Instructor: Professor Hod Lipson
In this semester-long class, I had the opportunity to independently design and build a bipedal robot with the goal of maximizing walking speed. As a part of the course, I was provided with a basic kit of parts—including a battery, servo motors, and Raspberry Pi—as well as a small budget and access to 3D printers to bring my robot to life.
My design, BugBot, has wide legs and feet that give it a stable base. Each leg is a simple five-bar linkage, and is operated by two motors in parallel drive. For simplicity, BugBot has fixed ankle joints, and takes small, stable steps. I used the majority of my additional budget to invest in shoulder screws and sleeve bearings, allowing the 3D printed links to rotate smoothly. I also designed custom electronics mounts that prioritized ventilation and access for easy recharging and repair.
As a final deliverable for the course, I created the journey video at the bottom of the page, which documents the design and construction process from start to finish.