desktop toys that could run the prc?

[kerber.g]

Until I can afford my own kuka Id like to do more than digitally simulate a robots movements...
Are there any 6 axis desktop robot toys that might be able to be controlled by the Kuka prc?
Maybe this one?

http://www.bizoner.com/arduino-6-dof-programmable-clamp-robot-arm-kit-ready-to-use-p-238.html

this ones not 6 axis but maybe could work? http://blog.ufactory.cc/category/robot-arms/

Id really like to play with pick and put operations and just test grasshopper driven movements in general.
Thanks -Ethan

[Johannes @ Robots in Architecture]

Hello Ethan,

Well, the thing is that while a robotic arm consists at its core of 6 axes, the system as a whole is quite a bit more elaborate. So you could definitely get KUKA|prc axis values to an Arduino which controls six axes, but without much mechanical and electrical engineering work would it result in very jerky and not really accurate movements.
The best way to simulate a KUKA robot arm is KUKA SimPro (a simulation environment) and Office.Lite (the entire robot control software in a VMWare virtual machine). It's quite expensive, but maybe you can get access via a university.
If you've got the space and the patience, you can get pretty old KUKAs used for a couple thousand Euros. Any robots that are older than KRC2 won't conform with current (EU) machine safety regulations, though.
One more remark regarding the robot you linked to: I believe the arm itself hasn't got 6 axes, but rather the gripper itself is the 6th axis.
And finally a link to a very interesting paper by Andy Payne who went the other way around: http://research.gsd.harvard.edu/drg/files/2012/05/Five-Axis-Robotic-Motion-Controller-For-Designers_ACADIA_2011.pdf

Best,
Johannes