When I first started reporting on tech projects from the maker and engineer community almost a decade ago, DIY humanoid robots were still uncommon and difficult to pull off. But technology has progressed dramatically over that time period. Not only are high-performance humanoid robots breaking into the mainstream, but DIY builds are more accessible than ever before. To prove that, Oliver Paff built this set of humanoid robot legs that are awesome, even without a torso.
Our younger readers may not realize why this is a big deal, because lots of makers build humanoid robots these days. But consider everything you need for that to be possible.
You need affordable, high-quality fabrication at home, and 3D printing now provides that. You need inexpensive actuators with decent torque, and hobby servo motors now fill that need. You need a microcontroller and driver solution that offers performance without breaking the bank, and the options for those have exploded. And you need good libraries to take advantage of those, which are everyone thanks to robust community development.
Paff took advantage of all of those for this build. He used OnShape CAD to design the legs, then 3D-printed the parts. He purchased eight MG996R servos to actuate the legs. From there, he was able to control those servos with a powerful Arduino Mega 2560 paired with PCA9685 16-channel, 12-bit driver. Readily available and comprehensive libraries helped him program a basic walking gait — more sophisticated routines will come later.
This is just the start and Paff plans to add the rest of the humanoid body to the legs. But even the legs alone give me warm and fuzzy feelings, as they are the perfect illustration of how far our community has come in a short amount of time.