Hi all,
I’m looking for a robotic arm for a little machine-learning project, but I’m not quite sure where to start and I was hoping someone would be able to help.
I would like to build a fruit-picking robot - I know it’s a problem which science has already solved, but I’d still like to do it as a fun project anyway.
I’d be training on a small fruit bearing (miracle berry) tree, maybe 2ft tall, and I’d like to keep the budget less than £1000 if possible (ideally £500.) I would also like to be able to program the arm directly via an API.
Payload will be negligible (only a few grams) but a light grip would have to be a priority as to avoid crushing the fruit.
I did try and look at some of the specs images on the product pages, but they are tiny and do not zoom well.
Thank you for your time - Any input would be greatly appreciated.
@XennialAdrift Welcome to the RobotShop Community. The fact that you added “light grip” seems to present one option (assembled version linked, kit version also available):
This is because the gripper can indirectly detect the force acting on an object based on how much current it is consuming. If you set the current limit very low, it should stop the motion when that current is reached. The reach is 19.68", so not quite the 24" you wanted, but if the reach is vertical, you can purchase longer tubing to easily add 2" to each tube. The catch will be that if it reaches horizontally, the servo in the shoulder may not be powerful enough.
Last, the communication protocol is very easy to understand and it fits within your budget.
Honestly, I was hoping that was the one which was going to come up, if only because of the aesthetics 
I really appreciate you taking the time to help me - Thank you
