Creative Machines Lab - Columbia University
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  • Home
  • About
  • People
  • Research
    • Hidden Variables
    • Visual Self Modeling
    • Label Representations
    • Robot Visual Behavior Modeling
    • Particle Robotics
    • Deep Self Modeling
    • Evolutionary Self Modeling
    • Self Replication
    • Laser Cooking
    • Digital Food
    • Soft Actuator
    • Layered Assembly
    • Cellular Machines
    • Inverted Laser Sintering
    • Eureqa
    • Golem
    • Data Smashing
    • Jamming Gripper
    • Soft Robot Evolution
    • Truss Reconfiguration
    • Fluidic Assembly
    • Ornithopters
    • Tensegrity
  • Papers
    • Selected Papers
    • All Papers
  • Videos
  • Talks
  • Open Source
    • Titan Library
    • Fab@Home
    • FreeLoader
    • VoxCad
    • Spyndra
    • PARA
    • Aracna Robot
    • Cuneiforms
    • Eva
    • AMF
  • Join Us
  • Internal
    • Wiki
    • Email list
  • Contact
Creative Machines Lab - Columbia University

PARA

beta 0.9

PARA is an open-source 3-DOF articulated arm. The main body has three motors, allowing it to reach a large workspace of about 1m diamater, with 8mm repeatability.
​
​We designed this robot to serve as a low-cost open-source alternative to commerical industrial robots. Depite its low cost, however, its performance allows for many educational and research applications. 
Picture

Nominal specifications

Maximum payload: 0.6Kg
​Maximum reach: 1m
​Repeatability: 10mm

Cost

Unlike conventional articulated robots that cost over $20,000, Para can be built for under $2,000. The majority of the cost is in the motors that drive the base and the arms. While we selected a high-precision high-torque servo motor with position feedback at 0.05 Degree resolution, cheaper stepper motors can be substituted at the expense of power, precision and repeatability.

Bill of materials

1 x Hard Maple Butcher Block ($49.50)
6 x Adhesive Rubber Foot Pads ($1.91)
6 x Allow Steel Shoulder Screws (3/8"-16 Thread) ($23.28)
12 x  Steel Hex nuts (3/8"-16 Thread) ($2.62)* (Comes in pack of 50 for $10.92)
6 x Black-Oxide Alloy Steel Socket Head Screw (3/8"-16 Thread size, 1-1/4" Long) ($2.23)* (Comes in pack of 25 for $9.27)
6 x Stainless Steel Washers ($0.25)* (Comes in pack of 100 for $5.01)

1 x Smoothieboard 5x ($167.97)
1 x USB 2.0 Cable - A-Male to B-Male (smoothieboard to computer) ($4.99)
​​2 x ClearPath Integrated Servo Systems (CPM-SDSK-3441S-ELN) ($984)
1 x ClearPath Integrated Servo System (CPM-SDSK-2341S-ELN) ($416)
​3 x Controller Cables (CPM-CABLE-CTRL-MU120) ($69)
12 x Stainless Steel Flanged Hex Head Screws with Slotted Drive (10-32 Thread, 1 1/2" long) ($0.66)* (Comes in pack of 100 for $5.50)
12 x Stainless Steel Narrow Hex Nuts (10-32 Thread) ($0.66)* (Comes in pack of 100 for $5.50)
1 x 350/500 Watt DC Power Supply (IPC-5) ($248)
1 x AC Power Cable (for IPC-5) ($14)
1 x DC Power Cable, IPC to ClearPath ($19)
3 x Mini Fit Housing 4POS ($1.02)
1 x DC Equipment Cooling Fan (4.69" Square by 1" depth) ($37.75)
1 x DC Equipment Cooling Fan (3.15" Square by 1" depth) ($28.88)
8 x Stainless Steel Socket Head Screws (8-32 Thread, 1-3/4" Long) ($2.12)* (Comes in pack of 25 for $6.63)
8x Steel Hex Nuts (8-32 Thread Size) ($0.13)* (Comes in pack of 100 for $1.60)

2 x Acrylic Tubes ($85.22)
24 x Screw-to-Expand Inserts ($10.66)* (Comes in pack of 25 for $11.10)
24 x Black-Oxide Alloy Steel Socket Head Screws ($8.35)* (Comes in pack of 25 for $8.70)
1 x Black-Oxide Alloy Steel Socket Head Screw (1/4"-20 Thread Size, 1-1/8" Long) ($18.41)
1 x Extra-Wide Thin Hex Nut ($3.22)
2 x Oil-Embedded Thrust Bearings ($3.00)
1 x Thrust Needle-Roller Bearing (5/8" Shaft Diameter) ($3.11)
2 x Thick Washer for 5/8" Shaft Diameter Thrust Needle-Roller Bearing ($2.20)
1 x Thrust Needle-Roller Bearing (1-1/8" Shaft Diameter) ($3.17)
2 x Thick Washer for 1-1/8" Shaft Diameter Thrust Needle-Roller Bearing ($3.14)
1 x Thrust Needle-Roller Bearing (1-3/4" Shaft Diameter) ($4.55)

2 x Thick Washer for 1-3/4" Shaft Diameter Thrust Needle-Roller Bearing ($4.22)
​3 x 
Keyed Rotary Shafts (6" long) ($38.19)
1 x Keyed Rotary Shaft (9" long) ($17.42)
1 x L Series Timing Belt (42" Outer Circle) ($16.90)
1 x L Series Timing Belt (15.8" Outer Circle) ($8.56)
4 x L Series Timing Belts (14.25" Outer Circle) ($46.36)
3 x L Series Timing Belt Pulleys (32 Teeth) ($199.20)
6 x L Series Timing Belt Pulleys (10 Teeth) ($86.28)
10 x Radial Ball Bearings (for 1/2" Shaft Diameter) ($60.40)
3 x Radial Ball Bearings (for 5/8" Shaft Diameter) ($19.29)
2 x 
Quick-Disconnect Bushings (JA Style, 1/2" Bore Size) ($24.48)
6 x 
Heat-Set Inserts for Plastics ($1.47)* (Comes in pack of 50 for $12.21)
1 x Black-Oxide Alloy Steel Socket Head Screw (1/4"-20 Thread Size, 2" Long) ($0.31)
2 x Press-Fit Drill Bushings ($14.88)
20 lbs of 3D printer filament (ABS or PLA) (~$230)
​



Recomended tools and Items for assembly:

This section is under construction

STL files 

1 x Power Supply Cover (3D Printed)
1 x Power Supply Stand (3D Printed)
1 x Base (3D Printed)
1 x Base Stand (3D Printed)

1 x Link 1​ (3D Printed)
1 x Link 2 Bottom (3D Printed)
1 x Link 2 Top (3D Printed)
1 x Link 3 Bottom (3D Printed)
1 x End Effector (3D Printed)

1 x Acrylic Tube Hole Cutting Jig (3D Printed)

See suggested printing orientation and settings

CAD FILES

Power Supply Cover (SOLIDWORKS)
​Power Supply Stand (SOLIDWORKS)
Base (SOLIDWORKS)
Base Stand (SOLIDWORKS)
Link 1 (SOLIDWORKS)
Link 2 Bottom (SOLIDWORKS)
Link 2 Top (SOLIDWORKS)
Link 3 Bottom (SOLIDWORKS)
End Effector (SOLIDWORKS)​
Acrylic Tube Hole Cutting Jig (SOLIDWORKS)
​

Assembly Instructions

TBD

Software Instructions

TBD

learn more

https://github.com/CreativeMachinesLab/CML1754

Project participants

Michael C. Chun, Hod Lipson

Related Publications

  • TBD
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