DUKE HUMANOID: A BIPED THAT WALKS WITH PASSIVE DYNAMICS
A 10-joint humanoid from Duke that walks efficiently by working WITH its own physics — a measured cut in energy cost, and the code is open.
by General Robotics Lab, Duke University
RoboticsResearch
- difficulty
- ●●●●●
- time
- a serious project
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo ACTIVE68 stars
●●●●● · a serious project · MIT · 68 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
- Soldering kit + basic tools — one-time buy, serves every future build
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
The Duke Humanoid is a lovely piece of engineering thinking: a 10-joint biped that walks efficiently by exploiting passive dynamics — letting the legs swing with their own physics instead of fighting them — and it posts a real, measured drop in energy cost. Duke's General Robotics Lab open-sourced the reinforcement-learning environments and the hardware control stack (Teensy firmware, EtherCAT), plus zero-shot sim-to-real walking. We're honest that this is a research platform, not a kit: there's no manufacturing CAD or BOM in the repo (the parts list lives on an external Notion page), and you'll need EtherCAT servos, a Teensy, Linux and a GPU. For a researcher or a very serious builder interested in efficient locomotion, it's a rich, credible open project.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —The repo is a research/software platform: RL environments plus real hardware control (Teensy firmware, EtherCAT)
- —It has URDF and simulation STL meshes, but no manufacturing CAD (no STEP)
- —The BOM and assembly guide live on an external Notion page, not in the repo
- —It needs EtherCAT servos, a Teensy, Linux and an NVIDIA GPU — a research build
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
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Videos
The Duke Humanoid: Energy-Efficient Bipedal Locomotion Using Passive Dynamics2:53
The lab's paper/demo video — design and walking in one.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the project page (the overview)
- 2.Watch the demo (see the efficient gait)
- 3.Read the paper (the design and the energy results)
- 4.Get the BOM (Notion) (the parts list lives here)
- 5.Explore the code (RL env + hardware control)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- There's no manufacturing CAD or BOM in the repo — the parts list is on an external Notion page (mind link-rot)
- It needs EtherCAT servos, a Teensy, Linux and an NVIDIA GPU — a research setup
- It's a prototype, not a kit — treat it as a platform to study and extend
What's special about how it walks?
It uses passive dynamics — walking with straight-kneed human-like legs that hold balance by exploiting the legs' natural swing, rather than actively fighting it, which saves energy.
How much energy does it save?
The team reports a cost-of-transport reduction of about 50% in simulation and roughly 31% on the real robot versus a baseline.
Can I build one from the repo?
Not from the repo alone — the manufacturing details and BOM are on an external Notion page, and it needs specialized servos and compute. It's a research platform.
What does it cost?
Band $$ — the EtherCAT servos and compute dominate. The Notion BOM has current prices.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Duke's biped walks with straight, human-like knees and lets physics do part of the work — a measured 31 percent energy cut on real hardware. Should more humanoids stop fighting their own dynamics?
Berkeley open-sourced a humanoid robot you can 3D print for a fifth of the price
●●●●● · a more buildable open humanoid
Open Duck Mini: A DIY BDX-Style Droid That Learns to Walk
●●●●○ · a smaller legged RL robot
Stanford Doggo: The Open-Source Robot Dog That Backflips
●●●●○ · another efficiency-focused legged research robot
General Robotics Lab, Duke University
A Duke lab open-sourced a 10-joint humanoid designed for energy-efficient walking via passive dynamics, releasing the RL environments and hardware control stack alongside the paper.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1mo ago
A gap we hit while verifying buildability: the repo has URDF and sim meshes but no manufacturing CAD at all — the actual BOM and assembly guide sit on an external Notion page, which is one link-rot away from trouble. Interesting too that the energy savings drop from about 50 percent in sim to about 31 percent on the real robot. Anyone else notice how rarely sim numbers survive contact with hardware?