Project STEP (Launching Fall '24)

*More information and application link to come mid-July*

Humanoid robots are uniquely equipped to walk over, climb, and navigate obstacles relative to other types of robots. Despite the intense research interest in these systems, the cost and maintenance of useful humanoid designs remains high, limiting their adoption as platforms for basic research and experimentation. Our goal is to leverage recent advances in additive manufacturing, actuators, and computing for the development of open-source, widely-available biped robots.

The overarching goal is to develop an accessible (open-source, affordable, and easily manufactured) biped robot as a robust platform for perception, gait, manipulation, and locomanipulation research. This includes: 1. Reduction of cost and manufacturing complexity with 3-D printed designs 2. Implementation of contact-aware motion planning algorithms for control 3. Release of control algorithms and other software libraries that are well-maintained and easily accessible. 4. Release of system models for integration with common simulation environments for testing.