6AR is a DIY, industrial-class, open-source 6-axis robotic arm designed from scratch for high performance, reliability, and modularity — without the industrial price tag.
It is powered by a Teensy 4.1 real-time motion controller, a Raspberry Pi 5 bridge server, and a React + TypeScript + Vite control interface with a live 3D viewer. The goal: a robot that feels and behaves like a professional manipulator, but can be built and improved by anyone.
Born from a personal challenge: “Could I build an industrial-grade manipulator with open-source tools?” The answer — yes. And now it’s open for anyone to build, improve, and make their own.
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The 6AR is meant to mimic the experience of using a professional 6-axis industrial robot, while staying:
- Accurate & Smooth – coordinated multi-axis motion with trapezoidal/jerk-limited profiles
- Fully Programmable – Cartesian and joint moves, block-based editor, or raw API
- Real-Time – deterministic step pulse generation at kHz rates
- Networked – control over Socket.IO or directly via JSON serial
- Affordable – a fraction of commercial prices, with off-the-shelf and 3D-printable parts
- Extensible – hardware, firmware, UI, and motion planner are modular
This isn’t a toy arm. It’s meant to run real automation — but also to be hackable, understandable, and yours.
I hope this becomes a community project with:
- 🧠 Shared development and faster feature growth
- 📦 Swap-in end-effectors, tools, sensors
- 📚 Tutorials for kinematics, controls, UI/UX
- 🤝 Helping new builders get their first robot moving
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Payload | ~15 kg @ 1000 mm reach |
| Reach | 1000 mm |
| Robot weight | ~60 kg |
| Control box | ~25 kg |
| Total cost | ~6000 CAD (materials) |
| Dev time so far | ~8 months full-time |
| Baud rate | 921 600 bps (Pi ↔ Teensy) |
| Feature / Capability | 6AR – Open Source | Typical DIY Arm | Industrial Arm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6DOF + Spherical Wrist | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Full Pose IK (Pos + Ori) | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Joint & Cartesian Motion | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Linear & Circular Paths | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Trapezoidal Velocity | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Batch Trajectory Exec | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Jerk-Limited Jogging | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Real-Time Stepper/Servo Control | ✅ | ✅ | |
| +16 Digital IO Control | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Integrated Pneumatics | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| URDF + Live 3D Viewer | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Web-Based UI | ✅ | ||
| Drag-and-Drop Programming | ✅ | ❌ | |
| Text Based Programming | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Homing w/ Backoff & Offset | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Absolute Encoder Ready | 🚧 Planned | ❌ | ✅ |
| ROS2 / Vision Ready | 🚧 Planned | ❌ | ✅ |
| 7th Axis Capabilities | 🚧 Planned | ❌ |
✅ = Full support
| Joint | Drive Type | Torque (Nm) | Max Speed (°/s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| J1 | Belt + NEMA 34 closed-loop | 154 | 110 |
| J2 | ISV57T servo + planetary gearbox + belt + cycloidal | 270 | 45 |
| J3 | ISV57T servo + planetary gearbox + belt + cycloidal | 170 | 45 |
| J4 | NEMA 23 + cycloidal | 84 | 250 |
| J5 | NEMA 23 + planetary gearbox | 24 | 240 |
| J6 | NEMA 23 + planetary gearbox | 12 | 720 |
| J7 | Linear rail (planned) | TBD | TBD |
6AR/
├── 1-firmware/ # Teensy 4.1 - PlatformIO/Arduino motion firmware
├── 2-pi-bridge/ # Node.js + Python - Socket.IO, UART, FK/IK, trajectories
├── 3-frontend/ # React 19 + TypeScript + Vite operator UI
└── 4-documentation/ # Full developer docs, setup guides, glossaryFirmware:
cd 1-firmware
pio run
pio run --target uploadPi bridge:
cd 2-pi-bridge
npm install
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
node server.jsFrontend dev UI:
cd 3-frontend
npm install
VITE_SOCKET_URL=http://localhost:5001 npm run devThe bridge listens on 0.0.0.0:5001 and talks to the Teensy on /dev/ttyAMA0 at 921600 baud.
All docs are in 4-documentation/:
| File | Description |
|---|---|
1-Teensy-Code-Overview.md |
Managers, motion control loop, safety |
1-Teensy-Serial-API.md |
JSON commands (e.g. MoveMultiple, Jog, Home) |
2-Pi-Bridge-Overview.md |
Node.js server, Python kinematics, Socket.IO events |
3-Frontend-Overview.md |
React layout, useData, 3D viewer, event flow |
4-Setup-Guide.md |
Build → wire → flash → run |
5-Developer-Notes.md |
Coding style, naming, structure |
6-Glossary.md |
Acronyms, commands, robotics terms |
- MCU – Teensy 4.1 @ 600 MHz
- Host – Raspberry Pi 5
- Frontend – React 19 + TypeScript + Vite + Tailwind CSS + Radix/shadcn-style UI + Three.js
- Backend – Node.js + Express + Socket.IO + Python 3 (Robotics Toolbox)
- Comms – JSON over Serial (921 600 bps) + Socket.IO
- Motion Control – Step/Dir closed-loop drivers + ISV57T servos
- Pneumatics – Onboard compressor + SMC MH2F-16D2 gripper
This started as a solo build, but the goal is to make it community-driven:
- 🛠 Build your own?
- 🧠 Add firmware/UI/motion planner features?
- 🎓 Using this for teaching?
- 🤖 Add ROS2, vision, or tool changers?
Issues, PRs, and collaboration welcome.
Stay connected, share your build, and join the growing 6AR Robotics community:
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| 💬 Discord | Join our Discord Server |
| 6AR Robotics on YouTube | |
| r/6AR_Robotics | |
| 💻 GitHub | 6AR – Open Source 6-Axis Robot |
| 6AR Robotics on Facebook | |
| 🎵 TikTok | 6AR Robotics on TikTok |
| @6ar_robotics |
MIT — free to use, modify, and distribute.
- Drag-and-drop programming UI (proof of concept)
- Full-pose IK + TCP motion profiler (working)
- Pneumatic gripper control (working)
- React/Vite controller UI v2 with robot/program/run workspaces
- Revise J2-J3 CAD, manufacture the parts, and assembly!
- URDF mesh optimization + joint limits
- Joint feedback with absolute encoders + PID
- Public CAD, BOM, and build documentation
Built with joy, frustration, tens of thousands of lines of code, and a few cracked tables. (The arm now lives on a steel plate — the inertia was too intense.)
– Fabien (Stayin_alive_ah on Reddit / 6AR-Robotics on Instagram & YouTube) 🦾