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Main Authors: Chebly, Georges, Little, Spencer, Perera, Nisal, Abedeen, Aliya, Suzuki, Ken, Kim, Donghyun
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.15693
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author Chebly, Georges
Little, Spencer
Perera, Nisal
Abedeen, Aliya
Suzuki, Ken
Kim, Donghyun
author_facet Chebly, Georges
Little, Spencer
Perera, Nisal
Abedeen, Aliya
Suzuki, Ken
Kim, Donghyun
contents This paper presents Forte, a fully 3D-printable, 6-DoF robotic arm designed to achieve near industrial-grade performance - 0.63 kg payload, 0.467 m reach, and sub-millimeter repeatability - at a material cost under $215. As an accessible robot for broad applications across classroom education to AI experiments, Forte pushes forward the performance limitations of existing low-cost educational arms. We introduce a cost-effective mechanical design that combines capstan-based cable drives, timing belts, simple tensioning mechanisms, and lightweight 3D-printed structures, along with topology optimization for structural stiffness. Through careful drivetrain engineering, we minimize backlash and maintain control fidelity without relying on high-power electronics or expensive manufacturing processes. Experimental validation demonstrates that Forte achieves high repeatability and load capacity, offering a compelling robotic platform for both classroom instruction and advanced robotics research.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_15693
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Strong, Accurate, and Low-Cost Robot Manipulator
Chebly, Georges
Little, Spencer
Perera, Nisal
Abedeen, Aliya
Suzuki, Ken
Kim, Donghyun
Robotics
This paper presents Forte, a fully 3D-printable, 6-DoF robotic arm designed to achieve near industrial-grade performance - 0.63 kg payload, 0.467 m reach, and sub-millimeter repeatability - at a material cost under $215. As an accessible robot for broad applications across classroom education to AI experiments, Forte pushes forward the performance limitations of existing low-cost educational arms. We introduce a cost-effective mechanical design that combines capstan-based cable drives, timing belts, simple tensioning mechanisms, and lightweight 3D-printed structures, along with topology optimization for structural stiffness. Through careful drivetrain engineering, we minimize backlash and maintain control fidelity without relying on high-power electronics or expensive manufacturing processes. Experimental validation demonstrates that Forte achieves high repeatability and load capacity, offering a compelling robotic platform for both classroom instruction and advanced robotics research.
title Strong, Accurate, and Low-Cost Robot Manipulator
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.15693