Ken Ihara got started playing with robots during his time as an assistant in the Harvard Robotics Lab. Ken recently started a kickstarter for his latest creation The Cardboard Robotic Arm. With a reach just shy of six feet this is a work of cardboard engineering art. The arm comes in two flavors, The Cool Dad Kit which has a three finger gripper and The Cinematographer Kit which has a mounting for a smart phone to shoot time lapse and videos.
The choice of cardboard makes this arm light, inexpensive and easily modified. The motor controller is a custom 4-axis controller that can be used with other devices. The controller comes fully assembled so no soldering is necessary. The software that controls the arm is written in C# for Windows and OSX will be ready by the time the first kit ships. Ken will also be open-sourcing the software and the hardware to allow for more hacks, tweaks, and mods.
The Kickstarter Page has multiple options for backers to choose from. For $175 backers can choose between The Cool Dad Kit or The Cinematographer Kit. The kit includes pre-cut cardboard parts, four stepper motors and a motor controller. This option also includes shipping in the U.S., shipping outside the U.S. is extra. For every $3000 dollars raised, Ken will send a free kit to a high school in the U.S. There are instructions on the kick-starter page for teachers to request a kit. There is also an option to get two kits, one for you and one for the high school of your choice.
