Tiny Robotic Arm - Will It Work?

[@tomdelaney19464]

Without a doubt you need a second robot in the other cup holder to operate the button for the 1st robot! Even though it was a fail, like my father used to say "don't do anything half-assed, do it whole-assed"

[@Nerdtronic]

Not a bad idea. But that 2nd robot will need to use some better actuators.

[@ingog.8424]

That's a great plan. Every time first the weaker robot arm tries it ten times without success, and then the other one pressed the button on the first attempt.

[@RobertTolone]

@@Nerdtronic If something doesn’t work use a bigger hammer.

[@wilfdarr]

@@Nerdtronic This was not a failure: it was hilarious. And the way it folded itself up in defeat was icing in the cake. That's not a failure.

[@Judge_OnYouTube]

"randomly shutting down whenever it wants to" That's not how start/stop works lol. Cool robot though. It's fruitless efforts to smash that button is video poetry.

[@Nerdtronic]

Ha thanks!

[@felixl.7687]

It even makes sad noises when it couldn't push the button and goes back into his cup holder :'( I love the project and admire your patience. Please keep posting!

[@10HW]

the robot finger helplessly smashing the button without success is priceless

[@Nerdtronic]

😂 Thanks.

[@shoafer0]

You had me rolling at the "added a button to activate the robot" when the robot is used to press a button. Engineers man...

[@Crushonius]

i would have just connected the two wires from the button to the same arduino controlling the robot and synchronize the activation of it so it looks like your robot is actually pushing the button

[@Nerdtronic]

A lot of people have said "just connect the wire with arduino" - yeah but then I wouldn't get to make the robot. But your suggestion is off the charts. Do BOTH!

[@Crushonius]

@@Nerdtronic yeah brother cheat just enough to win . its kinda genius and nobody would know . on the other hand even if you do make a video or a short most people would actually respect that little trickery. also it is basically free content that you can pull off in practically no time at all . win / win either way you have my blessing take care brother

[@martykopka]

That 'finger' 'looked' embarrassed when it couldn't push the button. Anthropomorphization I know but it looked totally like it was embarrassed and wanted to hide away after not being able to push the button. It goes back into its cup and hides away. Ha ha ha ha

[@Nerdtronic]

😂🤣

[@thinkdunson]

3:03 the moment of question/doubt/denial/more doubt was perfectly executed.

[@willofthemaker]

The auto start stop is supposed to save roughly 7% on average. Obviously there is a huge asterisk as it depends in your route. You should do a test. Drive normally for idk a week or month with it enabled and another with it disabled

[@Nerdtronic]

I actually only drive about 3000 miles a year in that car. So there are weeks and even months that I don't use the car at all. I also live in the desert, so summer months the feature turns itslef off anyway because it's 115 out and the AC is running.

[@91jmixes40]

My dad believes it's not worth it because of the potential damage to the engine. I don't have an opinion personally

[@Davidhartmanart]

Finally got a free minute to watch this. So great! Such a good vid

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks.. I finally had a free minute to repsond to comments. 😂

[@jerrodford3952]

Just recently bought my first 3D printer and your channel has been super resourceful, excellent insight and production quality with your videos. I'm currently printing my first test print and decided to watch this video, amazing content dude. 🙌

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks jerrod. Good luck!

[@williamd1732]

Sorry to see that it didn't work in the end but still was a brilliant idea! But just watching the arm pop out and start smacking that button was comical. Gave me a good laugh! But what can I say, I'm easily entertained. I enjoyed watching this video. Thanks for sharing! 👍👍

[@Nerdtronic]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@rdyer8764]

There isn't a true-geek among us that doesn't salute this effort. Words like "failure" and "useless" should be saved for other non-heroic and mortal efforts. This robot should live on in perpetuity, at least in our hearts and minds! Yes, you could find more powerful servos that are larger, and require a robot redesign. But another source of very small but powerful RC servos is for high performance RC gliders. In those applications weight, precision and actuator speed are most important, but so is power. Take a look at those servos. They're more pricey, but they may let you use your current design without modification. So I'm an American who's been living in Europe for nearly 6 years now. When I first encountered this feature it bothered me too, but I found a different way around it. If your car functions as do the cars I've driven here, you can 'defeat' the execution by using lighter brake pressure. The shut-off occurs when the car's speed is near zero, AND the brake system is near full pressure. I was able to train myself to lighten up on the pedal pressure just as the car was about to come to a complete stop - I use just enough pedal pressure to stop the vehicle, but not enough to stop the engine. The engine remains running until I press the brake pedal fully, and I only do so if it appears I'll be there for more than a few seconds. You can also lighten pedal pressure just before you want to car to move, e.g. when you see the light is about to turn green. This way the engine starts, but the car doesn't move. It prevents 'lurching' when the engine starts at higher revs as you move quickly from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. All that said, please let me also add a dissenting voice to the purpose of your robot. Regarding the small amount of fuel savings that others have mentioned, it's really about emission savings. It's estimated that idling engines cause 30M Tons of CO2 every year. I know it doesn't seem like much when it's just your car, but when it's thousands, or even millions of cars, it does add up to a difference, especially in city driving and bumper-to-bumper freeway commuting. This feature has been VERY popular on European cars for years because of heightened environmental concerns. I was also worried that the additional wear-and-tear on the starter system would lead to early component failure and replacement costs. But I think this one of those things that we BELIEVE without data to support it. It's never been a factor that I've heard car owners here complain about. And google it. I think you'll find that modern cars do not suffer from this problem. It's only those of us of 'more advanced years' who imagine it being applied to our old muscle-cars from the 60s and 70s. So yeah, I like the idea of designing and building this project. In fact, I'm actually a bit envious of your creativity. I'll attempt to up my game for future "useless" and "failing" projects. Take care. :))

[@Nerdtronic]

Haha thanks!

[@aeronixenator]

Might consider making it spring-loaded, since it almost moves like a trebuchet as is. A catapult cupholder!

[@RobertTolone]

Rube Goldberg would be very proud of you.

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks Robert!

[@ioTPro]

My teacher told me once that there is no failure in research. Either you will solve the problem or you find out that this problem can not be solved in that specific way. So in both cases, you learn something.

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks. I learned a lot on this project.

[@thinkdunson]

6:56 holy crap my mind just exploded. the possibilities!!!

[@PiefacePete46]

My Brother-in-Law has a passionate hatred of this feature. When it was first introduced, the dealer disabled it for him. When he next updated his car, they told him they could no longer disable it. They quoted the lawsuit against VW that cost them millions because their vehicles could not meet emission targets if the Stop/Start was bypassed. I don't know how true or accurate this is... he still screams obscenities if he forgets to press the button! It is just as well he does not have my model... it does not have a button at all! The upside is it has saved me the cost of making a robot finger! 😜

[@Nerdtronic]

I have a feeling that newer cars don't have it. I think it was a way to cheat the EPA Gas Mileage ratings for a few years. Hopefully that time is passed.

[@bohemondricard9091]

This reminds me a lot of the butter robot from Rick & Morty, even when the robot folds after failing to push the button reminds me of the butter robot's existencial crisis 😅

[@Nerdtronic]

Yes! I was definitely thinking of that robot when I made this. Thanks for watching.

[@seanmiles8619]

That's was awesome - Great effort

[@jeddbot]

A truly valiant attempt, I commend you.

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks! It's always a little depressing when projects don't work out quite right.

[@Voyager_2]

Take out the switch, connect small relay, use small micro?

[@bialyabnormal]

Similar solution I've found to a "ASR being on" problem on a GOLF MK4 but the DIY mentioned soldering in a capacitor, might work with this thing as well.

[@epicthief]

Seeing failures makes the successes so much better, lessons learned, such good content

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks. It was a fun project. I want to eventually make another small robot but it'll not be this one.

[@fffmpeg]

you could just disassemble the buttons panel and replace the existing switch with a transistor

[@Nerdtronic]

Yeah.. but then I wouldn't get to build a robot finger.

[@NicksStuff]

You needed like *one* transistor to achieve that

[@Nerdtronic]

Or.... make a robot.

[@NicksStuff]

@@Nerdtronic Or....make a robot 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@lnxmachine]

For VW cars they make harness that you plug into that button that will remember the last setting, not sure if anyone makes one for the genesis. You can also re-program the computer and change the voltage range so it never stops the engine, it was the first thing I did on my wifes car when we got it.

[@Nerdtronic]

Cool. Yeah I might do one of those things. This robot was mostly supposed to be for fun. Thanks for the view Ethan.

[@craigschroder]

Knowledge of leverage and torque forces would have helped you there. That stop start function is more practical in cities because it cuts exhaust emissions rather than saving gas. I also question how long the starters last (as well as the access+cost to replace them when they fail)

[@lucky374h]

Brilliant! You 'could' always modify that button to just be a flip switch though. When flipped on it will be normal, When flipped off, it has a circuit that will wait however long is necessary and then input the momentary depress signal required to turn off the feature Then your cup holder robot could instead be a cup holder robot or anything else.

[@Nerdtronic]

I considered hacking the switch but I didn’t want to physically modify the car. I’m sure there are other ways to do it electronically also.

[@justinl.3587]

I hated that feature in my vehicle. I found a way to permanently shut it off electronically.

[@Chrissi33004]

but that doesnt involve building a robot :)

[@justinl.3587]

@@Chrissi33004 Oh I know. My way was super lame compared to this! 🤣🤣🤣

[@GatorGlider]

Cool robotics project! Get some nice MKS servos. They're small and extremely powerful. They are pretty expensive, but when you need extreme resolution and power they're probably about the best you can do. Also, the fishing line you used will stretch over time. The metal line that is often used for necklaces works great here. You can get it very thin and it is available at craft stores and WalMart. I build RC hand launch gliders (DLGs) that use bent piece of metal to act as a spring that holds a flight surface deflected in one direction and then uses one of those MKS servos and that metal line to pull it to the desired position. This set up works very well and I've used it for other various maker type projects as well. Great video!

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks Michael for the detailed comment. I’ll check that stuff out. Maybe I’ll remake this robot someday.

[@jeffreylewis145]

I appreciate you pointing out MKS

[@oofunstuff]

Why not hook the arduino up to the actual button. You can read the light within the button and simulate button presses without even touching the button? You may be able to even do it with just putting a plug that you make into the button which allows the factory plug to plug into your plug…

[@Nerdtronic]

Yeah I’ve done that before with other projects. A. I didn’t want to f up my car. B. I wanted to make a robot. 😁

[@kz6fittycent]

I truly hate some of the “features” auto makers are forcing on us. I’m sure your car is still under warranty but at some point you might investigate getting the ecu flashed to keep that setting off. That said this was a really cool video!

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks. I hope it was a phase and that newer cars won’t have it.

[@kz6fittycent]

@@Nerdtronic it’s actually not good for the engine.

[@Nerdtronic]

@@kz6fittycent Right? Several commenters gave me crap for wasting energy. But when I pull into my driveway and right before turnign off my car the engine shuts off and then has to start up again before I shut it off for real - seems like that would be wasting more energy and wearing out the starter. Not to mention I'm not installing it on millions of cars, just one. But it was just supposed to be a fun challenge anyway. Which it was. Thanks for watching.

[@Andrew_Fernie]

@@Nerdtronic Once you have stopped, keep your foot on the brake and turn the key one click. Then put it in park and turn the key all the way off. Newer cars won't have it. They will be electric 😉

[@TKTrooper]

​ @Nerdtronic Michael, I am looking for the skull ring STL file you printed for Robert Tolone. Could you tell me where i can find and buy it from online? Thank you

[@jeffreylewis145]

Another approach would be to make the button pressure through a roller at the end of the finger. The finger would then "swipe" the button. The force would theoretically be the torque divided by the arm length divided by the sine of the angle of the arm to the button.

[@Nerdtronic]

DUDE.. I just subscribed to you so that you'd have more than one subscriber. You seem to know a lot about torque and math. Thanks for the advice.

[@jeffreylewis145]

@@Nerdtronic Two subscribers. Wow. You did inspire me to write something in the About section.

[@jeffreylewis145]

@@Nerdtronic I have an Arduino bidet. For real. It has a range detector which I ping to get the flight time of the echo to determine the nearest object. The detector is about a foot off the floor and a few inches to the left. The idea is to detect a dog walking whereupon it turns on the cold water. The cabinet has a red and blue button for a person to select cold or warm water. The water is controlled through a pair of solenoid valves. And it has timers to shut it off after a period. About a year after installing it I updated the software to trigger the "red button" code if it detected an object less than four inches away, which the dogs never get that close. With this I can turn on the warm water while still on the toilet. That is nice in January.

[@euanmcgill918]

I liked the way it tucked itself back in, could be useful for a hidden robot of some sorts 😁

[@dp5550]

Great video! May be you can try using gears on the joints instead of strings might help.

[@petermuller608]

Hilarious idea!

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks. Not very many people "got it" 😀

[@Cryect2]

How does Resione F69 compare to Siraya Tech's Tenacious? Even more flexible?

[@Nerdtronic]

I haven’t used tenacious yet. I assume it’s pretty similar. This isn’t that flexible. Pretty stiff.

[@JohnJones-oy3md]

There's got to be some easter egg hidden in the car's firmware in order to turn that annoying feature off. One of those odd combinations like turn-key-halfway-honk-horn-seven-times-put-on-left-turn-signal-pop-fuel-filler-door, and viola! ;)

[@Nerdtronic]

Haha. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start. Sure but then I wouldn't have gotten to build a robot to do it. Thanks for watching John!

[@pascalzarn8974]

Yall complain about him wanting to turn off a feature that safes a TINY bit of fuel and cry about climate change, but do you realize that the most wear in an engine happens when starting and stopping the engine? Kinda fun then the feature is called start stop :) I would rather have the engine burn maybe a few gallons a year than having the engine break down earlier, having to call a tow truck and having to get the engine replaced earlier than needed. That robot could work, just instead of a little flexible tip, maybe add a hammer to it? 😂

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks!

[@emmoemminghaus6455]

"but do you realize that the most wear in an engine happens when starting and stopping" you missed the part with the word "cold" near "starting", instead your fantasize about wearing when an engine is stoped... stoping an enging damage it? Really?

[@space-qc6cl]

Cold starts wear an engine out. If it's at operating temperature there is no more wear than when it's running, because all the clearances are correct at op temp and the oil has already been circulating throughout the engine so there is still a lubricating film everywhere. Wear on the starter should be minimal if it was designed for an engine with the feature. I also believe the feature doesn't start in cars with this system until the engine has had a chance to warm up.

[@pascalzarn8974]

@@space-qc6cl there is still no oil pressure when the engine is stopped. Our a6 tdi did it's start stop despite running for 20 seconds. Manufacturers had to engineer the bearings to work for around 3 times longer due to the start stop systems (don't know where i heard that and too lazy to search it) You can do literally one Google search and find out that start stop wears your engine more than just letting it run.

[@swannschilling474]

I just got my resin printer today, and I heard that they are not doing so well because of warping/shrinking when it comes to mechanical parts but looking at this project it looks like they are working just fine? Could you let me know if you ran into any issues, or if it just went as expected... 😊

[@TheIcemanModdeler]

Still interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it

[@KevinDavidson]

you should be able to fix this problem with an OBD2

[@redtrollairsoft4701]

This is a cool project, but umm why go through all the hassle of designing a robot, when you could just use a mosfet, or relay to accomplish the same thing. Plus there is nothing taking up a cup holder. You could put it in the center console so you wouldn’t have too look at it. Although this is still pretty cool.

[@Nerdtronic]

Then I wouldn't get to make a robot. 😁

[@ZwilnikSF]

A very good engineering project. Even if it didn't work :) One possible simple solution to try though, might just be to put some weight into the tip. It doesn't really have enough mass for the "whack it ten times" approach and the servos should still be able to move the arm with the tip filled with lead.

[@ZwilnikSF]

Alternately, repurpose the robot with a slight code change so that whenever anyone cuts you up it can give them the finger :)

[@Nerdtronic]

YES! This should have been the robot finger exercise.. flipping people off

[@Indy1977TX]

Definitely needs a 2.0 to solve the puzzle. How do you feel about taking the console apart????

[@Penetralex]

Pretty fun project. I think you have a plenty spare time. If you touch that button every time you get into the car you will do automatically, you will learn in your muscle memory. Any case, I think you can do it work just add some weight in the finger tip. It's like a hammer you just need a bigger hammer

[@metal666maniac11]

The engineering behind this is fucking awesome, failed or not. I would learn how to do things like this

[@Nerdtronic]

Wow thanks. I think I can make it better if I do a 2nd version. But the video sorta tanked so not sure I should try.

[@NeuroAlex]

Powering off the engine does save gas when idling since the energy needed to start the engine is minimal. I saw a study a while back and I think it was like if you are waiting for more than 2-3 seconds shutting down the engine is more energy efficient. Just fyi

[@Nerdtronic]

Turning down the AC a few degrees would also save energy - but most people don't do it. I don't drive much or in heavy traffic. I don't commute and maybe drive 3000 miles a year. A lot of times this just turns off in my driveway and then immediately turns itself back on so that I can push the button to turn the engine off again.

[@jeffreylewis145]

You are trying to push the button via the torque of the first servo. That is going to require a torque of the button push force times the distance from the pivot point to the contact by the finger. You can't make the button require less force (assuming you are not going to modify the button) but you can shorten the moving distance by having the second servo make the final button press. Given the same servo torque you then have twice the button pushing force. I think you could get away with this because the servos have a much higher hold torque than move torque.

[@Nerdtronic]

Yeah.. There was too much play in all the joints. What you saw was the result of me trying to use momentum to push the button. Even when I tried to push it using the 2nd joint, it still didn't push because the first joint also had play. If I moved the robot to the other cup holder MAYBE it would have worked better because it would have been closer. There were flaws in my design from the beginning and I didn't feel it was worth it to do a 3rd itteration of the design to try to fix that. The cable coming from the sensor I put in the end, caused resistance on the joints. I was leaving on vacation when finishing up the video and had to rush the ending. It was a mistake. I probably should have released a different video and then spent another week or two trying to get it to work. If the video had done better maybe I would have released a v2 of it, fixing the mistakes. But this video sort of tanked so oh well, back to the drawing board. :)

[@parvizaghayarov935]

Super thanks for share

[@Nerdtronic]

Welcome 😊

[@godsaid4502]

This is a good invention, haha. . .

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks

[@drawmaster77]

what resin do you recommend for functional prints? I just got resin printer but prints seem quite brittle even after curing (for functional parts I mean)

[@Nerdtronic]

Resione is great stuff. Conjure has some good ones too. Or add some siraya blu to your normal resin.

[@theBoonarmies]

hahaha, Smart kid. maybe run your projects by him next time round. Great video. entertaining, informative. Do you have any tips for dealing with parts and components deforming with materials shrinkage, and or approaches/set-ups to avoid it?

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks. Haven't dealt too much with shrinkage.

[@robloughrey]

I know I'm personifing, but it looked so sad when it put itself away...

[@Nerdtronic]

😞 sad robot finger.

[@nigelmtb]

+1 for your Pur n Kleen cap!

[@Nerdtronic]

It’s one of my favorites!

[@anotherguycalledsmith]

Hello, Michael, you two are great. Congratulations to your bright son ;-) Nevertheless, this is a great and very creative project. Perhaps you could re-program the robot to stir your coffee in the other cup holder??? OFF TOPIC: Unfortunately, I still haven't started using my Phrozen Sonic Mini 4k yet… Are these resin printers really that loud (about 55 dB)? Do you think that it is safe to put it into an enclosure of thick Polystyrene (with some reasonable air space around it)? Do these resin printers get very hot outside? Could trapped resin fumes cause any problems? Sorry for these newbie questions, thanks ;-)

[@janmb]

Brilliant 😁

[@P.A.2]

You just need a new car that works with the robot finger🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Nerdtronic]

Another great idea. I’ll have to take the robot with me when picking out a car to make sure it can reach the button.

[@ArtPiranha]

Awesome 👏 😂

[@neilharrickey]

I felt bad for the robot when it gave up and folded away after failing. Poor robot.

[@Nerdtronic]

Haha. Thanks for watching it.

[@gerhardlamprecht1098]

I have a suggestion. Why dont you buy a BMW. Then you can install Bimmercode on your phone can code the auto start stop to remember the setting until the next start and it will stick to what you want it to be. Its almost as good as your button pressing a button. Make it buy a car to make you buy another car idea. 🙂

[@Nerdtronic]

Haha sure. I used to have a bmw. It was more of an excuse to see if I could fit the robot in the cup.

[@aaronpuzey6051]

I'm making one of those so it hits the like button.

[@Nerdtronic]

YEAH!

[@martyflickinger]

Battle Bot, flyweight division

[@IceDragon67]

Hi, Michael! I really enjoy all your content and love the way you approach the printing processes and the challenges to achieve the best results. I've got a question that's been bothering me for a long time. Do you know any ways to smooth the resin prints other than sanding them? I saw people smoothing the fdm prints with resin and acetone. Are there some sprayed chemicals that can help with the resin prints in the similar way? Looking forward to your answer. Best wishes from Russia.

[@maxxmahh]

Meanwhile in US people are annoyed about saving fuel 😅 I still liked the robot though!

[@Nerdtronic]

Ha it was more about seeing if I could desin and build the thing. But I'm not sure how much fuel that features saves - at least for me. I think car companies added it to show better stats. When I pull into my driveway and it kills the engine and has to start it up again before I can turn off the car.. not sure that's saving fuel overall.

[@carlhell9319]

If you had put the servo's in the joints of the arm you would have saved 80 procent of the time to make that thing. And it would have worked better. But still fun to watch.

[@Nerdtronic]

Fun to watch was the point.

[@carlhell9319]

@@Nerdtronic But it's even more fun, for me, when I give someone advice and they follow it and it works. Place the servos in the joints. There is a kind of lego robot on my channel where I did that. That robot could do whatever you wanted to make.

[@miras.6761]

cool !

[@PiefacePete46]

Add a lead sinker inside the fingertip, and then club it into submission! 😵 👍 🥴

[@peterdekeles.]

Other than it didn't work, I think it was a success

[@Anyone700]

Do not make it as a finger, Make it like a CNC tool changer where you have a U shaped bracket that can raise, lower, and turn. One end of the U permanently stays in the cup, the other presses down the button. A CNC tool changer is doing the exact same movement you are trying to do, incredibly reliably. Investigate how they are made and copy their homework. Seriously, the best engineers are the best at copying, they grab the best aspects of many designs and amplify their strengths.

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks for the ideas. I have more robots coming.

[@Ritefita]

poor thing( I understand you, bro

[@Nerdtronic]

🤣

[@anon_y_mousse]

It's only really a fail if you quit.

[@Nerdtronic]

I didn't quit. I just moved on to another robot. That was a fun mechanism to make but it didn't have the leverage it needed. I'm not a professional engineer I just make it up as I go along. 😁

[@abdulkarimsahli6841]

naic tray

[@asapixl]

😂😂🙌

[@Nerdtronic]

🙏🏼

[@ingog.8424]

It might be madness, but these are the things that ignorant companies make us do…

[@Nerdtronic]

Haha, yup!

[@fatmann66]

Love this video. Sorry it didn't work out. I too have this issue and was working on a solution in the back of my mind. It wasn't a robot finger, but that means you've got a better imagination than me 😃

[@Nerdtronic]

Thanks!