Anyone can make a robot at home? Hyderabad father builds robotic arm for son with just YouTube and AI. Here's how he did it

Artificial intelligence is often seen as a tool that can answer questions, write code or help people finish tasks faster. But many people also believe its biggest strength is helping someone learn skills they may never have picked up otherwise. A Hyderabad-based father recently showed exactly that after using AI alongside YouTube to build a voice-controlled robotic arm with his son for a school tech fair. His detailed post on X (formerly Twitter) has now gone viral, with many saying it is a good example of using AI to learn instead of simply getting work done.

The father shared that what looked like a regular school assignment soon turned into a weekend full of learning, problem-solving and spending time together. Instead of building a complete robot, the father-son duo decided to create a robotic arm that could respond to voice commands, something they felt was possible within the limited time they had.

How the father and son built the robotic arm

The idea came after the man's son returned home a week before the school's tech fair and said, "I want to build a robot."


Knowing they only had a few days, they decided to scale down the plan and focus on building a voice-controlled robotic arm.

The father explained the entire process in his X post. "We searched YouTube for ideas. Created the 3D designs with Claude. Printed in Tolichowki (They gave the cheapest and fastest) and got them delivered on Rapido. Went to Koti and bought motors, chips, capacitors, resistors and wires."

After getting inspiration from YouTube, they used Anthropic's AI assistant Claude to generate the 3D designs. The parts were then 3D printed at a shop in Hyderabad's Tolichowki, which the father said offered the fastest and most affordable service. The printed components were delivered through Rapido, after which the pair visited Koti to buy motors, microcontroller chips, capacitors, resistors and wires needed for the project.

Claude AI helped with coding and troubleshooting

According to the father, Claude became much more than a design tool during the project. It helped write the code, solve technical problems and suggest improvements whenever they got stuck.

He said they kept refining the robotic arm with Claude Opus 5 and Fable until its performance improved. Only after several rounds of testing, fixing and making changes did they assemble the final version.

Looking back at the experience, he wrote, "And damn, it was fun."

He added, "What began as a school project became a beautiful experience of learning, building, failing, fixing and spending time together."

The father also said AI never reduced the learning involved in the project. Instead, it encouraged both of them to attempt something they may not have considered otherwise.

"AI did not reduce the learning. It made us more curious and helped us attempt something we may never have tried earlier," he wrote.

Internet praises the father for using AI the right way

The post quickly gained attention on X, with many users saying the story showed how AI can encourage creativity and hands-on learning instead of replacing it.

One user commented, "This is the version of it I like most. Not replacing anything you would have done together, just closing the gap between what he wanted to build and what either of you knew how to build yet. Hope the tech fair went well."

Another wrote, "Robot arm with your son beats 99% of 'AI changed my workflow' posts. Did the voice control survive demo day?"

A third user said, "I know it takes a lot of effort... but getting it work, makes you like winning something big."

Another person added, "The best part is not the robot, but turning a big idea into something he could actually finish. That is how confidence gets built."

Here's how you can build a similar robotic arm

Based on the steps the father shared, the process can be broken down into a few simple stages:

• Search YouTube for robotic arm ideas and beginner tutorials.
• Use an AI assistant such as Claude to create or refine a 3D design.
• Get the parts 3D printed through a local 3D printing service.
• Buy electronic components like motors, microcontroller chips, capacitors, resistors and wires from a nearby electronics market.
• Use AI to help write code, fix errors and improve the design during testing.
• Assemble the parts, test the robotic arm and keep refining it until everything works properly.