QArm

Modern Manipulator Arm for Robotics Courses and Research

Quanser’s QArm is a 4 DOF serial robotic manipulator with a tendon-based two-stage gripper and an RGBD camera, designed for modern engineering education and academic research applications. Leveraging the intuitive graphical interface of Simulink^® or expandability of Python™ and ROS, students get a systematic understanding of the design of robotic systems and concepts, including joint control, kinematics, path planning, statics, and dynamics. QArm comes with comprehensive studio-type course resources to motivate students and provide the basis for interactive challenges.

The open architecture design of QArm allows researchers to quickly develop and deploy their applications in machine learning, assistive robotics, collaborative robotics, and more, using both custom and internal control schemes.

Overview

The QArm consists of 4 joints in a roll-pitch-pitch-roll configuration, allowing for a large reachable workspace. The two-stage 5-contact gripper allows you to interact with objects of various shapes while gauging grip strength via current sense. The gripper can be augmented and customized with additional sensors and actuators via the interfacing board. The position of the RGBD camera enables you to perform inspection and visual servoing tasks. With these features, the arm is ideally suited to adapt and learn from unknown environments.

Two interface options allow for QArm’s control and access from a computer via USB (using a QFLEX 2 USB interface panel), or microcontrollers such as Raspberry Pi (using a QFLEX 2 Embedded interface panel).

Features

Suite of sensors and control modes
Quick development and validation of algorithms and control approaches
Compatible with a range of software environments and interface options
Expandable I/O for unlimited applications
Comprehensive studio-style course resources mapped to popular robotics textbooks

Courseware

Complete curriculum for QUARC users
- Introduction to QArm sensors and components
- Joint control
- Forward kinematics
- Inverse kinematics
- Path planning
- Differential kinematics
- Statics
- Visual servoing
Guided examples for Python users (including ROS)
- Coming Soon

Workstation Configuration

The following additional components are required to complete your workstation, and are sold separately:

For USB QFLEX Panel
- QUARC&reg/ add-on for MATLAB®/Simulink®
For Embedded QFLEX Panel
- Microprocessor (e.g. Raspberry Pi)

QLabs Virtual QArm

QLabs Virtual QArm s a fully instrumented, dynamically accurate virtual twin of a Quanser QArm system. It behaves in the same way as the physical hardware and can be measured and controlled using MATLAB^®/Simulink^® and other development environments. QLabs Virtual QArm can enrich your lectures and activities in traditional labs, or bring credible, authentic model-based lab experiences into your distance and online robotics course.

Brochure Video Schedule Demo!