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Why should fun be out of reach?
A Koch v1.1 inspired even more cost-effective, ROS2-compatible, Open-Source robotic manipulator designed to lower the barriers of entry for Embodied AI and whatever else your robotic dreams may be.
To achieve these outcomes, we implemented the following significant changes:
For changes/features in the previous version of the Giraffe, see Giraffe v1.0.
🌐 Visit our Website
📚 Read the Docs
💬 Join us on Discord
🛒 Get the Giraffe v1.1 Leader-Follower Set
Build along with the community, follow our progress, and get your hands on the very latest OpenBot hardware!
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Adjusted overall design for strength and ease of printing with minimal post processing requirement.
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Removable clamp base and Open Robotics Platform (ORP) mount for easy attachment to various robots.
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Designed a new Leader arm around the AS5600 12-bit magnetic encoder, which provides the same resolution at about 1/10 the price of any other Leader arm available.
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We have also designed a simple two layer PCB to replace the servo driver for Leader arm, there is always the option to build your own by hand on perf board. Schematics and Gerber files are available in the
/CAD/PCB/directory. -
The Leader arm now uses a Wemos D1 Mini v2 or any other ESP8266/32 based microcontroller and can potentially teleoperate wirelessly.
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Teleop Tongs Integration
We integrated support for Teleop Tongs, another open-source project we built on top of Dex Teleop (for the Stretch 3 mobile manipulator by Hello Robot), designed for teleoperating general-purpose robotic manipulators. This system features a 3D-printed tongs assembly equipped with multiple fiducial markers, serving as a stand-in for the end effector. This design enables intuitive and accessible control of the robotic arm.
The motivation behind this integration was to offer a cost-effective, and user-friendly alternative to a leader & follower arm setup. By using Teleop Tongs, operators can manipulate the robotic arm naturally, simplifying teleoperation for applications in education, research, or DIY robotics projects.
| Giraffe Follower | Giraffe Leader |
|---|---|
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NOTE: We use a different(Servo 2) AS5600 servo casings for the wrist 2 and the gripper finger joint in the Leader arm. This is optional but recommended for more stable readings.
| Leader AS5600 encoder 1 | Leader AS5600 encoder 2 |
|---|---|
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Order these off the shelf parts for the Leader and Follower arms using the Bill of Materials (BOM) below.
| Item Name | Quantity Per Arm | Unit Cost (incl GST) | Buy (India) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waveshare 30KG Serial Bus Servo | 6 | ₹1,949.99 | Think Robotics |
| Serial Bus Servo Driver Board | 1 | ₹508.86 | Sharvi Electronics |
| 2 Inch metal C clamp | 1 | ₹269.00 | Amazon.in |
| Type C USB Cable (1 metre) | 1 | ₹54.00 | Robocraze |
| 12V 5A 60W Power Supply with 5.5mm DC Plug | 1 | ₹403.00 | Robu.in |
| Total | --- | ₹12,935 | --- |
| Item Name | Quantity Per Arm | Unit Cost (incl GST) | Buy (India) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 AWG wire 1m | 5 | ₹5.00 | Robu.in |
| Perf Board | 0.25 | ₹142.00 | Robu.in |
| Wemos D1 mini v2 | 1 | ₹182.00 | Robu.in |
| TCA9548A I2C Mux | 1 | ₹81.21 | Zbotic |
| AS5600 Encoder | 6 | ₹130.80 | Quartz Components |
| M3 x 6 philips head bolts | 48 | ₹3.00 | Only Screws |
| M2.2 x 9.5 philips head self tapping screws | 2 | ₹47.20 | Robotics DNA |
| Micro USB B cable 1 metre | 1 | ₹35.00 | Robocraze |
| 2 Inch metal C clamp | 1 | ₹269.00 | Amazon.in |
| Total | --- | ₹1,651 | --- |
A variety of 3D printers can be used to print the necessary parts for the arm. Follow these steps for optimal printing results.
When choosing a printer, keep the following recommended specifications in mind. While other printers may work, these specifications are a good starting point:
- Layer Height: Minimum 0.2mm
- Material: PLA+, ABS, PETG, or other durable plastics
- Nozzle Diameter: Maximum 0.4mm
- Infill Density: Approximately 30%
- Suggested Printers: Prusa Mini+, Bambu P1, Ender3, and similar models
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Materials Needed:
- Standard Glue Stick
- Putty Knife
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Setup and Printing Process:
- Calibrate the printer and level the print bed following your printer’s specific instructions.
- Clean the print bed, removing any dust or grease. If you use water or other cleaning agents, ensure the bed is fully dry.
- Apply a thin, even layer of glue to the print area. Avoid uneven application or clumps.
- Load the printer filament according to the printer's guidelines.
- Adjust the printer settings to match the recommended specifications listed above.
- Verify the file format, select files from the hardware folder, and begin printing.
Print one of each part found in /CAD/STL/common/ and /CAD/STL/follower/ or /CAD/STL/leader/ directories, depending on whether you are building the follower or leader arm. The files are organized as follows:
| Common for Follower & Leader | Follower Arm Only | Leader Arm Only |
|---|---|---|
| base | follower_base_retainer_left | as5600_servo_1 |
| servo_driver_mount | follower_base_retainer_right | as5600_servo_2 |
| shoulder_pan | follower_clamp_base | leader_clamp_base |
| shoulder_pan_retainer | follower_wrist_2 | leader_wrist_2 |
| shoulder_pan_pin | follower_gripper_finger | leader_handle |
| shoulder_lift | leader_gripper_finger | |
| elbow | ||
| wrist_1 |
- After the print is done, use the putty knife to scrape the the parts off the print bed.
- Remove any support material from parts.
Follow the assembly guide given in the OpenBot Docs to assemble the parts. The assembly process is similar for both the Leader and Follower arms, with some differences in the Leader arm due to the AS5600 encoders and the Wemos D1 Mini.
The assembled arms would look something like this:
NOTE: Configurator and the rest of the high-level software stack is presently only compatible with Python.
Clone The giraffe Repository
git clone https://github.com/carpit680/giraffe.git
cd giraffe