Robotic Arm Arduino Dev Platform

As I started brainstorming for version 2 of the arm, it became clear that I would need to make some changes so, I upgraded the electronics of my original robotic arm. This will allow me to create more modes of operation and create an I2C secondary interface.

For this development platform, I am using an arduino uno, an 8-bit ADC chip for analog joystics and an Adafruit 16-Channel 12-bit PWM/Servo Driver. My goal is to continue to using it as a demo for shows and events but also use it to develop the software modes and test arm designs. Currently, I have a "demo" mode running where someone can begin using the arm and when they move one of the controls, it will begin a countdown timer for 60 seconds. Once it gets down to 10 seconds, a RGB LED goes from green to yellow. When the countdown reaches zero, the LED turns red and the controls are disabled for 10 seconds, then resets. 

The intent is to get kids to share the controls by giving everyone the same amount of time. 

Resources:

• Arm Details - The arm details can be found in Robotic Arm Project.
• Arduino Code - You'll need the libraries listed below but the code is here: RoboticArmV2.zip
• Adafruit PWM/Servo Controller Resources - https://learn.adafruit.com/16-channel-pwm-servo-driver/downloads
• MCP3008 Library - https://github.com/nodesign/MCP3008
• MCP3008 Datasheet - https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/datasheets/MCP3008.pdf
• Control Board - The control board that you can edit and 3D print can be found here: https://tinkercad.com/things/kZfH2AYFf8Q