Spot Micro is a 4-legged open-source quadruped robot inspired by Boston Dynamics' Spot. Created by mike4192 in 2020, the project implements full motion control on a 3D-printed Spot Micro frame, including sit, stand, body angle, and walking gaits. Supporting libraries provide additional capabilities such as SLAM mapping using a body-mounted RPLidar. The robot uses a Raspberry Pi 3B running Ubuntu 16.04 with ROS Kinetic. Twelve PDI-HV5523MG servos (3 per leg) drive the legs through a PCA9685 i2c servo control board. The default 8-phase gait incorporates body movement to maintain balance and stability; an alternate trot gait achieves faster walking speeds. The 3D-printed frame originates from KDY0523's Thingiverse "Spot Micro" design (thing:3445283). This repository contributes the ROS-based motion control software, kinematics implementation, custom shoulder mounts, lidar mount, and SLAM integration on top of that frame. ## Hardware | Component | Notes | |---|---| | Computer | Raspberry Pi 3B | | Servo controller | PCA9685 (i2c) | | Servos | 12 x PDI-HV5523MG (or HV5523MG / cls6336hv) | | LCD panel | 16x2 i2c (optional) | | Battery | 2s 4000 mAh LiPo | | UBEC | HKU5 5V/5A regulator | | Lidar | RPLidar A1 (for SLAM) | | Frame | KDY0523 Spot Micro on Thingiverse | Estimated cost: $300-450 USD. Build time: 2-4 weeks. Skill level: Intermediate to Advanced (requires familiarity with ROS, Linux, and 3D printing). ## Software architecture The project is structured as a ROS Catkin workspace. Key nodes: - spot_micro_motion_cmd — main C++ motion control node implementing kinematics, gaits, and state machine - ros-i2cpwmboard — PCA9685 servo driver, controlled via i2c - spot_micro_keyboard_command — Python keyboard teleop - spot_micro_joy — joystick teleop - servo_move_keyboard — manual servo calibration utility - spot_micro_rviz / spot_micro_plot — visualization - lcd_monitor — LCD status display ## Firmware status This program is BYOD (bring-your-own-device). The motion control runs on a Raspberry Pi with ROS, not on the orobot platform's native firmware. The orobot.io program here serves as a learning entry point and command interface; full hardware control requires checking out the GitHub repository, building the catkin workspace, and flashing the configured Pi image. See the project README for setup instructions. ## Attribution Source: https://github.com/mike4192/spotMicro Author: mike4192 License: MIT Frame design: KDY0523 (Thingiverse thing:3445283, separate license)
Category: Mobile Robots
| Item | Qty | Unit Cost | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | Raspberry Pi 3B (or 3B+) | 1 | $40 | Main controller running ROS | | PCA9685 16-channel PWM/servo driver board | 1 | $10 | I2C servo control | | PDI-HV5523MG digital servo (high-voltage, 23 kg-cm) | 12 | $25 | 3 per leg x 4 legs | | 2S 4000 mAh LiPo battery (7.4V) | 1 | $25 | Direct power to servo bus | | HKU5 5V/5A UBEC voltage regulator | 1 | $10 | Powers Pi from LiPo | | RPLidar A1 360-degree lidar | 1 | $99 | Optional but used in repo | | 16x2 I2C LCD panel | 1 | $8 | Optional status display | | F625ZZ shielded ball bearings (5x16x5 mm) | 4 | $1 | Shoulder assembly | | M3x10 socket-head screws + M3 nuts | 8 of each | $0.10 | Shoulder assembly | | M2.5x8 screws | 4 | $0.10 | RPLidar mount | | Jumper wire / Dupont cable assortment | 1 set | $7 | I2C, signal wiring (inferred) | | XT60 connector + battery harness | 1 | $5 | LiPo connection (inferred) | | LiPo balance charger (2S/3S) | 1 | $25 | Charge battery (inferred) | | Double-sided foam mounting tape | 1 roll | $5 | Platform adhesion |