Day 9 — Robotics Arm Project

Spent: 4 hours

Today I finished designing the wrist section of the robotic arm and continued refining the overall CAD model. I also spent time researching different claw and gripper designs to determine which type would be the best fit for handling small, lightweight objects. A large portion of today’s work involved revisiting earlier CAD parts to add missing details, verify dimensions, and improve the overall assembly. I also searched for manufacturer dimension sheets to make sure the parts matched the hardware I plan to use. While assembling the base, I ran into a gear meshing issue where the 18-tooth and 24-tooth gears were interfering at certain rotation angles. After checking the gear ratio, module, and alignment, I narrowed the problem down to the center distance being slightly too tight. I’m now testing a slightly larger spacing to provide additional clearance and reduce the chance of binding. Next, I’ll finish testing the updated gear spacing, choose a final gripper design, and continue designing the end effector before completing the remaining CAD work.