HELENE: Six-Axis Accessible Open-Source 3D-Printed Robotic Arm for Research and Education

摘要

Robotic arms are used in a wide range of industrial and medical applications. However, for research and education, users often face a trade-off between costly commercial solutions with no adaptability and open-source alternatives that lack usability and functionality. In education, this problem is exacerbated by the prohibitive cost of commercial systems or simplifications that distort learning. Thus, we present HELENE, an open-source robot with six degrees of freedom, closed-loop position control, and robot operating system (ROS) integration. The modular design of the robot, printed on a commercial 3D printer, and its integrated custom electronics allow for easy customization for research purposes. The joints are driven by standard stepper motors with closed-loop position control using absolute encoders. The ROS integration guarantees widespread control options and integration into existing environments. Our prototype, tested in accordance with ISO 9283, has a small positional accuracy error of 8.4 mm and a repeatability error of only 0.87 mm with a load capacity of 500 g at a reach of 432 mm. Ten prototypes were built and used in various research and education applications, demonstrating the versatile applicability of this open-source robot, closing the gap between reliable commercial systems and flexible open-source solutions.