Kickstarter brings the world so many technological innovations. Here is another:
Robotic arms can come in handy and with a hefty price tag. Certainly a robotic crane for picking up dirty laundry or shooting an intriguing angle for a film would be far too much trouble for the regular person. But inventor and engineer, Ken Ihara of New York has developed DIY kits to build your own crane at a remarkably affordable price while learning about computer science and engineering.
The crane measures 5’6’’ from base to end, which puts it in the size range of industrial robotic arms. The crane is cheap and easily maintained and assembled due to its frame being made of corrugated cardboard, the same material used in regular boxes.
The crane comes in two different configurations: a claw that can pick up light things like clothes and stuffed animals or a smart phone holder to shot moving video and time lapses.
Ihara has launched a Kickstarter to fund his idea and so far he has half of his goal of $10,000 with 35 days to go. For a $175 donation, you get a Cinematographer Kit or the Claw Kit which include the respective attachments as well as 4 stepper motors, power supply, precut cardboard parts, wooden base with swivel, motor controller and everything else you need to complete the robot.
The cardboard robot can be programmed to specific path points via USB using CSV files, which can be edited on Excel. The motor speed is controlled independently. All of the source code, written in C#, will be made available to Kickstarter donors for both windows and OSX. The engineering drawings and circuit board design will also be included.
Ihara said that apart from cost reduction, building the robot from cardboard also allows the user to modify or repair their robot on their own. This programmable robot opens the door for creative uses of the claw attachment or planning out creative movie shots and time lapses.
This kit will require a bit of assembly, but that’s where the fun comes in to play. (Yes learning is fun.) Ken Ihara already released a device called the piano maestro, which helps people learn to play the piano. He is continuing to support education by giving away a kit to a school for every $3,000 raised. He hopes his creations will interest his young son to learn about engineering.
Cabe
All images via Kickstarter and Ken Ihara
