A builder known as Aad converted a salvaged Ultimaker 3D printer into a fully automated small-parts sorter, replacing the hot end with a custom robotic gripper. The system uses an ESP32-WROOM to control servos and steppers, an ESP32-CAM fitted with an M12 lens for overhead machine vision, and a piezo sensor to detect parts falling off the conveyor belt. Screws feed from a large belt onto an illuminated platform, where the camera reads size, shape, and orientation before the gantry gripper picks and places each piece into a sorted receptacle.
The build goes further than basic pick-and-place. A moveable inspection platform measures object weight, and an optional USB microscope provides close examination before sorting. A nearby PC handles all coordination, keeping the architecture flexible. Bolts and screws are the current application, but the system is explicitly designed as a general small-object sorter, which is the more interesting claim buried in the project description.
The full write-up and embedded video are worth your time for the engineering tradeoffs: how Aad handles clumped fasteners, the specific gripper design on Hackaday.io, and the reasoning behind each sensor choice. Aad is actively soliciting ideas for other object categories the system could tackle, so the project is still open.
[READ ORIGINAL →]