Computer-Aided Design

2. 2D Design

Photoshop (raster)

I drafted a labeled concept of the robotic arm as a raster illustration before building solids in Fusion.

1. File → New — create a document (e.g. 1400×900 px, RGB).
2. Layers — add separate layers: Background, Shoulder, Base, Link2–3, Wrist, EndEffector, Labels.
3. Brush / Pen — draw the silhouette of each link; keep joints readable.
4. Type tool — label components 1–6 for the later Fusion browser structure.
5. File → Export → Export As… → PNG — export for documentation.

3. 3D Parametric Robotic Arm (Fusion 360)

Built as a Hybrid Design: one component per link, parameters drive sketches and extrudes, then Revolute Joints connect the assembly.

Global parameters

All user parameters live in Modify → Change Parameters. Linked values (e.g. diameter2 = 5 * diameter1 / 6, height2 = 1.2 * height1) keep components synchronized when a master size changes.

3.0 Shared modeling commands (every component)

1. File → New Design → Hybrid Design
2. Assemble → New Component — name it (Shoulder / Link1, Base, …)
3. Activate the component (double-click in browser)
4. Create Sketch → pick a plane → draw profile (Line, Circle, Dimension, Constraint)
5. Modify → Change Parameters → + add parameters / formulas
6. Create → Extrude — distance = parameter name
7. Assemble → Joint → Revolute — set axis and motion limits

3.1 Component 1 — Shoulder (Link 1)

Reuse the Base sketch circle: extrude it upward into a vertical cylinder, then add a second horizontal cylinder and Join it onto the first — forming the T-shaped shoulder.

1. New Component → Link1 (Shoulder) → Activate
2. Reuse / project the Base sketch circle as the profile
3. Extrude upward — create the vertical cylinder (height1)
4. Create Sketch on a vertical plane → draw a circle for the horizontal cylinder (diameter1)
5. Extrude the horizontal cylinder → operation Join to the vertical body
6. Cut the central yoke / pivot hole as needed for the next link
7. Joint → Revolute ×2: Base↔Link1 (yaw), Link1↔Link2 (pitch)

3.2 Component 2 — Base

Sketch a Ø60 mm circle and extrude it upward 50 mm into a solid cylinder. On the top face, sketch a concentric Ø50 mm circle and extrude-Cut downward 45 mm to hollow the cup.

1. New Component → name Base → Activate
2. Create Sketch on XY → Circle Ø60.00
3. Extrude → distance 50 mm (up) → solid cylinder
4. Create Sketch on the top face → Circle Ø50.00 (concentric)
5. Extrude → Cut → distance 45 mm (down from top)
6. Joint → Revolute Base ↔ Link1 (vertical axis, 360°)

3.3–3.6 Components 3–6 — shared link part, then assemble by joints

For the remaining links (upper arm, forearm, wrist, end effector), the workflow is the same: first model this link part (obround plate with a hole at each end), copy / parameterize it as needed, then assemble by connection with Revolute Joints at the holes.

1. New Component → Create Sketch — stadium / obround profile (two circles + tangent lines), constrained symmetric
2. Dimension with parameters: center distance fx: 100.00, diameter fx: ø30.00
3. Add a circle hole centered in each rounded end (pin / joint holes)
4. Extrude to the link thickness → finish one solid link part
5. Duplicate / create more instances for Component 3 (Link2), 4 (Link3), 5 (Wrist), 6 (End effector) — size driven by parameters (diameter3, centerdistance3, thickness3, …)
6. Assemble by connection: align hole centers → Joint → Revolute

Connection order:

• Component 3 — Link2 (upper arm): Shoulder ↔ Link2
• Component 4 — Link3 (forearm): Link2 ↔ Link3
• Component 5 — Wrist: Link3 ↔ Wrist (pitch / roll as needed)
• Component 6 — End effector: Wrist ↔ End effector

4. Video Compression

The arm motion video was compressed with the media steps in Week 1 — Media. Output for this week: Robotic Arm.mp4.

6. Notes

• 2D first: Photoshop clarified the 6-link structure before Fusion modeling.
• Parametric 3D: changing one parameter updates related sketches, extrudes, and joint spacing.
• Compression: motion video via the Week 1 Media steps (avconvert.app).