How to build Stanford Pupper v3
12-DoF four-legged robot dog · Intermediate
Pupper v3 is a 3 kg, 12-DoF teaching robot dog with Steadywin GIM4305 actuators, a Raspberry Pi 5 and RL walking. The docs estimate about $2,000.
Some soldering, calibration and Linux comfort needed.
Our estimate, part-time
About $2,000, per the docs' estimate
GPL-3.0 (software; no hardware license)
What is Stanford Pupper v3?
Pupper v3 came out of years of Stanford robotics teaching. The Doggo team named it as their successor, and Hands-On Robotics hosts the documentation.
It has 12 joints driven by Steadywin GIM4305 brushless actuators with 10:1 planetary gearboxes. A Raspberry Pi 5 with an M.2 slot for an AI accelerator, a BNO086 IMU, a fisheye nose camera, a 4-inch face screen and ear servos make up the rest, at about 3 kg.
It walks using a reinforcement-learning policy trained in simulation. The code is GPL-3.0 and the docs are AGPL-3.0, but there's no hardware license file.
Stanford Pupper v3 specifications
- Mass
- ≈3 kg
- DoF
- 12
- Actuators
- Steadywin GIM4305 (10:1)
- Compute
- Raspberry Pi 5
- IMU
- BNO086
Figures as published by the project. See Sources below.
Bill of materials
| Part | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Steadywin GIM4305 actuator | 12 | |
| Raspberry Pi 5 | 1 | |
| 4" Waveshare HDMI screen | 1 | |
| PETG HF filament | — | For the printed structure |
| M2.5 heat-set inserts and screws | ≈100 each | |
| Squash balls (feet) | 4 |
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 $2,000 as a ballpark from the project. Start at the project repository.
Tools you'll need
- FDM printer (PETG)
- Heat-set insert tip
- Hex drivers
Step-by-step build overview
Electronics & wiring overview
The actuators sit on a CAN bus reached from the Pi 5. The face screen connects over HDMI.
Software
Nate711/pupperv3-monorepo (GPL-3.0), with RL training and deployment.
Tips from the bench
- ☕ Use 'single or double yellow dot' squash balls for the feet, as listed.
Stanford Pupper v3 FAQ
How much does Pupper v3 cost?
The docs estimate about $2,000.
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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