I wonder how this compares to the AR4 robotic arm ( https://www.anninrobotics.com ). The AR4 isn't truly hardware open source, but my understanding is that it's software agnostic.
My biggest question is the full cost for the PAROL6. Their BOM link is 404.
I can build the AR4 completely for less than $2000, and for education, that's a very small price for a semi-useful, full 6 axis arm. (Currently, to give a comparison, one of my suppliers is offering an educational cobot solution for $40,000. Yes, it's truly "industrial," and is a complete self-contained solution, though it's only capable of 2kg if I recall correctly. This was what they were pushing for the educational market.)
As someone who is trying to implement robotic training in education, with a budget that approaches zero, I just need something cheap that students can hack/break/fix without costing a fortune in maintenance costs.
One of the cool thing about the AR4 is that it can come as a complete kit, either as 3d printable or aluminum frame. and they work with Steppers Online to provide the steppers and drivers as one package. If you work for a school system, this type of solution solves a lot of logistical issues.
That said, if this thing is truly low cost, let's say under $1000, for it's capabilities, it could be a very nice project.
I tried to collect a rough overview of available robot arms a few years ago (with focus on low-cost/open-source ones).[0]
If anyone has some pointers on other recent projects in the space, I'd love to hear about them!
The instructions detail everything including the exact screws/nuts needed. EXCEPT the most important parts, the actual motors! It doesn't give any specs or names or a thing for those. Incredible.
Also the BOM info is gone.
The video of the robot arm in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiBCbHtvbpE
Very impressive repeatability and very smooth movement for a 3d printed arm.
Interesting project.
I wonder how the rigidity holds up over time. Working at a robotics company, the mechanical engineers had to overcome quite some challenges to find a compromise between, precision, speed and repeatability.
And that was with a metal frame.
Cool I'll try to build one.
There are lots of low-end robot arms. I have a uArm, which is not very good, on my desk. Way too much slop. Repeatability maybe 2mm.
Sweet! An Armatron for adults!
I would love having one capable of unloading the dishwasher.
Requiring a google account to fill in the form is annoying and weird…
Hi guys I am the creator of PAROL6 arm. I was not aware of this community so if you have any questions feel free to ask me here. Also new video is up explaining more things. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiBCbHtvbpE&ab_channel=Sourc... Also anyone interested in building/buying it can sign up on these 2 forms for more updates.
You can sign up here for beta testers (there are a few spots left: https://forms.gle/sZqHVLPoMJxuVAyJ9 This is general form for people interested in control boards, kits, or whole robots: https://forms.gle/XkSvStwnQxw1f8xL8