6-DOF robotic manipulator
IRIS
Intelligent Robotic Identification and Sorting
Low-cost 3D-printed robotic manipulator designed for autonomous identification and sorting.
The problem
How can a capable robotic manipulator be designed at a dramatically lower cost while retaining enough precision, range of motion, and sensing capability for automated sorting?
Industrial six-axis manipulators can position and orient an end effector anywhere in a 3D workspace, which is why they dominate tasks from assembly to inspection, with more than half a million new installations in 2024 alone. But an industrial robot is never just an arm: it is hardware, control software, sensing, calibration, and integration support that small manufacturers, schools, and hobbyists cannot buy or maintain.
IRIS answers that gap with a low-cost, open-source six-axis arm built for a real task: vision-driven identification and pick-and-place sorting of components. The V9 hardware explored cycloidal joint reduction; the 2026–2027 redesign pushes affordability, reproducibility, efficiency, and adaptability, and is being proven in the school robotics lab.
IRIS earned 3rd Place in the Engineering division at the Maine State Science Fair.