Yup, this is a no-brainer for introducing your kid to robotics. I would rate the build: informed-beginner to intermediate. Definitely not for a first timer or younger ones who have never learned how to follow instructions. For the price, don't hesitate, it is quite a value. I completed the build myself because my son is 4 years old. Four is too young to complete this build. But four is the perfect age for introductory robotics lessons. I handed it to my son and he has been completing rudimentary tasks with it since: (1) how many lego men can you pick up and place in the bowl on the other side; (2) what is the heaviest object you can pick up with the claw; (3) can you operate two motors simultaneously to complete a task. It's super fun. My son's world got a little bigger today. Invest the time. There is hardly any cost here.

My 9th grade daughter had a science project to complete. Her instruction was to build a robotic arm that could pick up a pencil and hold it for 1 minute, 18 inches high. We tried to build one from scratch following internet instructions. We built it but it could not work because I did not have precision tools needed. With 4 days to the due date, we ordered the robotic arm. It says that it would take 2 hours to construct. The parts were so small it was difficult to handle them. The instructions were a bit confusing at first but once understanding the flow, it was not hard at all. We finished the project on time. The robotic arm worked as advertised.

This is a blast to build. It may have only taken 1 day, but I savored the hours.

My 12 year old was so excited when this came in the mail. He sat down with the intention of just working on it a little bit, but got so wrapped up in it, that he finished in just one day. He loves playing with it and showing his friends. I'm sure he is waiting for the next one. We will definitely be purchasing more from this site! Thanks so much!

A friend bought me the OWI-535 Robot Arm Kit for my Birthday, because they know I like playing around with robotics and electronic stuff. It’s a fun item I can use to learn about controlling a robot via USB. It took me about 2-3 hours to put it all together. No problems encountered during construction. The instructions were clear and concise. The parts are surprisingly good quality for the price, and build quality once assembled is remarkably sturdy. It all worked fine with the PC software. I then moved on to trying it with some Java software I am writing, because I intend to eventually make it mobile (see link: http://gampageek.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/java-working-beautifully-many-thanks-dr.html). The Java code works fine too so now I can progress and write my own interface for the OWI-535. It would be easy to hack with Arduino or Raspberry-PI too due to the nice–n-easy pinouts. OWI-535 Robot Arm with USB: taking into account quality, fun, specification and price I give it 4/5.

Oh my gosh. I never thought this robot would be so cool. The manual is so easy to understand. I have no robot experience, but I still built it perfectly .

Hi - my 13yo son and I put together the Robotic Arm Edge kit today, while school was out due to Hurricane Sandy. The best part of this experience was that we created a robot that works!!! He has had many other kits that, after hours of assembly, just didn't work. We had a great time, and he is proud of his robotic arm.

I got this for my son. He is 5. All i did was put the screws in. As complex as it is the instructions are easy enough for him to understand. He loves it. It's fun for adults too!

this was so much fun to build it took me 3 hours to do it but it was fun and i was 10 so yeah... anyways it is fun to play with and i like that you can customize the control interface with the different wires.