NormaCore releases ElRobot 7+1 DOF arm

NormaCore published ElRobot on July 8 as a fully open-source robotic arm package built around a 7+1 degree-of-freedom design, according to the project’s GitHub repository. The release includes hardware files, assembly manuals and software materials for a low-cost arm aimed at physical AI research and imitation learning. The repository describes ElRobot as fully 3D printed, with no custom hardware beyond printed parts and servos. NormaCore’s project materials put the estimated cost at about $220 per arm. ### What exactly did NormaCore release? The `hardware/elrobot` section of NormaCore’s GitHub repository includes STEP and STL files, print files, simulation assets, a bill of materials and separate manuals for leader and follower builds. The README calls ElRobot “a highly affordable, fully 3D-printed robotic arm for physical AI research and imitation learning.” The broader NormaCore repository describes the arm as part of a “Physical Operations Platform” that combines hardware systems with software and data tooling. In that top-level README, the company says the project includes “complete hardware systems” such as its 7+1 DoF arm and parallel jaw gripper. ### What does 7+1 DOF mean here? NormaCore lists ElRobot as a 7+1 DoF arm with a parallel jaw gripper. The repository says the arm is designed for “full dexterity for complex tasks,” while the extra “+1” refers to the gripper actuation alongside the seven arm joints. The GitHub specs page lists a reach of 430 mm and a weight of about 800 grams. NormaCore also says the arm is intended to be easy to build, with ready-to-print files and step-by-step manuals included in the release materials. ### How cheap is the arm, and what parts does it use? NormaCore’s README estimates the build cost at about $220 per arm. The bill of materials breaks the setup into leader and follower variants and lists off-the-shelf components including ST3215 serial bus servos, a servo driver, power components and controller hardware. The BOM also says the leader and follower arms share a core architecture but differ in motors, power requirements and teleoperation accessories. That distinction matters because the repository is structured for paired use cases rather than a single static arm build. ### What is ElRobot supposed to be used for? NormaCore says ElRobot is built for “physical AI research and imitation learning.” The company’s repository places the arm inside a wider toolkit for robotics and other physical systems, and says the hardware is meant to lower the cost of building research and home robotics setups. The project page also points users to simulation materials and a web playground, indicating the release is not limited to CAD files alone. The package combines printable hardware, control-oriented components and digital assets for testing and development. ### Where are the files, and what comes next? NormaCore has published ElRobot in the public `norma-core/norma-core` GitHub repository, under `hardware/elrobot`. The folder includes the README, STEP and STL assets, print files, simulation resources and manuals for both leader and follower configurations. The repository showed recent updates as of July 9, including ongoing software commits in the main project and prior hardware documentation changes in the ElRobot section. For builders, the next step is downloading the print files, following the assembly manuals and sourcing the listed servo and power components from the BOM.