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TETRIX Hardware Primer

Grippers & Actuators

INDEX
1. Grippers
2. Single Servo Gripper
3. Dual Servo Gripper
4. TECHNIC Gripper

1. Grippers
Grippers, or actuators, allow the robot to interact
with its surroundings.
The grippers found here are just examples. Objects
vary in shape and size, so you may need to adapt
these examples to suit your needs.

2. Single Servo Gripper


Determine where you want your gripper to be placed and
what kind of structural element you will use to make the
arm of the gripper (the model shown uses a tube).

Align one side of a flat bracket to the back of a single-


servo motor bracket. Hold those together and attach
whatever structural element you are using. Shown
here is a tubing clamp.
Connect these three together with four 1/2 SHCSs.

Getting Started with TETRIX Copyright Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy


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TETRIX Hardware Primer

Making sure the servo shaft is in line with the structural


element, place the servo in the motor bracket and secure it
with four 5/16 BHCSs and kep nuts.

Take two more flat brackets and connect them with


screws to make a 90 angle.

Using four 5/16 SHCSs and kep nuts, attach a servo horn
to one of the flat brackets so it will be the one on top after
attaching it to the servo.

Check the servos range and adjust it if necessary.


Attach the horn to the servo with the servo horn screw.

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TETRIX Hardware Primer

3. Dual Servo Gripper


This gripper was designed for two servos to be joined by
a Y connector and run on the same channel. Since this
makes the two servos move in the same direction, the
pivot brackets that make up the gripper arms need to be
offset and facing the opposite direction.
Grippers with servos running on different channels can be
designed differently.

Attach a servo horn on the inside to one end of a pivot


bracket with four screws and kep nuts.
Repeat this with a second servo horn and pivot bracket.

Place a pivot bearing flange-side down on a flat surface.


Place the side of the pivot bracket opposite the horn over
the bearing and align the bracket hole to it.

Press down firmly to pop the


bearing into the bracket hole.
Repeat this with the second
pivot bracket.

Connect two channel pieces side by side with at least four


SHCSs and kep nuts (two on each end).
The model shown uses 96 mm channels, but different
sizes can be used depending on how high you need the
gripper to be.

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TETRIX Hardware Primer

To each side of the connected channel pieces, attach one


single-servo motor bracket.
The two should be directly across from each other, but one
should be facing up and the other facing down.

Thread the bearing screw through the bearing from the


outside of the pivot bracket. Insert the screw into the back
of one motor bracket. Secure the pieces together with the
washer and nut and tighten the screw. Do not overtighten.
Repeat this with the other motor bracket, keeping in mind
that the servos will face in opposite directions.

Place the servos into the brackets with the servo motor
shafts on facing toward the servo horn on the bracket.
Secure each servo to the motor bracket with SHCSs.
Attach the pivot brackets to each servo where you want
them. You will have to stretch the end with the horn over
the servo.
Secure the servo to the horn with the servo screw.

Connect the two servos with the Y connector.

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TETRIX Hardware Primer

To the end of each pivot bracket, attach a 32 mm channel


with the open side facing away from the bracket.

On the top of each side of one 32 mm channel piece,


attach a flat bracket at a 45 angle toward the open side
of the connected channel pieces (gripper arm).
Repeat this on the other 32 mm channel piece, but
place the flat brackets on the underside of the 32 mm
channel ends (this will compensate for the difference in
height).
Be sure to angle the flat brackets toward the other side
of the gripper.

4. TECHNIC Gripper
NXT motors can also be used to create TECHNIC
grippers attachable to the TETRIX building system.

Attach two Long Connectors to the front beam of the NXT


motor. One should go in the front hole and one in the back.
Attach a five hole beam on each side to the Long
Connectors, so that the last hole is inserted into the rear
Long Connector.

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With the five beams oriented so that they are on the top
of the NXT, attach a red two-length axle to the underside
of the motor. From the top of the motor, insert a six-length
axle.
Connect a 9x5 Angle Beam to the red two-length axle from
the arched end. Insert a Long Connector to the last round
hole in the 9x5 Angle Beam.

Underneath the bottom 5 hole beam, slide a 9x5 Angle


Beam oriented so that the curve is facing inward. Line up
the beams so that the end of the 9x5 Angle Beam is two
holes in on the 5 hole beam.
Insert a ten-length axle through the hole from the 5 hole
beams and the 9x5 Angle Beam. Insert a Long Connector
to the last round hole in the 9x5 Angle Beam.

Connect together two 5 round 5x3 angle beams by


inserting the plus signed (+) shaped end of a blue axle
connector into the end of the three inch side.
Insert the plus signed end side of another blue axle
connector into the center round hole as well, then connect
a seven hole beam to both blue axle connectors.

Slide a 16 tooth gear down the ten-length axle. Slide the


end of the round 5x3 angle beam as far away from the
blue axle connectors down the ten-length axle, to the
gear, aligned with the 9x5 angle beam.

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TETRIX Hardware Primer

Slide a 16 tooth gear down the six-length axle. Connect


the round 5x3 angle beams, blue axle connectors, and
seven hole beam the same way that was done in the
previous step.
Slide one hole of a three hole beam down the six-length
axle and another down the ten-length axle. On each of
the axles, place an axle bushing.

Getting Started with TETRIX Copyright Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy

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