The goal of this project was to create an articulated, remote-controlled hand using wood and Arduino components, capable of executing different hand gestures.
This project required me to work with wood, a material I have not previously used in a project. The equipment used to make the pieces includes: a saw, a miter box, a jigsaw, an oscillating tool, and a drill.
This is a snippet of Arduino code from the function that controls when all fingers close. When the button '0' is pressed on the remote, a the code 'FF6897' is received through the Arduino, and all servo motors start up.
The mechanical components function like tendons in a human hand: a translucent string runs from the tip of each finger to a continuous servo. When activated, the servo winds the string like fishing line, articulating the fingers. A piece of elastic attached to the back of each finger holds them upright when the line unwinds.
The fingers are separated into components with 45 degree cuts on each end. An oscillating tool was used to cut narrow slots for an aluminum joint to fit. The joint was attached using hot glue on the static end, and a piece of wire through the rotating end.
Screw eye hooks keep the elastic strips and clear string in place.