Choosing a suitable robot

Visualengineer

Hello everyone! So glad we have a dedicated space to discuss this topic.
I am a food photographer turned DOP and I am very interested and keen to incorporate robotics and motion control in my work.
I’m based in Mumbai, India, and have my own studio.
I would like to acquire an affordable robot to use with camera packages that are under 10kgs / 22lbs.
happy to hear all your suggestions and input :-)
best
JJ.

Support

@Visualengineer We like the KUKA KR10-R1100 in tabletop applications due its compact size, mobility and descent reach of 1.1 meters which boasts nearly 1.8 meters of high-speed dolly movement as shown in the image below.
Due to its relatively small size and weight you could mount it on a wheeled pedestal and move it around your subject or studio and capture as much action as you need from various angles, or even take it straight to your client facility when needed!

johnnynumber5

One of the first robots / MoCo I’ve ever played with are your simple 3-axis rigs made for gimbals and cable cams. As far as an industrial robot, and after extensive research, Steam Labs decided to get a Kuka KR10 R1100. This bot has all the bells and whistles for high-end tabletop product work in a small compact form. If you want extended reach, a Kuka KR20 3100 has the best balance of payload, speed, smoothness and, of course, overall reach. This bot is the replacement to the older KR30 / 60s. If you need speed, Staubli bots have the reputation in this arena.

Always here to help out to any fellow creative roboticists out there. Feel free to ask me any questions or concerns you may have.

Visualengineer

Hello johnnynumber5 would you be happy to share the designs of the parts you have made? I’ve received my KR16 R2010-2 and will be setting it up soon.
My email is one@jigneshjhaveri.com
Thank you!

Bart2023

Hi everyone, I’m currently looking for an affordable industrial robot arm that wouldn’t be difficult to bring on location shoots. Does the camerabotics software currently only work with Kuka and Staubli, or with others such as Fanuc or Adept?

Most of the arm/controllers I have researched operate at 240v power. Are there any that you know of which can operate on residential 120v?

Do you guys also have a robot arm in the works? If so, are there any specs you can share such as max payload, weight, rough ballpark price tag, and availability?

Support

Hello @Bart2023! Thanks for reaching out. We are mainly supporting Kuka and Staubli robots at the moment but are looking to add more support for other brands such as Fanuc. We haven’t heard much about Adept but may be interesting to consider and integrate in our real-time software.
The new Kuka KRC4-Compact controllers runs at 240 Volts but still needs a step down transformer with the same wattage as the robot controller.
https://www.kuka.com/en-de/products/robot-systems/robot-controllers/kr%C2%A0c4
We do build custom cinema rigs from the ground up using high-performance AC servo systems and precision cycloidal and planetary gear drives! The specs on our own hardware are 13 KG payload and camera speeds up to 3m/s. Custom hardware is only made to order, please reach out to our R&D team at hello@camerabotics.com if you like to have your own custom rig.

MoCoRussia

Support Are you considering Yaskawa Robot Support?

johnnynumber5

@Bart2023 There are other bot brands that are highly compact and run on residential 120v power. Most of these bots are in the cobot range such as Universal Robots. Just remember, the lighter the bot, the more resonant frequencies / shakes you’re going to exhibit. There are algorithms out there to minimize this, but sometimes you just can’t beat physics. However, these cobots make great model movers / helpers to your main bot for automated filmmaking. I’m sure the camerabotics team can support these bots if there is demand.