Teen Inventor Creates SubArc Sensor for Under $25, Cutting Costs Twentyfold
Eighteen-year-old Frank Lucci of San Antonio designed SubArc, a high-resolution rotary encoder that costs less than $25, dramatically cheaper than existing models.
For his Regeneron Science Talent Search entry, 18-year-old Frank Lucci created SubArc, a compact rotary encoder that translates mechanical motion into digital data. The device relies on magnetic detection and a new signal-handling approach, allowing it to maintain high resolution while using inexpensive parts. Priced at under $25, SubArc is about twenty times cheaper than similar high-resolution sensors on the market.
Lucci, a student at BASIS San Antonio Shavano, also founded his school’s aerospace club and robotics team, and has interned with Astroport Space Technologies on lunar-construction robotics. The sensor’s open-source design aims to make precision robotics more accessible to students and low-budget researchers, especially in harsh environments. Outside engineering, Lucci collects promotional sunglasses frames, boasting a collection of more than thirty styles.
Why it matters
Affordable high-precision sensors could broaden robotics research and education for low-budget teams.
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