This open-source robotic arm does not cost a fortune

We have already reported on grippers and robotic arms in the past. Seeed Studio is now offering another such device called the reBot Arm B601 and especially the reBot Arm B601 DM, with pricing starting at around $1,200 depending on the configuration. That should make it affordable for professional users but also for ambitious makers. At the same time, the system could also be suitable for some professional use cases.

It offers six degrees of freedom, plus one more for the gripper. There are six individual joints, along with the gripper arm itself. With the gripper arm attached, the reBot Arm B601 DM has a reach of roughly 767 millimeters. That means it should be able to reach all objects on a typical, reasonably sized desk. According to the manufacturer, the arm can handle loads of up to 1.5 kg without the gripper arm, although Seeed Studio says users should limit operation to 70 percent of the maximum reach when carrying the maximum payload.

Repeatability is listed at 0.2 millimeters. In other words, when moving to the same position repeatedly, the position reached by the reBot Arm B601 DM differs by no more than 0.2 mm from the position reached on the first pass. Seeed Studio emphasizes that this is an open-source project, and that does not apply only to the software. Instead, some hardware components can also be reproduced, for example with a 3D printer, using the provided templates.