From Tekkotsu Wiki

Calliope robots can be purchased fully-assembled from RoPro Design, but if you prefer to build your own, this page explains how to do it. You will also need to configure the ASUS netbook for Calliope by following the Calliope install instructions for Tekkotsu.

Contents 1 Create Base and ASUS netbook 1.1 Parts 1.2 Assembly Instructions 2 Pan/Tilt 2.1 Parts List 2.2 Assembling the Camera Mount 2.3 Assembling the Pan/Tilt 3 Gripper 3.1 Parts List 3.2 Assembly Instructions 4 Arm 4.1 Parts List 4.2 Assembling the Arm Base 4.3 Assembling the Shoulder and Elbow Segments 4.4 Assembling the Wrist Segment 4.5 Arm Final Assembly 5 Power Distribution 5.1 Parts List 5.2 Assembly Instructions 6 Servo Wiring (Head Only) 6.1 Parts List 6.2 Assembly Instructions 7 Servo Wiring (Head Plus Arm) 8 Final Robot Assembly

Create Base and ASUS netbook

Parts

Qty	Item	Notes
1	iRobot Create mobile base	iRobot item # 4400 (Specify you want the USB cable, not DB-25)
1	APS rechargeable battery	iRobot item # 17373
1	battery charger	iRobot item # 4903
1	ASUS Eee PC 1001PX-EU 10.1" netbook	Toys'R'Us or CDW.com have best prices
1	FlexUSB Adapter (optional)	CablesToGo.com item # 30501
1	Laptop mounting bracket	RoPro Design, or fabricate your own: Shop drawing. DXF files, SolidWorks model
4	6-32 L2" screws	RoPro Design (included with mounting bracket), or McMaster-Carr 90272A159
4	#6 round nylon spacer L1.5" OD 3/8"	RoPro Design (included with mounting bracket), or McMaster-Carr 94639A412
1	Laptop neck assembly	RoPro Design, or fabricate your own: Shop drawing, DXF files, SolidWorks model
2	6-32 L1.5" standoffs	RoPro Design (included with neck), or McMaster-Carr 93330A472
6	6-32 L1/2" screws	RoPro Design (included with neck), or McMaster-Carr 90272A148

Assembly Instructions

1. Turn the Create upside-down.
2. Unwrap and install the fourth wheel (included with the Create) so that it angles away from the center of the robot.
3. Install the yellow rechargeable battery module. Put away the green battery case; you won't need it.
4. Turn the Create right-side-up again.
5. Remove the white plastic cover over the serial port.
6. Plug the USB-to-serial cable (or DIN-9 to DB-25 serial cable) included with the Create into the Create's serial port. If your robot came with a DIN-9 to DB-25 cable you can either add a USB-to-DB25 conversion cable (available from any computer supply store) or purchase a replacement USB-to-serial cable from iRobot.
7. The optional FlexUSB adapter goes in one of the netbook's USB ports; it can be used to keep the webcam or mini hub USB plug from protruding beyond the Create's perimeter, where it might catch on objects the robot is passing.
8. Attaching the base and neck to the Create will be done in the final assembly step; don't do it now.
9. Plug in the Create battery charger and let the robot charge until the power light glows steady green.

Pan/Tilt

The pan/tilt is built around a camera mount bracket that holds the PlayStation Eye webcam. The webcam is mounted upside-down with its top edge resting against an F3 frame. We use laser cut 3mm white acrylic for the mount, but aluminum or ABS plastic would also be fine; the screw lengths will have to be adjusted for any difference in the thickness. (Screws that are too long will prevent the Dynamixel components from seating properly in the frames.) The camera mount bracket is symmetric so either side can serve as the "front".

Parts List

Qty	Item	Notes
1	Camera mount bracket	RoPro Design, or fabricate your own: Shop drawing, DXF file, SolidWorks model
2	Dynamixel AX-12+ servos	Robotis (available from Trossen Robotics)
1	Dynamixel AX-S1 sensor module	Robotis (available from Trossen Robotics)
1	F2 frame	included with AX-12
3	F3 frames	included with AX-12 and AX-S1
3	Servo cables	included with AX-12 and AX-S1
1	M3 L10mm screw	included in Dynamixel hardware packet
1	Plastic bushing and washer	included in Dynamixel hardware packet
18	M2 nuts	included in Dynamixel hardware packet
14	M2 L6mm screws	included in Dynamixel hardware packet
6	M2 L8mm screws	McMaster-Carr 92005A029
2	M2 L10mm screws	McMaster-Carr 92005A033
1	can Weld-On #3 acrylic cement	McMaster-Carr 7528A13
1	0.20 oz tube Loctite Blue 242 thread locking compound	Home Depot or local hardware store
1	small roll black electrical tape	Radio shack or local hardware store

Assembling the Camera Mount

Note: use Loctite blue 242 thread locker on all screws. Simply place the screws in a small plastic cup, squeeze a drop of Loctite onto the threads, and spread it around with a fingertip.

1. Take an F2 frame and insert 6 M2 nuts into the four outer corner positions in the top and bottom rows and the two middle positions in the middle row.
2. Attach the F2 frame to the back of the camera bracket using four M2 L8mm screws in the four corner positions.
3. Take an F3 frame and insert 2 M2 nuts into the top left and top right corner positions.
4. Attach the F3 frame to the front of the camera bracket using two M2 L8mm screws in the top corner positions where the the nuts were inserted.
5. Use the 2 L10mm screws to sandwich the F3 frame, the camera bracket, and the F2 frame together. These screws go in through the bottom two holes in the F3 frame and screw into the middle two nuts in the F2 frame.

Assembling the Pan/Tilt

1. Pan: take an AX-12 servo and insert 4 M2 nuts into the four slots at the base (two in front and two in back).
2. Verify that the the alignment mark on the servo horn is lined up with the alignment mark at the top of the servo case. If not, rotate the servo horn with your fingers until the marks line up.
3. Attach an F3 frame to the pan servo horn using four M2 L6mm screws. The F3 frame should be oriented horizontally, i.e., the long axis should be perpendicular to the long axis of the servo.
4. Tilt: take another AX-12 servo and insert 4 M2 nuts into the first and third slots (counting from the bottom up) on the right hand side (viewed from the front): 2 in the front face and 2 in the matching slots in the back face. No nuts go on the left hand side.
5. Attach the tilt servo to the F3 frame of the pan servo using 4 M2 L6mm screws. Note: with the front of the pan servo facing you, the tilt servo's horn should be above the pan servo and facing to the right.
6. Verify that the tilt servo's horn is lined up with the alignment mark on the case.
7. Insert a plastic bushing into the F2 frame of the camera mount and add a plastic washer on the other side. Then attach the F2 frame to the tilt servo using an M3 L10mm screw.
8. Attach the other side of the F2 frame to the tilt servo horn using four M2 L6mm screws so that the F2 frame is aligned with the long axis of the servo body, not perpendicular to it. This will allow the frame-plus-horn to rotate 90 degrees in either direction.
9. Take the AX-S1 sensor module and insert two M2 nuts into the slots in the base, on the back face.
10. Attach the AX-S1 to the F3 frame on the front of the camera bracket using 2 M2 L6mm screws. Use only the slots on the back face of the AX-S1; if you put two additional screws in the front face slots you will not be able to replace a defective AX-S1 once the webcam is cemented in place.
11. Remove and save the twist-ties from the three servo cables that came with the AX-12s and AX-S1. Because of the way the cables are folded for packaging, there are three "knees" in the cable. Wrap a small strip of black electrical tape around the cables just above or below each knee to keep the wires from splaying apart. This will make it easier to install the cables and also give your robot a neater appearance.
12. Run a servo cable from the AX-S1, through the hole in the side of the F2 frame, to the tilt servo. Run a second servo cable from the tilt servo to the pan servo. Connect a third servo cable to the pan servo and leave the other end free.
13. Attach the pan servo to the neck using four M2 L6mm screws.
14. Using a Q-tip, apply some Weld-On #3 acrylic cement to the front of the camera bracket, then press the webcam into position and hold it firmly for 10 seconds. Put the parts in a place where they can lie undisturbed and allow a day for the cement to harden.

Gripper

The gripper is composed of two independently controllable fingers, and a wrist rotate servo.

Parts List

Qty	Item	Source	Notes
2	AX-12 servos	Robotis	finger servos
1	AX-18F servo	Robotis	wrist rotate; could also use an AX-12
2	F1 frames	Robotis	mounts a finger to the AX-12 servo horn
2	F3 frames	Robotis	mounts an AX-12 to the enclosing F5 frame
1	F5 frame	Robotis	connects wrist rotate to the two AX-12s
4	F9 frames	Robotis	inner finger piece
2	F11 frames	Robotis	outer finger piece
2	servo bridge plates	fabricated parts
2	finger plates	fabricated parts
1	3" servo cable	Robotis
1	7.25" servo cable	Robotis

Assembly Instructions

1. Use two M2 L8mm machine screws and two M2 nuts in the outermost holes (furthest from the center of the finger plate) to attach an F9 frame to a finger plate, Then attach a second F9 frame the same way, leaving one empty column of holes between the two F9 frames.
2. Insert two M2 nuts into the F1 frame so that the central rectangular hole has a nut on each of its two short sides. Use two M2 L10mm machine screws to attach the F1 frame to the finger plate and F9 frames via these nuts.
3. Attach an F11 frame to one of the F9 frames with a pair of M2 L6mm machine screws and M2 nuts.
4. Repeat the above steps to construct the second gripper finger, making sure that it is identical to the first. When mounting the fingers on the servos we will flip one over so they are mirror images.
5. Insert 8 M2 nuts into the front and back faces of an AX-12 servo, on the right side. Insert another 8 M2 nuts into the front and back faces of another AX-12 servo, on the left side.
6. Join the two AX-12 servos together using two servo bridges, one on the front side and one on the back side, and 16 M2 L8mm machine screws.
7. Use a Dremel tool to grind down the inside of an F5 frame so an F3 frame will mount flush inside it. (Only one side needs to be ground down; the other side has a slightly different shape and can accommodate an F3 frame without modification.)
8. Attach two F3 frames to the inside of the F5 frame.
9. Attach the F5 frame to the horn of the AX-18F servo using four M2 L6mm machine screws. The F5 frame should be oriented vertically so that the servo will be able to rotate 90° in either direction to place the fingers either rightside-up or upside-down.
10. Insert eight M2 nuts into the first and third holes (counting from the bottom) of the front and back outboard edges of the two AX-12 finger servos to allow them to be attached to the two F3 frames.
11. Attach the servos to the F3 frames using 8 M2 L6mm machine screws. The horns of the servos should be facing up.
12. Attach a finger assembly via its F1 frame to each AX-12 servo using 4 M2 L6mm machine screws on the servo horn, and an M3 machine screw with plastic bushing and plastic spacer on the back side of the servo. The left finger should have the F11 frame on the top, and the right finger should have the F11 frame on the bottom.
13. Connect the two AX-12 servos with a 3" servo cable.
14. Connect the AX-18F servo to one of the AX-12 servos with a 7.25" servo cable.

Arm

This is a preliminary description for version 4 of the arm.

Parts List

All servos and frames listed here are available from Trossen Robotics.

Qty	Item	Notes
2	RX-28 servo	Robotis
2	RX-64 servos	Robotis
2	F3 frames	Robotis
1	FR07-H191K hinge frame set	Trossen Robotics
1	FR07-S101K side frame set	Trossen Robotics
1	HN07-I101 idler bearing set for RX-28	Trossen Robotics
2	HN05-I101 idler bearing set for RX-64	Trossen Robotics
2	Shoulder forks	Fabricated component
2	Elbow forks	Fabricated component
2	Wrist forks	Fabricated component
1	Shoulder face	Fabricated component
2	Fork faces	Fabricated component
2	Bottom 64 brackets	Fabricated component
1	Bottom 28 bracket	Fabricated component
9	6-32 L1" male/female standoffs aluminum	McMaster-Carr 93505A114

Assembling the Arm Base

1. Attach the shoulder face to the two shoulder brackets using 6 M2 L8mm machine screws.
2. Place an FR07-S101K side frame flat on the table so that the two flanges point upwards. (Try it the other way and see if it works better.) Attach the shoulder brackets to the flanges using 4 M2.5 L8mm machine screws and 4 M2.5 nuts. Note that there are four holes in each flange of the side frame; use the outermost two.
3. Insert 3 #6-32 L1" male/female standoffs into a bottom bracket.
4. Attach the standoffs to the shoulder face using 3 6-32 L1/2" machine screws.
5. Unpack the RX-24F servo and attach the horn, taking care that the single dot points straight up and the two double dots point down. Also attach the idler bearing from the FR07-H191K hinge set on the back side of the servo.
6. Place the FR07 hinge on the hub and idler bearing and place the FR07 side frame on top of the hinge. Attach the FR07 side frame to the hinge and servo horn using 8 M2 L6mm machine screws.
7. Attach the other side of the FR07 hinge to the idler bearing using 5 M2 L3mm machine screws.

Assembling the Shoulder and Elbow Segments

1. Unpack an RX-28 servo and attach the horn, taking care that the single dot points straight up at the notch in the spline and the two double dots point down. Also attach an HN07-I101 idler bearing to the back side of the servo.
2. Attach two shoulder forks to the servo hub and idler bearing using 8 M2 L6mm machine screws.
3. Insert 3 #6-32 L1" male/female standoffs into the thick side of a bottom bracket, meaning the standoffs should be pointing away from the thin side of the bracket. (The M2.5 holes on the sides of the bracket are off center, making a "thin" side and a "thick" side.)
4. Attach a fork face to the standoffs using 3 #6-32 L1/2" machine screws.
5. Attach the fork face to the two shoulder forks using 6 M2 L8mm machine screws.
6. The shoulder segment is now complete. Repeat the above steps to assemble the elbow segment. Notice that the elbow forks are slightly shorter than the shoulder forks.

Assembling the Wrist Segment

1. Unpack an RX-28 servo and attach the horn, taking care that the single dot points straight up at the notch in the spline and the two double dots point down. Also attach an HN07-I101 idler bearing to the back side of the servo.
2. Insert 6 M2 nuts into each of 2 F3 frames, in the rows of three holes parallel to the short axis of the frame.
3. Attach each F3 frame to a wrist fork using 6 M2 L8mm machine screws.
4. Attach the wrist forks to the servo hub and idler bearing using 8 M2 L6mm machine screws; do not tighten the screws all the way yet.

Arm Final Assembly

1. Insert 8 M2 nuts into the gripper's AX-18F wrist rotate servo, in the first and third holes (counting from the bottom), left and right side, front and back faces.
2. Attach the F3 frames of the wrist fork to the wrist rotate servo using 8 M2 L6mm machine screws. The wrist servo horn should be facing to the right, the wrist rotate servo should be upside-down, and the labels on the gripper finger servos should be facing upward.
3. Now tighten the screws connecting the wrist forks to the wrist servo horn and idler bearing.
4. Insert the elbow segment's bottom bracket into the base of the wrist servo and attach it with four M2.5 L8mm machine screws.
5. Insert the shoulder segment's bottom bracket into the base of the elbow servo and attach it with four M2.5 L8mm machine screws.
6. Insert the arm base bottom bracket into the base of the shoulder servo and attach it with four M2.5 L8mm machine screws.
7. Insert 8 M2.5 nuts into the top face of the arm base servo.
8. Insert servo cables into both slots in the arm base servo. (This is easier to do now than when the servo is attached to the base plate.)
9. Attach the arm base servo to the arm mounting bracket on the main base plate using 8 M2.5 L10mm machine screws.
10. Connect one of the servo cables from the arm base servo to the shoulder servo. Add servo cables from the shoulder to the elbow servo, and from the elbow to the wrist servo.
11. Use header pins to daisy chain three 3-wire servo cables together. Plug one end into the wrist rotate servo and route the cable along the length of the arm back to the base.

Power Distribution

Robots with just a pan/tilt can take power from the Create's DB-25 connector and run it through a voltage converter to power the pan and tilt servos at 10.5 to 12 volts. But robots with an arm need a separate battery in order to avoid draining the Create's battery.

Parts List

Qty	Item	Notes
1	SMPS2Dynamixel board	Robotis (available from Trossen Robotics)
1	Battery wiring harness	Lynxmotion.com item WH-01
1	12V 5000 mAH NiMH battery	BatterySpace.com item RB-HC10R2T-MT5000
1	Smart charger 1.8A	BatterySpace.com item CH-UN180

Assembly Instructions

1. Using a cutting pliers, carefully cut a flap in the plastic shrink-wrap on the underside of the SMPS2Dynamixel board to expose the connections to the power jack.
2. Solder the wiring harness to the power jack terminals. The red wire goes to the lug nearer the center of the board, while the black wire goes to the lug nearer to the edge of the board.
3. Replace the flap and secure it with some electrical tape.
4. Use small pieces of black electrical tape to tie the black and red wires of the wiring harness together neatly.

Servo Wiring (Head Only)

Parts List

Qty	Item	Notes
1	USB2Dynamixel dongle	Robotis (available from Trossen Robotics)
1	Four-port USB mini hub	Amazon.com or any computer parts vendor
1	4" or 12" USB extension cable: A-male to A-female	CableWholesale.com or any computer parts vendor
2	7.25" 3-wire servo cables	Robotis (available from Trossen Robotics)
1	0.100" male header pin strip	Pololu.com item #965, or DigiKey

Assembly Instructions

1. Prepare two three-wire servo cables using black electrical tape, the same way you did for the pan/tilt. Insert both cables into the SMPS2Dynamixel board.
2. Attach a USB2Dynamixel dongle to one of the servo cables. Make sure the slide switch on the USB2Dynamixel is set to the "TTL" position (closest to the USB connector).
3. Cut a group of 3 header pins from the header pin strip and it insert it into the other servo cable.
4. Connect the USB2Dynamixel to the USB mini hub using the USB extension cable. Alternatively, it may be possible to plug it in directly, depending on the size and shape of the hub and how you want to position the components in the cargo bay.

Servo Wiring (Head Plus Arm)

Coming soon.

Final Robot Assembly

1. Arrange the battery in the center of the cargo bay, and connect it to the power switch. Arrange the serial cable, SMPS2Dynamixel board, USB2Dynamixel dongle, and four-port mini-USB hub inside the cargo bay as shown: the USB cable from the hub should exit the cargo bay on one side, while the serial cable USB connector should exit on the other side. The free servo cable from the SMPS2Dynamixel should exit at the top, and the power switch should be at the bottom. Plug the USB2Dynamixel into the mini USB hub.
2. Coil the camera's USB cable and secure it to the neck using twist ties. Plug the camera into the mini-USB hub.
3. Attach the laptop support and neck bracket to the Create using four 6-32 2" screws and four 1.5" plastic spacers. When installed properly, the PlayStation Eye camera should face forwards and the laptop screen should face backwards, i.e., away from the Create's front bumpers. The bracket has two sets of holes because it can also be mounted facing in the opposite direction when building a Create/ASUS robot, which has no separate camera. Mount the bracket as far forward as possible. The laptop bracket should fit entirely within the circumference of the Create.
4. Connect the servo cable from the SMPS2Dynamixel (with the header pins) to the cable from the pan servo by pressing the exposed header pins from the first cable into the plug from the second cable. Note: the connection must not be symmetric, i.e., you should see the top face of one cable plug and the bottom face of the other.
5. Place the ASUS netbook on the laptop support bracket and verify that it seats properly and fits within the circumference of the robot.
6. With the netbook booted, first plug in the Create serial USB cable. Then plug in the USB cable from the mini hub. (Order is important because we want the Create serial cable to be assigned to /dev/ttyUSB0.)
7. Use the dynamixel_util program to set the tilt servo id to 2. (Servos come with a default id of 1, so you don't have to change the pan servo.) First, disconnect the cable from the pan servo to the tilt servo. Then issue this command:
     dynamixel_util Path=/dev/ttyUSB1 set 1 51
   Then reconnect the tilt servo and issue these commands:
     dynamixel_util Path=/dev/ttyUSB1 set 1 2
  dynamixel_util Path=/dev/ttyUSB1 set 51 1
8. See the article on Calliope servo ids for instructions for setting up the arm servos.
9. Set the camera to wide field (zoom out) by turning the lens so that the index mark is on the blue dot rather than the red dot.

Congratulations! Your robot is complete.