Lynxmotion SES PRO Robot Manipulator Arms

SES-PRO Robot Manipulator Arms

The SES-PRO [Servo Erector Set Professional] is a modular series of semi-professional Lynxmotion robotic arms, designed primarily for technical education, research, prototyping, robotic software development, and small-scale production.
The design is not a closed, pre-defined manipulator. Users can customize the arm length, joint position, number of active axes, and end-effector configuration.
The design is based on LSS-P [Lynxmotion Smart Servo Professional] intelligent servo drives using NEMA stepper motors, 100:1 wave gears, and control electronics integrated into each joint.
The drives include a microcontroller, motor controller, voltage regulator, IMU [Inertial Measurement Unit – an inertial measurement unit with accelerometer and gyroscope], CAN communication, and absolute angular position measurement.
Communication between the drives is via CAN bus, while the computer connects to the first drive via USB. The arm can be powered from the mains via a 36V DC power supply with a physical emergency stop button, or from a suitable 8S or 9S battery pack. The gripper is not included in the basic package. The manufacturer provides, among others, the DH-Robotics PGE-50-40 and CGE-10-10 grippers.

Available Models

SES-PRO 550 mm 5DoF
RobotShop product number: RB-Lyn-1161.
Manufacturer number: SES-P-A-550-5DOF-KT.
Horizontal reach: 550 mm.
Vertical reach: 630 mm.
Active degrees of freedom: 5.
The fourth joint is replaced by a fixed mechanical linkage.
Manufacturer-declared payload: 2 kg at full reach, excluding the gripper.
Declared accuracy at full reach: ±0.1 mm.
Collision detection: none.
Drives: 2 × LSS-P-L1 Lite and 3 × LSS-P-S1 Standard. Stepper motors: NEMA 23 and NEMA 17, as per product data sheet.
Base joint: Approximately ±360°, limited by play and cable management.
Other active joints: Generally ±180°.
Designed for tasks that do not require full control of the end effector orientation.

SES-PRO 550 mm 6DoF
RobotShop product number: RB-Lyn-1162.
Manufacturer number: SES-P-A-550-6DOF-KT.
Horizontal reach: 550 mm.
Vertical reach: 630 mm.
Active degrees of freedom: 6.
Manufacturer-declared payload: 2 kg at full reach, without gripper.
Declared accuracy: ±0.1 mm at full reach.
Collision detection: None.
Drives: 3 × LSS-P-L1 Lite and 3 × LSS-P-S1 Standard.
All main joints, including the joint responsible for additional wrist orientation, are active.
The final axis can rotate approximately ±180° with a wire gripper or continuously when the wire configuration does not restrict rotation.
This is the most versatile short arm configuration for inspection, trajectory programming, and manipulating objects in confined spaces.

SES-PRO 900 mm 5DoF
RobotShop product number: RB-Lyn-1163.
Manufacturer number: SES-P-A-900-5DOF-KT.
Horizontal reach: 900 mm.
Vertical reach: 1007 mm.
Active degrees of freedom: 5.
The fourth joint is fixed and replaced by a mechanical linkage.
Manufacturer-declared payload: 3 kg at full reach, without gripper.
Declared accuracy: ±0.1 mm at full reach.
Collision detection: none.
Drives: 2 × LSS-P-L1 Lite, 1 × LSS-P-S1 Standard, and 2 × LSS-P-M1 Mega. Stepper motors: NEMA 34, NEMA 23, and NEMA 17.
The design utilizes carbon fiber tubing and machined aluminum components.
This model offers greater reach and payload capacity than the 550 mm version, but the five axes limit the ability to independently adjust the tool's position and orientation.

SES-PRO 900 mm 6DoF
RobotShop product number: RB-Lyn-1164.
Manufacturer number: SES-P-A-900-6DOF-KT.
Horizontal reach: 900 mm.
Vertical reach: 1007 mm.
Active degrees of freedom: 6.
Manufacturer-declared payload: 3 kg at full reach, without gripper.
Declared accuracy: ±0.1 mm at full reach.
Collision detection: none.
Drives: 2 × LSS-P-L1 Lite, 2 × LSS-P-S1 Standard, and 2 × LSS-P-M1 Mega.
Step motors: NEMA 34, NEMA 23, and NEMA 17.
The joints utilize 100:1 steel wave gears.
The arm tubes are made of carbon fiber, and the housings and joint components are made of machined aluminum.
This is the most advanced version of the series, providing the longest reach, highest payload capacity, and more complete control of the handpiece orientation.

Common Technical Specifications

Type of Construction: Modular Articulated Arm.
Product Class According to the Manufacturer: Semi-Professional, Educational, and Research.
Drives: LSS-P Intelligent Servo Drives with Stepper Motors.
Gearbox: Steel Wave Gear, also known as Strain Wave Gear or Harmonic Drive.
Gear Ratio: 100:1.
Sensors: Absolute Angle Measurement, Accelerometer, and Gyroscope.
Drive Communication: Custom CAN Bus.
Computer Communication: USB to the first drive; the manufacturer recommends USB 3.
Control Protocol: LSS-P, in human-readable format.
Drive Power Supply: 36 V DC.
Alternative Mobile Power Supply: 8S or 9S Battery Pack.
Cables: Externally Routed.
Hardware Protection: Power Supply with Emergency Stop Button and Fuse. Construction materials: carbon fiber and machined aluminum.
Gripper: sold separately.
Collision detection: not available on all four models.

Software required for operation
There is no single mandatory software for all applications. The required software package depends on the control method.

LSS-PRO Config
Free configuration tool for Lynxmotion Smart Servo PRO drives.
It is required for initial startup, firmware updates, assigning drive IDs, and calibration.
Enables sending control, configuration, and diagnostic commands.
Enables viewing data from drive sensors.
Supports firmware updates for each servo drive.
Includes software emergency stop.
Supported systems: Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11.
The interface is available in English only.
The official ROS 2 manual requires updating the firmware in PRO Config and verifying the IDs before controlling the actual arm.

SES-PRO Robotic Arm UI
Free software for direct control of all four standard SES-PRO arms.
Supports control of individual joint angles.
Supports Cartesian control, i.e., specifying the position of the working end in spatial coordinates.
Includes a 3D arm model.
Allows you to save positions and create motion sequences.
Sequences can be executed individually, in a loop for a specified number of times, or endlessly.
Supports compatible PGE-50-40 and CGE-10-10 grippers.
Monitors speed and temperature, among other features.
Includes Software E-Stop, Halt & Hold, and Limp functions.
Supported system: Windows 7 or later.

ROS 2 - Advanced Control
Official package: SES-P-ROS2-Arms.
Official hardware interface: LSS-P-ROS2-Hardware.
All configurations are supported: 550 mm and 900 mm, as well as 5DoF and 6DoF.
Officially documented environment: Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish.
ROS 2 version: Humble.
Build tools: colcon, vcstool, and rosdep.
Simulation environment: Gazebo Ignition Fortress.
Visualization: RViz.
Motion planning: MoveIt 2.
Controllers are available for simulation, visualization, and the physical arm.
Installation requires downloading the code from GitHub, installing dependencies, and building the ROS 2 workspace yourself.

Custom Software
You can write your own control application.
The application communicates with the first drive via USB.
The remaining drives form a CAN chain.
Commands are transmitted using the LSS-P protocol.
The manufacturer describes the protocol as human-readable, which facilitates prototyping and diagnostics.
However, this solution requires the development of kinematics, motion planning, error handling, and safety mechanisms.

Advantages

Modularity – arm length, number of axes, joint orientation, and end-effector configuration can be customized.
Common hardware platform – four configurations are available with a reach of 550 or 900 mm and five or six degrees of freedom.
Good declared performance – the 2 kg or 3 kg payload is specified for the full reach, not just for a position close to the base.
Drives with integrated electronics – each joint has its own controller, sensors, and feedback. Wave gears – provide high reduction, high torque, and low backlash compared to simple gears.
ROS 2 support – official packages include the actual arm, RViz, Gazebo, and MoveIt 2.
Free manufacturer tools – a configuration program and graphical control interface are available.
Mobile power capability – the arm can operate on a mobile platform with an 8S or 9S package.
Physical emergency stop button – included in the power pack.
6DoF models – allow for better control of both the position and orientation of the tool.
Construction materials – the use of carbon fiber reduces the weight of long links, while aluminum ensures rigidity of the mountings.