@Ronyboxer

Today I worked on the swiveling section of the robotic arm that mounts onto the stepper motor at the base. I decided to redesign it from the previous version because the original design felt too large and bulky and didn’t match the look I had in mind for the project. I changed the shape to a more circular design to give the arm a cleaner and more realistic appearance while keeping it compact. I also added a dedicated pathway for the servo wires so they can be routed into the Raspberry Pi inside the base, which should improve cable management and make the overall assembly cleaner and easier to work with.

I finished designing the first link and lower section of the robotic arm. I gave it a circular design inspired by industrial robotic arms used in factories because I wanted the arm to have a more realistic and clean appearance rather than just focusing on functionality. I also created a dedicated channel for servo wiring so the cables can be routed through the arm more neatly and stay protected during movement. I added the servo into the assembly to test the fit and make sure the dimensions align correctly with the design. For this joint, I’m planning to use an MG996R servo because it provides a good amount of torque for supporting movement and load. I also designed mounting points so the servo can be securely attached to the rotating section with screws, making the assembly stronger and easier to build later on.

I designed and modeled a topper for the base of the robotic arm in Onshape. I split the topper into two separate parts so that when I eventually build the physical version, I’ll be able to access the Raspberry Pi and wiring easily without needing to take apart the entire arm. This should make maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting much simpler in the future. One of the more difficult parts of this process was matching the topper precisely to the shape of the base while keeping all of the dimensions accurate. I spent a lot of time adjusting measurements and positioning the screw holes so everything would line up correctly and fit together properly. It took quite a bit of trial and error, but getting the alignment right is important because small dimension errors can create major issues later in the assembly.

I added holes to the base to connect the covering layer of the base. I also started the assembly where I added a NEMA 17 stepper motor and a “Pi 5” with exact dimensions to replicate it to show how it would be placed in the real build.

I designed a dedicated mounting space for a Raspberry Pi 5 so the onboard computer can be integrated directly into the structure rather than attached externally. Keeping the Pi inside the base should help with cable management, make the build cleaner, and protect the electronics. I also added space for a NEMA 17 stepper motor, which will be responsible for driving the rotational movement of the arm. Since the base is the first major structural component, I wanted to make sure there was enough room for future mounting hardware and motion components while keeping the overall size of the arm compact.