It used to be the case that anyone who wanted to create a robot from scratch would require a degree from MIT (an awfully distinguished US University and not a misspelt glove), more tools than your dad and granddad had combined, and a grant from the government. Now you can find robot technology almost everywhere you look, from toy shops to hospitals. Finally, someone has put together a kit that allows you to build your very own robotic arm, and all it takes is a screwdriver and an afternoon of tinkering fun.
The Robotic Arm kit arrives disassembled and contains all the pieces you'll need to make your very own desktop droid. It's remarkably easy to set up - we managed to do it in a couple of hours - so you don't need to stress about soldering or advanced electronic engineering: as long as you have a screwdriver and some wire cutters you have all you need to get started from the moment you open the box. Once it's finished you'll have hours of fun finding out exactly what it can and can't do, using its controller to power the five joints and motors to swing the arm around and pick things up with its pincer like grippers - complete with spotlight for night work. So far we've managed to get it to take a pen from one side of the desk to the other, but it got upset when we tried to make it fetch our tea (luckily for us, the tea was cold) - it can only lift a maximum of 100g, you see. The best thing about it is that once your friends and family have stopped arguing over who gets to have a go next, you can swell with pride and tell them "I made that".
If your web browser happens to be Google Chrome, you might want to try this.
Open a new tab and click this link (we know. A link without context. It's time to put your trust to the test).
You should see an Add to Chrome button. Feel free to click that.
Hey presto! Now instead of the standard new tab page, you get to look at one of about ten thousand stunning landscapes courtesy of Google Earth every time you open up a new tab.
You're welcome.