CHALLENGE: Design and build a legged robot that can reliably walk and perform more complex behaviors
SUMMARY: This project develops a compact quadrupedal robot dog designed for stable locomotion. Clifford is a remote controlled quadruped robot with two degrees of freedom per leg, optimized for moving in a straight line. The platform can traverse varied terrain and operate with minimal human supervision.
COURSE/CLIENT: ME4611 Robotics Studio, Columbia University Department of Mechanical Engineering
COMPLETION: TBD
SKILLS: Mechanical Design & CAD, Control Systems & Dynamics, Robot Kinematics Modeling, Embedded Systems & Electronics, Servos, Software Engineering
"I Love Clifford the Big Red Dog," composed by Mark Mothersbaugh & Josh Mancell
Journey video
I built the quadruped’s motion system around real-time inverse kinematics to control all four legs with precision. Each leg has a defined geometry and neutral position, and the IK solver computes the hip and knee angles needed to place the feet exactly where the gait engine specifies.
The robot uses a diagonal trot gait: one diagonal pair swings forward while the other provides support, and the pattern alternates each cycle to generate forward motion. During operation, the controller updates foot positions, converts them to joint angles, and sends smooth servo commands at a steady frequency for stable, continuous movement.