How to make your servos awesome

A tutorial on how to substantially increase your servos accuracy.

The video starts with a comparison of a regular DS3225 digital servo and one that has been modified. After that it shows how you can do the same modification.

Video explaining how the servo works:

Article on Arduino Project Hub with more information:

Link to GitHub repository:

Video chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:19 Demo and comparison
1:39 Download the project
1:46 Order PCB
2:17 Burn bootloader
2:28 Print 3D parts
2:55 Modify the motor
7:23 Mount ITR8307 sensors
8:09 Soldering
9:37 Putting it together
12:14 Calibrating
16:04 Verify performance

_______________________________________________________
Music:
Loop_Caught by @Andrew Langdon

and

I Don't See the Branches, I See the Leaves by Chris Zabriskie
Licensen Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

[awdhut-ee]

Can we take a minute to appreciate that presentation of accuracy results

[WoLpH]

That is absolutely insane... let's hope the Chinese manufacturers are watching and implement this in affordable servo's. Adding this to a working servo is quite difficult, but adding this from the factory should be pretty doable.

[bob]

Incredible work! Not only on the results, but making the process accessible. Not many things like this can be set up with a nice GUI!

If only doing one motor is this labor-intensive, I can't imagine how long you've spent on this project!

[joeynovak]

The most amazing part of all of this IMHO is that crazy simplistic motor encoder design. I was watching going, what is he going to do with that... Wait a minute, "light bulb" Yes! That's awesome! And the software on top of that. Better than so so many commercial products hands down. Thanks for showing us all what's possible!

[BrilliantDesignOnline]

Simply incredible that one person has the tools available, the creativity and the smarts to execute something like this! Well done.

[twentylush]

this is far and away better in quality, presentation, and depth than most papers ive read on the subject

[Cinemaaereo]

Are you kidding?! OMG!
The inside optical encoder idea is Mind Blowing.

[JamesL]

this is actually crazy! like i don’t think we’re appreciating how good this is

[Askjerry]

I consider myself to be an intelligent person... but seeing a video like this and realizing that you had to come up with the concept, create the boards, develop the software, implement the design, test, and refine the process... on your own... is utterly amazing. If locked in a room with all the tools needed for 10 years... I would not have come anywhere close to what you have achieved. I love the encoder idea... a simple offset circle... brilliant. I would not have thought of that. If nothing else... now I must look at your circuit and see how this can be applied to other devices.

Thank you for an excellent video!

[nigelhungerford-symes]

The data presentation in this video is inspiring. Really top notch!

[dinoscheidt]

Great cinematography skills. Very well done. Must have taken hours to compose all this. Tip to the hat 🎩

[WillDonaldson]

Brilliant, the results are amazing! I was stressed watching you cut around the motor brushes!!

[kashv]

Its just incredible. Great work man.
Its a really detailed process explained with so much grace. And the end results are just awesome.
Really loved it.
Thanks for sharing.

[clippka]

Kudos to your audio (music including mouse clicks etc). I feel informed and very deeply relaxed.

[jercos]

While this is an excellent project, modification almost seems the wrong word. You've touched every part of the system, you're a gearbox away from making a new servo from scratch! Incredible work.

[b.w.oostdam]

That is really impressive !! I wish commercial servo's would have this precision out of the box ! Congratulations! (I must say it is quite a lot of work though).

[yamaan]

This is really great. Hopefully there will be an in-depth written guide some day

[scifactorial]

Half way through the video on two woah moments already.
Very clever way to sense rotation, and the laser measurements are excellent!

[dmrkt]

Good job! Been planning something similar. It is frustrating that the mechanical design of these little servos is so far ahead of their inadequate drive electronics. All metal drivetrains, virtually backlash free and extremely compact but most of the really small ones still use analogue pots on the output and no sensor on the motor shaft. It wouldn't be so hard for manufacturers to update their designs a bit. At least give us a servo with I2C or SPI so we get 2-way communication and the option to read e.g. drive current and actual position. Your mod is a a blueprint for what is needed of a modern RC servo. Well done!

[dante]

I'm just an average but very curious guy that stumbled on this vid, I loved what I saw, liked and subscribed to support
this awesome channel! 👍
Maybe one day I will find it usefull!