Coding/Instructing the AL5D robot via python

Help & Support Robot Parts
1

Hello. I am doing an A-Level piece of coursework this year. I have constructed the robot and have it up and running, I can control the robot through the RIOS software that is shipped with the AL5D.

I was wondering if I would be able to make a program in python and allow the robot to follow the instructions set by this program. This way I could create much more complex programs. As the only way to move the robot is by adjusting the sliders. My final aim is to allow the robot to play a game called “Nhim” (there are a set number of sticks on the table, players can only pick up 1-3 and the last one to pick up a stick loses).

So, how would I go about being able to code this program and get the robot to follow the instructions? I read somewhere that Lynxmotion sell their own arduino called "[font=verdana][size=1][highlight=#ffffff]BotBoarduino" [/highlight][/size][/font]would this be suitable? If so, how would I be able to get this done?
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2

Hi,

If you want to write a program on a computer to control the AL5D arm using Python, we would recommend using pySerial to communicate directly with the SSC-32 board using the serial port:

The SSC-32 board has an easy to use serial protocol which allows you control the position of each servo:

Depending on how you are setup, you might need to make an Inverse Kinematics model if you want to specify X/Y positions in your program and have the arm move to the right position. Let us know if you want more information about that.

Unfortunately the RIOS software isn’t made to interface with Python.

You can also use the BotBoarduino if you like. It is programmed in C/C++ using the Arduino IDE. Using the Servo library, you can easily control the position of the servos in the arm.

Hope this helps,