Assembly
Electronics
Software
OVERVIEW
So, you have decided to build a robot? Cool beans, we would love to help. After a quick download and a lot of printing, you will be ready to build your very own MAKI. The following guide will cover recommended tools, the BOM, electrical wiring, servo configuration, Pi setup, assembly, and software setup. At this time, we only cover ARC setup for MAKI edu, but we are working on future ROS support.
TOOLS
Micro USB Cable
SD Card Reader
HDMI Display
HDMI Cable
Keyboard/Mouse
Heat Gun
Shrink Tubing
Solder
Soldering Iron
Phillips Screwdriver
M3 Screwdriver
Cable Zip Ties
There are many tools which will be required to complete this project. In addition to the tools pictured below, a 3D Printer and Windows PC are necessary to create and operate a MAKI robot running ARC.
The following tools are not required, but recommended.
BOM
Below is a list of parts required to build MAKI edu. The Google AIY kit is optional because the speaker and microphone from the remote PC can be used for speech recognition and synthesis. There is also hardware which is not listed because it is included with the servos, such as the standard X3P cables and included bolts. Please read through the entire assembly process before purchasing any parts or tools.
WIRING
The following steps document how to connect cables, 2-pin connectors, the DC power jack, the rocker switch, the 4-pin connector, the voltage regulator, as well as where to solder the headers onto the OpenCM9.04 board. The connectors are optional in many cases. While connectors make assembling/disassembling a bit easier, they also add extra parts to troubleshoot if you have a power issue later.
Step 1 - Splice one 2-pin connector with two 2-pin connectors. Optionally, use a male connector for the main 2-pin connector and female connectors for the other two.
Step 2 - Connect a two pin connector to the DC power jack. Connect the positive cable to the short pin. Be sure to verify that the connector can fit through the power jack hole in the base. Optionally, you can use a different style of connector to make connectors easier to identify later.
Step 3 - Connect both negative cables from each 2-pin connector to each pin on the rocker switch. Next, connect the two positive cables together. One 2-pin connector should match the main 2-pin connector from Step 1 and the other should match the 2-pin connector from Step 2.
Step 4 - Splice together two lengths of wire to both the negative and positive cables of a 2-pin connector. Solder those four wires to each pin of a 4-pin connector. The 2-pin connector will have to match one of the two spliced 2-pin connectors from Step 1.
Step 5 - Solder a 2-pin connector to the 5V USB voltage regulator. The 2-pin connector will have to match one of the spliced 2-pin connectors from Step 1.
Step 6 - Solder the 4-pin header (to power), X3P header(s) and power switch (optional) to the OpenCM9.04 board. If you used a female 4-pin connector in Step 4, use a male 4-pin header in this step. OpenCM9.04 Manual - Powering
SERVO SETUP
MAKI uses Dynamixel servos from Robotis, a leading manufacturer of advanced robot servos. Dynamixel servos connect via daisy chain and require separate ID's to operate. Each servo ships from the factory with it's ID number set to 0, so we will have to connect and configure each servo separately.
Step 1 - Connect the power supply, SMPS2Dynamixel, X3P-Convertable Cable, one XL430 servo, X3P Cable, U2D2 and micro
USB cable.
Step 2 - Next we will assign ID's and set angle limits for each servo.
Download and install Dynamixel Wizard.
After installing, connect the USB cable to your PC and launch Dynamixel Wizard. Select "Options" and select, protocols 1.0 and 2.0 under "Select protocol to scan." Also select the correct port. Under "Select baudrate to scan," select "57600 bps" and "1000000 bps." To save scanning time, and because our robot only uses six servos; you can also set the ID range to scan, to a range of 0 - 10 (or so). Select "Okay" to close the "Options" window. Click "Scan" to find the connected servo.
Step 3 - Set the ID, Baud Rate, Max Position Limit and Min Position Limit for each servo (one servo connected at a time).
It is also recommended that you connect the OpenCM9.04 board to your PC via micro USB cable and update the firmware using Dynamixel Wizard or R+ Manager.
THREADED HEATSET INSERTS
Adding threaded heatset inserts to your 3D printed parts increases their durability and allows you to replace parts in assemblies without fear of stripping 3D printed holes when tightening screws/bolts. MAKI edu uses M3-0.5 threaded heatset inserts which are installed with a soldering iron and heatset install tip. Here is a how to guide by Joshua Vasquez on using heatset inserts.
2 x Rear Head Mount 2 L
8 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
2 x Eye 1
2 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Neck 2 and Neck Servo Mount
8 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Eye Servo Mount, Eye UD Mount 1, and Eye Pitch Arm
2 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Rear Head Mount
18 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Eye Servo Mount and Eyelid Servo Control Arm R
3 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Neck Cover Front
4 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Eyelid Servo Control Arm L
1 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Camera Mount
1 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Lower Mount Eyes
2 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Top Eye Lid L and Eyelid Control Arm L
2 x Threaded Heatset Inserts
Top Eye Lid R and Eyelid Control Arm R
2 x Threaded Heatset Inserts