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Design and Development of Bio-Sensitive Robotic Arm using Gesture

Control
To cite this article: Subhodeep Bakshi et al 2020 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 912 032062

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

Design and Development of Bio-Sensitive Robotic Arm using

Gesture Control

Subhodeep Bakshi1, Karan Ingale1, Atishay Jain1 and Karuppudiyan S2

1
B. Tech. Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science
and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India.
2
Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science
and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India.

E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract. In this paper, a model of a robotic arm is designed and manufactured using a 3D
printer, which is to be operated via human gesture by using the Accelerometer and Gyroscope
Module. This arm is proposed to help in the medical field, in military operations, in hazardous
conditions and in industries to maximize human safety. The robot arm is designed such that, it
has 5 degrees of freedom controlled by the 3-axis accelerometer mounted on the IC placed on
the glove of the user. The module will replicate the movement of the user’s hand to extend,
retract, and rotate accordingly to accurately position as required for the application. The user’s
finger action is used to manipulate the working of the gripper. Therefore, gesture control in a
broad sense is a computerized interface that allows computers to record and interpret those
gestures into commands to adhere to actions.

1. Introduction
Robots are electromechanical machines which are programmed to carry out a series of operations with
or without human supervision. This scope of being fully autonomous makes them suitable usage in
various fields such as medical, military, industries and research etc [1]. A robotic arm is an assemblage
of mechanical linkages which are usually programmable, with capabilities to function similar to a
human arm. Such robotic arms are then used to perform the task with unmatchable consistency and
accuracy. Gesture recognition and control is one of the methods which is used to interface human
commands in the form of gesture into executable operations of the arm [2]. In this paper, hand gestures
are focused upon as they can be extensively mapped and used for controlling robotic hand actions.
The following are the objectives of this work:
 To build a 5-axis robotic arm.
 To implement gesture assisted control on the robotic arm.
 To incorporate and familiarize with working of flex sensor.
The working concept of this arm is that it uses Arduino Uno as the micro-controller platform for the
prototype arm and is programmed for the processing the input signals by the user against the standard
library code [3]. The designed robotic arm prototype can mimic the certain hand actions of the user in
real-time. Characteristics such as surviving repeated usability and having a realistic extent in its work
area all while keeping the entire model simple in construction, light in weight, economical and durable
in nature is desired [4].

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

2. Methodology
Using flex sensors, the finer movement of the user’s human hand fingers such as pinch is mapped and
the gestures made by the user is translated into the corresponding electrical signal. This signal is fed to
the microcontroller (Arduino Nano) which has the accelerometer & gyroscope module (MPU 6050)
which helps to track the other movements of the hand such as pitch, roll etc [5]. The Bluetooth module
(HC-05) is used to interface the processed data to the microcontroller on the robotic arm side [6]. The
servos of the arm assembly are connected to the Arduino Uno and have been programmed to execute
the received signals accordingly [7]. Figure 1 below is a schematic representation of the involved work
flow.

Figure 1. Methodology of work flow.

3. Design of Robotic Arm

The robotic arm assembly shown in figure 2 was designed in CAD software Solidworks. The model
can be divided into 2 main assemblies – the arm and the gripper. The arm assembly consists of five
components – Base, Waist, Arm, Shoulder and Elbow and is shown below as figure 3. The assemblage
has 4 Degrees of Freedom. Each model component was designed in Solidworks with extrudes and
holes to connect them with one another and to facilitate the installation of the servo motors and
wirings. Similarly, the gripper assembly consists of five components – Gripper Base, Gear, Gripper
Link, Support Rings and Gripper Finger and is shown below in figure 4. The Gripper assembly uses a
single servo to produce the action among the linkages. Certain extrudes and screw threads are designed
int the parts to facilitate during the assembling of the prototype model. The entire model is made up of
16 subparts and can demonstrate up to 5 Degrees of Freedom. The model is a stationary in nature as it
can be mounted on a tabletop or flat surfaces with the possibility of attaching to a movable base as

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

when required. The entire model has a maximum vertical reach of about 0.46m from the base and has
a maximum horizontal reach of 0.36m.

Figure 2. Assembly Model of Robotic Arm.

Figure 3. Parts in the Arm Assembly.

Figure 4. Parts in the Gripper Assembly.

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

4. Direct Forward Kinematics Study

Forward kinematics establishes the orientation and location of the robot’s manipulator hand in the
cartesian coordinate space if every joint variable is declared and inverse kinematics will determine
how every joint variable has to be if it is to achieve the known position and orientation of end effector.
Therefore, Forward kinematics is the conversion of Joint space to Cartesian space whereas Inverse
kinematics is the conversion from Cartesian space to Joint space [15]. The study was performed to
determine the direct forward kinematics of the fabricated prototype model. The Denavit Hartenberg
principle matrix representation of forward kinematics is made following which an analytic
configuration result is found out. Denavit Hartenberg representation is a standard methodology to
represent the kinematics of the manipulators [16]. Due to its wide acceptability and popularity of being
used in various industries, the following methodology will be used in the study. The software used for
this purpose is MATLAB which aids in solving the complex matrix formed. MATLAB is a highly
intuitive and user-friendly yet powerful high – performance software and language package which
offers programming in an easy to use environment and is known for its acceptability among the
academia.

Figure 5. Process Schematic of Direct Kinematics.

A simple block diagram in figure 5 is provided to illustrate the key skeletal operation under forward
kinematics. At first, a central model is developed into which input variables such as Joints and Angles
are fed along with known restrictions in link movements. The central system then performs a
computation at the mathematical model to provide a solution in the orientation and position of the end
effectors. The Coordinate Frame Assignment for the prototype has been made in figure 6 which
consists of a reference Ground Origin and the other joints which represent the different Degree of
Freedoms. The final joint is also the End Effector which is the gripper base that is considered as
changeable tool post.

Figure 6. Coordinate Frame Assignment for the Prototype.

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

Following the Coordinate Frame Assignment, a detailed tabulation was formed to facilitate the
application of the Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) Methodology. The table has 4 parameters and 20
variables. They are as follows:
Table 1. Link Parameters Setup.

Joint Type αi (deg) θi (deg) ai (mm) di (mm)

1 Base 0° θ1 0 56
2 Shoulder 90° θ2 0 42
3 Elbow 0° θ3 120 0
4 Wrist 90° θ4 74 0
5 Gripper Base 90° θ5 30 13

The transformation matrix set up from i-1th Joint to ith Joint according to DH convention is:

i-1
Ti =

Where, Sθi = sinθi, Cθi = cosθi, Sαi = sin αi, Cαi = cos αi
Now according to the design of the prototype, the transformation matrix is set up for each joint using
the parameters earlier established and noted in the table.
For 1st Joint:

T01 =

For 2nd Joint:

T12 =

For 3rd Joint:

T23 =

For 4th Joint:

T34 =

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

For 5th Joint:

T45 =

Using the above-formulated matrices, we find the effective end effector matrix as follows:
TE = T01 * T12 * T23 * T34 * T45
i.e.

TE =

Where,
NX = s5*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) - c5*(s3*s4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) - c3*c4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2))
NY = - c5*(s3*s4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) - c3*c4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1)) - s5*(c1*c2 - s1*s2)
NZ = c5*(c3*s4 + c4*s3)
OX = c3*s4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) + c4*s3*(c1*c2 - s1*s2)
OY = c3*s4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) + c4*s3*(c1*s2 + c2*s1)
OZ = s3*s4 - c3*c4
AX = - s5*(s3*s4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) - c3*c4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2)) - c5*(c1*s2 + c2*s1)
AY = c5*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) - s5*(s3*s4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) - c3*c4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1))
AZ = s5*(c3*s4 + c4*s3)
PX = d5*(c3*s4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) + c4*s3*(c1*c2 - s1*s2)) - a5*c5*(s3*s4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) -
c3*c4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2)) + a3*c3*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) + a5*s5*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) +
a4*c3*c4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) - a4*s3*s4*(c1*c2 - s1*s2)
PY = d5*(c3*s4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) + c4*s3*(c1*s2 + c2*s1)) - a5*c5*(s3*s4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) -
c3*c4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1)) + a3*c3*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) - a5*s5*(c1*c2 - s1*s2) +
a4*c3*c4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1) - a4*s3*s4*(c1*s2 + c2*s1)
PZ = d1 + d2 + a3*s3 - d5*(c3*c4 - s3*s4) + a4*c3*s4 + a4*c4*s3 + a5*c5*(c3*s4 + c4*s3)

Thus, the above set matrix is the generalised end effective transformation matrix for the prototype
model and for a set of angles i.e. θ and α, the position and of the end effector can be found out in
relation to reference origin following the constrains of the design.
For example:
For the Test Case Arbitrary Values of θ1 = 56°, θ2 = 89°, θ3 = 35°, θ4 = 15° and θ5 = 50°
The Final Effective Matrix TE obtained in MATLAB program was as follows:

0.1009 −0.6275 −0.7720 124.5513

0.8645 0.4394 −0.2441 115.8559
TE =
0.4924 −0.6428 0.5868 229.2426
0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 1.0000
The final end-effector position with the reference ground origin is:

Px = 125 mm
Py = 116 mm
Pz = 229 mm Approximately

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

5. Finite Element Analysis of Components

Structural analysis is studied to understand the effects of the application of loading on
physical structures and their sub-components. Finite element analysis is one of the key elements in the
fields of application of mechanics, materials science and even in mathematics to process the
structure deformations, internal acting forces, induced stresses, support reactions, accelerations,
and stability [17]. The results obtained from this analysis are often helpful in modifying as well as
used to establish a structure's stability for appropriate use and hugely eliminating time and resources
required to build a costly prototype and conduct physical testing. This study was performed to verify
the structural soundness of the components before fabricating the 3D printed prototype model under
one of the ideal conditions [18]. The condition chosen for this testing is the one where the servo
motors so used exert their maximum capabilities. This is taken under consideration because for a given
set of standard servos available in the market, the prototype should be able to withstand the max
applied torque.

5.1. Meshing
Meshing is defined as the process of dividing the entire CAD model into a number of elements such
that whenever the load is applied, the load is distributed uniformly. It is the process of discretization.
The entire continuum is required to be discretized into a finite number of elements [19]. The meshing
of component parts is shown in figure 7.

Figure 7. Meshing of the component parts.

5.2. Material
Assignment of Material Properties was done from the standard inbuilt material library. Polylactic acid
was assigned as the material for analysis. The properties of Polylactic acid assigned is as shown in
Table 2:
Table 2. Properties of PLA in assigned in Ansys Workbench.
S. No Property Value Unit
1 Density 1250 kg m^-3
2 Coefficient of thermal expansion 0.000135 C^-1
3 Young’s Modulus 3.45E+09 Pa
4 Poisson’s Ratio 0.39 Pa
5 Bulk Modulus 5.2273E+09 Pa
6 Shear Modulus 1.241E+09 Pa
7 Tensile Yield Strength 5.41E+07 Pa
8 Tensile Ultimate Strength 5.92E+07 Pa

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

5.3. Structural Analysis

The loaded geometry of the prototype components was applied boundary and loading conditions. The
direction and location of load input is defined and the component behaviour and material properties are
assigned to be linearly elastic. The Total Deformation and Equivalent Stress on each of the
components was determined and shown in figure 8 and figure 9 and it was found out that the total
deformation for each of the components was within the acceptability and the design was considered
suitable for being manufactured [20].

Figure 8. Total Deformation of component parts.

Figure 9. Equivalent Stress of component parts.

The results of the structural analysis have been tabulated below in the table 3.

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 3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

Table 3. Results of Static Structural Analysis.

S. No Component Total Load Total Equivalent Equivalent
Name Applied (N) Deformation (Von-Mises) Elastic Strain
(mm) Stress (MPa) (mm/mm)
1 Base 7.21 1.6278e-004 2.3094e-002 6.7423e-006
2 Waist 4 9.7018e-004 0.10176 2.9611e-005
3 Shoulder Arm 9.167 0.17297 3.8659 1.1206e-003
4 Elbow Arm 12.222 4.9169e-002 2.8052 8.1326e-004
5 Wrist Joint 8.928 3.1466e-003 0.40555 1.1759e-004
6 Gripper Base 5 7.6195e-002 5.5534 1.9672e-003

6. Additive Manufacturing – 3D Printing

The prototype was 3D printed by converting the CAD files into stereolithography or STL file format.
After this, it was 3d Printed using PLA material of about a slice layer thickness of about 0.3mm. PLA
or Polylactic Acid is a fully biodegradable thermoplastic that uses corn-starch as its special raw
material. PLA is environment-friendly in nature and reduces greenhouse gas emission. Since the PLA
is a thermoplastic, it can be easily recycled and makes it a desirable material. The total model was
estimated to weigh around 270 gram and took around 15 hours to completely print out. It was made of
30% infill. Figure 10 shows the component parts being 3D printed while Figure 11 is the photographic
view of components parts being completely 3D printed.

Figure 10. Photographic view of model printing - Figure 11. 3D printed components of Robotic Arm.
3D printed.

7. Electronic Circuitry and Implementation

The workings of the prototype can be thought to be made up of 2 parts – sending or transmission and
collecting or receptor side. The Arduino NANO microcontroller is placed the user’s glove and acts as
the transmitting station [8]. This unit contains flex sensors for detecting actions of fingers, an
accelerometer & gyroscope module for sensing positional movement of the hand and a Bluetooth chip
to send the input signal from MCU [9]. The prototyped arm being the receiving station, receives the

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

signals which are then fed into the microcontroller which accordingly operates the servo motors as per
required. Figure 12 illustrates the above discussion.

Figure 12. Schematic Representation of Involved Circuitry.

Arduino Nano. Arduino NANO is the microcontroller that is used in the transmitting side. The
Arduino NANO has the advantage of being small and compact which enables it to be used and
mounted on a glove [10]. The flex sensor, accelerometer module and Bluetooth transmitter are
connected to it. Inertial Measurement Unit. MPU6050 is based on Micro-Mechanical Systems
(MEMS) technology. This sensor has a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and an in-built
temperature sensor. It can be used to measure parameters like Acceleration, Velocity, Orientation,
Displacement, etc [11]. Flex Sensor. Flex Sensors are nothing but a variable resistor. The flex sensor
resistance changes when the sensor is bent [12]. They are usually available in two sizes 2.2
inches and 4.5 inches. In this Gesture controlled Robotic Arm, gripper movement is manipulated by
the state of the flex sensor. When the finger which has the flex sensor attached is bent, the servo motor
connected to the gripper rotates and the gripper opens. Bluetooth Module. HC‐05 module is chosen to
work as the Bluetooth transmitter and receiver in the working model. Bluetooth modules can establish
a master-slave configuration which results in accurate signal transmission in between them [13].
Arduino UNO. Arduino Uno is the microcontroller board that is attached to the prototype. It is larger
compared to the Arduino NANO and hence is suitable for the purpose of controlling several servos
used in controlling the arm [14]. It uses a USB cable to enable it to be programmed easily and also
serves as the power source [15]. Servo Motors. The servo motors are used to move the assembly of
parts in the prototype. The MG996R is the larger servo which delivers stall torque of about 11 kg/cm.
The motor can rotate from 0 to 180 degree. The SG90 9g Mini Servo is smaller servo with 180°
rotation. It is used in places where finer precise movement is needed.

Figure 13. Electronic Components Used.

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3rd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2020) IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

8. Result
The model of the robotic arm system is developed which operates according to given hand gesture. It
is a novel alternative to manipulate the robotic arm which makes easier to work, cheaper and intuitive.
The RF module ensures it works suitable wireless range which makes the system mobile. This robot
can be used to mimic and potentially learn the movements of the user using AI technology.

9. Conclusion
The research objectives were reached which involved developing and utilizing hardware and software
for controlling the robotic arm based on Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors. By
recording the observations, it was concluded that the movements of the robotic arm were accurate,
easy to control, specific, and user-friendly. This method of controlling the arm is an intuitive way to
overcome a number of problems such as picking or placing objects that are away from the users, pick
and disposal of dangerous objects and hazards in a very fast, secure and convenient way, and to
facilitate operating surgeries and other scientific procedures in medical application in the coming
future.

10. References
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[2] Bhuyan AI and Mallick TC 2014 Gyro-accelerometer based control of a robotic arm using AVR
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[3] Aggarwal L, Gaur V and Verma P 2013 Design and implementation of a wireless gesture
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[4] Brahmani K, Roy KS and Ali M 2013 Arm 7 Based Robotic Arm Control by Electronic Gesture
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[5] Neto P, Pires JN and Moreira AP 2009 Accelerometer-based control of an industrial robotic arm
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[13] Olewi HH and Abdulmajeed WR 2018 Controlling Artificial Hand Using Smart Glove
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[14] Mohamad AA, Abdulbaqi BT and Jumaa NK 2017 Hand Motion Controlled Robotic Arm based
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IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 912 (2020) 032062 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/912/3/032062

[15] Deshpande V and George PM 2014 Kinematic Modelling and Analysis of 5 DOF Robotic Arm
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[16] Parhi DR, Deepak BB, Nayak D and Amrit A Forward and Inverse Kinematic Models for an
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[20] Jain R, Zafar MN and Mohanta JC 2019 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 691 012010

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