ST robotic R17 and ARM 3.0 robotic arms

[abbas]

Dear sir,

I have some questions about two robotic arms 1) ST robotic R17 5-axis articulated robot arm (product code:RB-SRO-02) and 2) Advanced robotic manipulator (ARM 3.0) (product code: RB-Ins-42).

1. What is the software to control these robot arms?
2. Can I control them with the Labview, MATLAB or Arduino?
3. Can I remove the endeffector of the manipulator and replace it with another endeffector (gripper)?
4. Can I use them in outdoor condition (in the field) (vibration, dusty condition, humidity and temperature range)?

Thanks,
Abbas

[scharette]

Hi Abbas,

Here are the details we have available for both arms:
A) RB-Sro-02 - ST Robotics R17 5-Axis Articulated Robot Arm

@Abbas

1. What is the software to control these robot arms?

Check the long description of this product for more details on the software. The robot arm runs ROBOFORTH and ROBOWIN is used on your computer to format commands and create sequences/programs for the robotic arm.

@Abbas

2. Can I control them with the Labview, MATLAB or Arduino?

The manufacture specifies the following about using this robot arm with software other than theirs:

@manufacturer

You simply send commands via RS232/USB to the controller from your supervising PC or software. In that case you don’t need RobWin. You can use your own software in C, VB, Python or anything else including LabView or Matlab. You can teach the robot some positions or nothing at all; just send coordinates and the robot will go there.

@Abbas

3. Can I remove the endeffector of the manipulator and replace it with another endeffector (gripper)?

In the description, we indicate Gripper sold separately (see options). Again, please check the long description (linked above) for more details about the various options available for this robotic arm.

@Abbas

4. Can I use them in outdoor condition (in the field) (vibration, dusty condition, humidity and temperature range)?

As seen in the description, the robotic arm has an IP 54A rating and a range of 0-40 °C. We do not have specifics concerning vibration, but we can ask the manufacturer if you wish.

B) RB-Ins-42 - Advanced Robotic Manipulator (ARM 3.0) - Closed Loop

@Abbas

1. What is the software to control these robot arms?

Here’s what the manufacturer says about software for this product:

@manufacturer

The arm directly accepts signals from any RC PWM source so no API or SDK is needed. They would however need something to generate the PWM signals. They can use an RC receiver or Arduino. Another really nice way to control the ARM is using a dedicated servomotor controller (SSC-32U, for example) which provides a USB interface to the ARM. It can be used with most modern programming languages. It also allows for the arm to be programmed to run stand alone with a microcontroller.

@Abbas

2. Can I control them with the Labview, MATLAB or Arduino?

Yes, you can. As mentioned above, by using a dedicated servomotor controller board, you can then simply access the arm as a VCP (virtual COM port), or a “serial port”. Both Labview and MATLAB can connect to serial ports and send the appropriate commands.

@Abbas

3. Can I remove the endeffector of the manipulator and replace it with another endeffector (gripper)?

Yes, you can. We do not have any specific replacements available at this time for this arm. Also, please note that this is not a supported operation and you will have to confirm on your own the wiring and setup of the replacement.

@Abbas

4. Can I use them in outdoor condition (in the field) (vibration, dusty condition, humidity and temperature range)?

The manufacturer offers not IP rating, so we would recommend not to use this robotic arm in dusty/humid environments. There is no specific data about temperature either, but considering the electronics used for this product, a range of 0-40 °C seems reasonable. Again for this product too, we do not have any information concerning vibrations. If you wish, we can ask the manufacturer about vibration and temperature limits.

Sincerely,