Robotic arms are everywhere in modern manufacturing. From automotive assembly lines to electronics production, these machines handle repetitive tasks with precision that human hands can't match consistently. Most run on pre-programmed routines, following the same paths over and over.
Embodied AI is different. It gives robots the ability to learn from their environment and adapt to new situations. Instead of just processing data on screens, these systems interact with the physical world through cameras, sensors, and mechanical limbs.
If that's got you intrigued, then you will most likely like this open source DIY robotic arm that's made for learning from Seeed Studio.
reBot Arm B601: A Robotic Limb
The motivation behind creating this is said to be the absence of a decent high-precision robot arm that was open source and accessible to students and researchers for their initial entry into robotics and potential industrial applications.
A reBot Arm B601 offers six degrees of freedom (DoF) plus a gripper. It can reach up to 650 mm and handle payloads of 1.5 kg or more. The repeatability sits under 0.2 mm, which puts it in a range where its users can do real precision work. The whole arm weighs around 4 kg and runs on DC 24V.
On the software side, Seeed is planning support for ROS1, ROS2, LeRobot, Pinocchio, and Isaac Sim. They are also working on a Python SDK for easier integration.
Seeed Studio also mentions that this project was inspired by a handful of open source projects like ALOHA, Dummy-Robot, OpenArm, i2RT, SO-ARM100, and TRLC-DK1.
Build Yours
The project repository is live, but most files are still rolling out. STEP files, the complete bill of materials, and assembly videos are scheduled for late February 2026. ROS2 Humble integration, LeRobot adaptation, and Isaac Sim support are all scheduled for March 2026.
Once they are live, you will find the necessary software, blueprints, and BOM list in the project's GitHub repository.
Via: Hackster.io
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