I Built a Robot Dog and Made it Dance

In this talk

1. 0:19

   From test leg to full robot

   Topps stands for “Traverser of Planar Surfaces,” and its name also spells Spot backwards. Musa builds on earlier project stages: custom quasi-direct-drive actuators, a test leg with inverse kinematics and gait sequences, and a redesigned leg that uses CAN bus and can jump.

2. 2:18

   Building the frame and actuators

   Musa designs the frame around four carbon fiber tubes, with each leg mounted across two tubes. He assembles 12 actuators using high-torque brushless motors and ODrive S1 controllers, then builds four three-joint legs with 9:1 belt-pulley reductions. A Teensy 4.1, CAN bus, RC controls, and a six-cell battery power and control the robot.

3. 6:53

   Making feet and getting it to walk

   To improve grip, Musa molds Shore 30A silicone around 3D-printed foot bases. Early tests reveal skipped belts that prevent Topps from standing, so he prints larger idler pulleys and adjusts the legs’ default positions. He programs a trot using alternating diagonal pairs and switches from a sinusoidal foot path to a simpler lift, forward, lower, and return sequence.

4. 10:02

   A dance, plus limits and next steps

   After extensive programming and testing, Topps manages to walk and dance. Its joints still skip, making jumps and hard steps unreliable, while startup requires manually calibrating each leg. Musa says the minimal gait software and lack of IMU sensors also limit natural movement and response to external forces; he credits James Bruton for ideas including the carbon fiber frame and silicone feet.