After breaking several bones, teenager Mars Zhang started thinking about how technology could help people recovering from injuries. That idea eventually led him to start building his own low-cost robotic arm.
According to Grit Daily, Zhang has spent almost two years working on the project from his bedroom, designing and improving the arm as he learns more about robotics.
The idea came from Zhang’s own experience with injury and recovery. He became interested in assistive devices and began looking at whether a robotic arm could be made without the high costs often associated with this type of technology.
Rather than working in a specialist laboratory, Zhang has been developing the arm at home using electronics, robotics and prototyping tools.
Keeping the cost down has been a big part of the project. Zhang is exploring whether a useful robotic arm can be built more cheaply, which could make technology like this available to more people.
His work is still developing, but it shows what young people can do with technology that is becoming easier and cheaper to access. What started as an idea during his recovery has turned into almost two years of building, testing and problem-solving.
Zhang’s project also has relevance in Australia, where the cost of assistive technology can affect the options available to people with disability. While the NDIS helps fund many assistive products, cheaper designs could give people more choice and make some types of technology easier to access.
Learn more about Mars Zhang’s development of an affordable robotic arm in Grit Daily.