Claw machine build project. how hard can it be.... runs on arduino nano only.

i made a fully functional claw machine for my daughter 3 years ago.
building the case, 3d printing the mechanism, programming the arduino and circuit boards.
the project includes a lot of neopixels, coin acceptors and sound modules.
3 years ago, i built 95% of the project, and it's been limitless fun since then.
Never had enough time to make a build video for it.
until last weekend. when my daughter reached the age of 5.
The endless fun of trying to get the toys and candy out made me decide to share this project with you all.
have fun, and if there are any questions, please put them in the comments :D
I will make a list of materials used as soon as possible
kermis grijper, kermis attractie, zelfbouw kermis, Nederlandse kermis, kermis ongelukken,
Rachel Leycroft:
/ rachel-leycroft
/ rachelleycro. .
/ rachelleycroft
open.spotify.c....
Seum Dero:
/ seumdero
/ seumdero
/ seumdero
TH3 Darp:
/ th3darp
/ djth3darp
Music promoted by @RFM - Royalty Free Music [No Copyright Music]: • Video
Second track
Memories - Tobjan
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported
Free Download: hypeddit.com/track/2ql07h
Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.co/1ZJVevFYnX…GvTw&dl_branch=1
Social media:
►Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/30Nr7bnNn…wOTqaGJMTMn79n0Q
►Instagram: tobjanmusic
►Facebook: tobjanofficial
►Soundcloud: @tobjanmusic
►KZbin: kzbin.info...

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

New coin pusher video will be online soon with free plans and coding (as always)

[@RamClaw]

This is super cool! One of the best arduino based claw machines I’ve ever seen.

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Thank you 😁 was awesome to build this :D

[@JJST9978]

Absolutely amazing video and process! It was so cool to see how this turned out being powered mostly by arduino!

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Thank you :D had a lot of fun building the machine. Now 3 years later my kids still love to play with it.

[@sayhitocat-gm8ly]

I don't think you can do this in a simple way with just arduino nano, I love it, thank you so much for the video, it inspired me to make one

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Thank you :D an arduino of often more powerfull then you think :D im a big fan of the nano boards and use them all the time. Of needed I split the work over two modules :D

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Hi all i wonder where you guys are from so i can decide which language i should use in my content. thank you very much!

[@avidtrainspotting]

This is amazing! One of or if not the best DIY project I've ever seen! Well done!

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Thank you!

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

I really love these kind of builds and share them with the world. Including plans an coding. Some videos are english. Others are dutch but with Eng subtitles. So please share the videos on facebook and forums 😃

[@keenanwhyte4136]

wow that is the worlds greatest work i have ever seen😁😁 well done 👏👏

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Thank you 😁 awesome project to do

[@keenanwhyte4136]

@@RobbertDIYprojects Oh I know right you guys are like so smart to find ways to build something amazing which is a claw machine 😁

[@oneofusiscrocheting]

Do you have the approximate dimensions, I just need the approximate length, width and height. Thanks!

[@CooperDuper3000]

This is brilliant, well done!

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Thank you!

[@wildshotman6407]

I want to make one for my kids someday and put all our pokemon catch inside it ! :)

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

That's awesome! Please share a video when it's done!

[@oneofusiscrocheting]

Any update on the materials list and code? I would pay you for them if you wanted. It’s amazing! I tried to make one with my uncle, but we keep on having problems and it sometimes doesn’t work. We were using stepper motors, and I think they were the issue.

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

For this project I used nema17 stepper motors for the x and Y movement. Easydriver is used to drive the stepper motors. (Cheap and easy) two limit switches detect the home position above the prize shute when starting up the machine. I used a heavy duty continues servo with a plastic drum for the lift mechanism. (Any decent servo can be used) I can set the drop duration/depth. An endswitch is used to detect if the claw is fully up. Lift times change when lifting heavy loads. Both can be easy controlled with an arduino nano. At first I used a 3d printed claw but could not set the min/max claw strenght, I switched to a cheap Chinese metal solenoid claw. These run fine on 24vdc and can be controlled with a pwm signal for variable claw strength. I use 3 arduino nanos, one runs the actual game, the second controlls the coin acceptor and credits display. The 3th is used for the light and sound effects. I used an arcade joystick to move the claw, these are strong enough kids can abuse it without breaking. Same for the two big arcade buttons. Both can be ordered from aliexpress. As a credit display I used a max7219 7 segment display. I used a generic coin acceptor from China, cost about 17 euros. If you have any questions most likely I can answer them. Sadly i Dont have the code anymore. I made this project about 3 years ago. Only recently had to reupload since my

[@oneofusiscrocheting]

@@RobbertDIYprojects thanks so much for answering. I would of loved if I could have gotten the code. Thanks anyway.

[@oneofusiscrocheting]

Amazing! Could you list the building materials and link them?

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

No problem. Will be able to do this is a few days. Can even check if I still got the 3d print files somewhere and the wood plans.

[@crazedskirge287]

@@RobbertDIYprojects any update on when you'll be able to get some links into the comments?

[@lucypogcute]

This. Is. So. Cool. Just wondering, how did you get your joystick wired? I have an old drone with a joystick but has so far not taken it off as i am afraid it will break while i take it off.

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

It's a very basic joystick. Inside the joystick It works with 4 buttons for up down left and right. This is pretty idiot proof so kids can't break it when they play with it haha. Arcade joysticks can handle a lot of abuse haha

[@BaudoImperatoreDelNord]

Love this project, would love to do something similar for my family. I couldn't find a list of parts you used, would it be possible to have an idea of components needed? I know the video is kinda old, just wondering if maybe you still have it written somewhere 😊. Thanks

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

I don't have a material lost anymore. This project was build 3 years ago. Back then I uploaded it all to KZbin including a material list and full build video. Since I was forced to restart my channel I lost the build video :( Newer build projects always have links available in the description to schematics, 3d files and programming codes so everybody can clone or mod the design

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

It's one of my projects I still love to this day. The kids really love it. Especially with party's, when it's fully loaded with candy and toys. Haha. Would really advice to build one for your kids. They will love it.

[@BaudoImperatoreDelNord]

@@RobbertDIYprojects Oh, that's unfortunate. I'll try to get some inspiration from how you did it then. Thanks

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

@@BaudoImperatoreDelNord no problem.if you have any questions. Feel free to ask. I try to answer them. 🫡

[@alewir]

I was working on something similar recently and I came across your video. Awesome build. Could you share how you control the claw? Is it AC or DC and about voltage - basically, how did you come up with 24V? I've read that these are 5~48V - did you try different voltages and checking the grip strength empirically? Also do you think that NEMA17 stepper is going to be able to lift this kind of claw on a relatively small pulley/spool (10~15 mm diameter)? Or is the servo kind of motor you mentioned necessary?

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Hi! Yes its a really fun project to build and we still enjoy the game with party's and such. Back then I ordered a standard claw, originally intended for ac power. Manipulating ac voltage is kinda hard and had a spare 24v dc psu so I tested the claw on 24v dc and it worked flawless. Even has a pretty strong grip. Dc is quite easy to manipulatie using PWM. The claw heats up to warm but not too HOT. No pwm opens the claw due to gravity. And full pwm closed the claw at max strength. In my case I use full strength (24v) and lower the pwm on it way to the prize shute to drop things "accidentally" The min and max claw strenght can be set on the back of the machine. once in a while (can be set) it stays on full power. This way you can set the win chance. Needed power depends on what products are in the machine. Smal Candy and small toys need way less power, heavy things like soda cans need way more power. For the lift mechanism I use a continues servo. The drop depth is time based. I can set how long/deep the servo must go before it stops and close the claw. The time going up (full speed) is slightly shorter. After that the servo will rotate slower until it hits an endstop. Telling the machine its fully up, the servo stops and goes to the next move. Back to its home point above the shute and manipulate the power on the way back. I think the lift mechanism can be made on multiple ways. With a stepper, servo or like the original with a DC motor. The endstop is crucial, the actual lift times and motor speed depend on the weight it lifts. An endstop is a perfect solution. In the video with the 3d printed claw I was using a geared dc motor with a big drum. This cheap motor was not strong enough. Better dont use those if you use a metal claw. So in my opinion, a heavy duty stepper can be used. Maybe in combination with a transmission to trade speed for lifting power. Or a heavy duty continues servo. Both would work.

[@alewir]

@@RobbertDIYprojects Thanks a lot for the explanation, I'm guessing that the claw I've ordered is the similar model and is also AC. I somehow assumed that it's DC because I'm more playing with DC in my hobby projects :facepalm: But I've tried 12V DC and it closes just the grip is very loose. In that case I'll probably follow your steps and add some 24V PSU with some reprap-like MOSFET for PWM heated bed control. I like your idea of loosing the grip towards the end, I also appreciate the hint about adjustable grip strength for playing with different weight of prizes - now it sounds obvious but somehow I've missed it (here again I had some initial idea what the products would be there to win and somehow fixated around it). Same way I assumed the NEMA17 will be able to lift the claw but when it came in the package I just realized how heavy it is but after I've already designed the gantry with the motor for it (btw. I've also prepared endstop to limit the lifting: photos.app.goo.gl/76U5SpYdK82r3H1H6 yet currently still focused on as-usual-underestimated-cable-logy to be able to actually power all up and test it in-action). Thanks a lot for the answer again, your video is a great motivator after I realized already that it's not all that easy as it initially looks, but still... seems feasible. Keep up with adding new projects. BTW: I'm stuck with InMoove for couple of years already after having a head and a single arm, so... yeah... respect! :P

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Hehe same for me. I printed the full robot. The head and one arm is fully functional. But after a few defects, broken servos and the increasing servos Costs I came to a hold. Now its just my company in my mancave haha. Keeps an eyes out in case I build something stupid haha. For the claw machine I wish I build it the way I build now. Upload en share the designs and coding so we can all built one.

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

@@alewir check out my latest short. This will be one of my most badass and advanced projects. Hope it will be ready in a vew weeks. A second project im working is will most likely be a world record.

[@alewir]

@@RobbertDIYprojects Yes, I regret you didn't share more step-by-step tutorials from the whole process. I'd be interesting to watch and learn how you control these lights & sound (each deserves separate video IMHO :P ) and e.g. how to orchiestrate multpile nanos in a single project - I could catch up some patterns instead of reinwenting the wheel... :P I have more high level programming background than in electronics and embedded soft, so many things are not that obvious for me still.

[@G3kid0]

Hi, can you tell me what type or the reference for the servo ? Thx

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

I used the sv-0236MG servo I had laying around. But you can basicly use any servo that is strong enough to lift. I molded the servo for continues rotation

[@G3kid0]

@@RobbertDIYprojects ok thks, but the claw don't fall itself when the servo is not powered ?

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

@G3kid0 no a servo is a big transmission. You need a pretty high force to rotate it by hand. The claw is by far not heavy enough to rotate the servo. But you dont need to turn off the servo power. When modding a servo for continues rotating (or buy one) the internal potentiometer is set het half range (90 degree) . When giving the servo a command ro rotate to 0 degree it keeps on turning left because it can't turn the actual potentiometer. When sending 180 degree it keeps rotating right. I used a set time to drop de claw. Like 2000ms to reach the bottom. The claw weight is always the same, so changing the time will set the depth the claw drops. Sending the 90 degree command will move the servo to 90 degree, because the potentiometer is set at this value, the servo thinks it reached the destination and stops rotating. At the bottom the claw closes. Then sending the 180 degree command to the servo will raise the claw. Depending if it's empty or lifting weight (mine had no problem lifting soda cans) The raise speed will change. To counter this I used an endstop to indicate the claw is in the upper position. It keeps lifting until it hits the endstop. Then continues the cycle to the prize shute to open the claw.

[@miniature_man]

vet tof man

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Dankjewel :D

[@nodditiesoddities]

I would love to have this code and tweak it with different music! I seen few weeks ago you told someone else you would see if you can dig it up…we’re you able to?

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Hi. No sorry I did build this project a few years ago. But needed to restart my full channel 6 months ago and re-upload some projects. I lost the actual coding. That's why newer projects have code and schematics in the description. Some older projects don't have them anymore. Same for the quadruped walking robot :(

[@nodditiesoddities]

@@RobbertDIYprojects I understand. Maybe you can answer this question for me then. Are gantry’s able to adjust in length? I have a cabinet but I can’t find a gantry to exact size.

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Offcourse. You can make it any size you want. I use nema17 stepper motors on easydriver stepper drivers. When I power up the machine it slowly moves the claw to the front left. There it hits who limit switches. This indicaties the claw is at its home position. I tested the max steps the motor can use before hitting the back of the machine or window on the right side. You can make this value anything you like so you can set the max size. When the game starts you can move the claw in all directions and keeping track of its location. When the max steps are reached you cant move in that direction anymore. Then you can drop the claw and let it do his thing. When the claw is back up again I let it home again, the home point is right above the price shute. And the game starts over. Setting the Max steps is not a must. When you keep trying to move the claw when it reached the end the motors will.make a lot of noise and skip steps. Wont do damage.

[@nodditiesoddities]

@@RobbertDIYprojects first off thank you so much for the help. I’ve been looking for an answer for 2 years on that and no one replies! Now if I grab a claw kit let’s say that includes a 60” gantry…can I adjust the length of those rails to a 50”? I’m scared of investing so much and not knowing if something is actually possible. I know names of parts not how they work exactly. I’m having a programmer friend guide me through the rest. Like are the rails removable ?

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

No problem glad I could help. I dont know about the commercial kits you can buy. I build my system from the ground up with easy available parts. The rails are just 10mm steel rods mounted on the side with 3d printed brackets. The main frame where the claw mechanism is attached to is also 3d printed and uses linear bearings to make the movements smooth.

[@supercjosemaster]

How you get the claw, motors and gantry making one too

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

The gantry is made from metal rods, and 3d printed parts to hold linear bearings. At first I 3d printed a claw but could not set the claw strength. So I ordered a metal claw

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

I don't have the 3d model files anymore. New projects are uploaded incl the 3d models.

[@supercjosemaster]

@@RobbertDIYprojects Oh thank what about the motors and cable

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

@Vhs josemaster I used nema17 stepper motors for the x and y movement. And drive then with an "easydriver" module. The lift motor is a continues servo. Turns left for a set time. Then up until the claw hits a limit switch. The metal claw is DC powered and PWM controlled so I can set the max strenght.

[@supercjosemaster]

​@@RobbertDIYprojects how many inch the metal rods for the gantry

[@CMTCapitBoneka]

Hi Buddy, can you make me one? 😊

[@RobbertDIYprojects]

Haha if I had enough time I would be glad to build a second. But way to busy building projects. Haha