Top 5 legged robots to learn

The world of robotics is experiencing an unprecedented surge, with legged robots emerging as a fascinating area of focus. These machines, with their ability to navigate complex terrains and perform intricate tasks, are pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Today, we'll delve into five exceptional legged robots that you can learn from, courtesy of ThinkRobotics.

Understanding the Importance of Legged Robots

Before we dive into the specifics, let's understand why legged robots are such a hot topic. Unlike wheeled or tracked robots, legged robots can traverse uneven surfaces, climb stairs, and even adapt to changing environments. This versatility makes them ideal for a wide range of applications, including search and rescue, exploration, and even domestic assistance.

Top 5 Legged Robots to Learn

1. TonyPi Hiwonder AI Intelligent Visual Humanoid Robot

While not strictly a legged robot in the traditional sense, the TonyPi deserves a special mention. This humanoid robot, powered by Raspberry Pi, incorporates AI vision and intelligent servos, making it an exceptional platform for learning about robotics and computer vision.

• AI Vision: TonyPi's HD camera and OpenCV integration allow for object recognition, tracking, and a host of other visual tasks.
  
  
• Raspberry Pi Power: The familiar Raspberry Pi platform provides a robust foundation for programming and experimentation.
  
  

Intelligent Servos: These servos ensure precise movements and efficient power consumption.

TonyPi is more than just a robot; it's a gateway to understanding the complexities of humanoid robotics, AI, and computer vision.

2. PuppyPi HiWonder Quadruped Robot with AI Vision - ROS Bionic Dog

PuppyPi is more than just a robot; it's a versatile platform for learning and experimenting with robotics, AI, and computer vision. Powered by a Raspberry Pi 4B 4GB and constructed from durable aluminium alloy, this quadruped robot boasts 8 powerful coreless servos that enable it to perform a wide range of movements, from walking to climbing stairs.

Key Features of PuppyPi-

• Linkage Mechanism: This innovative design enhances the robot's agility, allowing for a greater range of motion and more dynamic movements.
  
  
• AI Vision: Equipped with an HD wide-angle camera, PuppyPi can perform tasks like object tracking, face recognition, and line following.
  
  
• Lidar Compatibility: By adding a Lidar sensor, you can elevate PuppyPi's capabilities to include SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), navigation, and obstacle avoidance.
  
  
• ROS and Gazebo Integration: This open-source foundation provides a robust environment for development, simulation, and testing.
  

Compact and Durable: PuppyPi's sturdy aluminum alloy body and compact design make it suitable for various environments.

Learning Opportunities with PuppyPi:

• Machine Vision: Experiment with image processing, object detection, and computer vision algorithms.
  
  
• Robot Kinematics: Understand the relationship between joint angles and end-effector positions.
  
  
• Quadruped Gait Control: Explore different walking patterns and their impact on stability and efficiency.
  
  
• AI and Robotics: Develop intelligent behaviors and decision-making systems.
  

ROS and Gazebo: Learn to use powerful tools for robot development and simulation.

With its impressive hardware, advanced software support, and extensive learning resources, PuppyPi is an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced roboticists. Whether you're a student, hobbyist, or researcher, this quadruped robot offers endless possibilities for exploration and innovation.

3. HiWonder ROSSpider - the most advanced Intelligent Vision Hexapod Robot

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ThinkRobotics pushes the boundaries of robotic capabilities with the HiWonder ROSSpider, an intelligent vision-based hexapod robot built on the ROS operating system. This powerhouse is equipped with top-of-the-line hardware, including-

• 45KG High-Voltage Bus Servos: These powerful servos provide exceptional torque and control, enabling the ROSSpider to navigate even demanding environments.
  
  
• Jetson Nano B01 Main Controller: The Jetson Nano is a powerful AI computer that allows the ROSSpider to perform complex computations for advanced tasks.
  
  
• LiDAR Sensor: This sensor creates 3D maps of the surrounding environment, crucial for navigation and obstacle avoidance.
  
  
• 3D Depth Camera: This camera provides rich depth information, further enhancing the robot's spatial awareness.
  
  
• IMU Sensor: The Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) tracks the robot's orientation and motion, essential for maintaining balance and stability.
  
  
• Far-Field Microphone Array & Speaker: Enable voice recognition, sound source localization, and voice guidance, expanding the robot's interaction capabilities.
  
  
• Electric Pan-Tilt Camera Mount: Allows for precise control of the camera's direction, improving object tracking and situational awareness.
  
  
• OLED LCD Screen: Provides visual feedback and status updates for the user.

Advanced Kinematic Gait Algorithms: The ROSSpider boasts sophisticated algorithms that enable seamless transitions between various gaits, allowing it to adapt to changing terrain and optimize its movement for efficiency. Users can also fine-tune the robot's body posture, height, speed, and stride for specific tasks.

4. HiWonder ROSPug - Professional Quadruped Robotic Platform

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ROSPug is a sophisticated quadruped robot built on ROS. Powered by a Jetson Nano, it boasts 12 high-voltage servos, a TOF lidar, HD camera, and IMU. With advanced gait control and Gazebo simulation, ROSPug excels in SLAM, navigation, obstacle avoidance, and climbing. Its modular design allows for customization with deep learning and machine vision.

Features

• 12 DOF Aluminium Alloy Structure: The ROSPug boasts 12 high-performance servos strategically placed across its legs, enabling lifelike movements. Its aluminum alloy frame ensures durability and lightweight construction.
  
  
• Link Structure for Enhanced Efficiency: A carefully designed link structure optimizes the calf joint's speed and range of motion, contributing to smoother and more agile movements.
  

Inverse Kinematics for Precise Control: ROSPug employs advanced inverse kinematics to calculate the necessary servo angles for desired leg positions, allowing for intricate movement patterns.

• Versatile Gait Patterns: The robot can execute various gaits, including walk, amble, and trot, by adjusting parameters like touchdown time, lift time, and leg height.
  
  
• Adjustable Height, Speed, and Pose: Users can fine-tune the ROSPug's height, inclination, pitch, and roll angles to achieve different postures and movements.
  
  
• IMU-Based Self-Balancing: Equipped with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), the ROSPug can maintain balance in challenging terrains by constantly monitoring its orientation and adjusting leg positions accordingly.
  
  
• Yaw Angle Correction: The IMU also helps correct deviations in yaw angle, ensuring precise movement and stability.
  
  
• Vision-Guided Navigation and Interaction: The ROSPug's HD camera enables it to perform tasks like color recognition, object tracking, and autonomous navigation, making it a versatile platform for AI research.

5. AiNex ROS Education AI Vision Humanoid Robot Powered by Raspberry Pi

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AiNex is an intelligent humanoid robot built on the Robot Operating System (ROS). It boasts 24 degrees of freedom (DOF) and is powered by a Raspberry Pi. With self-stabilizing inverse kinematics, AiNex excels in walking, climbing, hurdling, grasping, and performing complex movements. Furthermore, its height, turning radius, and speed can be adjusted!

Equipped with a 2DOF AI vision camera and robotic hands that can open or close, AiNex can accomplish tasks like line following, target tracking, ball shooting, intelligent picking and sorting, transportation, stair climbing, and more, using AI vision and advanced kinematics. We offer comprehensive ROS source code and detailed tutorials to bring your AI scenarios to life.

Features-

• 2 DOF HD Wide-angle Camera- Equipped with a 120° high-definition wide-angle camera capable of effectively identifying and locating target objects using OpenCV image processing.
  
  
• Powered by Raspberry Pi- Controlled by a Raspberry Pi and intelligent high-voltage bus servos, programmed in Python for various AI applications like color tracking and face detection.
  
  
• Movable Hand with Anti-blocking Protection- Expandable with mechanical hands for flexible grasping and carrying of small items. Hand servos provide angle and temperature feedback to prevent damage from obstructions.
  
  
• Dual Hip Joints with Original Structure- Features two hip joints for Z-axis leg rotation, enhancing flexibility in turning. Hip joints utilize magnetic encoder bus servos for high accuracy and stability.
  
  
• ROS Robot Operating System- Based on the open-source ROS platform, offering hardware abstraction, low-level device control, message-passing, and package management. Provides tools and libraries for code development and reuse in robotics research and development.

Conclusion

The world of legged robotics is rapidly evolving, and ThinkRobotics is at the forefront of providing innovative and accessible platforms for learning and experimentation. From the versatile PuppyPi to the advanced ROSSpider, these robots offer a wealth of opportunities to explore robotics, AI, and computer vision. By combining powerful hardware, intelligent software, and open-source support, ThinkRobotics empowers users to push the boundaries of robotic capabilities and create groundbreaking applications. As technology continues to advance, we can expect even more exciting developments in the field of legged robotics, and ThinkRobotics is poised to remain a leader in this dynamic landscape.