Hi, I am trying to make the following:
i need a 4 foot arm to swing parallel to the ground at a fulcrum. Only needs to travel 90 degrees one direction, then back 90 degrees to its original spot - Kind of like 1 windshield wiper running parallel to the ground
the weight of the arm plus load at the end is roughly 10pounds
this would be triggered by a single button
thats the gist of it. Now if. I could tweak it…
i would like one press of button A to move the arm 90 degrees then it stops. A second press of button A would move the arm back to where it originally was.
Or, if this is too costly, I could hold the button down while the arm cycles 90 degrees and back, releasing the switch when the arm reaches its desired location
I need cheap options or at least a good place to start. I have zero coding or electronics knowledge
thank you
Mechanical Mechanism
We see you also have posted on RobotShop, but for those here:
Your easiest solution would be to recreate the mechanics of a wiper mechanism, connect one end to a continuous rotation DC gear motor and have the button simply allow the motor to be powered. If you want it to be at the press of a button, this can be done using limit switches, or a motor controller + microcontroller. Your arm will need to be well balanced so the entire weight is not on the motor’s shaft.