Learn to Control Your Impulses

Impulse is a self-balancing, two-wheeled bipedal robot that can be made from affordable and 3D-printed parts, making it ideal for tinkerers.

Nick Bild
9 days agoRobotics
Impulse is a DIY two-wheeled bipedal robot (📷: Aaed Musa)

As a general rule, the more complex a robot is, the more expensive it is. Relatively simple wheeled and tracked robots, for example, can be had for prices that are friendly to the typical hobbyist. But when it comes to bipedal robots that walk in a human-like fashion, you can forget about even finding a “buy now” button on the manufacturer’s website. When the only option is to contact the sales department, that is a pretty big indicator that it is out of your price range for a weekend project. Kiss those dreams of a cool robotic butler goodbye forever!

That is unless you happen to be a brilliant mechanical engineer like Aaed Musa that is willing to put in months of work in exchange for saving some serious cash. Musa initially set out to build a walking bipedal robot inspired by a commercial offering, but after considering the options decided instead to scale back the plans slightly and go with a two-wheeled bipedal robot. While exact figures were not provided, the materials likely cost in the neighborhood of $1,000 to $1,500, making this build a bargain when compared with commercial options.

The robot, named Impulse, is self-balancing and sports features such as fast acceleration, auto-deployment, variable height, and portability. Weighing in at 5.35 kg with a height range of 305.5 to 455.5 mm, Impulse supports a maximum tested payload of 2.27 kg and a speed of 1.64 m/s, with a theoretical maximum speed of 3.98 m/s. The design incorporates six degrees of freedom, with 3 actuators per leg (hip, knee, and foot) and a robust 3D-printed structure with cutouts for strength and aesthetics. Portability was made possible with features like N52-grade magnets for compact storage and a handle for easy carrying. The robot’s design emphasizes modularity and efficiency, with a passive cooling system for the electronics, and a stilt-like mechanism for easier deployment.

Impulse’s hardware includes a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller, GIM6010 actuators for the legs, DBS2.0 hub motors for the wheels, and ODrive motor controllers, providing precise control while maintaining a compact form factor. The control system uses three PID controllers to manage roll, velocity, and pitch, ensuring balance, position stability, and adaptability during dynamic movements. The robot’s power is supplied by a 24V 3,000 mAh rechargeable Kobalt battery with an indicator that monitors the energy remaining.

Is Impulse easy to build. Oh no, absolutely not. Even with Musa’s guide, it would still be very challenging — although doable for more advanced hackers. But building such a robot would make for an excellent education in the field. And when complete, the platform would be perfect for future experimentation.

Musa is already considering potential improvements for future iterations of Impulse. These include using larger donut-shaped hub motors for off-road versatility, reinforcing the legs for durability during jumps, and simplifying maintenance by making parts easier to unmount. Even if you are not going to take the plunge and build your own version of this robot, this will be a fun project to watch in the future.

Nick Bild
R&D, creativity, and building the next big thing you never knew you wanted are my specialties.
Latest articles
Sponsored articles
Related articles
Get our weekly newsletter when you join Hackster.
Latest articles
Read more
Related articles