A microprocessor controlled robotic arm

Robotics is one of the most fascinating and fastest growing fields of engineering today. More and more companies are gearing toward the production of industrial robotic arms. Today, the push is toward arms with electric drive systems, lower lifting capacity (less than 75 pounds), and simple structure. This author views the current arms as nothing more than glorified cranes. This thesis describes a more complex approach to the control of a robotic arm, namely, multiprocessor control. In the present application, each joint has its own .microcomputer acting as the joint s controller. Bus arbitration and movement synchronization are provided for by a master microcomputer. With the advent of the single-chip microcomputer, this approach can be exploited to its full potential. This paper is the culmination of several months of research and design in this area. While the arm described herein has only an elbow and a wrist, the concepts set forth can easily be extended to include a hand and shoulder. The author was attracted to this project by the interdisciplinary nature of the work. The arm project required a working knowledge of mechanics as well as electronics and a tremendous amount of hands-on work. I am deeply saddened by the fact that my work has ended. I truly wish that I could continue my research. In closing, I would like to say that the rumor that the author would continue to work on a hand, can neither be substantiated nor denied