
5Chapter 1: The Foundation of Robotic Arms
The servo’s gears aren’t the only thing attached to the output shaft. Inside
the servo, the output shaft is connected to a device called a potentiometer.
This is a small electrical device that changes its electrical properties based
on how the shaft of the potentiometer is twisted or turned. As the DC motor
rotates and spins the gears, which moves the main output shaft of the motor,
the shaft of the potentiometer is also spun, telling the servo exactly where its
shaft has moved to through its control circuitry. This is where the servo gets
its accuracy.
With all four of these internal features working ...