The project was born from a vision by Suebpong and the Majortech team to push the limits of mobile robotics. While stationary arms are common, the goal was to give a powerful robot arm true “legs”, or in this case, tracks, to go where the work is. Inspired by the need for versatile automation in Smart Agriculture and the high-stakes demands of Search and Rescue (SAR), they set out to mate the powerful 6-axis AR4 robot by Annin Robotics with the Terrex (TR-80) tank chassis.

The first major hurdle was physics. Mounting a dynamic 6-axis arm onto a moving platform creates a complex dance of forces. The initial prototype, with its 40 kg payload, served as the testbed. The team spent weeks evaluating weight distribution and chassis stability during movement. Watching the TR-80 traverse obstacles and uneven terrain with the AR4 mounted proved the chassis could provide the rugged mobility required.

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Grinding with custom gripper and pick and place

This build was part of the European ROBOMINERS project. The challenge was to achieve high-resolution subsurface mapping to guide autonomous drilling robots. The AR4 was used to precisely position and hold an electrical resistivity tomography sensor against a mine wall. This allowed the team to measure electrical resistivity changes at close range, providing detailed data on the boundaries and composition of mineral deposits hidden behind the rock surface.

Learn More: https://robominers.eu/2023/10/25/european-union-funded-mining-robot-achieves-remarkable-success-in-slovenia-field-trials/

i was inspired by the project and i wanted to build an robot to implement in the factory where i work, but the new manager was not so convinced and i kept working on robot. at first was 3d printed and after i was able to manufacture the robot from aluminium.

I wanted a little experience

an AR4 robotic arm into a precision soldering system using an MK8 extruder with pneumatic coupler for consistent solder feeding. The wrist-mounted design maintains TCP accuracy during material changes, achieving professional-grade solder joints at 2mm/s linear speed with 1 arc/s rotation.

Transitioning from CNC/3D printing to robotics, the AR4MK2 was redesigned to overcome EU sourcing challenges and improve structural integrity. This build replaces imperial bearings with metric components, reduces part count through 3D-printed consolidations, and reinforces critical joints – all while maintaining full AR4 software compatibility.