The integration of robotics into education has proven to be an effective strategy for engaging students in hands-on learning experiences. This study presents the development of an educational robotic arm conceived as a multidisciplinary project within the Ocean Digital Fabrication Laboratory, located at the State University of Amazonas. Designed and built by the students themselves, the device offers a low-cost and practical approach to robotics education by leveraging the full range of laboratory resources while fostering the development of skills in electronics, mechanics, and computing. The laboratory is structured into three main areas: electronics (PCB prototyping, electronic components, and robotics kits), mechanics (CNC machining, laser cutting, and modeling), and computing (3D printing, programming, and application development). The robotic arm was designed as a simple yet functional model, built using transparent acrylic and mounted on an MDF base. It is controlled through potentiometers connected to an ESP32 microcontroller on a custom printed circuit board. The project involved several stages of fabrication: the MDF base was cut using a CNC machine with Aspire software; the acrylic structure was processed with a laser cutter using CorelDRAW; the circuit was simulated in Tinkercad; the PCB was designed in Proteus and manufactured using a MonoFab CNC; and the ESP32 was programmed via the Arduino IDE. The device was implemented in educational activities within the laboratory itself, being used in courses and workshops to demonstrate fundamental concepts of automation, electronics, and programming. The experience revealed that the robotic arm contributed to a better understanding of these concepts by allowing students to interact directly with hardware components and explore different control and programming methods. Its use in practice-based learning environments made the educational process more intuitive and engaging. The results indicate that the project not only provided an interdisciplinary development experience for the students involved, but also became an effective pedagogical tool supporting the teaching of robotics and digital fabrication. The entire process was supervised by laboratory mentors and a faculty advisor, ensuring a safe learning environment while fostering the development of competencies in educational technologies.

Keywords: Educational robotics, digital fabrication, programming, hands-on learning, technology.