Gorakhpur: Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology (MMMUT) has secured an Indian patent for developing a low-cost motor control system using Arduino for lightweight robotic arm applications.
Inventors and Technology
The invention has been created by Prof Ashok Kumar Pandey of MMMUT's electrical engineering department, along with research scholar Gaurav Kumar Mishra and Om Hari Gupta from NIT Jamshedpur. The system allows users to control the speed, direction, and position of different motors — including DC, servo, and stepper motors — using the open-source Arduino platform. It combines a microcontroller with devices like keypads, infrared remotes, ultrasonic sensors, and rotary encoders.
Key Features
A key feature is its integration with a lightweight three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) robotic arm. Made from aluminium and ABS materials, the robotic arm weighs less than two kilograms and can handle payloads of up to 0.5 kilograms. The innovation is aimed at making robotics training more affordable. While similar systems can cost more than Rs 20 lakh, this can be built for about Rs 10,000. The robotic arm itself costs around Rs 15,000, much lower than many commercial models priced above Rs 1 lakh.
University Recognition
Vice-Chancellor Prof Anupama Kaushik Sharma congratulated the team, calling the patent a major achievement for the university's research and innovation efforts.
