[Tutorial] : Step-by-Step Approach for Smart Robotic Arm for Pick & Place Using IoT & AI with FAVORIOT

1. Introduction

The Smart Robotic Arm will be designed to pick, place, and sort objects automatically using servo motors, IR sensors, and Raspberry Pi. Optional AI vision can be implemented for object recognition-based sorting.

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2. Recommended Hardware Components

2.1. Controllers & Processors

• Raspberry Pi 4/5 (Main controller for AI & IoT connectivity)
• Arduino Mega 2560 (For real-time motor control)
• ESP32 (For IoT-based monitoring & control)

2.2. Actuators & Sensors

Component	Function
6-DOF Robotic Arm Kit	Provides multi-axis movement
MG996R Servo Motors	Controls robotic arm joints
IR Sensor (TCRT5000)	Detects object presence
Ultrasonic Sensor (HC-SR04)	Measures object distance
Joystick Module	Manual control option
Pi Camera (AI Vision)	Detects and classifies objects
Relay Module	Controls external actuators
OLED Display (Optional)	Displays object status

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3. System Architecture

3.1. Control Flow

1. Object Detection – IR sensor detects an object on the conveyor.
2. Pick Object – The robotic arm picks the object using servo motors.
3. Sort Object (Optional AI Vision) – Camera classifies the object type.
4. Place Object – Arm moves and releases the object into designated areas.
5. Data Transmission (IoT) – Logs movement and errors on FAVORIOT dashboard.

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4. Hardware Setup & Wiring

4.1. Connection Overview

Component	Raspberry Pi / Arduino Pin
IR Sensor	GPIO 2
Ultrasonic Sensor	GPIO 3 (Trig), GPIO 4 (Echo)
Servo Motor 1 (Base Rotation)	GPIO 17 (PWM)
Servo Motor 2 (Shoulder)	GPIO 18 (PWM)
Servo Motor 3 (Elbow)	GPIO 19 (PWM)
Servo Motor 4 (Wrist)	GPIO 20 (PWM)
Servo Motor 5 (Gripper)	GPIO 21 (PWM)
Joystick Module	GPIO 22 (X), GPIO 23 (Y)
Camera Module	CSI Camera Port

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5. Software Implementation

5.1. Install Required Libraries on Raspberry Pi

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install python3-pip
pip3 install RPi.GPIO opencv-python numpy requests


5.2. Servo Motor Control (Using PCA9685)

from adafruit_servokit import ServoKit

kit = ServoKit(channels=16)

def move_servo(channel, angle):
    kit.servo[channel].angle = angle

# Example: Move base to 90 degrees
move_servo(0, 90)


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5.3. IR Sensor for Object Detection

import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time

IR_SENSOR_PIN = 2
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(IR_SENSOR_PIN, GPIO.IN)

def detect_object():
    if GPIO.input(IR_SENSOR_PIN) == 0:
        print("Object detected!")
        return True
    return False

while True:
    if detect_object():
        break
    time.sleep(0.5)


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5.4. Ultrasonic Sensor for Object Distance Measurement

TRIG = 3
ECHO = 4

GPIO.setup(TRIG, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.setup(ECHO, GPIO.IN)

def measure_distance():
    GPIO.output(TRIG, True)
    time.sleep(0.00001)
    GPIO.output(TRIG, False)

    while GPIO.input(ECHO) == 0:
        start_time = time.time()

    while GPIO.input(ECHO) == 1:
        end_time = time.time()

    distance = (end_time - start_time) * 17150
    return distance

print(f"Distance: {measure_distance()} cm")


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5.5. AI Vision-Based Object Sorting (Using OpenCV)

import cv2

cap = cv2.VideoCapture(0)

while True:
    ret, frame = cap.read()
    if not ret:
        break

    gray = cv2.cvtColor(frame, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
    cv2.imshow('Camera Feed', gray)

    if cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF == ord('q'):
        break

cap.release()
cv2.destroyAllWindows()


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5.6. Sending Data to FAVORIOT IoT Dashboard

import requests

API_KEY = "your_favoriot_api_key"
DEVICE_ID = "your_device_id"
URL = "https://apiv2.favoriot.com/v2/streams"

def send_data_to_favoriot(status, object_type):
    payload = {
        "device_developer_id": DEVICE_ID,
        "data": {
            "arm_status": status,
            "object_type": object_type
        }
    }
    headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json", "Apikey": API_KEY}
    response = requests.post(URL, json=payload, headers=headers)
    print(f"Data Sent: {response.status_code}")

# Example Usage
send_data_to_favoriot("Picking", "Metal Part")


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6. Full Automation Workflow

import time
from adafruit_servokit import ServoKit
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import requests

# Initialize
kit = ServoKit(channels=16)

IR_SENSOR_PIN = 2
TRIG = 3
ECHO = 4
API_KEY = "your_favoriot_api_key"
DEVICE_ID = "your_device_id"
URL = "https://apiv2.favoriot.com/v2/streams"

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(IR_SENSOR_PIN, GPIO.IN)
GPIO.setup(TRIG, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.setup(ECHO, GPIO.IN)

def send_data(status, object_type):
    payload = {
        "device_developer_id": DEVICE_ID,
        "data": {"arm_status": status, "object_type": object_type}
    }
    headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json", "Apikey": API_KEY}
    requests.post(URL, json=payload, headers=headers)

def detect_object():
    return GPIO.input(IR_SENSOR_PIN) == 0

def move_arm():
    kit.servo[0].angle = 90  # Base rotation
    kit.servo[1].angle = 45  # Shoulder
    kit.servo[2].angle = 30  # Elbow
    time.sleep(1)
    kit.servo[4].angle = 10  # Gripper close

    send_data("Picking", "Unknown Object")

    time.sleep(1)
    kit.servo[0].angle = 180  # Move to placement zone
    time.sleep(1)
    kit.servo[4].angle = 90  # Release object
    send_data("Placed", "Unknown Object")

while True:
    if detect_object():
        move_arm()
    time.sleep(1)


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7. Testing & Debugging

Issue	Cause	Solution
Arm not moving	Incorrect servo pin	Check connections
Object not detected	Sensor misaligned	Adjust sensor position
Data not sent to IoT	API issue	Verify API key & network

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8. Future Enhancements

• AI-Based Sorting: Use machine learning to recognize object types.
• Mobile App Control: Add a web-based control panel for remote operations.
• Real-Time Error Alerts: Integrate email/SMS notifications for failures.

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Conclusion

By integrating servo motors, IR sensors, AI vision, and IoT via FAVORIOT, this Smart Robotic Arm can automate warehouse sorting and object manipulation, improving efficiency and reducing human intervention.

References

• Favoriot Platform Registration (FREE and Paid)
• Favoriot Full Documentation (Official)
• Favoriot Github
• How-To Use Favoriot Platform Video Playlist

Disclaimer

This article provides a step-by-step guide. The source code may need adjustments to fit the final project design.