[HN Gopher] PAROL6: 3D-printed desktop robotic arm
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       PAROL6: 3D-printed desktop robotic arm
        
       Author : bo0tzz
       Score  : 55 points
       Date   : 2025-02-15 18:26 UTC (4 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (source-robotics.github.io)
 (TXT) w3m dump (source-robotics.github.io)
        
       | Onavo wrote:
       | Is this a cobot?
        
         | GistNoesis wrote:
         | Probably not.
         | 
         | In https://source-robotics.github.io/PAROL-docs/page6/ it tells
         | you it can pinch you.
         | 
         | It's probably relatively safe for humans though (be careful
         | with your pets), the robot is 5kg, it move quite slowly and
         | motors are nema 17 (the same than in a 3d printer) with a max
         | gearbox ratio x20. In case of problem press the e-stop button
         | if you have chosen to have one.
         | 
         | As far as I understand there are no encoder on the joints so it
         | can't be back-driven, it's not a compliant robot.
        
       | linsomniac wrote:
       | >Source Robotics shall not assume liability for [...] the
       | improper use of the Parol6 robot
       | 
       | Ok, now I _REALLY_ want to build one...
        
       | linsomniac wrote:
       | TL;DR: Cost looks to be about $2K, they sell the 3D printed parts
       | for 200Euro, the control board for 220Euro, and a kit for
       | 2,000Euro. Looks very cool, but it's out of my "build it and see
       | what I can do with it" budget, I'd need a real reason to build
       | it.
        
         | GistNoesis wrote:
         | The control board is listed for me at price EUR262,80 EUR (with
         | tax included). The control board version with the 6 additional
         | 10EUR stepper driver (with the link they provide in their BOM,
         | is listed at EUR456,00 EUR, (at this price I can plug stepper
         | driver all day long).
         | 
         | Rant mode activated : Those prices are just excessive. Before
         | 2020 we could buy some 5-axis 8-bits RAMPS 1.4 board with
         | stepper for less than 50EUR. Then there was some transition to
         | use some more powerful 32-bits microcontroller (which are
         | cheaper on the BOM), but no standard has emerged, 32-bits chips
         | were impacted by the shortage, so everyone and their dog are
         | creating their own 3d printer control boards, and selling them
         | for more than EUR100, and they are less customizable, harder to
         | upload. (The best replacement for RAMPS 1.4, is probably BTT
         | SKR V1.4, which sells for EUR43 with silent drivers) (but you
         | are on your own for the non-standard software and development
         | environment).
         | 
         | Those control boards are just connector boards, they are mainly
         | used to replace some wires, it's just to connect the
         | microcontroller to the stepper driver. You can have your own
         | pcb connector board made for less than EUR10 for 10. You just
         | have to solder the header yourself.
        
       | memhole wrote:
       | Cheaper alternative: https://github.com/huggingface/lerobot
       | 
       | Some local people made this with it:
       | https://youtube.com/watch?v=J3BygZpa6Eo
        
       | iseanstevens wrote:
       | (Oops saw other comment linked, but I'll leave this comment in
       | case summary is helpful)
       | 
       | Check out the SO100 arm, being supported by Huggingface and
       | others. Only 4 axis, but cheap AF (<$250/arm) and using ML to
       | make it more capable than 4 axis would seem. Also using identical
       | arms for mirror teleportation/training.
       | 
       | https://github.com/TheRobotStudio/SO-ARM100
        
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       (page generated 2025-02-15 23:00 UTC)