SPM - 3D Printed Spherical Parallel Manipulator Setup & Movement Test
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- Setup & Movement Test for my SPM design, using Unity on a Linux Laptop!
This 3D printed actuator will be used as an end effector for my robotic arm, other use cases might be for a camera gimbal or agile eye!
I was inspired by Pollen Robotics Orbita joint, but since the boards for driving it are not available, I decided to build my own.
This SPM has unlimited rotational freedom on the horizontal axis and is being driven by three BLDC motors. The IK is calculated in Unity and send to the board via Serial Port or Flask Server.
Storm32 Firmware by runger1101001
github.com/runger1101001
I am planning to release the print files and will update the parts list...
Stay tuned for more content!
0:00 - Intro
0:30 - Unity On Linux
2:45 - Hardware Setup
3:15 - Software Setup
3:30 - Future Ideas - VR Control
3:50 - Future Ideas - Robotic Arm
4:05 - Movement Test
Hardware consists of
3 x EMAX GB2210 BLDC
3 x AS5048A Encoder
and the
Storm32 BGC 32Bit MCU
Bearings used
3 x 61709-ZZ 45x55x6mm
12 x MR128-2RS 8x12x3.5mm
6 x 679 9x14x3mm
3D Printing Files
www.printables.com/model/3239... - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
The 3D simulation of the arm is impressive. Incredible amount of work to design and code all this
Thanks a lot for your feedback and I really appreciate that you realize the work it took to get it up and running!!
Stay tuned for more!! 😊
Very very cool! I am excited to see what you do with the manipulator!
It will be the wrist for my robotic arm!! 😊
@@swannschilling474 Hi, did you release the 3D printed files and Unity code? Looking forward to replicate it!
I can't wait to see the robot arm you're going to mount this on!
The one I showed on the end of the video is WIP, the design will still change quiet a bit...but I will try to produce more content as I go, hope you'll find it interesting!! 😊
I'm glad TH-cam recommended me this video. Very impressive work. I also was surprised by usage of Unity game engine as well. Thank you!
Very happy that you liked it! Unity was about to create a lot of content for the use in robotics, sadly it got discontinued!
I am planning to move the arm with a virtual overlay using AR on the Quest 3 by deploying my Unity simulation...its in the making, stay tuned for more! 🤖
Great design and execution 😀👍
Thanks...I did not have too much spare time, but now I am back to building the arm and will hopefully be showing some progress soon! 😊
Excellent progress!
Thanks a lot!! I am happy see the setup working too!! 😊
Impressive work!
Thanks a lot!! I will try to put up a precision test soon, someone recommended a laser pointer to do so, I am just waiting for it to arrive!
Did you find this because I put a reply on the previous clip? I am just asking because a few people requested this and maybe I need to reply to them too? Don't know how this works on TH-cam! 😅
OMG, now I wanted to reply to a few people on the thread about the actuator not moving and I guess I totally spammed replies to everyone, did you just get five replies? 😅
Amazing progress!!! Can't wait to see the whole thing working!
Thanks Will!! I think setting up VR will be a lot of fun!! 😊
@@swannschilling474 Yes!
Looking forward to the VR robot arm 😁
Thanks a lot, the arm is super early WIP, so a lot will still be subject to change...but stay tuned for more, I will keep the channel posted!
I had said the last video was click bait and by itself it kinda was but together, these two vids are awesome - nice work!
Thanks a lot, and sorry if I spammed the other thread...I am pretty much a noob when it comes to TH-cam comments!! 😅 I will make a precision an repeatability test on the actuator next! Hope to get it done soon, still waiting for the laser to arrive!!
Very nice job!!!
Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it!! 😊
Great work! Nice to come back and see you got it functional. I have to be honest, I never heard or thought of using Unity as a kinematic solver. If indeed that it what you’re doing? Controlling the “simulation” to calculate the required motor positions? Also I enjoy the video editing a lot, very clean, nice plant :)
Thanks a lot, glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
And yes I am using Unity to solve the IK, and there are two ways of doing so...one is mathematical, the other one is purely simulated by using Unitys new Articulation Bodys!
I am also sending the Quaternion position of the platform to the server, but I will have to do further testing on it...eventually I would like to calculate the IK outside of Unity, this just gave me a good starting point!
@@swannschilling474 Its certainly a valid approach if, like me, your linear algebra is a bit rusty! I wonder how accurate it is since it’s meant for graphical use but I presume it’s good enough. You might also like to look at RoboDK (a play on SDK). It’s a great kinematics simulation platform with C# and Python support. The free version should be enough to support the IK you need and it’s more “purpose built”, just an idea/option :)
@@georgekerwood9100 thanks a lot for the idea, I will definitively take a look!! I am always interested in different options!!
I mainly started using Unity, because I would like to have the arm VR controlled and Unity offers everything I need to get going with the Oculus Quest!
But using Unity as an IK solver is a bit of an overkill, so I am more than happy to try a different approach! Thanks a lot for your idea!!
@@swannschilling474 I started reading with the intension of writing an IK library for you only to quickly realise it would take quite a bit more time than I currently have haha! Anyway, this paper and it's references could be a great help should you choose to go that way: www.researchgate.net/publication/251157378_Modelling_of_a_special_class_of_spherical_parallel_manipulators_with_Euler_parameters
Also, if you wanted to go "full out" on the control law, supporting speed, acceleration, interpolation etc. MatLab and Simulink are available at reasonable prices to individuals and ideal for this kind of thing.
this is impressive. a video breakdown on the unity part and the math behind it would be awesome
Thank you so much! I do not have time to do TH-cam at the moment...but I might do something on the arm soon! 😊
@@swannschilling474 can't wait to see that. Quick question, are all the matrices calculations for the IK calculated in unity or you used another tool like Matlab or numpy? I am curious about your approach on the sim. Thanks 😊
@@azfarazdiarfakhsyad9863 its all done in Unity, they improved the editor with a ton of features for robotic applications!!
@@swannschilling474 I see. Did you use ROS to calculate the manipulator and link it with unity using Unity Robotics Hub?
@@azfarazdiarfakhsyad9863 I was messing with ROS for a bit, but it is not very intuitive and I don't think this project will reach a larger audience... so I basically did all the setup in Unity and I am sending the values to a Flask server and then to serial! 😊
What do you use to edit your videos? Really love the editing on this one - especially with the music :)
Thanks a lot! It actually took a while to edit!! 😊 I am using Davinci Resolve, its free and offers all the featured that I need to get things done! Check it out, you will love it!! 😇
That's awesome !! Loved it. Is Unity better option for simulation of parallel manipulators compared to Gazebo and ROS ?
I actually never figured out how to setup the URDF of this joint, because of the closed loop kinematic, I would love to try it in Pybullet! But honestly Unity and either just sending it directly to COM or to a Flask server is just such a nice and easy thing...it rocks!! 🤘😁
This is amazing 😍
Thanks!! Glad you like it!! 😊
@@swannschilling474 I admire your work very much and the fact that you are going to publish it that is extraordinary! Thank you and keep your gems coming!
@@masaratech Thanks for your positive feedback, I will try to post more on this actuator soon!! 😊
A laser pointer mounted onto the wrist would be a simple way to demonstrate repeatability and accuracy.
Yes, this was just basic setup and movement, I will definetely make more on repeatability and accuracy...thanks for your idea!! 😊
This is ingenious
Thanks a lot, I have not posted for a while but the arm is fully functional now...with this joint being its end effector! 😇
@@swannschilling474 I saw this! Just amazing my friend! One of my life goals is to make a badass manipulator like that. I’m getting close.
4:00 Teasing us as usual lol
The arm is still super early WIP, so the design might change quiet a bit...it is using my Cycloidal Gearboxes, I might do another assembly feature soon!
Really cool to see it in action! Though I'm curious, why did you design the three 'connections' as straight but with an angle in the middle? (Hopefully I'm actually describing it well enough ^^' ) In some configurations it means the plane of the end effector could actually collide with one of them if it extends past the existing circle, when the Orbita joint that you took inspiration from doesn't seem to have this problem.
Hey, thanks a lot for the feedback and your close observation...the Orbita joint is kinda the same setup, the platform will never collide with one of the arms, it only limit is the tilt angle! It cannot tilt beyond a certain point because the arms connected to the rings would collide! 😊
@@swannschilling474 Although the platform itself can't collide with the arms, what I mean is that if you attached something wider than the platform to it (let's say you just attached a big sheet of metal on top of it), the arms being like that mean the range of motion is even more limited than necessary, or so I think. I've only barely managed to rig a different, simpler SPM design so I doubt I could manage something more complicated like this to test my theory
Such an elegant design!!! Great work my friend! I would love to build one myself... would it be possible to get the STL files and some code so that I can start tinkering with it? 💛💙
Hey, thanks a lot for your interest! This is still early WIP and I don't have the time on my hands to work on it at the moment. But once I got the flaws sorted out, I will most likely release the files!! 😊
so cool!
Thank you so much!! 😊
U'r helpful ! thanks!
Thanks a lot, glad you found it helpful!!
I don't know what the term is (i know for cartesian it is often making a square/diagonals in the square?), but some sort of "drill" it does that displays all the actions/dof and can be sped up / slowed down to test this thing's limits may be neat.
I will still have to do a bit of tweaking but I will definetely make another feature about movement, speed, torque and precision!!
And thanks a lot for taking interest in my actuator!!
Fantastic design, It Looks so excellent and professional. But can you show more about SPM Kinematic and how to apply it? I guess got more feedback angles from Unity and forwarded them to your controller. Thank you so much! I look forward to your reply.
Yes everything of the inverese kinematics is calculated inside of Unity, but I have not touched this project in a while...might eventually go back to it soon though!
@@swannschilling474 Thank you so much, I really take care of this project and I looking for more information about inverse kinematics. Your project is the inspiration for me. Hope you come back soon.
@@user-qy3us2wu4w glad to hear you are enjoying the project! Its all Unity based for now, so maybe getting into Unity might be a good starting point if you'd like to build something similar!
You're killing me here! it looks amazing... Please tell us the bearings so I can order them in the meantime
Happy you like it, and sorry that I did not do this already...its on my list, but I want to double check so I'll give you the right sizes and quantities!!
I updated the bearing sizes, sorry it took so long...
@@swannschilling474 You shouldn't apologize! thank you sooo much! this is amazing
@@daniaak I will try to post more on this actuator and hopefully once your bearings arrive, I will have the stl files for the joint out there too! 😊
would be an interesting mount for a large telescope.
That would be a very good usecase! Never thought about that! 😊
@@swannschilling474 the idea might be superseded by a mass producible 360° Infrared space telescope concept.
@@Astroponicist wow, you seem to know a lot more about this topic than I do! I was mainly thinking about using this as a joint for my robotic arm...
@@swannschilling474 your device might be a good steady cam mount. I am available for consultation anytime.
@@Astroponicist steady cam mount was actually also in my mind...there are still some caveats, one of the biggest issues is that I am running a simulation to drive it, and have not figured out the kinematics for being able to drive it in a more generic way! Wanna give me a hand figuring it out? 😇
Super duper cool. Will the 3D files be available for this?
Hey, I am back to working full time after the lockdown...so things are evolving a bit slower than I would like them too. Still need to iterate over the design a bit to sort out some issues, but its on my list! 😊
@@swannschilling474 Hi, Im aiming to build some 5 axis head for 3d printer. any chance I'll be able using your design here ?
@@mikhaelchernogorsky556 my design is actually based on a print head...I will check for the link! That might be a good starting point for your project! 😊
@@swannschilling474 would be great. Thanks
@@mikhaelchernogorsky556 hey I found the link that should get you on track with your project... github.com/anthonychukh/CoaxialSPM
This is wonderful! Great job! I have downloaded your STL files and they look fantastic! I also tried converting them to OBJ and then importing them into Unity and they all line up, except for the "middlebottom" piece, and the fact that there is only 1 "arm" (understandable, since we just need to print 3 x arm). In Unity, I am really struggling to line up the duplicated arms and the "middlebottom". Any chance you can share the project files? No need for the code (although that would be nice, too), but I really need the models lined up properly.
You should assemble everything in Blender first, Unity is not made for this!! Just find a tutorial on how to set pivot points in Blender and you are all set...its not a big deal! 😊
@@swannschilling474 But when I import the STL files into blender, the model parts are not visible. They are all apparently at the origin, so they are not in the correct positions. Any ideas?
@@richc2419 Select the object then View>Frame Selected
But I would advice you to learn the basics of Blender!
@@swannschilling474 Thanks, I did actually figure that out -- the models are off-center, but there are a couple meshes separated from the others, not sure where they go, exactly.
@@richc2419 The assembly video has all the parts included, but I could also upload the mechanism as a single object for reference? 😊
So inspired me!!! I'm doing a simulation project of the Orbita in Unity. However I'm stucking in how to make the model move the most naturally like you did. Could you help me to clarify how you make the uncontrolled arms move? Do you just move the 3 controlled joints and let physics do the remaining? Or do you calculate all the joints, then move them to "fake" the uncontrolled motions?
Thank you very much
I had to ways to do this, the first one is using articulation bodies. So the whole mechanism is basically being simulated...they other one is an IK rig. I used the IK rig in the end, because it was more stable than the simulation, but both ways are equally legit!
@@swannschilling474 thank you very much for your answer. This helps me very much
@@duongTran-he6mk No problem!! Have fun building...let me know if you would like the link to the .stl files!
@@swannschilling474 Thank you very much for your kind suggestion. I've already had my STL files. My problem is with the Unity simulation. I used the Articulation body but don't know how to deal with parallel model like SPM, because Articulation body seems cannot deal with loop kinematic. I'll try the IK rig as you suggested.
@@duongTran-he6mk IK did the trick for me in the end! 😊
Hello, I've been studying about UNITY recently. I'd like to express the robot's movement in UNITY. I want to get a hint from your work.
Will it be possible?
Thanks a lot for the comment, I hope you will get some inspiration from my work! :)
@@swannschilling474 I need help. Can be shared your Unity file?
Hello, how you did this emulation? Can you explain a little?
Hey, I am using Unity Game Engine...its a bit of an overkill but I really need it for later use in VR! There are a lot of tutorials on Unity out there and I will also put out more content on this actuator!
If there is anything specific that I can help you with, please let me know!!
I would love to use this to make a light that tracks people within a space using computer vision
Hey, that sound like a really good application for this joint!! This design is also named agile eye, I will try to make an application that shows how this mechanism can track objects. But I will be using a VR application rather than CV...
But your idea sounds really cool too, stay tuned for more on this actuator!!
@@swannschilling474 1000%! Have you considered making the design open source?
@@SeaMushroom98 I will most likely do so, but there is still a lot of stuff to be sorted out! So please bear with me, the design is still early WIP, although it does not look like it!
Hi, did you release the 3D printed files and Unity code?
Hey, I will release the files as soon as I got the next version ready...I am moving the encoders to the back and will be adding a slipring! In Unity I have some paid assets included, so I cannot release it!
@@swannschilling474 Waiting for the release of the design 😉
Good day.
Could you share 3D models to replicate a similar device?
The 3d files are published! www.printables.com/model/323998-spm-3d-printed-spherical-parallel-manipulator
@@swannschilling474 thank you
Patented as utility model?
No, its Open Source!!! All yours if you'd likebtp build one! 😊
How much cost ot takes to complete project
The problem is that the motors got extremely expensive...I will try to make an updated version using different motors in the future! 😊
Can I use it as a gimbal
A gimbal would be a very good usecase! 😊
I don't see how this can be strong enough. The lower disk has a very long vertical bar. The whole system looks very fragile to me. Sorry, but that's my impression.
Hey, thanks for the feedback!! I will have to do some torque and precision testing, you are having a valid point there!
But since the platform is being supported by all three arms, it is not as fragile as it might look at first!
These are great for, uh, for uhhh, for, youtube videos?
Thanks!!
Step files or f3d files?
Links in the description!
@Swann Schilling no there's not? Could you comment the links here?
@@dollarbutt Hey, the design is two years old now and the motors became quiet expensive. So there would need to be some remodeling and also I never finished the custom PCB...but if you are curious and would like to work on the design you can find the files over here www.printables.com/model/323998-spm-3d-printed-spherical-parallel-manipulator
@Swann Schilling thanks so much! I'm probably gonna redesign it for little 4S 2212 motors.
@@swannschilling474 do you also happen to have the step files for the cycloidal drive you designed?
Your video presentation skills are absolutely ridiculous and here you are replying to all the comments again
Does each axis translate on a linear scale? What's the angular traverse speed? Does the angular speed/translation vary between an axis pivoting toward an actuator mount vs off-axis?
Thanks, a lot for your feedback!! 😊 And yes, I am happy about all those comments so replying is the least I can do!!
This is just the basic setup, I will still need to do some PID tuning and get a few thing sorted out before doing speed and precision testing!
Sadly the axis rotation is not being calculated that way but I will still be working on the math to be used outside of Unity! 😊