The Robotic Arm Edge was one of our 10 year old son's top five Christmas requests. In the end it proved to be a great pick. He spent approximately 4 hours from start to finish to complete the project, with some guidance along the way from Dad. Once it was finished however, it did not work and he was discouraged. By then it was late and we were all tired, so we put it aside for evening.
The next evening we went back to the troubleshooting page and read over the reviews here at Amazon to give us some clues about what the trouble might be. We also tested the wires and motors independently, one at a time, using a 9-volt battery and two wires to create a circuit with each motor. We knew that all of the connections were good because the motors and gears worked properly when powered by the nine volt battery.
We then checked the battery terminals. We discovered they were not bent and positioned down properly. Once the terminal placements were corrected, we were able to get some partial movement with the control box levers, but only in one direction. We removed the top of the control box and 'warmed up' the metal plates by pressing each of them down manually in each direction with our fingers, to ensure they were making contact with the circuit board, and the robotic arm's mobility greatly improved. (You may have to repeat this step occasionally to maintain full mobility, double check wire connections, and make sure that the wires are not being crimped, tangled or pulled out of position by the movement of the arm. The wire clips are very helpful when placed correctly for this reason). The movement specs* from the manual are as follows:
Gripper: 0-1.77"
Wrist motion: 120 degrees
Elbow motion: 300 deg.
Base motion: 180 deg.
Base rotation: 270 deg.
Search light: on when on switch is on.
*We found these measurements to be pretty accurate.
Finally, we smoothed off a few plastic 'burrs' that were catching as the robotic arm spun on it's base, untangled and repositioned a few wires to keep them from tugging and pulling out of their connectors as the arm revolved, screwed the control box back together, and Oila! The robotic arm now works beautifully, LED light and all.
Our son declared, "I am Satisfied!" with a huge grin and a sigh of relief :) It was great outcome to a slightly challenging project. The gearboxes were a bit taxing to put together from a 10 year old's perspective, but he stuck with it, even though it was a initially frustrating. After putting together several of the gearboxes he was a pro. We encouraged him to take his time and read the instructions thoroughly to become familiar with the concept and sequence of steps before he began, and we think that really helped to make the project go much smoother for him than it might have otherwise.
One precaution: If you hear clicking noises as you move the robotic arm with the controls, that means to stop and go back in the other direction! We have explained that it is important NOT to try to manually force the arm to move in one direction or another, or the gears may break! You may also be trying to lift too much, depending on where the center of gravity is in relation to the weight of the object. Because of the plastic gears and other components, it is a TOY more than it is a tool.
Our son is looking forward to using the 'RAE' to assist him in other building kits, such as legos, kinex, and maybe another similar robotic project. The best lesson that came out of this for us was that putting our heads together and combining our knowledge, skills with a little perseverence kept us from giving up on it and assuming there was something defective about the kit. We worked backward and retraced our steps, and it was a great success. What could be better than learning and having lots of fun in the process? :)
I am writing this review because we were helped greatly by the informative reviews already posted here, and I hope that what we learned along the way can help someone else, incase they get stuck a bit as we did. It's worth it to press on and find solutions to problems, and our son is enjoying the fruits of his labor and is all smiles now :) The stars were his review of this product.
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Product information
| Product Dimensions | 6.3 x 15 x 9 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 2.35 pounds |
| ASIN | B0017OFRCY |
| Item model number | OWI-535 |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 8 - 15 years |
| Batteries | D batteries required. |
| Best Sellers Rank | #158,367 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #213 in Remote- & App-Controlled Robots #1,833 in Kids' Electronics |
| Customer Reviews |
3.8 out of 5 stars |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Release date | January 1, 2024 |
| Department | ToysAndShoes |
| Manufacturer | OWI Inc |
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Product Description
OWI has made robotic arm technology more affordable without compromising quality. With Robotic Arm Edge, 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?
COMMAND THE GRIPPER
Featuring a range of motions to move the gripper all around as well as opening and closing. Wrist motion of 120 degrees, with an extensive elbow range of 300 degrees. Base rotation of 270 degrees, and base motion of 180 degrees. The Robotic Arm Edge Wireless has a vertical reach of 15 inches, horizontal reach of 12.6 inches, and is capable of lifting 100g. Play deep into the night with a searchlight attached to the gripper
BUILD IT YOURSELF
Test your manual dexterity as you work through building the five individual gearboxes required to function all five joints of the arm. No soldering is required. Made for ages 13 and up.
WIRED CONTROL
Puts you in control of your arms desired rang of five different motions.
CONTROL THE BASE
Rotating base 270 degrees of movement.
Robotic Arm Edge
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Robotic Arm Edge Wireless
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Hydraulic Levers
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| Customer Reviews |
1,288
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403
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| Price | $47.63 | $55.70 | — no data |
| Control Method | Wired | Wireless | Hydraulic Levers |
Bad connection to batteries causes one way movement
Pretty neat robotic arm, but I ran into the same issue as a lot of other people - the motors would only turn one way. I spent entirely too long trying to figure out what was wrong and eventually ordered a replacement. Guess what? Same issue. After another hour or so of trying to sort out what the issue was, I figured it out. Some people said cheap or dead batteries was the issue, so I started there. I’ve only been using Energizer and I knew they weren’t dead, but I noticed a teeny (almost not visible) gap between the positive post of one of the batteries and the metal connector. Making a dimple in the connector allowed for contact and now it’s working as intended. If you have the issue where motors spin only one way, make sure your batteries are contacting the posts in the battery tray. In the picture I posted, my issue was the bottom most battery in the pic. Added a dimple to the connector in the tray with some pliers and it now works. I’m leaving 3 stars because this is a manufacturing issue and has nothing to do with the type of battery - that connector needs to be addressed.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2011
- Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2025
Top reviews from other countries
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Cliente AmazonReviewed in Mexico on July 16, 2023
Vale la pena el producto
Llego rápido el roducto y en condiciones excelentes, contenido completo ninguna pieza faltó y el manual es excelente explica bien aunque está en inglés pero es lo de menos y muy padre poder armarloCliente AmazonVale la pena el producto
Reviewed in Mexico on July 16, 2023
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- KamathReviewed in India on September 11, 2014
Product is Awesome. Suitable to do programing as well
