Reddit reviews OWI Robotic Arm Edge | No Soldering Required | Extensive Range of Motion on All Pivot Points

Every time I see this reposted all I can think about is how it's a remote controlled arm so is it really a robot clicking the button or a person?

Yes, it's this robot arm and it's remote controlled by a person unless someone hacked and automated it.

Yes.

Program one of these bad boys.

$40.
https://www.amazon.com/OWI-OWI-535-Robotic-Arm-Edge/dp/B0017OFRCY

You'll have to add a microcontroller and some way to get position info for each axis, which you can do with some clever 3d printing, some Hall effect sensors and magnets.

I am an engineering graduate student and I highly recommend this: http://amzn.com/B0017OFRCY

There's no programming to it. It's strictly the hardware of the robotics; gears, electric motors, linkages. I got it specifically because it's straightforward and I had plans to augment it with an Arduino wheeled robot and chase my roommate's ferrets (which I never got around to). It's all hard plastic and metal parts and the grip is pretty decent.

This would work well for you too since it has good instructions. If you can put together a table from IKEA, you can put together this robotic arm. It's also a great price. I see Mindstorms thrown around a lot, and that may work well in this case since he's 5 but I've always found their stuff to be incredibly overpriced (this is coming from someone who loves Legos).

Fair warning, this will give him great insight into the mechanics of how robotic arms work. Side effects may include him shutting himself in his room to work on his "arc reactor".

Well, something you both might have fun building together is the Owi robotic arm:
http://www.amazon.com/OWI-OWI-535-Robotic-Arm-Edge/dp/B0017OFRCY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367780839&sr=8-1&keywords=robot+arm
It's relatively cheap compared to other things and is good quality. I have one on my desk I built a while ago and it is great fun. Robotics leagues will appear more often in middle and high school (vex, first, things like that) but this should keep her interested.

I had one of these Armatron robots as a kid. Last year got my son this for Christmas. You have (get to) build it yourself. And is just as awesome as the original. Every time I go to tuck in my son for the night I have to sacrifice a few lego guys to the voltron gods.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0017OFRCY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481655703&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=robotic+arm+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51umNzStabL&ref=plSrch

Edit: cleaned up some mobile formatting issues

This, this and this all together would make my SO not only incredibly happy, but I would probably reach god-like status for getting him these toys. Maybe your husband would like them too!

http://www.robotshop.com/en/wowwee-robosapien-x-robot-toy.html

http://www.robotshop.com/en/owi-t3-transforming-solar-robot.html

http://www.scientificsonline.com/product/hydraulic-robotic-arm-kit

http://www.amazon.com/OWI-OWI-535-Robotic-Arm-Edge/dp/B0017OFRCY

http://www.robotshop.com/en/6-1-educational-solar-kit.html

These are all real robots. Some of which you can build yourself (you'd have to help him though). Any particular kind he's looking for?

Youngling, the force cannot be lost but it can be found.

Kits are the easiest way to go by far but there is not a sub $400 kit that I know of that can reach the North pennies. So if you go with a kit it is not going to be turn-key (you are going to have to modify its reach).

A lot of teams (including some of the ones I work with) really like the OWI-535 as it is cheap and easy to modify. Most of the other team I see at State every year are using VEX creations. And then there is that one robot from that one team, a fully custom 1:1 matching action robotic arm pair.

If you have the time, money, and skill; building one will give you way more options and flexibility when it comes to the competition. If you are building your own based on an arduino control; look into high torque servos, and these (I found them linked off of a video I cannot find at the moment).

And finally I will leave you with this Youtube link to something that was posted over in the student forums.

Venus 2000.

If you are a diy type I'm sure combining a fleshlight plus a robotic arm would be a good project.

It's the OWI Robotic Arm kit and while it is a little pricey for a "toy" everything goes together nicely and it's easy to hack.

I'd recommend that if you do get it that you also get a good Exacto™ type knife or utility knife and get good at using it. There are always little nubs of plastic left when you pull the pieces off of the panels them come in.

Dude, just add one to your wishlist

all links on amazon, there are probbably other places to get things but i'm lazy.

space pen:
https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Space-Original-Astronaut-Pen/dp/B0015ZP2AC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1492305866&sr=8-4&keywords=space+pen

parker pen:
https://www.amazon.com/Parker-Jotter-Stainless-Ballpoint-133321/dp/B0017D5WXY/ref=sr_1_2?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1492305273&sr=1-2&keywords=parker+pen

robot arm:
https://www.amazon.com/OWI-OWI-535-Robotic-Arm-Edge/dp/B0017OFRCY/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1492305677&sr=1-1&keywords=robot+arm+kit

Yeah, no. This is a manually controlled robot arm toy. That's why the bag is on the controls. So, this is still a Captcha being defeated by a person. Using a toy robot arm. Deal with THAT, yo.