OWI Robotic Arm Edge

by OWI

• Command the Robotic Arm Edge with for multiple movements and functions
• Robotic arm gripper opens and closes
• Movement includes radial wrist motion of 120°, an extensive elbow range of motion of 300°, base rotation of 270°, base motion of 180°
• No Soldering Required
• OWI is the premier line of educational robotics kits

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 15 x 9 inches ; 2.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Origin: China
• ASIN: B0017OFRCY
• Item model number: OWI-535
• Manufacturer recommended age: 10 - 15 years
• Batteries 4 D batteries required.
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,220 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #2 in Toys & Games > Electronics for Kids > RC Figures & Robots
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (160 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Command the robotic arm gripper to open and close, radial wrist motion of 120°, an extensive elbow range of motion of 300°, base rotation of 270°, base motion of 180°, vertical reach of 15 inches, horizontal reach of 12.6 inches and lifting capacity of 100g. Some of the added features include a search light design on the gripper and an audible safety gear indicator is included on all 5 gear boxes to prevent potential injury or gear breakage during operation. Total command and visual manipulation using the "5's", five-switch wired controller, 5 motors, 5 gear boxes, and 5 joints. For ages 10 and up. Add USB Interface cable and Software, OWI-535USB, (not included) to integrate programming and expand the capabilities of the Robotic Arm Edge.

Product Description

Riding the wings of the award winning Robotic Arm Trainer; OWI has made robotic arm technology more affordable without compromising quality. With Robotic Arm Edge 535; command the gripper to open and close; wrist motion of 120 degrees; an extensive elbow range of 300 degrees; base rotation of 270 degrees; base motion of 180 degrees; vertical reach of 15 inches; horizontal reach of 12.6 inches; and lifting capacity of 100g. WOW! Some of the added features include a search light design on the gripper and a safety gear audible indicator is included on all five gear boxes to prevent any potential injury or gear breakage during operation. How does this equate to fun? Total command and visual manipulation using the 5s: five switch wired controller; five motors; and five joints. Night time play is possible and extended life on the gearbox to prolong your control and predictions of the robot's behavior. Hall of Fame Inventor Endorses OWI's Robotic Arm Edge "To demonstrate or teach, this is the best kit of its kind. It's a superior product." - George Devol George Devol, the inventor of the first ever robotic arm, highly recommends theRobotic Arm Edge. As an inventor he has over 40 patents and is the president of Devol Research. In addition to creating the first ever industrial robotic arm, Mr. Devol has also been inducted into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame and Automation Hall of Fame. In 2005, Popular Mechanics selected Devol's robotic arm as one of the "Top 50 Inventions of the Past 50 Years." OWI is honored to receive his support. Mr. Devol's inventions can be seen in both the Smithsonian and Henry Ford Museums

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

127 of 134 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars a good first DIY robot February 16, 2009

By E. Gutierrez

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 3.0 out of 5 stars   

My 7 yr old daughter built this in about 8-9 hours. Supervision all throughout is required as parts need to be cleaned from excess plastic, and tightened properly. Some parts will need to be positioned precisely (like the clamp module). The quality of the plastic is quite good. It is similar to plastic model toys. While building, test the motors with a pair of wires to a battery if they can turn the gears properly before closing them in their housing. One electric motor failed to even work out of the box, so to make it work, I had to open it up and reposition the rotor and clean the contacts. My daughter now has some exposure of how those gears work to move something. She got to use a screwdriver, cutter, pliers, a digital multimeter in this exercise. I think she is no longer afraid of wires, since she tested all the motors before installing them. she now wants a butterfly robot. She also now want something that allows the arm to be mobile rather than be in a fixed base (I am thinking Revell Vexplorer). She plays with it by getting pencils from a case. Great weekend activity, quite educational, even for a 42 yr old. Very good value for the money.

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Gift July 22, 2010

By jcmangino

Amazon Verified Purchase

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

So, I got this for my 15 year old brother for his birthday. He's all the time tinkering with things like broken VCRs and CD players and such, so I figured this would be perfect.

It shipped fast and very well packaged. When my brother finally got it, it took him all of 45 minutes to have it put together. He loves it, he's currently 'teaching it how to write' with a sharpie! It's very easy to control and seems very sturdy, it's not too big but it's heavier than it looks. Overall, this was a fabulous gift and my brother was thrilled with it. It shouldn't be too much of a challenge for anyone with a little electronics know-how (though it does have some pretty small parts you need to keep an eye on) and it's a blast to play with!

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun robotics project November 26, 2011

By SpaceSheep1

Amazon Verified Purchase

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I was a little worry after reading all the reviews here, but decided to get one anyway. I purchased this robotic arms in hopes of learning more about how it's made and perhaps one day make my own with servos. You do have to assemble it, but it's not as hard as some people here claim. I'm not a patient person and it took me probably 2 hours, but I was going very slowly and taking greatest care of not to break any part. While it's all made out of plastic it doesn't really feel cheap. I found using small cutters best for detaching plastic parts. Just follow instructions in the book to the letter and you'll be fine! I did make a number of mistakes assembling it and nearly broke gripper. Gripper is the hardest part and manual doesn't mention that long screws are not suppose to be tight (they don't go all the way in) so I stripped two of them :( Another gotcha is size of some screws. They are extremely close in size to each other and I accidentally used wrong screws in couple of places but then realized and redid some parts. Forgot to install washers too, so had to remove and reattach base :)
First thing I noticed right away is how small arm actually is. In the videos I've seen I thought it will be bigger, but it really is a toy size. Another small complaint is battery compartment. Once you close it, it will be hard to replace batteries later on. They should've made an opening at the end for batteries.
Be aware that this arm doesn't have any sensors, so you can break it if you push it beyond it's range of motion. You'll be hearing a lot of nasty clicks but so far I didn't break it. Gripper is actually surprisingly strong and can lift things like a big screwdriver.
Another thing I wish is for another degree of monition - gripper rotation.... They way it's now you can only pick up objects that are perpendicular to the base.
I would be fun to modify robotic arm with Arduino. Right now there are no real electronic components (other than motors and connectors), just straight connection from each motor to the buttons, which means it should be easy to mod. I've seen people adding encoders to the motors and pots so it can be made location aware and be programmed to perform specific tasks.
Overall I'm very happy with this arm, you can't find better deal for the price. Read more ›

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful First Robotic September 22, 2011

By IT Lifer

Amazon Verified Purchase

Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I purchased this for my 10 year old grandson who expressed an interest in a robotic toy. The age range was 10 - 16 years. I don't think most 10 year olds would have the patience to assemble this on their own. It took grandpa, dad and son about 3 hours to assemble. We could do it a second time in less than half that time. There is a little learning curve in making the motor assemblies. The arm worked fine immediately after assembly. This was his first robotic toy. My grandson was thrilled with his gift. Strongly recommended.

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, great for the mechanical minded June 8, 2009

By R. Davenport

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

The most difficult step is building it properly. You must take your time and offer loads of patience. The rewarding part takes place when construction is complete. The robotic arm is adjustable(you can assign different functions to different buttons and switches), flexible, and inexpensive when compared to others of similar quality. If you like toys and gadgets of this nature, I would strongly recommend it, I really enjoy it!!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great educational toy! September 11, 2011

By C. Kane Wyatt

Amazon Verified Purchase

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I purchased this robotic arm after researching the Armatron I remember as a child. I chose this one because it provided a learning opportunity for my 9-year-old son who is fascinated with robots. It took approximately 5 hours for us to build the robotic arm. We were very meticulous and thorough, so I'm sure it's possible to build in less time. The robotic arm works great and I wouldn't trade the quality time I had with my son putting it together!

My only two dislikes about the robotic arm are:
1) It only takes batteries (4x D cell), I wish there were an option to plug it in with an adapter, and
2) the "wrist" does not twist like the Armatron did, it only moves up and down and the "claw" opens and closes. Other than that, this is a great buy and seems to be good quality. I'll try to update after my son and I put it to the test!