The ESP8266 is finding its way into all sorts of projects these days. It’s a capable little device, to be sure, but we’d have to say that finding it running a quadruped robot that can hop and run was a little unexpected. And to have it show up in such an adorable design was pretty cool too.
From the looks of [Javier Isabel]’s build log, he put a lot of thought into [Kame]. All the body parts and linkages are 3D printed from PLA, with the nice touch of adding a contrasting color. The legs are powered by eight high-speed Turnigy servos, and good quality bearings are used in the linkages. A NodeMCU runs the show with custom oscillator algorithms that control the various gaits, including the hopping motion. The BOM even lists “Adhesive 12mm diameter eyes” – perhaps that’s some sort of slang for the more technically correct “googly eyes.”
Built primarily as a test platform for studying different gaits, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of sensors in [Kame]’s current incarnation. But with an ESP8266 under the hood, the possibilities for autonomous operation are good. We look forward to seeing where this project goes next. And we kid about the cuteness factor, but never doubt the power of an attractive design to get the creative juices flowing.
We’ve covered a lot of quadruped robots before, and a lot of them seem to trend toward the cute end of the spectrum. Check out this baby-quad that’s learning to walk or this quad that thinks it’s a puppy.
Cool. According to the new Hackaday reader, this is deserving of a DARPA grant. (wish I was joking)
http://hackaday.com/2016/01/14/the-stork-looks-different-than-we-thought/#comment-2886482
Please confirm that you are being sarcastic by mocking the disdainful, superior tone of too many commenters.
Unfortunately he’s passive-aggressively responding to someone who smacked down his notahack trollpost from over two weeks ago.
Haha, I was having a poke at him- it’s a copy paste of the first response to him. Aint no fun trolling if you get the same reponse every time.
BURN!
Whaaa, it’s a dogfrog!
:o)
Nice project and it does look adorable but around here it would cost me $280 for the servos. A cost down version would be a lot more attractive … and perhaps a little less adorable.
There are lots of those around, but the cheaper servos are weaker, so it won’t jump.
Googly eyes are on flexible stalks or springs. these are just button eyes.
Cute!
Hm. Google contradicts you. https://www.google.de/search?q=googly+eyes&tbm=isch
Cute and fun but I see little utility going forward in this type of locomotion.
It’s likely to be a lot more practical than wheels for covering rough ground.
Perhaps, but I suspect other quadruped gaits would be more effective.
Precisely, evolution has long since abandoned the concept of 4 legged animals. Which is why we don’t see them in nature.
I should have clarified that I was referring to the gait in the leading GIF not quadruped gaits in general
I know it may seem cruel, but get one like that, put it in the bed room at night, and wait until the “GF” goes in and it starts to jump like that.
I think screams would be hard several suburbs away.