This project presents the development of a 6-Axis Collaborative Robot (Cobot) Arm designed to provide affordable automation for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and educational institutions. The solution addresses key challenges faced by SMEs, including high adoption costs, reliance on foreign labor, repetitive workloads, and lack of robotics expertise. The cobot is engineered with a cost-effective, 3D-printed design, using NEMA23 and NEMA17 stepper motors, making it both economical and customizable. Equipped with a modular gripper system—featuring a cup-holder-based design for this prototype—the arm offers flexibility for diverse applications. The system includes an open-source GUI software with features such as joint control, forward and inverse kinematics, calibration, and Xbox controller compatibility, ensuring intuitive user experience. Mounted on a robust wooden base with integrated emergency stop and control buttons, the cobot prioritizes safety and usability. By reducing repetitive workloads, enhancing productivity, and providing hands-on learning opportunities, this innovation supports SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Future plans include scaling production, AI integration for smart operations, and pilot testing in real-world SME environments.

Invention Technical Description

The 6-Axis Cobot Arm is a low-cost robotic solution designed with a fully 3D-printed structural and actuator system to ensure affordability and accessibility for SMEs and educational use. The arm operates through three NEMA23 stepper motors for primary joints and three NEMA17 stepper motors for secondary axes, delivering precise and coordinated motion across six degrees of freedom. The end-effector employs a gripper with an integrated cup-holder design, providing adaptable functionality for material handling tasks. The electrical system is housed in a custom enclosure box, featuring dual power supplies to prevent overload, two 230VAC power outlets with latched rocker switches, and an auxiliary cooling fan for thermal management. Safety mechanisms include an emergency stop switch and a general-purpose LED button mounted on a custom wooden base. Control is facilitated via an open-source GUI application capable of joint-based movement, forward and inverse kinematics, calibration, and Xbox controller integration, ensuring both flexibility and user-friendliness. The design emphasizes cost-effectiveness, modularity, and scalability, positioning the system as an accessible solution for SMEs to reduce labor dependency and for educational institutions to provide hands-on robotics training. Future development will integrate AI-based automation, enhanced control algorithms, and production scaling for commercial deployment.

Demostration/ Presentation Video

Poster/ Broucher/ Invention Photo