An Open Source Flat Pack Robot Arm That's As Easy To Build As Ikea Furniture

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

An Open Source Flat Pack Robot Arm That's As Easy To Build As Ikea Furniture

Posted by timothy on Saturday December 27, 2014 @05:31AM from the fold-here-snip-there dept.

An anonymous reader writes The MeArm is a flat-pack robot arm. It has been developed in a very short time frame as the creators have been able to tap into crowd development by open sourcing all of the designs. Because of this it's exploded around the world with builders on every continent (bar Antarctica) and there are even people manufacturing them to sell in Peru, Taiwan and South Africa. MeArm manufacture them in the UK and export to distributors around the world, including Open Source pioneers like Adafruit and Hackaday in the USA. They're currently running a Kickstarter for a controller to take it out of the 'Hackersphere' and into the living room. They doubled their target in the first week and are still going strong so it's looking like they will be the first consumer flat pack robot kit in the world! Controller or not, you can download the arm from Thingiverse, and follow the project at Hackaday.

39 comments

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Merry Christmas from GayWAD by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 05:34 · Score: -1
Thank you for your interest in joining the Gay Wigger Association of DICE* (GayWAD)! GayWADs worldwide are happy that you'd like to become part of our

constantly enlarging member ship (come sail away 8====D~)
Unlike other geek fraternities that you might have heard about, GayWAD accepts members of all races, creeds, and colors. We don't even have a technical inclination requirement. As our founders stated in the Annals of GayWAD, Chapter 1: "You don't have to be a geek, as long as you like it Greek." They were, of course, referring to the penis in anus style of sexual relations. Don't despair, as attaining full fabulous lifetime status in GayWAD is easy. The only prerequisites for membership in Gay Wigger Association of DICE* are that you meet all of the following conditions:
1. 1. Ownership of penis, anus, or both
To submit your Gay Wigger Association of DICE* Membership Application, simply do nothing. Congratulations, you're now a GayWAD!
If you require a specific membership number for purposes such as framing, docking, or prestigious inclusion upon your business cards and resume, please take down this number: 69.
Optionally, you may complete the following survey by replying to this post, indicating affirmative responses with an X in each appropriate box:

GayWAD Membership Survey (OPTIONAL)
[ ] I am gay [ ] I am a wigger [ ] I have used SLASHDOT BETA to find a sex partner

After completion of this optional survey, your Slashdot post ID shall serve as your unique Gay Wigger Association of DICE* membership ID.
Your GayWAD membership kit** is on its way.
* GayWAD is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by DICE.
** GayWAD membership kit no longer includes HIV self-test catheter.
IKEA? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 05:40 · Score: 2, Funny

Hex Key Not Included!
good grief by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 05:45 · Score: 4, Interesting

these are 5$ eBay servos with a few plastic sticks.
I'm getting old, I seriously don't understand what people are getting out of this anymore. I'm just jaded I guess, I'm like a Pak Protector now. I can look at something and I know exactly step by step what it is and how to make one. So I just don't care anymore.
1. Re: good grief by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 06:11 · Score: 0
  
  Maybe you are getting old and losing your imagination.
2. Re: good grief by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 06:34 · Score: 0
  
  What does "imagination" have to do with anything? Seriously, I'm baffled by this response. If it's all about "imagination", why are you buying a physical object?
  And like I said, I already know just by looking exactly what it is and what it will do. Seems to me that I have too MUCH imagination.
  So, what are you getting out of this? You can imagine anything, right?
3. Re: good grief by ArcadeMan · 2014-12-27 08:37 · Score: 2
  
  Young people need to learn about things. News at 11.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
4. Re:good grief by MichaelSmith · 2014-12-27 08:45 · Score: 1
  
  Any more of this shit and you will stop eating entirely.
  
  --
  http://michaelsmith.id.au
5. Re:good grief by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 10:27 · Score: 0
  
  I actually bought one of these for a class project. Built the controller hardware myself and programmed it. I can tell you that the acrylic used on these parts is rather brittle, and the servos are really low quality (nylon gears, and one burned whilst testing). The weight of the arm falls into the servo axis as well. Luckily, the controller I made is "universal" and can operate any other servo-based robotic arms with minor tweaks.
  captcha: thirdly
6. Re:good grief by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 10:41 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah but I can keep drinking, right?
7. Re: good grief by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 10:46 · Score: 0
  
  Ah so it's not about "imagination" anymore?
8. Re: good grief by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 22:30 · Score: 0
  
  No, YOU are losing your imagination because you evidently cannot conceive of the idea that young people need to be introduced to old ideas without having it explained to you.
  Seriously, this "I know so it's not allowed to be new to anyone else!" mentality needs to die. It's so retarded.
9. Re:good grief by ChoosyBeggar · 2014-12-28 05:45 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, yeah, me too. I'm ever so smart & just entirely above this pedestrian fuckery. Whoever would want something like this is clearly inferior to me. You're not only old; you're lame too!
10. Re:good grief by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-29 03:17 · Score: 0
  
  We are still waiting for a Ringworld to be built, Mr. Anonymous Pak.
As Easy To Build As Ikea Furniture by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 05:46 · Score: -1

So, not for the American market?
Robot arm by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 05:56 · Score: 0

Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!
1. Re:Robot arm by 6Yankee · 2014-12-27 06:13 · Score: 1
  
  Imagine a Beowulf cluster of Slashdotters rushing to post that this is lame and/or they did it 20 years ago.
Had that in lego by YoungManKlaus · 2014-12-27 06:00 · Score: 4, Funny

years ago
uArm by andydread · 2014-12-27 06:00 · Score: 1

Seems like this is a striking copy of the original uArm project.
1. Re:uArm by bruce_the_loon · 2014-12-27 06:36 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Only in the sense that it is also a striking copy of every robotic arm in existence. The mechanical design is significantly different to the uArm. Compare MeArm versus uArm and look at the design of the support and actuator arms.
  
  --
  Trying to become famous by taking photos. Visit my homepage please.
2. Re:uArm by tlambert · 2014-12-27 06:45 · Score: 2
  
  Except, you know, being made out of flimsy printed plastic without even a T-bar for additional strength, and having one less degree of freedom than the uARM, and being smaller than the uARM, yeah, it's just like it...
It fall apart three weeks later under normal use? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 06:26 · Score: 1

Yep, that'd be just like Ikea furniture. Particle board, plastic, flimsy, and cheap.
low standards for kickstarter by jehan60188 · 2014-12-27 06:30 · Score: 3, Insightful

seems just about anyone with a decent camera, a half-baked (usually derivative) idea, and 5th grade writing skills can get a kickstarter now.
maybe I should start a kickstarter for my brilliant idea of a pet stone
1. Re:low standards for kickstarter by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 06:41 · Score: 0
  
  Maybe you are getting old and losing your imagination.
2. Re:low standards for kickstarter by itzly · 2014-12-27 07:06 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Maybe you should market a "jump to conclusions" play mat. It would have different conclusions printed on it, and you would jump to them.
3. Re:low standards for kickstarter by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 07:11 · Score: 0
  
  Looks like you're at least a third of the way there, if I assume you have a camera now all you need is the idea!
4. Re:low standards for kickstarter by bigtrike · 2014-12-27 08:38 · Score: 1
  
  If only it were that difficult...
5. Re:low standards for kickstarter by ArcadeMan · 2014-12-27 08:39 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe I should start a kickstarter for my brilliant idea of a pet stone.
  Simpsons did it.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
6. Re:low standards for kickstarter by ArcadeMan · 2014-12-27 08:40 · Score: 2
  
  My idea for a printer-error-messages-to-plain-english translator is better.
  
  --
  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
7. Re:low standards for kickstarter by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 17:58 · Score: 0
  
  Hmm...Pet Stone just doesn't seem to be a good idea...
  But I have come up with a brilliant idea of a Pet Pebbl...hmm..Pet Grave....Egads!! Pet Rock!!!
  I see world domination ahead!!!
Re:It fall apart three weeks later under normal us by 50000BTU_barbecue · 2014-12-27 06:35 · Score: 2

Yeah but the upside is you'll find them curbside on garbage day. Free stuff!

--
Mostly random stuff.
Would you... by Translation+Error · 2014-12-27 07:25 · Score: 1

download an arm?

--
When someone says, "Any fool can see ..." they're usually exactly right.
Fine for children by BenderTheRobot · 2014-12-27 07:32 · Score: 0

Looks like mini or micro servos. Small, low capacity. Great for low cost. But it's a toy really, no?
How about by xfizik · 2014-12-27 07:41 · Score: 1

How about a robot [arm] that can build Ikea furniture?
1. Re: How about by jd2112 · 2014-12-27 09:16 · Score: 1
  
  The robot arm to build the furniture is the easy part. Writing an AI capable of deciphering the instructions is the real challenge.
  
  --
  Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
2. Re: How about by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-28 14:14 · Score: 0
  
  Its easy - it's just
  int main()
  {
  MessageBox("WTF???");
  return -1;
  }
Ikea Furniture? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-27 11:34 · Score: 0

So the instructions are half missing and what is there is in Korean?
Re: It fall apart three weeks later under normal u by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-28 05:26 · Score: 1

Don't just complain about design, components used, list continues... Pitch in; refine the design, recommend better materials and components and otherwise improve on the durability.
This is what open source is about.
Oxymoron by Anonymous Coward · 2014-12-29 02:23 · Score: 0

"As *Easy* To Build As Ikea Furniture"
Now that's one hell of an Oxymoron if I every heard one.
Koojersey.co by koousd · 2015-01-06 21:23 · Score: -1, Flamebait

Hi,Koojersey sells cheap Nike Jordan Sports Shoes,clothes....