1. Two claw assembly
Reference for the two top-mounted claw shapes and pivots.
Manual Scope
This manual uses the same part numbers from the numbered photo breakdown. Follow the build stages in order: frame, drive, protective electronics bay, touchscreen, claws, ground-effect lighting, remote, branding, wiring, sealing upgrade checks, and operation.
Current status: GAR-BOT is not water resistant as built. Use it dry only until all exposed electronics, boards, connectors, servos, LED modules, and wire entries are covered by gasketed lids, cable glands, driver covers, buck covers, wire channels, drip loops, and leak-tested enclosures.
47Numbered cards in the photo breakdown.
43Printable STL files in the verified set.
2Claws mounted on top of the left/right shoulder pads.
9RGB LED star modules for underbody ground effect.
2Side-mounted up/down servos for the light rails.
4Direct-drive 24V wheel motors with IBT-2 drivers.
Open the complete GAR-BOT BOM for hardware, electronics, printed parts, and sealing upgrade materials.
GAR-BOT final layout reference with two top-shoulder claws, 7 inch touchscreen, protective body, and covered electronics.
Real Photo References
2. Claw servo controller board
One board per claw for servo channels.
3. IBT-2 motor drivers
Four motor drivers, one for each drive motor.
4. Nine ground-effect LED modules
Install under the chassis with a fused lighting supply. Add clear sealed pods/lenses before any splash testing.
5. RP5 relay HAT stack
Main robot controller stack inside the protective electronics bay.
Tools and Materials
Print Materials
- PETG or ASA for protective outdoor-ready printed parts.
- TPU, silicone sheet, or foam gasket tape for lids and bezels.
- M3 heat-set inserts and stainless M3 screws.
- Cable glands, bulkhead fittings, and drip-loop clips.
Assembly Tools
- Soldering iron with heat-insert tip.
- Metric hex drivers, flush cutters, crimper, and multimeter.
- Thread locker for metal-to-metal fasteners only.
- Calipers for checking printed holes and gasket compression.
Electrical Safety
- Fuse the 24V battery bus close to the battery.
- Test buck converter voltage before connecting the Pi.
- Keep servo power separate from Raspberry Pi power.
- Use one common ground point for logic reference.
Bill Of Materials Summary
The complete BOM is available as a web page, Markdown file, and CSV file.
| Group | Qty | Main BOM Items |
|---|---|---|
| Controller and interface | 1 set | Raspberry Pi 5 with Wi-Fi, RP5 relay HAT, Pico Voice on I2C-1 using SDA P3 and SCL P5, 7 inch USB touchscreen. |
| Drive and power | 4 motors / 4 drivers | Direct-drive 24V gear motors, IBT-2 motor drivers, batteries, fuse, e-stop, buck converters, common ground block. No chain or sprocket drive. |
| Ground-effect lighting | 9 LED modules / 2 servos | Nine underbody RGB LED star modules, fused lighting branch, LED supply, RGB driver/MOSFET board, clear pods/lenses for the sealing upgrade, and left/right side-mounted up/down tilt servos. |
| Two claws | 2 sets | Two Keyestudio-style servo controller boards, 12 servos, left/right claw printed assemblies. |
| Remote transmitter | 1 set | RP Zero 2 W with Wi-Fi, Pico Voice board, LoRa transmitter path, 5V power, printed remote enclosure. |
| Sealing upgrade | As needed | Cable glands, USB bulkheads, SMA bulkhead, gasket material, conformal coating, dielectric grease, stainless screws. Required before any splash testing. |
| 3D printed parts | 43 STL files | Frame, one-piece bottom skid plate, protective electronics bay, one-piece large top cover, touchscreen mount, claw parts, remote case, branding badges. |
Files: BOM web page, Markdown BOM, CSV BOM.
Assembly Instructions
Print, inspect, and prep the frame
Print the structural parts first. Remove support material, deburr cable slots, dry-fit all mating faces, and install M3 heat-set inserts before final assembly.
- Side rails run front-to-back.
- Crossmembers square the front and rear.
- Bottom skid plate, one-piece underbody skid, battery tray, and deck plate stack into the frame.
8910111213141547
Install motors, motor drivers, and power covers
Mount each motor at a wheel corner so it direct-drives its own wheel. Route motor leads away from signal wires. Install IBT-2 covers, buck converter cover, splash shields, and drip-loop clips before wet testing.
- Use one IBT-2 driver per motor.
- Do not install chain, sprockets, or exposed belt reductions in the active direct-drive build.
- Keep 24V motor current on the fused switched bus.
- Leave service slack inside covered cable channels.
34619202122
Build the protective electronics bay
Mount the Raspberry Pi 5, buck converter, and Pico Voice board on the electronics bay's internal standoffs. Use RP5 Wi-Fi for SSH, setup, touchscreen/API service, and local maintenance. Wire Pico Voice to I2C-1: SDA to GPIO2 physical pin 3, SCL to GPIO3 physical pin 5, plus shared ground and board-rated power. Route all external wires through the gland panel, then seal the lid.
- USB ports: left claw, right claw, touchscreen, LoRa/radio or powered hub.
- Do not use FT232RL USB-TTL in the active RP5 USB plan.
- Measure 5.1V supply before connecting the Pi.
51617184246
Install the 7 inch touchscreen frame
Bolt the uprights to the deck, attach the top tie bar, seat the screen in the bezel, and fit the rain hood. Check cable strain relief before closing the electronics bay.
2324252627
Mount the two top-shoulder claws
Bolt the left and right base mounts down onto the top pads of the shoulder bridge. Add shoulder pivots, servo pockets, wrist cradles, palms, fingers, link bars, gear guards, wire covers, and controller covers.
- Confirm left and right claws mirror each other.
- Run servo wires inside forearm covers.
- Use one servo controller board per claw.
122829303132333435363738
Install the nine ground-effect RGB LED modules
Bench-test one LED board first to identify the common pad and current requirement. Mount the nine modules under the chassis behind clear gasketed pods/lenses, then route the wires back through cable glands to the lighting driver.
- Use three banks of three modules: front underbody pod, left underbody rail, and right underbody rail.
- Feed LEDs from a fused lighting branch and LED buck or constant-current supply.
- Use an RGB driver/MOSFET board; do not power LEDs from Raspberry Pi GPIO.
- Mount one up/down servo on the left side rail and one on the right side rail.
- Link each side-mounted servo to its matching ground-effect light rail.
- Power both servos from the servo buck and use a spare servo output on the nearest claw board for signal. Planned channel is D8 on each claw board if available.
Assemble the remote transmitter
Place the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and Pico Voice board inside the remote case. Use Zero 2 W Wi-Fi for SSH, Picovoice setup, and short-range LAN command tests. Mount the LoRa antenna bulkhead through the wall and verify the remote boots before closing the case.
7394041
Install K2Aley branding and warning badges
Install the lid badge, side badges, and water warning badge after wiring and sealing checks are complete. Keep badges clear of gasket surfaces and service screws.
434445
Wiring Summary
Use the visual wiring diagram gallery for the reference-style wire routes, then use the connection map for exact pin tables.
| System | Connection Rule | Check Before Power |
|---|---|---|
| 24V motor bus | Battery pack to main fuse, emergency stop, switched 24V bus, then IBT-2 motor drivers. | Fuse installed, e-stop opens bus, no loose strands. |
| RP5 power | 24V-to-5V buck output feeds Pi 5 at 5.1V with common ground. | Measure voltage with multimeter before plugging in RP5. |
| Servo power | Servo buck feeds Keyestudio servo V/G rows. Pi does not power servos. | Servo voltage is correct and ground is common. |
| Ground-effect lighting | 24V switched bus to lighting fuse, LED supply, RGB driver/MOSFET board, then nine underbody LED modules in three banks. Servo buck powers the left/right side-mounted up/down servos; spare claw-board channels provide signal. | No bare LED PCB exposed; module voltage/current, common anode/cathode, and both servo travels verified. |
| USB | RP5 has four USB ports: left claw, right claw, touchscreen, LoRa/radio bridge or hub. | Pico Voice is on I2C, not USB; keep SDA/SCL at 3.3V logic. |
| Wi-Fi | Both Raspberry Pi 5 and Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W have Wi-Fi for SSH, setup, API testing, and short-range LAN command tests. | Both Pis join the expected LAN and respond at their assigned IPs. |
| Remote | RP Zero 2 W connects to Pico Voice and LoRa path. | Remote boots, Pico Voice audio is detected, and LoRa RF delivery is verified before field driving. |
First Power-On and Operation
- Lift GAR-BOT so wheels and claws cannot hit anything.
- Power the 5V buck alone and confirm Raspberry Pi 5 boots cleanly.
- Confirm the touchscreen turns on and touch input works.
- Connect left and right claw controllers and confirm serial devices appear.
- Enable motor power with the e-stop reachable.
- Jog each motor one at a time at low speed.
- Open and close each claw slowly while watching for binding.
- Test ground-effect lighting one bank at a time with low brightness/current.
- Move the left and right side-mounted ground-effect tilt servos up/down and confirm they cannot hit the ground, frame, or wires.
- Test remote commands over Wi-Fi first, then verify LoRa RF delivery before ground driving.
Shutdown: stop motion, disable motors, shut down the RP5 software, then switch off the 24V bus.
Water-Resistance Test
- Power off GAR-BOT and remove battery power.
- Place dry paper towel strips inside electronics bay, driver covers, buck cover, and claw controller covers.
- Place dry paper towel strips behind the nine clear LED pods/lenses if accessible.
- Close all lids, glands, and covers.
- Mist the outside lightly for 30 seconds.
- Wait 10 minutes, then open covers and inspect the paper.
- Fix leaks before powered testing or any splash testing.
- Repeat with wheels, claws, ground-effect lights, and both side-mounted up/down servos active off the ground.
GAR-BOT is not designed for submersion, pressure washing, or deep standing water.
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Before Each Run
- Check tire/wheel fasteners.
- Check claw pivots and link bars.
- Inspect cable glands and drip loops.
- Confirm e-stop and fuse are installed.
If Motors Do Not Move
- Confirm 24V bus is enabled.
- Check IBT-2 logic VCC and ground.
- Verify RPWM/LPWM GPIO wiring.
- Test one motor/driver at a time.
If Claws Bind
- Back off pivot screws slightly.
- Check mirrored left/right bases.
- Re-center servos before installing horns.
- Inspect forearm wire cover clearance.
If Water Gets Inside
- Stop and power off immediately.
- Dry the area fully before testing.
- Replace or compress gasket material.
- Move cable entry to a gland or bulkhead.
Final PASS Checklist
- All 43 STL parts are printed, deburred, and checked against the part accuracy report.
- Frame is square and all heat-set inserts hold.
- Four motors spin in the correct direction at low speed.
- Both claws move without binding.
- Electronics, drivers, buck converters, and claw boards are covered.
- RP5 local control, touchscreen, and remote transmitter pass bench checks; LoRa RF delivery is verified before field driving.
- Sealing-upgrade paper towel test passes with no dampness inside protected bays before any splash testing.