Meet DoggoBot, a Cardboard Quadruped

Hacker “makerinchief” would like to have a dog, but as he lives in New York City, this urban environment isn’t particularly amenable to canine friends. Robot dogs, however, are a different story, and as outlined here, he made his own “DoggoBot” using four small servos, an Arduino Nano, and a copious amount of laser-cut cardboard.

That’s right, this four-legged robot is made almost entirely out of cardboard, and while these particular parts were cut out using a laser, one could, in theory, also cut them out with manual tools if needed. A 3D-printed hinge pin allows the legs to bend at the knee, though this could also be substituted if you don’t have access to a 3D printer.

The results — seen in the video below — are quite impressive, as anyone that’s tried to build a walking robot knows that getting things to balance properly can be quite a challenge. Control is via a Bluetooth connection and custom Android app, yet can also be done using a wired serial connection if you so desire. The project took a few months to get working properly, but as with most robotics projects, there are still a few improvements that could be made, such as adding sensors and getting the robot to turn.