LoCoQuad Is an Arachnoid Quadruped Robot Powered by a Raspberry Pi

STEM has propelled the creation of robots for learning and research for the better part of the decade, and while some of those robots can be on the expensive side, most have gone the way of open source. Researchers Manuel Bernal Lecina and Javier Civera from the University of Zaragoza have developed a low-cost, arachnid-inspired quadruped robot, known as LoCoQuad, that's excellent for classroom education.

The researchers explain, “This robot has been designed to test Reinforcement Learning algorithms in real systems. The original idea derivated into a wider view of the platform. We designed an Open Source robot based on Linux + Raspberry Pi and Low-Cost components, so everybody has access to a legged robot for cheap. Other robots have been designed, but they are both more expensive and more Closed Sourced. You can learn many things with LoCoQuad, from fundaments of manufacturing, fast prototyping, electronics and soldering, Python scripting, and overall ROBOTICS.”

LoCoQuad is built around a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and features a Pi Camera for navigation/object identification, eight MG90S servos, and a 3000mAh LiPo battery. It is also quipped with a series of sensors, including an accelerometer/gyroscope and ultrasonic sensor, all packed inside a 3D-printed PLA body with four actuated legs.

Code for the robot was done using Python and has several action capabilities — such as a photographer routine where the robot walks around taking pictures, and an obstacle avoidance routine where the robot travels in a single direction and moves around any objects in its path. The researchers have uploaded all the necessary .STL files and code for their LoCoQuad on GitHub for those who would like to recreate their build.