Upgrade Mantis Claw Acrylic Manipulator Kit

The Upgrade Mantis Claw Acrylic Manipulator Kit is a lightweight and innovative mechanical gripper designed for DIY drones, quadcopters, robotic arms, aerial grabbing experiments, and educational robotics projects. Its unique mechanical design allows the claw to open and close automatically through movement, eliminating the need for a servo motor, controller, or continuous electrical power.

Constructed from 3 mm laser-cut acrylic plates and assembled using lightweight nylon nuts and bolts, the manipulator offers a practical combination of low weight, mechanical strength, and easy DIY assembly. Its transparent/black acrylic construction also gives the mechanism a distinctive appearance while allowing users to observe how the mechanical parts move.

Automatic Mechanical Grasping

The key feature of the Mantis Claw is its automatic mechanical grasping mechanism. Unlike conventional robotic grippers that require a servo motor or electronic controller to operate the claw, this design uses the movement of the attached platform to control the opening and closing action.

When the attached drone or mechanism descends, the claw opens. When the platform is lifted, the mechanism automatically closes around the object.

This makes the claw particularly interesting for experimental aerial payload pickup and mechanical grabbing applications where minimizing electronics and power consumption is important.

No Servo or Continuous Power Required

The mechanical operation means that the claw does not require a servo motor, external controller, or continuous electrical power for its basic opening and closing mechanism.

This can help simplify the overall design of a DIY aerial or robotic project and reduce the number of electronic components required.

However, the complete system still requires a suitable mounting structure and an appropriate lifting mechanism, such as a drone or robotic platform, to operate the claw.

Lightweight Acrylic Construction

The manipulator is made using 3 mm laser-cut acrylic plates. Acrylic provides a lightweight construction while maintaining sufficient rigidity for experimental and educational mechanical applications.

The laser-cut construction allows the individual components to be produced with consistent shapes and mounting holes, making assembly straightforward when following the supplied design.

The transparent or black acrylic appearance also makes the mechanism visually suitable for demonstrations and robotics projects.

Nylon Nuts and Bolts

The upgraded version comes with nylon nuts and bolts rather than the steel fasteners shown in some product images.

Nylon fasteners help keep the assembly lightweight and provide resistance to corrosion. This is particularly useful for drone-mounted applications where minimizing additional weight is important.

Please note: The current version uses nylon nuts and bolts. The product images may show an earlier version with steel nuts and bolts.

Wide 30 cm Grip Opening

The claw provides a maximum opening diameter of approximately 30 cm, allowing it to accommodate a variety of lightweight objects depending on their size, shape, weight, and surface characteristics.

The actual gripping capability depends on the object being picked up and the mechanical configuration of the complete system.

Inclined Mounting Bracket

The manipulator includes an approximately 45° inclined mounting bracket, which is designed to provide a suitable orientation when the claw is attached to a drone, robotic platform, or other mechanical system.

The mounting arrangement can be adapted according to the specific requirements of the user’s project.

DIY Assembly

The Mantis Claw is supplied as a DIY mechanical assembly kit. Users need to assemble the acrylic plates, fasteners, and other mechanical components before use.

This makes the product suitable for makers, students, educators, robotics enthusiasts, and hobbyists interested in learning about mechanical linkages and robotic manipulation.

Basic mechanical assembly skills and careful handling of acrylic components are recommended.

Key Features

• Automatic mechanical opening and closing
• No servo motor required
• No continuous electrical power required for basic claw operation
• Made from 3 mm laser-cut acrylic
• Lightweight nylon nuts and bolts
• Maximum opening diameter of approximately 30 cm
• Approx. 45° inclined mounting bracket
• Suitable for drone and robotic applications
• DIY assembly design
• Useful for robotics and mechanical education
• Suitable for aerial grabbing experiments

Specifications

Applications

The Upgrade Mantis Claw can be used for a variety of educational, experimental, and hobby applications, including:

• DIY drone payload pickup
• Quadcopter grabbing experiments
• Aerial object collection demonstrations
• Robotic arm gripper projects
• DIY manipulator mechanisms
• Robotics education
• Mechanical engineering demonstrations
• STEM projects
• Maker and hobby robotics
• Experimental autonomous mechanisms

Educational Robotics and Mechanical Learning

The Mantis Claw provides an interesting way to demonstrate how mechanical movement can be converted into gripping action without relying on electronic actuators.

Students and hobbyists can study concepts such as:

• Mechanical linkages
• Force and movement
• Gripping mechanisms
• Weight distribution
• Mechanical advantage
• Robotic manipulation
• Drone payload mechanisms

Its visible acrylic construction makes it easier to observe the movement of the mechanism during demonstrations and experimentation.

Lightweight Design for Drone Projects

For drone-mounted applications, weight is an important consideration. The use of acrylic plates and nylon fasteners helps keep the manipulator relatively lightweight compared with heavier metal constructions.

Before mounting the claw to a drone, users should verify the drone’s payload capacity, flight stability, battery performance, and mounting strength. The complete payload includes the manipulator, mounting hardware, and the object being carried.

Important Notes

• This is a DIY assembly kit and requires assembly before use.
• No electronics, servo motor, battery, or controller is included.
• The claw operates through its mechanical mechanism and does not require continuous power for basic opening and closing.
• The current version uses nylon nuts and bolts. Product images may show an older version with steel nuts and bolts.
• The maximum opening diameter is approximately 30 cm.
• Actual gripping performance depends on object size, weight, shape, surface, and the mounting platform.
• Acrylic components should be handled carefully during assembly to avoid damage.
• Minor surface, edge, or dimensional variations may occur due to the laser-cut manufacturing process.
• Product images are for representation only. The actual product may vary slightly in appearance or component arrangement.

Why Choose the Upgrade Mantis Claw?

The Upgrade Mantis Claw Acrylic Manipulator Kit is an excellent choice for makers and robotics enthusiasts looking for a unique mechanical gripping solution without adding a servo motor or continuous electronic control.

Its combination of automatic mechanical operation, lightweight acrylic construction, nylon fasteners, and a wide 30 cm opening makes it particularly interesting for DIY drone experiments, robotic manipulators, STEM demonstrations, and mechanical engineering projects.

Related Products and Categories

Explore relevant products and category pages available from Robosap.

• 4-Finger Robotic Arm Mini Mechanical Gripper Kit with N20 Motor DIY
• DIY Acrylic Robotics Gripper | Robotic Arm Gripper Kit
• Metallic Mechanical Robotic Arm Gripper Claw Manipulator
• Robotics Components
• Quadcopters and RC