TARA: A Low-Cost 3D-Printed Robotic Arm for Accessible Robotics Education

Abstract

The high cost of robotic platforms limits students' ability to gain practical skills directly applicable in real-world scenarios. To address this challenge, this paper presents TARA, a low-cost, 3D-printed robotic arm designed for accessible robotics education. TARA includes an open-source repository with design files, assembly instructions, and baseline code, enabling users to build and customize the platform. The system balances affordability and functionality, offering a highly capable robotic arm for approximately 200 USD, significantly lower than industrial systems that often cost thousands of dollars. Experimental validation confirmed accurate performance in basic manipulation tasks. Rather than focusing on performance benchmarking, this work prioritizes educational reproducibility, providing a platform that students and educators can reliably replicate and extend.