Who's a GoodBoy? 3D Print Your Own Robot Dog!
Daniel Hingston now has his own robotic pet, which resembles a miniature version of Boston Dynamics' Spot.
Inspired in part by Boston Dynamics' Spot, Daniel Hingston has wanted to make a quadruped robot for several years. With a bit of time on his hands due to the current lockdown, he decided to make this a reality.
Hingston's “GoodBoy” robotic dog is capable of walking in a forward motion, as well as simple obstacle avoidance. Movement is facilitated by two micro servo motors per leg, positioned on the shoulder and elbow joints. It’s able to detect something in front of it via a pair of HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor "eyes." The GoodBoy is also able to present its paw for shaking, triggered by covering up an LDR sensor on its forehead area for three seconds. The body and legs are 3D-printed, with wiring hidden inside its appendages by stopping parts mid-print to insert wires.
GoodBoy is controlled with an Arduino Uno board, and powered by an 18650 cell with an Adafruit PowerBoost 1000C. Notably, the Arduino is powered by the 5V pin to avoid the need for more power conversion equipment. This works here, but must be done with caution, as it’s not officially recommended and can’t be simultaneously plugged into a laptop.
If you'd like to build your own, CAD files for the project are available on GrabCAD, while code and more details can be found in the Hingston's post.