Group 2 3-Axis SCARA Custom Robotic Arm

Junior Design
Spring 2026
3-Axis Robot Arm
Custom

This system is a three-axis robotic arm that writes desired output on an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper based on inputted G-code commands. The G-code inputs (represented by the outside_ui_usrin interface) are inputted through a user-friendly GUI. The user is able to input desired coordinates for the arm to move to, as well as being able to choose the speed at which the arm moves, whether the coordinates are absolute or relative, whether the movement is rapid or a linear interpolation, whether they’d like to input commands in inches or millimeters, and whether the pencil is up or down during the move. The arm then completes the corresponding path, with the pencil drawing the corresponding inputted curve (represented by the ma_paper_usrout interface). The system is powered off of a 24 V battery, represented by the outside_vr_dcpwr interface. This arm was designed in order to meet the 7 engineering requirements listed above. As such, the arm’s physical build was designed according to SCARA topology, with two rotating joints controlling its XY positioning. The arm’s physical build was also designed with three motors to achieve movement in the X, Y, and Z direction, with two stepper motors for X and Y axis movement and a servo motor for Z-axis motion. The length of the arm’s two axes was decided in order to achieve the minimum of a 10 inch long straight line, and the arm was designed to be sturdy enough to handle moving at a speed of at least 4 in/sec. On the software side, the code commanding the arm was designed to take inputs in the form of the common interface of G-code, being able to execute the most essential standard G-code commands. It was also designed to know the arm’s physical limitations and prevent the arm from trying to go somewhere that it cannot reach or that it would damage the arm to reach. Intended Use: We intend to use our robot to draw things the user commands and to playing Tic-Tac-Toe. Notable Accomplishments: We are proud that this is a custom design, it has motor drive circuitry PCB designed and printed by our team, it is battery powered, and can move in the X, Y, and Z direction.

2 Lifts 

Artifacts

Name Description
Project Summary Video Junior Design II Group 2 3-Axis SCARA Robotic Arm Video   Link
Tic-Tac-Toe, Single Player Mode The arm draws a game of Tic-Tac-Toe based on user input for one player and algorithmically determined moves for the other   Link
Project Summary Junior Design II Group 2 3-Axis SCARA Robotic Arm Summary   Download
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