The Mirobot 6DoF Mini Robotic Arm

WLKATA Mirobot Mini Robotic Arm

Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) may be huge but it can also come in small, neat packages that fit on your desktop. The new WLKATA Mirobot Mini Robotic Arm is an excellent demonstration of that fact.

The mini robotic arm is a miniaturized version of the industrialized robots you see in the automotive industry and other smart factories. With an assortment of accessories, lovers of robotics have many reasons to feel excited about operating this little gadget. To our delight and surprise, it is capable of several functions and makes a powerful teaching tool.

It’s officially called the MIROBOT Robotics Training Solution for AI and Industry 4.0 Education in its brochure and yes, it certainly fits the bill. If you’re looking for the perfect tool for practical robotics training, the Mirobot is well worth considering.

Six Degrees of Freedom Robotics for Just Around $2,000

Now, you can teach, learn, or simply enjoy the smart functions of a tiny robotic arm for around $2,000. The team at WLKATA came up with a mini robotic arm with 6 degrees of freedom (DoF) that can simulate smart factory processes with precision and ease.

With its advanced and practical features, you can effortlessly and precisely demonstrate robotic smart factory technologies to your students.

A Quick Look at Its Features

Here’s an overview of what you’ll be getting from this compact robotic arm:

Easy-to-use Professional-level Tool

Though it ticks all the boxes for AIoT tool capabilities, it isn’t intimidating for educators and students to use. From set up to operation, the arm is easy to handle without sacrificing the power moves you’d expect from a modern robotic arm.

6+1 DoF and Reliable Performance

The mini robotic arm from WLKATA functions like a run-of-the-mill industrial robot. Users can count on it to perform a great number of manufacturing and domestic functions from drawing and piling objects, to moving things to their proper places with precision.

Flexible Open Source Platform

Mirobot’s firmware employs the Arduino platform which is known for being easy to use and configure. The open-source engineered device allows you to customize your controller so you can design your very own robotic process from your desk.

Industry 4.0 Simulation

The tool’s industry 4.0 simulation lets users design and test potential manufacturing processes. Its algorithm for advanced kinematic control keeps the arm steady and easily controllable. The selection of accessories it comes with is also useful for simulating smart factory concepts.

Your imagination plus this little mean machine can go a long way.

What’s in the Box

• Handbook
• Robot arm
• Robot arm vehicle
• Multifunctional extender
• Pneumatic box
• Multi-function module box
• Servo gripper
• Double suction cup gripper
• Single suction cup gripper
• Pen and laser holding set
• External controller
• Power supply cable
• AC adapter
• USB and IDC cable
• Adjustment tools

Set Up and Operation

It’s easy to get the Mirobot up and running.

You can use your PC, mobile app, or the external controller to set it up. For demonstration purposes, we set it up using our PC and the pneumatic suction gripper.

Here’s what we did:

1. Take the gripper and the pneumatic box. Note that each pneumatic accessory has a hose bar at the top. Plug the pneumatic box’s hose into the gripper’s hose bar for the air supply.
2. Connect the gripper to the end of the robot arm using the Allen screw.
3. Pick up the multifunction module box that has a wire and ribbon cable. Fit the wire into the pneumatic box and insert the ribbon cable into the back of the robot arm.
4. Connect one end of the USB cable to the back of the robot arm while plugging the other end into your PC.
5. Finally, attach the power cable to the robot arm and plug the opposite end into the power socket.
6. Now that the robot arm is all set up, download the WLKATA Studio software from the WLKATA download center and install it on your PC.
7. On the WLKATA Studio software dashboard, you’ll notice different buttons:
   • Robot arm control buttons that include Homing, Zero Position, Pause, and Stop positions
   • Motion control buttons that allow you to control each of the 7 joints independently and incrementally move them
   • Pneumatic pump control buttons that turn the pneumatic accessories on and off
8. Using the dashboard, you can program the robotic arm in different modes: Command, Teaching, Blockly, Drawing, Python, G Code.
9. Write and load a program script to tell the robot arm what you want it to do.

Capabilities

The WLKATA Mirobot is a little guy but it can work like the big boys. As such, it’s a great tool for teaching and learning about robotic technologies. The 6-axis design makes it suitable for most industrial and domestic uses. It features:

• Various end-tools
• Conveyor belts
• Controller
• Visual recognition kit
• Rover
• Sliding rails and more

The possibilities are endless. Educators and students can design and simulate manufacturing processes without occupying a whole lot of space. It can even be configured to perform functions like drawing and writing, AI vision supporting, building blocks, laser engraving, digital twin simulation, and visual representation.

Is It Worth Buying?

The WLKATA mini robotic arm is an engaging teaching tool and offers great functionality despite its size. If you’re in the academe or simply a fan of robotics, this small yet impressive tool is definitely worth buying.

Extendable and Open Source Platform

This open-platform hardware has a multi-functional extension module that can expand the external interface of the Mirobot. Users can thus develop their own applications with a mainstream platform.

High Precision Performance

Mirobot’s end effectors can perform 3D omnidirectional moves. Tilting and turning are practically the same as larger industrial robots. With 0.2mm repeatability, precision is not a problem. Its multi-stage gearbox and stepping motors make it all possible.

Compact and Lightweight

Its height in its homing gesture is only 22 cm and weighs only 1.5kg. So, you can easily transport and carry it with you anywhere.

Certified, Patented, and Safe to Use

The Mirobot robot arm has international invention patents in the EU, USA, and China. It has also earned international certifications in the EU, USA, Japan, and Korea. Its ergonomic design follows the safety principle of curvy and safety position restrictions to prevent pinching.

What You Can Teach With This Robotics Training Tool

The mini robotic arm from WLKATA was specifically designed for engineering education. As such, there’s a lot that you can teach with it whether you’re working in K12 STEM classrooms or university lecture halls.

K12

• Industrial robots and applications
• Structure of a robotic arm
• Handling and palletizing
• Robot arm writing, drawing, and tracking
• Laser engraving technology
• 3D printing technology

University Level

• D-H parameters of 6-axis manipulator
• Coordinate system of 6-axis manipulator
• Principles of manipulator motion control
• Sensor technology
• Motion control algorithm
• Virtual simulation

Conclusion

With its powerful and practical features, flexible programming, and technical certifications, you can get a lot from this mini robotic arm. This tool was designed to have the brain and brawn of industrial-grade robots without their cost and weight. The software also has decent features. With its overall capacity, you can bring your robotics education to the next level, making it worth the investment.