MobileRobots Pioneer Arm, Manual

Introduction 

Figure 2.  The Pioneer Arm’s horizontal reach 

Control Hardware and Software 

The Pioneer Arm comes with its manufacturer’s PIC-based controller and servo-driver hardware and 

software.  These are housed inside the DX on top of the battery box or inside a special accessory box 

that is mounted at the rear of the AT or Performance PeopleBot robot’s top-plate.

1

The Pioneer Arm’s controller is attached to one of your robot controller’s AUX serial ports.  Its 

operation is supported by generic (“pass-through”) serial commands, as well as dedicated Pioneer Arm 

servers as part of the controller’s embedded system software.  Your client software communicates 

with and controls the Arm through these servers. 

Develop integrated robotics client software for the Pioneer platform overall and including the Arm with 

M

OBILE

R

OBOTS

’ Advanced Robotics Interface for Applications (ARIA).  ARIA with ArP2Arm C++-language 

sources comes with the robot as is available for updates and downloads from the M

OBILE

R

OBOTS

support website, 

http://robots.MobileRobots.com.

In addition, the Pioneer Arm now comes bundled with ARIA-integrated inverse kinematics software 

(Arm Kinematics; AKin), as licensed from Fachhochschule Trier University of Applied Sciences.  Simply 

provide the 3-D position for the gripper end-effector and let AKin do the work.  ARIA and ArAKin come 

with several demonstration clients that you may modify and use to create your own mobile-robotic arm 

software. 

Windows® users also get standalone Arm Server software with a Java-based GUI demonstration 
application (

ArmServer

 and 

armApplet.jar

) from Fachhochschule Trier.  

Arm Package 

Your Pioneer Arm is factory installed.  Our experienced manufacturing staff put your Pioneer Arm and 

its support accessories through a “burn in” period and carefully tested them before shipping the 

products to you.   We detach the Arm from the robot and ship them separately for safety.  

Even though we’ve made every effort to make your Arm package complete, please check the 

components carefully after you unpack them from the shipping crate. 

Basic Components (all shipments) 

9

This manual 

9

Arm calibration sheet 

9

One fully assembled Pioneer 5-DOF Arm 

9

Arm control electronics, signal and power cabling installed in your robot 

2 

1

 Retrofitted DXs get the external control box, too.