I will ride on this robot

In this talk

1. 0:09

   Builds rotary and sliding movement

   Bruton adds Lazy Susan bearings and a geared track so the machine can rotate while lifting two feet. For its 400 mm stride, he uses overlapping desk drawer slides rated for 40 kg each, driven by a 1605 ball screw and a brushless motor.

2. 5:41

   Adds motors, sensors, and controls

   A geared motor turns the rotary section, while Teensy 4.1 controllers read AS5047 magnetic encoders at the legs. A central Teensy coordinates the modules, and a handheld pendant sends joystick and button commands. Bruton says the setup leaves room for future sensors such as load cells and foot pressure sensors.

3. 14:33

   Tests walking and turning

   Suspended above the ground on a FlexiSpot E7 Pro desk, the machine lifts diagonal pairs of feet and slides them to walk forward or backward. A separate rotary axis opens and closes the legs to turn, reaching about 30 degrees in the initial test. Bruton says the axes should be mixable, but he had not yet tried that.

4. 15:59

   Demonstrates the machine at Formnext

   Bruton and Matt Denton take their builds to Formnext 2025 in Frankfurt, where Bruton assembles and tests the machine. It stays upright while stepping from a raised booth edge, even with one foot partly on the ledge. Bruton identifies a stability issue for riding: the upper blocks are attached to only two legs, so another sliding stage is needed to keep his weight over the grounded legs.

5. 20:29

   Plans improvements for riding

   Bruton plans to add a second sliding section to balance a rider’s weight as the machine moves. He also wants to experiment with beanbag-like feet filled with 3D-printed pieces, aiming for feet that adapt to obstacles and become firm under the robot’s weight. Extending the rotary track could let the machine turn 90 degrees in one movement.