Texas teen builds $25 robot sensor nearly 20 times cheaper than existing options

Born in San Antonio, Lucci built SubArc for his engineering project for the Regeneron Science Talent Search. Imagine building a tiny piece of technology that tells robots exactly how they are moving, and doing it for the cost of a typical dinner. This is exactly what 18-year-old Texas student Frank Lucci set out to do with SubArc, an innovative high-resolution sensor designed to make precision robotics more affordable and accessible, reports Society for Science. Scroll down to read the details about his innovation.A sensor designed to make robotics more accessibleBorn in San Antonio, Lucci built SubArc for his engineering project for the Regeneron Science Talent Search. He’s built a high-resolution rotary encoder, a device that converts mechanical motion into digital signals so that machines can accurately record rotation and position, explains an online report published by the Society for Science website. For the uninitiated, rotary encoders are essential parts of robotics, but high-resolution models can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That price can be prohibitive for independent researchers, student teams and programs with limited budgets, working with advanced robot...