Build a 6-DOF (5+1 Gripper) Robotic Arm with ESP32 — WiFi Controlled, Under $50

I designed and 3D-printed a 6-DOF robotic arm (5 joints + gripper) that you control from your phone over WiFi. No app, no Bluetooth, no router needed. Just connect to its WiFi network, open 10.10.10.1 in any browser, and move the arm with sliders. Total cost: under $50. This is Part 1 of a 4-part series. In this video I cover the full build from start to finish: the engineering spec with actual torque calculations, CAD design in Autodesk Inventor, 3D printing on a Bambu Lab X1C, mechanical assembly (21 steps), wiring the ESP32 + PCA9685, firmware with smooth servo interpolation, the browser-based control interface, and real test results on the bench. This is Part 1 of a 4-part series: ► Part 1 (this video): Full build — hardware, firmware, WiFi control ► Part 2: URDF + RViz — visualize the arm in ROS 2 —    • How to Build a Digital Twin URDF for Your ...   ► Part 3: MoveIt 2 — motion planning in 3D space —    • How to Add MoveIt 2 to Your Robot Arm — Mo...   ► Part 4: Computer vision — autonomous pick and place with OpenCV —    • I Gave My $50 Robot Arm Eyes — Computer Vi...   ► Full 4-part series playlist:    • OmArm Zero — $50 Robot Arm: Build, ROS 2, ...   ► Free course (all 4 parts, in order):    • OmArm Zero — Robot Arm Course: Build, ROS ...   ◾ 5 degrees of freedom — base, shoulder, elbow, wrist pitch, gripper ◾ ESP32 in Access Point mode — creates its own WiFi network ◾ PCA9685 PWM driver — jitter-free servo control, even with WiFi active ◾ Browser-based GUI — 6 sliders + sequence recorder, works on any device ◾ 303 mm reach | 150 g max payload | 3× MG996R + 3× SG90 servos ◾ Spring-assisted shoulder — shifts 2.9 kg·cm of torque off the servo 🔗 LINKS Blog post (full build guide): https://omartronics.com/omarm-zero-bu... Project package (shop): https://omartronics.com/product/omarm... 3D print files (STL): https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/gadge... GitHub repo (firmware + web files): https://github.com/ODraidrya/OmArm-Zero Website: https://omartronics.com/ 📋 BILL OF MATERIALS (~$48 total) ESP32 DevKit V1 — $5 PCA9685 16-Channel PWM Servo Driver — $2 3× MG996R Servos (metal gear, 8.8 kg·cm) — $4 each 3× SG90 Micro Servos — $2 each 5V 10A Power Supply — $8 686ZZ Bearing — $2 Extension spring, M2/M3 screws, jumper wires 16 printed parts from 12 STL files (~200 g PLA, ~12 h print time) (Full BOM with purchase links on the blog post) ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 — Hook 0:55 — Why I Started from Scratch 2:08 — Engineering Spec & Torque Math 7:04 — CAD Design 8:28 — 3D Printing 9:19 — Bill of Materials 11:07 — Assembly (21 Steps) 16:49 — Wiring & Electronics 18:10 — Firmware & Serial Control 20:10 — Web Interface & Sequence Recorder 22:31 — Testing & Results 24:23 — What's Next (Parts 2–4) 🎵 MUSIC (all from Audio Library — No Copyright) "Crimson Fly" by Huma-Huma "Blue Skies" by Silent Partner —    • Blue Skies – Silent Partner (No Copyright ...   "Echoes of Time v2" by Kevin MacLeod —    • 🎶Echoes of Time v2 - Kevin MacLeod (Música...   (License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) "Happy Hour" by Lo-fi miku —    • Happy Background Beat for Coding & Streams...   "Happy" by MusicbyAden —    • Happy – MusicbyAden (No Copyright Music)   "Never Alone" by Roa —    • Happy Summer Music for Lifestyle Creators ...   "Mystery" by GoSoundtrack —    • Mystery – GoSoundtrack (No Copyright Music)   "Happy Carnival" by Alex-Productions —    • Energetic Music for Travel Vlogs & Festiva...   "Chill" by sakura Hz —    • Chill – sakura Hz (No Copyright Music)   "Champions" by Aftertune —    • Video   #robotarm #esp32 #3dprinting #diy #robotics #wifi #arduino #servo #omartronics #tutorial