/r/AskRobotics
Have questions about which motors, gears or batteries to choose? Wondering why your code doesn't work? Have questions about CAD or simulations? Looking for the perfect robotics kit to gift someone? You're in the right place!
/r/AskRobotics is for asking questions about building, troubleshooting and learning robotics.
For academic, industry and news related discussions, please visit /r/Robotics.
/r/AskRobotics
I had mentioned to someone that I hated how my executive dysfunction was stopping me from learning and practicing ROS 2, and they said that if it's giving me difficulty, maybe I should just do single scripts for now until I build up.
I'm very confused by what exactly that means. I'm still completely new to the world of robotics.
I'm in the process of developing a prosthetic leg for a small bird (around 1.5 cm long and 5 mm in diameter), part of the mechanism is fully mechanic and the "knee" part is electronic. The problem is that I'm having trouble finding the right actuator.
The samllest motor I've found is from the Petter Muren 1 gram ornithopter (1g Ornithopter Designed by Petter Muren - RC Groups), but haven´t been able to even find the name of that motor.
Ideally I'd love a pre made servo, but have considered making it myself.
Any ideas?
Hi, I'm an EE bachelor in my third year and i want to start making some projects to get more into robotics, computer vision and ML.
I'm quite proficient with c and cpp and I've done some 2D game development on FPGA with systemverilog, i have very solid foundations in math, physics, practical knowledge in analog circuits and a lot of theoretical knowledge in digital circuits.
I want to know what kind of tools or online courses one might suggest for me as all i've seen online is for complete beginners..
When I need something at the moment I usually order from Amazon as it’s easy and comes the next day, but it’s probably far from cost effective. I’ve never bought anything from AliExpress, but see it mentioned here and there. Is it cheap? Trustworthy? Does it takes ages to ship? What are people’s experiences? Are there better alternatives?
I’m working on a personal project right now for a self-balancing one wheel bot. My question is I want to know if it’s possible to lock two positions on a 3D plane, so that the bot can stay upright and not need to move in order to remain still. Picturing a pitch roll and yall gimbal, how would you lock two positions? Being that the robot will move forward and back when needed, the idea is to have the robot remain balanced at all times. Any ideas? would two separate gimbal be needed? Multiple gimbals?
Hi im indeed need your help very much , I'm still having a hardtime letting the robot go to from 1 position to 2nd position. And it seems that I can't send the pictures here but I feel like this is the details that you would like to know . I simulate this in coppeliasm using my own simple 3 DOF SCARA robot . Just a beginner level type of robot
You may teach me as well
Here's is my full code if you would like to know extra
import math import numpy as np
L1 = 0.6 L2 = 0.6
start_point = [-0.425, -0.85] end_point = [+0.425, +0.85] n_steps = 50 # ?? Increased step count for smoother motion
def sysCall_init(): sim = require('sim') global trajectory_points, joint1, joint2, step, move_timer
joint1 = sim.getObject("/joint1")
joint2 = sim.getObject("/joint2")
trajectory_points = []
step = 0
move_timer = sim.getSimulationTime()
generate_trajectory(start_point, end_point, n_steps)
# ? Set the first position correctly
theta1, theta2 = inverse_kinematics(start_point[0], start_point[1], L1, L2)
if theta1 is not None and theta2 is not None:
sim.setJointPosition(joint1, theta1)
sim.setJointPosition(joint2, theta2)
def sysCall_actuation(): global step, move_timer
if step < len(trajectory_points) and sim.getSimulationTime() - move_timer > 0.05: # ?? Reduced delay
x, y = trajectory_points[step]
theta1, theta2 = inverse_kinematics(x, y, L1, L2)
if theta1 is None or theta2 is None:
print(f"IK failed at step {step}: Target ({x}, {y}) is unreachable.")
return
sim.setJointTargetPosition(joint1, theta1)
sim.setJointTargetPosition(joint2, theta2)
print(f"Step {step}: Moving to ({x:.2f}, {y:.2f}) | ?1={math.degrees(theta1):.2f}, ?2={math.degrees(theta2):.2f}")
step += 1
move_timer = sim.getSimulationTime()
elif step >= len(trajectory_points): # ? Ensure final position is set correctly
final_theta1, final_theta2 = inverse_kinematics(end_point[0], end_point[1], L1, L2)
sim.setJointTargetPosition(joint1, final_theta1)
sim.setJointTargetPosition(joint2, final_theta2)
print(f"? Final Lock: Joint 2 arrived at ({end_point[0]}, {end_point[1]}) | ?1={math.degrees(final_theta1):.2f}, ?2={math.degrees(final_theta2):.2f}")
def generate_trajectory(start, end, steps): """ Generate straight-line path """ global trajectory_points for t in range(steps + 1): alpha = t / steps x = start[0] + alpha * (end[0] - start[0]) y = start[1] + alpha * (end[1] - start[1]) trajectory_points.append([x, y])
def inverse_kinematics(x, y, L1, L2): """ Compute inverse kinematics (IK) for a 2-link robot arm """ d = (x2 + y2 - L12 - L22) / (2 * L1 * L2)
if d < -1 or d > 1: # ?? Ensure value is valid for acos()
print(f"? IK Error: Target ({x:.2f}, {y:.2f}) is unreachable.")
return None, None
theta2 = math.acos(d) # Compute elbow angle
k1 = L1 + L2 * math.cos(theta2)
k2 = L2 * math.sin(theta2)
theta1 = math.atan2(y, x) - math.atan2(k2, k1)
return theta1, theta2 # Return joint angles
I want to learn designing drones from scretch. I have knowledge of electronics and worked with some projects. Now i want to move my career to drone designing and building. Kindly help me with learning plan and resources.
Hi all, I am a 26 yrs Masters student looking to learn robotic system modeling, simulation and analysis tools. It would be really great if I could get any guidance on the same. Thanks in advance.
Using ROS2 JAZZY in RPI 5. I use this command ros2 run teleop_twist_keyboard teleop_twist_keyboard --ros-args --remap cmd_vel:=/diff_drive_controller/cmd_vel -p stamped:=true ,it run in the simulation but not in the real robot. Can someone help me i use the repo diffdrive_arduino by joshnewans
If you need more information about the code
I’m 20 and I finally decided I wanna start studying. I wanna build animatronics as a career and possibly even design video games or at least one I heard that. Mechatronic engineers are able to make one completely by themselves. Is that true and if not, what do I need to study?
Amazon Robotics culture encourages innovation and expects engineers and managers alike to take a high level of ownership in solving complex problems.
The Solutions Design Team is not only responsible for analyzing and optimizing existing Robotic FC performance, but combining those learnings with the latest technologies to design new state of the art robotic material handling systems. The day to day responsibilities include:
- Evaluate and create physical processing and material handling solutions using modern edge technology, robotics and data analytics to meet the product flow requirements based on Amazon design principles.
- Identify and analyze key operational and financial metrics as part of program and feature selection in order to drive smart decisions.
- Coordinate with systems and operations engineering teams to develop product features and optimize the performance of the FCs.
- Manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously and effectively influence, negotiate, and communicate with internal and external business partners, contractors and vendors.
- Develop models as required to solve complex problems.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial or Mechanical), Operations Research, or a related field
- Experience using MS Excel, MS Project, AutoCAD and commercial off the shelf technologies such as Tableau, SQL, etc.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working with the designs of complex automated material handling equipment and systems including robotics and high-speed manufacturing.
- Demonstrated use of analytical skills to solve complex engineering problems
- Experience with process design based on Lean Principles.
To learn more & apply visit: https://www.simulationengineerjobs.com
Hi all, I'm working on building a 2-wheeled bot that uses n20 encoder motors to drive it forward. I'm using an Adafruit DRV8833 motor driver.
The motors are mounted on opposite sides of the bot, and need to turn in opposite direction to give the bot forward motion (ie. the left motor clockwise and the right motor counter-clockwise).
I have a question about the wiring and code options I can use to acheive this - and want to know if there is an option that is recommended.
Option 1:
Wiring:
Code:
void forward() {
// Drives left motor
digitalWrite(AIN1, LOW);
digitalWrite(AIN2, HIGH);
// Drive right motor
digitalWrite(BIN1, HIGH);
digitalWrite(BIN2, LOW);
}
Option 2:
Wiring:
Code:
void forward() {
// Drives left motor
digitalWrite(AIN1, LOW);
digitalWrite(AIN2, HIGH);
// Drive right motor
digitalWrite(BIN1, LOW);
digitalWrite(BIN2, HIGH);
}
Both of these options work for my bot, and drive the motors in the appropriate directions.
I'm wondering if there is a recommended or most used option out of these two.
Check this video by the Auki CEO saying what it means living so close to Shenzhen, the city that can produce almost anything in robotics, check the price Auki got for the one off special camera! Imagine the future of this Depin company.
Hi all,
I just started my first job this week and it's my literal dream role - Senior Robotic Controls Engineer. However, I feel like I somehow "cheated" my way into this role and I wanted to know what everyone's first experience in industry was like. Apologies in advance for the long post!
Some background - I just graduated with an MS in MechE (concentration in robotics/controls). I'm the youngest on the team by 10+ years, everyone else is Staff/Principal. I've interned at the company before, but doing totally different work on a totally different team. The company works on multi-DOF robotic arms.
I took a robot dynamics course at the beginning of my Master's which went into arm dynamics (FK/IK, etc,). But my work since then has been modern/robust/classical/optimal control in various devices and mobile robots. In my interviews, it was clear my experience was not arm control - I answered questions about what I was currently working on and low-level controls very well, but stumbled on arm specific topics. I said I would need to brush up on them for sure.
I was pleasantly surprised to be hired. But in these past few days, I've been embarrassed about not being able to answer some basic questions about arm control from my mentor. I kicked myself when I found them in my dynamics class notes. I reviewed right after I stumbled in my interviews, but clearly not enough considering how long ago that class was. I've been checking in with my mentor as I review, and let him know it just took me a bit to make the switch back to arm control after spending the past year in mobile robots.
I am a very hard worker and am confident I can catch-up, but I'm starting to wonder what exactly I can contribute to the team. Everyone else has years of experience - my hiring feels like they took a chance. Did anyone else feel this unsure starting their first role in robotics? What were your experiences like your first few days and weeks? Any advice? Thank you all!
TLDR: I'm working on arm control in my very first job, and I've forgotten a lot! What am I doing here?
Hey everyone. I am a soon-to-graduate Mechanical Engineering PhD student from a top tier university who collected a Robotics masters along the way. I am hoping to transition into industry after graduation, and I'm really interested in Gecko Robotics because I am super interested in machines that climb (my thesis is about rodent tail usage during climbing)! I was wondering if anyone with experience at Gecko Robotics has any insight for me on:
Thanks in advance. Super excited to see what people say. Thanks.
hi ,
i have been thinking from a long time about making a robot and i started searching about it and ive got the idea of a simple chat robot .
a robot that can understand ( slang language) and reply like a normal person .
and for movement i have zero knowledge sooo any help would be aappreciable
im thinking about an rasspi 4 with a language model or any api or something like that .
it might be hard or even impossible but is there anyway to do this ?
thanks for reading : )
How can someone who is not very smart and has zero experience get started in robotics? Please read the rest before answering. I'm not looking for advice from PhD holders suggesting I return to college, as traditional colleges often cater to highly advanced students in engineering. I'm specifically interested in finding an affordable online bootcamp or training school that allows me to get training in this field while working a full-time job.
What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career in robotics? What’s the best path to break into the field?
Hello everyone! I'm curious if entry-level roles in robotics are feasible for someone without an engineering degree (robot operator roles, entry-level field engineer roles, for example). I have 4 years of experience in tech, primarily in software and support, and I’m looking to transition into robotics. From my initial understanding, I’m particularly interested in the hardware side of robotics.
If entry-level roles aren’t feasible without an engineering background, I’m also open to returning to university, but I would love some guidance on what that path might look like.
Any guidance on how to make this shift effectively would be greatly appreciated!
I wanted to learn/use the Nvidia Isaac Toolkit, but in the documentation, its mentioned that I only runs on Ampere
or higher NVIDIA GPU Architecture. I have a gtx 1660 laptop GPU. Can anyone suggest any workaround or other cloud-hosted tools that I can learn/use on ...
I'm trying to create a fighting robot that's 6 inches tall. I want it to be able to move and fight like the boxing robots "Noisy Boy", "Atom" and "Midas" from the movie Real Steel but at a 6 inch scale. I want the motions to be smooth and realistic. I didn't know where to start so I asked ChatGPT for help. Is it possible to make something like this if you followed the instructions? I know nothing about robotics or coding but want this vision to come to life. If you could build it for me or help me build it that would be great thank you!
1. Concept
2. Parts & Materials
Number of Actuators Needed: ~12–15 total for full realism.
Frame & Mechanical Parts:
3. Build Phases
Phase 2: Advanced Prototype
4. Iteration, Prototyping & Problem-Solving
I'm 17 (U.S.) and I'd really like to try out robotics. Where do I start? My end goal would be to both construct and program robots. I am pursuing this for a couple reasons: 1) Interest. I just think it'd be a fun hobby. 2) I am considering a career in engineering and would love to see if I end up liking robotics, programming, circuits, etc... for majors I'm considering (the two I'm considering related to robotics are Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering).
How do you guys build robots? Do you guys have specialized roles (like AI guys are different and the electronics guys are different, mechanical guys are different) or generally work on almost every aspect of robots? If I want to enter robotics then how much salary can I expect and what course should I study for masters? I feel like my mind is not focused on something particular in this field. My major is electronics and communication engineering and I have worked in an embedded systems company for 2 years. So I feel like I should be able to develop electronics part of the robot or otherwise I am not a good engineer. But just by building electronics a robot isn't built. It's only a dumb machine if there is no AI. So I also feel like I should dive deep into hardcore artificial intelligence and learn most difficult topics of it. What should I do can any of you guys help me out? Do people generally work as all round roboticists or do they work only on 1 aspect? Shoud I do a masters or a PhD? I am also looking to network with great people in this field
As I am an student of robotics and automation engineer as I decided to buy an laptop to learn 3d modeling and simulation should I go for the 2050 or 3050
Hi all, I am a computer science tutor, and I'd like to expand my offerings to include a 4 hour robotics class taught to 13+ aged students at a local adult education center.
To accomplish this, I need a good fit for a line follower robot kit that meets the following requirements
Programmable in ideally python, but c or c++ is acceptable
Quick to assemble
Tools required are minimal, ideally just a screwdriver or two.
Additionally, in order to hit my goal for tuition cost, I'd like to shoot for a budget of around 40 dollars a kit.
In my research, it seems like a decent line follower kit is around 65, but I'm wondering if this community knows of say, some open source kits (or easily sourcable parts lists) that would meet these requirements.
Thanks!
Hi everyone,
I hope this message finds you well. I recently came across a fascinating project where someone controls a small, remote-controlled robot to explore a city from a distant location when you control the robot in shanghai and another cities The robots is Are not like a normal tele-presence robot It's like a home/school made robot with a built-in camara
I believe this project was featured in a YouTube video when a person visits shanghai with that robot and visit a sewing shop and asking for something
And the last thing that i renember is that they have a discord server in that discord server you can control the robots and socialize with other persons and plan to visit another cities or give opinion of the cities that they visit
If anyone knows which project I am referring to or if they can mention several that are the same project, I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Hey, people
I'm trying to start a robotics project for portfolio, experience and to engage in robotics per se, cause I'm working in a engineering setting with small access to work with it.
My vision is to build a quadcopter in a simulation, to start to tinker around with different codes for path planning, sensoring, etc.
I've only experienced running ROS directly out of my physical notebook, with simulations in gazebo. But it is my intention to try running it with ros2 with a Docker/Windows setup in a fairly robust RAM/Processor PC
What would be my options for different simulation solutions? I've only known local simulators but have read about applications running in cloud servers. Are there any sensors, actuators, coding practice or other recommendations you could give me?
I am currently doing my second year in robotics engineering and i have to make a project on c++ as my end sem project. So I need ideas for c++ project based on robotics (as my domain is robotics).. but it should be more of a c++ project than a robotics project.. and I want the ideas to be advanced and challenging since it's for my end Semester.
Hello,
I am currently preparing for an exam, and I’m looking for examples of exercises related to the kinematic modeling of a 6-DOF spherical robot. Specifically, I need help with:
Direct Geometric Model (DGM)
Inverse Geometric Model (IGM)
Direct Kinematic Model (DKM)
Inverse Kinematic Model (IKM)
I am using the modified Denavit-Hartenberg method, and I would like to know where I can find similar exercises or solved examples to practice. If you have resources, examples, or advice, please share them with me.
Thank you for your help!
For a science fair im making an ornithopter to win one of the contest that will be held that day. However, I need to program the microprocessor (Esp 32) for it to work properly. It needs to take off, follow a route (at a certain altitude) and land. But this is my first time so could I get so help or a tutorial I could watch to get a better understanding
Title. Im an Electronics Engineering major. Ive had some basic programming knowledge(upto writing basic sorting algorithms, fibonacci etc) but i never really understood computers at a deep level. I originally wanted to study physics but that option is off the table now, so i wanna learn and dedicate my time on topics close to my field.
I started with the cs crash course by PBS studio and the explanation is amazing!! I found the working of the hardware very interesting and want to learn more about how computers and robots operate at a deeper level(Both software and hardware wise). Help will be appreciated