New Open Source: “Evil Minion” Robot Arm Firmware
Today I’m delighted to officially open source some of the 5 axis robot arm I’ve named “Evil Minion” (seen here holding a bottle opener). Tweak it and bring it to World Maker Fair where – if all goes well – you’ll be able to run it on the arm.
This release contains the firmware and the electrical schematics. Firmware is the code for the central nervous system of the robot. The schematics explain the wiring between the Arduino MEGA, the motors, the sensors, and the Automatic Tool Changer (not yet available).
I used the schematic to make a PCB that turns a loose rat’s nest of wires on my desk into a compact, efficient shield.
The thing in the left half of this picture is after the shield. The mess on the right is before.
Here is a quick video of the arm moving a bit. I’ll have more details soon, including an official release of the 3D simulator.
