On his channel “Build Some Stuff“, maker Kelton shows step by step how he develops and builds a compact robotic arm. The aim was to create a design that was as small and easy to control as possible for a total cost of around 50 to 60 dollars.
Kelton used a 3D printer to produce many of the robot arm’s components. He has made the STL files available for free download on Thingiverse. Only standard components such as an Arduino Uno and various electronic components were used.
In order to be able to precisely control the movements of the robot arm, Kelton developed a kind of miniature arm with rotary potentiometers instead of joints. These record the respective angles and transmit them in real time to the servomotors of the large arm. This allows the robot to be positioned with millimeter precision by manipulating the small replica.
The YouTuber documents his entire construction process in two videos. In addition to the functionality, he explains in detail all the steps from CAD design to cable routing and programming. All 3D-printed parts can be downloaded from Thingiverse.
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