Maker Spotlight: This Engineer 3D-Printed a Working Robotic Arm for $200

Reddit user u/robotmaker_mike has shared plans for a fully 3D-printed 6-axis robotic arm that costs under $200 in parts. The arm uses NEMA 17 stepper motors, an Arduino Mega, and 3D-printed gears and brackets — all designed to be printed on a standard Ender 3.

The arm has a reach of 450mm, can lift 500g, and achieves ±0.5mm repeatability. Mike has written custom firmware that supports teach-and-repeat programming, and is working on a ROS2 integration for more advanced automation.

All STL files and a full bill of materials are available on Printables. The project has already been downloaded over 15,000 times, with makers around the world building their own versions.

"I wanted to show that you don't need to spend thousands to get into robotics," Mike told Hot End Weekly. "A $200 printer and some creativity can get you surprisingly far."