Robobox Pick & Place Robot

Assembly Guide

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Overview :
Robobox Pick & Place robot is a multipurpose pre-programmed microcontroller based
robot. This robot have a control board that is pre-programmed and easy to configure for using
in different modes. The default mode is remote controlled Pick & Place mode. In this mode the
robot is controlled by a wireless Play Station 2 analog controller with lots of switches and 4
joysticks. By putting the controller in analog mode allows the user to control the speed by
moving joystick in proportional movement. Just like a throttle robot has more than 100 speed
levels set by joystick. If the arm on the robot is not attached robot can be used as a remote
controlled 4wd robot.

The other modes are line follower mode, wall hugger mode and obstacle avoider mode.
These modes can be set by setting jumpers at start up. Details are in later chapters of this
document. In line follower mode the robot can follow a black line on white floor, in wall hugger
mode it can follow a wall while in obstacle avoider mode it can avoid obstacles coming in the
path of robot with 3 IR proximity sensors.

The body is made of high strength PVC alloy. This material is very rigid and its cut on
CNC machines. Its possible that there are burrs on the edges as the top and bottom surfaces of
the PVC sheet are specially treated. You can use a normal paper cutter to remove the burr. All
parts have 2 finishes on the surface, matt finish and glossy finish. You can have choice of
putting the matt or glossy surface on the top on most of parts but in some parts which are of
odd shape you have to use it in specific way.

Let’s start with the basic assembly of robot frame. Some basic tools like screw driver,
pliers, small spanners, soldering iron, wire cutter, nipper, stripper are required to complete the
assembly. Also a little soldering is required. The first robot is Pick & Place RC robot.

Step 1 : Take 2 motors and a motor mount plate. Attach motors to the mounting plate with 2
long 3 mm screws and nuts. Solder wires to motors as shown in picture.

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Both wires has to be crossed on the motors as motors are mounted in mirror to each other.

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Step 2 : Make 2 assemblies as above and attach 2 wheels on each assembly and secure them
with given screw.

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Step 3 : Take the bottom plate and mount seven 30mm and four 10 mm studs with 3 mm
small screws.

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Step 4 : Mount the circuit board on 4x 10 mm studs. Attach wires of motors to the circuit
board as shown in picture. Don’t worry about polarity right now.

Now you can put the base on some object to give it some height. After the base gains
some height wheel-motor assemblies can be put on the base. Just check that the wheel-motor
assembly has a notch at each motors outer end. This notch should be downwards when you
place the assembly on base. This will ensure that you have sufficient ground clearance and the
motors are in correct place. If its reverse the robot will not have enough ground clearance to
accommodate the arm with gripper.

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 The above picture is for demo only. Check the motor connections. The stud at the back is
removed to show clear motor positions. When seen from top the left motors are connected to
right most screw header and right motors next to them on left side.

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Put the extra wires under the circuit board which will make the robot look neat and clean.

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Step 5 : Attach the battery with switch to the plate. Switch can be connected to back plate
with 2 x 3 mm screws. After mounting the switch attach 2 wires to the main control board.
Make sure you put the correct polarity while connecting. The black wire should be at the GND
marked header.

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Now mount the battery to the base with 4 cable ties. A single cable tie is not of enough length
so extend it by a second cable tie and then mount the battery to base plate.

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Cut the extra cable ties with a wire cutter, nipper or paper cutter.
Put the extra wires under the circuit board to avoid mess and have a neat look.

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Step 6 : Find the PSX connector on the edge of the controller board. Now having the board
switched off join the first and last pin of the 6 pin header with a jumper wire and switch on the
board. The GP Led on the board should blink 4 times. This will put the controller in RC Pick and
place mode.

As the LED blinks for 4 times the setting is saved. Now switch off the board and connect
PS2 Wireless receiver to the board as shown in picture. Make sure that black wire should be at
GND marked pin.

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If the robot is to be used in RC mode without pick and place, you can close the top cover and
use the robot, otherwise follow the next few steps to make a pick and place arm.

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Step 8 : There are 2 servo motors in package. 1 servo is modified for back support. First take
the normal servo. This servo should have nothing on the opposite side of the shaft. This is a
gripper servo. But before its attached to gripper it should be put in the maximum position so
that we can get the full griper movement.

Attach the servo to servo 1 header. The orange wire should toward inside the board and
brown wire should be towards edge. Switch off and switch on the controller board. Don’t put
on the remote now.

Now when you switch on the board you should hear a small noise of servo movement for
a very little time. This means your servo is in maximum position of gripper. Now take the
gripper and open it manually to maximum. Don’t open too much. Just that much that it seems
maximum open. Now keep the board powered on and put the servo inside the gripper from
down.

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 Once you attach gripper to servo secure it with a screw which is available in servo
accessories pack. It should fix on the servo shaft’s centre hole. Now having the board on,
switch on the remote control. Pressing D and O buttons on the right side should show you
gripper open and close movement. Now after checking this, switch off the board.

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Step 9 : Now having the gripper ready with servo we can move the further assembly.

Take the T shaped plate and 2 right angle clamps for servo. Mount the clamps on the T
shaped plate as shown in figure. Check that one top end of the T plate is longer than the other
one. This plate is not symmetrical and should be used in the same manner as shown below. If
its used the other sided (mirror) the gripper will not come in centre of robot.

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Note sides of T plate and clamps. This part is not symmetrical.

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Now attach gripper to the T shaped plate with 4 medium sized 3 mm screws and 4 nuts.

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 Mount the second servo to clamps with plastic rivets. Note the shaft position of servo, it
should be towards gripper otherwise the arm will touch ground when lowered. Fix the servo
cables with cable ties which will make them organised.

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 Now take cables of 2 servos at the start and put them down to the shoulder servo. After
putting it down use 2 cable ties to secure them with T plate. This will ensure that they wont
get out and create problem in shoulder movement of arm. Cut the excess cable ties with cutter.

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Now take the arm plate and mount 4x 50 mm studs on them with 3 mm small screws.

Take the other plate of arm and mount it with a servo round horn available in servo
accessory pack. You must check that on which side of the plate are you mounting the horn.
Check it before starting mounting the screws. Take the reference of upcoming pictures and the
other part of arm. The horn should be towards the studs mounted on other arm part.

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 Now attach the shoulder servo motor to servo 2 connector. Power off and power on the
board. The servo should now be in minimum lower position.

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 Now keep the board powered on and Mount the arm part with servo horn to servo as
shown in picture above. Make the arm closest to right angle to gripper. If its not perfect right
angle don’t worry, make it to closest.

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Secure arm with shoulder servo with a screw from servo accessory pack.

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Fix the front and back part with 4x3 mm small screws. The arm assembly is now complete.
Remove the wires from board.

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Step 10 : Now take the top plate and mount 4 x 30 mm studs over it.

Take the prepared arm, pass the wires from the centre square hole of the top plate and
fix the top plate over body.

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 Fix the top plate to body with 7x 3 mm small size screws. Now place the arm assembly in
the slots around 4 studs.

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 Put the top arm mounting plate over arm and fix it with 4 x 3 mm small sized screws.
The robot assembly is now finish.

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ROBOT 2 : The Line Follower

Step 2-1 : The Line Follower Robot uses 3 line sensors to sense the line below robot. The
board is programmed to follow a black line on white surface. The black line can be easily made
by sticking an electrical insulation tape on the white floor.

Now for the assembly of line follower, we actually have to disassemble the robot which
we have made. We need to take out the pick-place arm and add a line sensor.

Mount the line sensor with 2 mid sized 3 mm screws and nuts to base plate. Connect 5
female-female jumper wires. Twist the wires to make the assembly clean.

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Step 2-2 : Now its time to configure the board for line follower use. In step 1-6 we
configured the board for RC use. Every time we need to change behaviour of robot this step is
important. To enter the configuration mode short first and last pin of 6 pin PS2 Connector and
reset the robot (switch off and on). For shorting servo connector you need to short first and
last pin of 3 pin header with a jumper wire. Following is the table for jumper setting for each
type of robot possible.

Servo 1 Servo 2 Led Blink

Mode 1 – Line Shorted Open One Blink
Follower Robot
Mode 2 – Obstacle Open Shorted Two Blinks
Avoider Robot
Mode 3 – Wall Hugger Shorted Shorted Three Blinks
Robot
Mode 4 – RC Pick & Open Open Four Blinks
Place Robot

For line follower we need to get mode 1. So we have to use a jumper to short first and
last pin of PS2 connector and second jumper to short first and last pin of servo 1 connector.

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 After this power off and power on the robot the LED should blink once confirming that
the board is in line follower mode. Now remove both the jumper wires and reset the robot.

Step 2-3 : On the Line Sensor, if its oriented as the pin-outs on top, right most pin is ground
and next to that is VCC(+5V). Connect GND to any Sensor connector on the edge side of board
and VCC next to that.

Warning : Doing wrong connections here will damage the Line Sensor permanently.
Study the image carefully before connecting.

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Step 2-4 : Now connect next 3 pins to the inner most pins of Sensor1, Sensor2 & Sensor3.

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Step 2-4 : Now fix and pack everything and the robot is ready. Make a line path on light
coloured floor with black insulation tape and robot will follow that path as you keep the robot
on it.

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ROBOT 3 : Obstacle Avoider Robot
Step 3-1 : Configure the robot for mode 2 (See section 2-2).

Power off the robot. Short first & last pin of PSX connector and first & last pin of Servo 2
connector. Keep Servo1 open.

Power on and check that LED blinks for 2 times. Reset robot.

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Step 3-2 : Prepare the Obstacle Sensors. Mount 3 jumper wires on each and twist the wires
so that the can be managed easily.

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Step 3-3 : Connect 3 sensors to circuit, make sure the GND marked pin connects to the edge
side pin of Sensor1, Sensor2 and Sensor3 on control board. VCC pin should be at center and
signal pin on inner side pin.

Each sensor has potentiometer setting and a led on it. Set the sensors correctly so that they
respond to obstacles. LED indicate the sensing. Power on the robot and also check that when
each sensor senses obstacle motors move accordingly.

After checking all things working correctly switch off the robot.

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Step 3-4 : Take the top plate and screw 20mm stud on it. Keep in mind that now the back
part of top plate has become front part so that we can mount the sensors properly in front.

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Step 3-5 : Take all 3 sensors out from the center hole and mount the top plate 2x20 mm
studs which have extention on 1 side.

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Step 3-6 : Mount 3 sensors on top of studs and set them properly. Power on robot and it will
start moving and avoiding obstacles in path.

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ROBOT 4 : Wall Hugger Robot
Step 4-1 : Configure the robot for mode 3 (See section 2-2).
Power off the robot. Short first & last pin of PSX connector and first & last pin of Servo1
connector and also the First & last pin of Servo2 connector.

Power on and check that LED blinks for 3 times. Reset robot.

Follow steps 3-2 to 3-6 but with only 1 sensor. Sensor should be connected to Sensor1. Robot
will follow right wall.

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Service and Support
Service and support for this product are available from Robokits India. The Robokits Web site
(http://www.robokits.co.in) maintains current contact information for all Robokits products.

Disclaimer
Copyright © Robokits India, 2011

Neither the whole nor any part of the information contained in, or the product described in this manual, may be adapted or
reproduced in any material or electronic form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder.

This product and its documentation are supplied on an as-is basis and no warranty as to their suitability for any particular
purpose is either made or implied.

This document provides preliminary information that may be subject to change without notice.

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