ZeroWire Robotics has developed an open-source, palm-sized quadruped robot that comes fully assembled and ready to use.
The robot, dubbed Q8botOne, builds on its predecessor’s — the Q8bot — low-cost, agile design, resulting in a fully assembled robotic platform for hobbyists, researchers and developers.
Source: ZeroWire Robotics
Setting the Q8botOne apart from the Q8bot is that the Q8botOne now features programmable actuators in a palm-sized design.
The robot, which will soon be available through a Crowd Supply campaign, can reportedly perform dynamic movements typically associated with larger, more expensive quadruped robots. The Q8botOne robot can walk, trot and jump.
Further, Q8botOne features a highly integrated design that places electronics on a custom central circuit board, thus reducing wiring, weight and maintenance requirements while also improving reliability. It uses eight DYNAMIXEL smart actuators and moves on lightweight 3D-printed legs controlled by an ESP32-C3 microcontroller and powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The robot includes a pre-paired wireless controller, supports easy sensor and co-processor expansion via Qwiic and UART interfaces, and can be upgraded for applications like AI, computer vision and autonomous navigation.
For more on the Q8botOne, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of ZeroWire Robotics.
