2-Link Robot Manipulator
by Evan Tulsky
Joystick Control
Open-loop direct control to help prototyping. A simple analog joystick lets you drive the robot arm manually — perfect for calibration, testing, or just having fun.
- X-Axis: Controls the base joint (shoulder)
- Y-Axis: Controls the elbow joint
- Platform: Arduino or Raspberry Pi reads analog signals and sends angles to the motors
The joystick input is mapped to joint angles in real-time:
```python theta1 = map(joystick.x, 0, 1023, -pi/2, pi/2) theta2 = map(joystick.y, 0, 1023, -pi/2, pi/2) set_joint_angles(theta1, theta2)
Computer Vision
Work in progress
Obstacle Avoidance with Sensors
Safety is non-negotiable when working with physical systems. This arm is equipped with two sensors for obstacle detection and thermal awareness:
- Ultrasonic Sensor
–Measures distance to nearby objects or humans. –Mounted near the end-effector. –Stops motion if something is too close.
if distance < 15: halt_motion()
- Temperature Sensor (IR) –Scans the scene for hot objects (e.g. cookware, electronics). –Flags objects over a temperature threshold (e.g., 50°C) as unsafe to touch.
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