in the way that you mean.

As to suitable power supplies, they are easy to find

Describe the project. The only description we have is

servo's controlling the tentacle with pulleys

Thanks Bob

The octopus tentacle I'm working on is a 4 way tentacle mechanism controlled by 4 motors. Each motor had a pulley attached to it which can control 2 cables that can move the tentacle in the opposite direction. See video->

The tentacle is 1.5 meter long and has a woven stainless hollow steel core with rubber inside. The discs I'm using to function as a sort of vertebrae are made from PU and have a diameter of 40mm. The cables that are connected to the discs and motor are made from 1mm thick 7x7 steel wire.

You probably want to know how much force is needed to move the tentacle? I'm not sure how to measure this. What are other things you would like to know when deciding which servo is suitable?

Thanks jreminton.

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