Cam Claw – a 3D Printed Robotic Grabber Equipped With a POV Camera

The Cam Claw is designed to assist with a variety of outdoor activities. It can be employed to gently remove fruits and flowers located several feet up in a tree. plant , remove a shuttlecock wedged against a ceiling, or probe into dark and narrow places such as drains. You can see what the claw grabs in real time, courtesy of the incorporated camera, which presents the video feed right from the first-person perspective. It is also useful for nighttime activities or dark places thanks to the LED light.

The system is centred around an XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense microcontroller with an OV3660 camera. It uses a fully 3D printed servo-driven claw for gripping, and any mobile device for control over Wi-Fi. For this build, I mounted it on a 7-foot pole, but the lightweight design, along with the robust wireless connection, allows it to be mounted to poles over 20 feet without losing control or video feed.

Lightweight, compact, and easy to operate, the Cam Claw combines IoT-based wireless control, real-time video streaming, and mechanical gripping into a single outdoor-friendly tool that can be adapted for harvesting, object retrieval, or exploration.

So let's get into building

Note: There was a typo during the documentation of the app, "CAM CALW," which has been resolved in the program update.

Supplies

Parts used

SeeedStudio XIAO ESP32S3 Sense( heat sinks are available with the XIAO package)
MG995 Servo Motor (180° Rotation)
Servo adapter
MT3608 2A Max DC-DC Step Up Power Module Booster Power Module
1s 18650 Battery Holder
6* 5mm white LED
15 R resistor
Power switch
12xM3 20mm socket screw and nut
3xM3 4mm screw
2xM4 20mm socket screw and nut
¼ inch 20mm screw
Phone holder
Multipurpose glue
Super Glue
Connecting wires
25mm outer diameter pole
18650 Battery

Designing in Fusion 360 and 3D Printing

All of the components are designed using Fusion 360 and exported as STL files for 3D printing. I used PLA filament for the 3D printing and chose two different colors for better contrast. All the parts were printed with a layer height of 0.2 mm.

Downloads

Base Plate.stl

Cam Claw.f3z

Cam Claw.step

Full Gear Link .stl

Grip & Holder .stl

Half Gear Link .stl

Left Gripper.stl

Linkage.stl

Main Body.stl

Pole Holder.stl

Right Gripper .stl

Servo Gear.stl

Top Lid .stl

Custom PCB

The XIAO ESP32S3 SENSE lacks a screw hole, making it impossible to install directly in your project without a PCB. To solve this issue, I designed a general-purpose XAIO PCB and utilised a Seeed Fusion service to bring the project to life.

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The PCB files are available in my GitHub https://github.com/gokuxmaker/XIAO-PCB-

PCB Assembly

Now, simply solder the XIAO onto the PCB. Additionally, solder the connections on the underside; this will help with thermal management. Finally, attach the provided heat sinks to the back side of both the camera and the PCB.

Code to XIAO

Connect to XIAO with the USB and upload the provided code to XIAO ESP32S3 using Arduino IDE

You can change the SSID and password if you need to, as well as the servo angles

#include "esp_camera.h"

#include <WiFi.h>

#include <WebServer.h>

#include <ESP32Servo.h>

// ====== CAMERA SETTINGS (XIAO ESP32S3 Sense + OV3660) ======

#define PWDN_GPIO_NUM -1

#define RESET_GPIO_NUM -1

#define XCLK_GPIO_NUM 10

#define SIOD_GPIO_NUM 40

#define SIOC_GPIO_NUM 39

#define Y9_GPIO_NUM 48

#define Y8_GPIO_NUM 11

#define Y7_GPIO_NUM 12

#define Y6_GPIO_NUM 14

#define Y5_GPIO_NUM 16

#define Y4_GPIO_NUM 18

#define Y3_GPIO_NUM 17

#define Y2_GPIO_NUM 15

#define VSYNC_GPIO_NUM 38

#define HREF_GPIO_NUM 47

#define PCLK_GPIO_NUM 13

// ====== SERVO SETTINGS ======

Servo clawServo;

int servoPin = D0; // D0 on XIAO ESP32S3 = GPIO2

const int GRAB_ANGLE = -5;

const int RELEASE_ANGLE = 170;

// ====== WIFI SETTINGS ======

const char* ssid = "CamClaw";

const char* password = "12345678";

WebServer server(80);

// ====== MODERN HTML PAGE ======

String htmlPage = R"rawliteral(

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<style>

:root{

--bg:#f4f7fb; --card:#ffffff; --accent:#ff5a5a; --blue:#2a9dff; --text:#222;

}

html,body{height:100%; margin:0; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; background:var(--bg);}

.wrap{max-width:820px; margin:20px auto; padding:20px; text-align:center; color:var(--text);}

h1{margin:10px 0 18px; font-size:26px; font-weight:600;}

.card{background:var(--card); border-radius:14px; padding:16px; box-shadow:0 6px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);}

#cam { width:100%; max-width:720px; border-radius:10px; display:block; margin: 10px auto; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.2); }

.buttons{display:flex; gap:14px; justify-content:center; flex-wrap:wrap; margin-top:16px;}

.btn{

min-width:180px;

padding:20px 26px;

font-size:20px;

border-radius:14px;

border:none;

cursor:pointer;

box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);

color:#fff;

transition:transform .12s ease, box-shadow .12s ease;

}

.grab{ background: linear-gradient(180deg,var(--accent),#ff2a2a); }

.release{ background: linear-gradient(180deg,var(--blue),#0077ff); }

.btn:active{ transform:scale(0.96); box-shadow:0 2px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.2); }

#status{ color:#444; margin-top:12px; font-size:16px; font-weight:500;}

</style>

</head>

<body>

<button class="btn release" onclick="doAction('release')">Release</button>

</div>

<div id="status">Status: idle</div>

</div>

const cam = document.getElementById('cam');

const status = document.getElementById('status');

setInterval(()=> { cam.src = '/capture?ts=' + Date.now(); }, 100);

function doAction(act) {

status.innerText = 'Status: ' + act + '...';

fetch('/' + act)

.then(r => r.json())

.then(j => status.innerText = 'Status: ' + j.status + ' (angle=' + j.position + ')')

.catch(e => status.innerText = 'Status: error');

}

</script>

</body>

</html>

)rawliteral";

// ====== HANDLERS ======

void handle_root() { server.send(200, "text/html", htmlPage); }

void handle_capture() {

camera_fb_t * fb = esp_camera_fb_get();

if (!fb) {

server.send(500, "text/plain", "Camera capture failed");

return;

}

server.sendHeader("Content-Type", "image/jpeg");

server.sendHeader("Cache-Control", "no-store");

WiFiClient client = server.client();

client.write((const char*)fb->buf, fb->len);

esp_camera_fb_return(fb);

}

void handle_grab() {

clawServo.write(GRAB_ANGLE);

String payload = String("{\"status\":\"Grabbed\",\"position\":") + GRAB_ANGLE + "}";

server.send(200, "application/json", payload);

}

void handle_release() {

clawServo.write(RELEASE_ANGLE);

String payload = String("{\"status\":\"Released\",\"position\":") + RELEASE_ANGLE + "}";

server.send(200, "application/json", payload);

}

// ====== SETUP ======

void setup() {

Serial.begin(115200);

delay(100);

// Enable camera power (needed on XIAO ESP32S3 Sense)

pinMode(21, OUTPUT);

digitalWrite(21, HIGH);

delay(10);

// Servo init

ESP32PWM::allocateTimer(0);

ESP32PWM::allocateTimer(1);

ESP32PWM::allocateTimer(2);

ESP32PWM::allocateTimer(3);

clawServo.setPeriodHertz(50);

clawServo.attach(servoPin, 500, 2400);

clawServo.write(RELEASE_ANGLE);

// Camera config

camera_config_t config;

config.ledc_channel = LEDC_CHANNEL_0;

config.ledc_timer = LEDC_TIMER_0;

config.pin_d0 = Y2_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_d1 = Y3_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_d2 = Y4_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_d3 = Y5_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_d4 = Y6_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_d5 = Y7_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_d6 = Y8_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_d7 = Y9_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_xclk = XCLK_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_pclk = PCLK_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_vsync = VSYNC_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_href = HREF_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_sscb_sda = SIOD_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_sscb_scl = SIOC_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_pwdn = PWDN_GPIO_NUM;

config.pin_reset = RESET_GPIO_NUM;

config.xclk_freq_hz = 20000000;

config.pixel_format = PIXFORMAT_JPEG;

config.frame_size = FRAMESIZE_QVGA;

config.jpeg_quality = 10;

config.fb_count = 2;

if (esp_camera_init(&config) != ESP_OK) {

Serial.println("Camera init failed!");

while (true) delay(1000);

}

sensor_t * s = esp_camera_sensor_get();

s->set_vflip(s, 1);

s->set_hmirror(s, 1);

// Start AP

WiFi.softAP(ssid, password);

Serial.printf("AP started: SSID=%s IP=%s\n", ssid, WiFi.softAPIP().toString().c_str());

// Routes

server.on("/", HTTP_GET, handle_root);

server.on("/capture", HTTP_GET, handle_capture);

server.on("/grab", HTTP_GET, handle_grab);

server.on("/release", HTTP_GET, handle_release);

server.begin();

}

void loop() {

server.handleClient();

}

Wiring Diagram

Here is the wiring diagram for the cam claw. Before starting the assembly, let's start placing the components inside the body.

Installing the PCB

Attached the PCB to the main body using M2 4mm screws.

LEDs

Cut the terminals of the 5mm LED and solder them together. Additionally, pair them with a 15-ohm resistor to regulate the LED current. You may also want to use some glue for added stability. It's advisable to remove the camera add-on during assembly, as it is somewhat fragile. We can reattach it once the assembly is complete. Make sure to connect all the LEDs in series.

MT3608 Voltage Booster

The MT3608 is a voltage booster that increases the voltage from 3.7V to 5V. Before assembling the MT3608, connect it to the battery and adjust the output voltage to 5V. We will use this 5V output to power the XIAO, LED, and servo. After setting the voltage, use some glue to securely attach the MT3608 to the main body.

Battery Holder

Secure the 18650 battery holder with glue; however, some models are available with screw holes for additional stability.

Power Switch

Insert the power switch located on the side of the main body.

Wifi Antenna

Connect the Wi-Fi antenna cable to the XIAO antenna port and secure it to the wall with adhesive.

Servo Motor

Screw the servo into the main body. I used the four screws that came with the servo for this.

Connecting Everything Together

Complete the wiring according to the wiring diagram

Camera Module

Reinsert the camera module and use glue to secure it in place for added stability.

Battery

I am using a 2000mAh 18650 battery to power everything. It is good to install the battery during operation and remove it for charging. The power switch will help you disconnect the battery from the circuit.

Gear Arm and Linkage Assembly

Attach the 2 linkages to the base using an M3x20mm screw. On the other side, attach the gear arm. And secure them with the nuts. Also, make sure not to tighten them

Arm Grippers Assembly

Attach both grippers to the linkage and gear arm using M3 x 20 mm screws.

Grippers Linkage Assembly

Connect the rest of the 4 linkages from the upper and lower sides to the base, and secure them with nuts

Pole Holder Assembly

Put the pole holder on top of the base, and over the pole holder, place the main body. Secure using the two M3*20mm and M4*20mm

Servo Adapter to Gear Assembly

Attach the second metal adapter to the 3D printer using four M3*20mm screws

Servo Gear Assembly

Attach the gear to the servo. Ensure the arm is in the closed position and that the servo has stopped at the endstop in the clockwise direction. and secure the gear to the Servo using an M3x5mm screw

Top Lid

We just finished assembling the cam claw. Now we can close the top lid, which has a snap-fit design.

Testing

Adobe Express - Recording 2025-09-16 142701.gif

We have completed our main build. Power on the device, and the LED will light up. The grippers will automatically move to the open position. The Cam Calw will then create a Wi-Fi hotspot. Connect to this hotspot using the password 12345678.

Once you are connected to the Wi-Fi, open your browser and enter 192.168.4.1 in the address bar. This will take you to the control webpage, where you can see live video, as well as controls for grabbing and releasing objects. Additionally, you will find the status of the servo on this page.

Attaching to the Pole

Attach the 25mm, 7ft pole to the pole holder of the Cam Claw assembly. It’s recommended to drill a hole in the pole and secure the head in place with screws.

Phone Holder

I used a 7-foot pole for this project, but due to the wireless capability, you can also use a longer pole, such as a 20-foot one. I attached the phone holder to the handle using a 1/4-inch bolt and then secured it to the pole. If you have a loose fit, it's better to drill a hole in the pole and fix the handle in place with some screws.

Final Thought

I only had an idea, but no clear picture in my mind of how it would turn out. We can start with a bad design, but we can still improve it. No matter how poorly your design looks in your mind, just start working from it like a stone that can be transformed into a great piece of art.

Trust the process!