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Intermediate build

How to build Mini Pupper 2

12-DoF four-legged robot dog · Intermediate

Mini Pupper 2 is a palm-sized 12-DoF robot dog with a Raspberry Pi CM4, ESP32-S3 and feedback servos. The kit is $604; the BSP and ROS packages are open.

Start the buildProject files
Difficulty
Intermediate

Some soldering, calibration and Linux comfort needed.

Build time
2–4 weekends

Our estimate, part-time

Parts cost
$604

$604 for MangDang's legs-pre-assembled kit

Degrees of freedom
12

Apache-2.0 (software; no hardware license)

What is Mini Pupper 2?

Mini Pupper 2 is MangDang's 2022 follow-up to Mini Pupper. It pairs a Raspberry Pi CM4 with an ESP32-S3 that drives twelve serial-bus servos with position feedback.

Sensors include an IMU, touch pads, a microphone, a speaker and a 320×240 face screen, all in a 465 g body measuring 209 × 109 × 145 mm.

This one is sold as a product, not a print-it-yourself design. The open part is the software: the mini_pupper_2_bsp board package and the ROS stack.

Mini Pupper 2 specifications

DoF
12
Compute
Raspberry Pi CM4 + ESP32-S3
Servos
Serial bus with feedback
Size / mass
209 × 109 × 145 mm / 465 g
Battery
1000 mAh

Figures as published by the project. See Sources below.

Bill of materials

PartQtyNotes
Mini Pupper 2 kit, legs pre-assembled1$604; fully assembled is $649
Where's the full bill of materials?

The full BOM, with exact quantities and vendors, lives in the project's own files. Prices change often, so treat $604 as a ballpark from the project. Start at the project repository.

Tools you'll need

  • Small screwdrivers
  • A PC to flash the CM4 image

Step-by-step build overview

Electronics & wiring overview

The CM4 talks to the ESP32-S3, which runs the serial servo bus. Everything is pre-wired on MangDang's boards.

Battery packpower sourceLaptop / PChigh-level controlIMUsensingRaspberry Pireal-time controllerServo bus adapterdrivers / bushobby/smart servos12 joints / motors
PowerData / commandsSensor feedbackOverview only. Follow the project's own schematic for pinouts and voltages.

Software

PythonURDF model

mini_pupper_2_bsp (Apache-2.0) plus the mini_pupper_ros packages.

Tips from the bench

  • ☕ Hardware design files aren't openly licensed. Treat it as a kit with open software.

Mini Pupper 2 FAQ

How much is Mini Pupper 2?

$604 with pre-assembled legs, or $649 fully assembled.

Is the hardware open source?

No hardware license is published. The software is Apache-2.0.

Sources

Written by Bots n' Beans from the project's own documentation. Check the sources for the latest revision before you buy parts.

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