Degrees of freedom (DoF) refers to ability of an object to move up-and-down, left-and-right, and forward-and-backward. Up-and-down movement is called pitch. Left-and-right movement is called yaw. And a rotation around as if you were using a screwdriver is called roll.
A human shoulder has three degrees of freedom (3DoF); pitch, yaw, and roll.
A human elbow can only move up and down, so that has only 1DoF.
A human wrist can bend up and down, side to side, and it can also twist a little, so that has 3DoF.
In total, the human arm has seven degrees of freedom (7DoF): three in the shoulder, one in the elbow, and three in the wrist.
How many DoF will your robotic hand have, and how many motors will you need to use for each DoF?
Awards will be given in 4 areas. Award winners will be featured on LEGO MINDSTORMS News.
1) THE BIONIC ARM OF TOMORROW
This award goes to the user who best replicates a bionic arm
2) MOST EFFICIENT USE OF DEGREES OF FREEDOM
This award goes to robotic arm with the most complex movements. How many different ways can your robot arm move? The more points of articulation a robotic arm has, the more degrees of freedom it has.
3) BEST INDUSTRIAL ROBOTIC ARM
This award will go to the robot that makes an industrial job more efficient. How much weight can your robotic arm lift? How precise can it move objects?
4) A JUST FOR FUN ROBOTIC ARM
This award will go to the most creative robotic arm submitted.
ROBOTIC ARM INSPIRATION:
Need inspiration for building a robotic arm? See these NXTLOG projects to help get you stared:
PAHAB - The Interactive humanoid
Created by: shutinc
Robotic Arm and Hand
Created by: IFitzGibbon
Robotic Arm
Created by: a_friendly_balrog
Ultimate Scavenger
Created by: brucedjones
robot arm
Created by: GRESHZ
Moon Rover
Created by: Mikebox
Excavator
Created by: Robotics130
BMA (bottle moving arm)
Created by: mindarkad
All entries to NXTLOG fall under the Terms of Service: http://mindstorms.lego.com/nxtlog/Terms.aspx
Entries must be submitted by February 28, 2010
All entries must be tagged "roboticarm”
Only LEGO elements may be used
There's no limit on amount of LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT sensors, LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX sensors, motors, NXT programmable bricks, HiTechnic sensors, Codatex RFID sensors, or Bluetooth communication you can use.
A programmable LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT brick must be onboard the robot and must control the robot's actions for an autonomous robotic arm. If you create a remote control robotics arm, a MINDSTORMS NXT must control the robot’s actions.
You may enter more than one robot.
You may enter a robot that was previously submitted to NXTLOG (just remember to add the tag, roboticarm)
All documentation must be posted on NXTLOG.
You must include the following in your NXTLOG Building Challenge entry:
Description - Careful, well-written explanation of how the robot was designed.
Pictures of the robot - Clear, well lit pictures - (no blurry ones!)
.rbt Program(s) - Annotations within the programs are a plus!
(Optional) LEGO Digital Designer File (LDD) - you cannot submit an LDD file only. Your LDD file must document some or all of your robotic entry.
(Optional) Video
Videos cannot be larger than 4MB and they cannot exceed 2 minutes in length.
The allowable video formats are: .mov, .avi, .mpg, .wmv
Please only upload only one video per project.
Videos cannot contain music. You CAN include the noises that your robot makes.
Videos cannot contain people in them
Videos cannot contain speech.
The contest will be judged by the NXTLOG moderating team.
Winning projects will be used as future NXTLOG Challenges