Joinmax Digital Smart Arm

This robotic arm kit includes all of the components you need to build your own robot arm. Seven servos provide six degrees of freedom, allowing you to explore countless robotic arm movements. The arm has a swiveling base, shoulder with two lifting servos, elbow, wrist, rotating gripper, and pincers that open and close. If you are looking for a more simple robotic arm, the OWI 007 robotic arm trainer is an economical alternative. You can also purchase the gripper separately, complete with a servo.

With all mechanical components, a 16-servo controller, PC software, and a download cable included, this robot arm kit is very complete: the only thing you need to add is five standard, AA size batteries. NiMH cells are recommended because of the high current consumption of the robot.

All of the components are precision molded, and you won’t need to tape or glue anything in place. All you will need are a small phillips screwdriver (though wire cutters might make things a bit easier). Assembly time is under 2 hours, even for a beginner. The only criticism we have of the kit is that the instructions are incomplete and apparently written by a non-native English speaker, but the kit is simple enough that the drawings alone should be sufficient.

The included software allows you to manipulate the servos and store sequences of positions. A sequence of up to 60 positions can then be downloaded and stored in the servo controller so that the robot can move without being tethered to a computer. Of course, you can instead provide your own control system and sensors. (The servos are compatible with regular radio control model servos, so all you need to control them is a 1-2 ms, 5-volt pulse repeated every 20 ms.)

For more information, including video clips of the robot in motion, see the manufacturer web page at http://www.mciirobot.com/product/detail/ARM001.htm.

Note:The Joinmax Digital robotic arm is a kit; assembly is required. Five AA batteries are required but not included.