6DOF Stewart Platform [MDN.SP]

A Stewart platform is a type of parallel manipulator that has six prismatic actuators, commonly hydraulic jacks or electric linear actuators, attached in pairs to three positions on the platform's baseplate, crossing over to three mounting points on a top plate. In this case, I used six MG996R servo motors as the actuators and used a 3D Printer to make the base and the platform. The servos are controlled with a clone Arduino Nano, but the Uno and Mega will work fine as they also have 6 PWM pins.

Read the comments I added to the Arduino and Processing sketches for clarifications on what certain commands do, how to connect everything to the board and how to modify the movements.

The MDN.SP can be controlled with a computer via USB using the Processing interface I designed (https://processing.org/download/) or with an accelerometer (MPU6050) and a joystick module.

All the 3D printed parts can be pressed fit together, so glue is optional. Label the servos from 1 to 6 counterclockwise, servos #3 and #4 being the ones at the front (away from the user). The push rods screwed to the horns of servos #1 and #6, #2 and #3, #4 and #5 have to be facing each other.

Non 3D printable parts:
*(6) MG996R servo motors
*(6) MG996R servo motors horns or any compatible 25T horns
*(24) Screws that come with the MG996R servo motors
*(6) Adjustable push rods with end ball joints
*(6) zip ties (to secure the servos to the base)
*(1) Arduino Uno, Nano or Mega board
*(1) USB cable for communicating with the board
*(1) 5V 4A power supply (optional because the six servos can be powered via USB).
*(1) MPU6050 module (only if the platform is not going to be controlled with a PC).
*(1) Analog joystick module (only if the platform is not going to be controlled with a PC).
*(1) Ethernet cable to power and connect the joystick and the accelerometer to the Arduino board (only if the platform is not going to be controlled with a PC).

Steps:

1. Download the MDN.Stewart_Platform_Code.zip file.
2. Screw the servos to the base and secure them with zip ties (through the cutouts right underneath the servos).
3. Upload the MDN.Stewart_Platform_Calibration sketch to the board and once all the servos reach the position, screw the horns to them horizontally.
4. Screw the push rods to the horns and the platform in the same way shown in the pictures above.
5. Upload MDN.Stewart_Platform_Arduino_ProcessingSketch_V1 to the board, open the MDN_Stewart_Platform_Processing_V1 file, change the COM port based on the port you are using and click run.
6. If you are using the MPU6050, upload the
   MDN.Stewart_Platform_ArduinoSketch_Accel_V1 sketch to the board.

Steps to add the ControlP5 library:
"Sketch" > "Import Library" > "Add Library" > Type in 'ControlP5' > Select the library 'ControlP5', by Andreas Schlegel > Click 'Install'