Summary of MEARM 3.0: THE POCKET-SIZED ROBOT ARM
This article describes the MeArm pocket-sized robotic arm, a compact, open-source robot revived since 2014 with recent revisions. The latest version reduces assembly time from two hours to about 30 minutes, provides fully open-sourced hardware and permissive licensing, and requires some specialty tools. The Instructable linked supplies detailed build instructions and parts, and a 2018 Hack Chat offers additional insights. Despite its small size, the MeArm can be a stepping stone to larger projects.
Parts used in the MeArm pocket-sized robotic arm:
- MeArm chassis components (laser-cut or 3D-printed parts)
- Micro servomotors (for joints)
- Screws, nuts, and hardware fasteners
- Control board or microcontroller (compatible with servos)
- Wiring and connectors
- Power supply or battery pack
- Mounting brackets or base plate
- Gripper end effector parts
- Specialty tooling for fabrication (laser cutter or 3D printer, drill, etc.)
We all might dream of having an industrial robot arm at our disposal, complete with working controller that doesn’t need constant maintenance and replacement parts, and which is able to help us with other projects with only a minimum of coding or instruction. That’s a pipe dream for most of us, as without a large space, sufficient funding, or unlimited amounts of troubleshooting time we’ll almost always have to look for something smaller and simpler. Perhaps something even as small as this pocket-sized robotic arm.
This isn’t actually the first time we’ve seen the MeArm; the small robot has been around since 2014 and has undergone a number of revisions and upgrades. Even this revision has been out for a little while now but this latest in the series is now available with a number of improvements over the older models. The assembly time required has been reduced from two hours to about 30 minutes and the hardware has even been fully open-sourced as well which allows virtually anyone with the prerequisite tools to build this tiny robot for whatever they happen to need it for, due to its very permissive licensing.
The linked Instructable goes into every detail needed for building the robot as well as documenting all of the parts needed, although you will need access to some specialty tools to make a lot of them. We also featured a Friday Hack Chat about these robots back in 2018 that has some interesting details about these robots in it, and although this is a relatively small robot in the grand scheme of things it’s always possible to upgrade to something larger in the future.
Source: MEARM 3.0: THE POCKET-SIZED ROBOT ARM
- What is the MeArm pocket-sized robotic arm?
The MeArm is a small, open-source robotic arm first released in 2014 and updated with newer revisions. - How long does assembly take for the latest MeArm revision?
The latest revision reduces assembly time from about two hours to roughly 30 minutes. - Is the MeArm hardware open-source?
Yes, the hardware has been fully open-sourced with permissive licensing. - Where can I find build instructions for the MeArm?
The linked Instructable contains every detail needed for building the robot. - Do I need special tools to build the MeArm?
Yes, you will need access to some specialty tools to make many of the parts. - Can the MeArm be upgraded to a larger robot later?
Yes, the article notes it is possible to upgrade to something larger in the future. - Are there additional resources about MeArm history or details?
A 2018 Friday Hack Chat about these robots is referenced for more details.
