PnP - a LEGO Pick & Place Robot

PnP is a very simple (but flexible) LEGO robot that mimics some of the things an industrial robot can do. The arm is very basic, but can address a large workspace using two-axis spherical motion and a parallelogram mechanism to keep the "finger" level at the end. Using NXT-G and the LEGO NXT motors gives it a high accuracy, enough to place 2x4 bricks within a few millimeters of the desired position. The result is that PnP can move simple objects, and a wide variety of "work stations" can be fitted around it. It can also firmly push on things, activating levers or sliding mechanisms. Since the NXT can easily drive at least one more motor, this minimalist mechanism can easily be expanded.

This was inspired by Ian Hendry's amazing LEGO creations, and another project that seemed to require linear motion... but I wasn't sure it did.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• LEGO
• NXT
• Mindstorms
• robot
• automation
• diy
• computer
• mechanics
• gadget
• industrial

[Mindstormscreator]

And this was programmed in NXT-G? And I thought NXT-G did a poor job at motor precision.

[brdavis5]

@Mindstormscreator NXT-G does just fine... it's like any other language - it does exactly what you tell it to. For PnP, it will run for at least three hours without needing any sort of recalibration, and keeps sub-degree positioning accuracy.

[Mindstormscreator]

@brdavis5 Cool. But, I would have to disagree about every language doing exactly what you tell it to do. In reality, higher level programming languages pump out machine language statements to attempt to complete what you want to do in the langage, which may work differently depending on the language, so the only real way to get it do to exactly what you want is to program in Assembly, or machine code.

[brdavis5]

@Mindstormscreator True... but often, that's a case of not understand what you "asked" it to do in the 1st place :). It's rare that a language is doing something "wrong"... it's far FAR more common that the user simply assumes what the language does is what they *think* it will do, & is then upset (& more often than not blames the language) when their concept of reality doesn't match actual reality.

NXT-G works fine. But only if you understand what it's actually doing, not just your assumption

[r2darky]

Soooooooooooooooooooooooo! thats your first start to make a factory huh? :P

[brdavis5]

@r2darky Nope - this is just a 2 DOF arm with a self-leveling EOAT. You start with pieces... and build up :)

[brdavis5]

@Fandresvc Hmmm... because I was using the term 'discrimination' in the proper way? If this was looking at people, perhaps you could construe it as improper... but we're talking about little plastic bricks here :).

[Fandresvc]

color discrimination... sounds racist... why not color sorting?

[zumerian]

Needs more cowbell.

[TheViberiser]

@Gargos98

it isnt just for kids...

[Mindstormscreator]

@brdavis5 I understand what you are saying.

Well besides that, awesome robot :)

[CrackerGuy007]

Racist Robot.