The Design and Implementation of a Scalable Two Degree of Freedom Position Control Mechanism

Abstract

This report details the invention of a scalable two degree of freedom mechanism that accurately controls the position of an end effector. This invention consists of two motors, each of which controls the linear position of one arm via a gear rack and pinion. The arms are joined at a hinge, which together with the two motors forms a triangle. The position of the hinge is determined by its distance from each motor. The motors are mounted to turntables, giving them the ability to rotate passively with the system’s motion. Comparing the rack and pinion mechanism to a five-bar linkage showed that the Arduino-based rack and pinion mechanism more accurately reproduced shapes, but the Quanser-based five-bar linkage performed better at recording motion. The mechanical and computational limits of the two systems provided context for a comparison of their performance.