SPOTMICRO: PRINT YOUR OWN SPOT-STYLE ROBOT DOG
The DIY answer to Boston Dynamics' Spot — a printable four-legged robot that walks and even does SLAM with a small lidar.
by mike4192 (with Deok-yeon Kim's frame)
Robotics3D-printing
Built withRaspberry Pi3D printing
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- several weekends
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo STABLE2,148 stars
●●●●○ · several weekends · MIT · 2,148 stars · repo STABLE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
SpotMicro is the beloved DIY take on Boston Dynamics' Spot — a printable quadruped that walks with a real gait and can even do SLAM with a small RPLidar. It's a rite of passage in the robot-dog community. Be clear on how it's split, though: this repo is the software (ROS control, kinematics), and the body STL is deliberately not here — the README sends you to Deok-yeon Kim's original Thingiverse model (KDY0523) for the printable parts. So you're combining a Thingiverse print with this control stack. It's an older ROS Kinetic project with some sharp edges (a required swap file, no built-in command limits), but the payoff — your own walking, mapping robot dog — is huge. Budget band $$ and several weekends.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —The body STL is NOT in this repo — the README points you to the Thingiverse model (KDY0523)
- —This repo is the SOFTWARE (ROS Kinetic, C++/Python nodes); the repo STL is only for RVIZ
- —BOM is in the README; kinematics live in separate submodules
- —It's Ubuntu 16.04 + ROS Kinetic only
- —The frame CAD is printable STL, not editable STEP; the separate SpotMicroESP32 redesign includes a few STEP files for a servo-horn mod.
Parts to buy
6 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
Raspberry Pi Spot Micro Quadruped Project2:56
The creator's demo video, linked from the README; it shows the default 8-phase walking gait.
More builds like this
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the repo docs (hardware, servo calibration, SLAM)
- 2.Get the body from Thingiverse (KDY0523 — the printable parts)
- 3.Want a redesigned frame? Look at SpotMicroESP32 (A separate SpotMicro redesign (GPL-3.0) with support-free printed parts and an ESP32 controller; it includes three STEP files for a servo-horn mod. Its parts are not the frame this repo's software was tuned on.)
- 4.Watch the assembly (original frame build)
- 5.Order the BOM (RPi, servos, driver, lidar)
- 6.Explore the SpotMicroAI community (the wider community docs)
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
- The printable frame is distributed as STL on Thingiverse, so redesigning parts means working with meshes. The separate SpotMicroESP32 redesign adds a few STEP files (a servo-horn mod), but it is a different frame and controller.
- The body STL is NOT in this repo — print it from the Thingiverse model (KDY0523)
- It's Ubuntu 16.04 + ROS Kinetic only — check compatibility before you start
- You need a ~1 GB swap file or the build (catkin) can freeze on a Pi
- There are no built-in command limits — bad calibration can damage the servos
Where are the printable body parts?
On Thingiverse — Deok-yeon Kim's original model (KDY0523). This repo is the control software; its STL is only for the RVIZ visualization.
Can it really do SLAM?
Yes — with an RPLidar A1 and hector_slam it can build a 2D map. The README warns that its odometry is grossly inaccurate and drifts, so treat it as a way to learn the pipeline.
Is it beginner-friendly?
It's an intermediate-plus build: ROS Kinetic, careful servo calibration, and some Linux troubleshooting. Rewarding, but not plug-and-play.
What does it cost?
Band $$. The README lists the parts (12 PDI-HV5523MG servos, Raspberry Pi 3B, PCA9685 board, 2S LiPo, UBEC, optional RPLidar A1) but no prices, so price them with your usual suppliers.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
The whole stack is pinned to Ubuntu 16.04 and ROS Kinetic. Would you build on the legacy environment as documented, or spend your first month porting it to ROS 2?
Stanford Doggo: The Open-Source Robot Dog That Backflips
●●●●○ · the jumping research quadruped, sparser files
You can 3D-print your own walking Star Wars BD-X droid - fully open-source
●●●●○ · a bipedal robot that learns to walk with RL
You can build a spinning LIDAR that maps a room in real time
●●●●○ · build the lidar that gives it SLAM
mike4192 (with Deok-yeon Kim's frame)
Built a full ROS control stack for a Spot-style quadruped on top of Deok-yeon Kim's popular Thingiverse frame, adding walking gaits and SLAM.
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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.
CompareeTEAM2mo ago
A trench-level tip we found in the docs: on a Raspberry Pi the catkin build can silently freeze unless you add roughly a gigabyte of swap first — the kind of thing that costs a newcomer an evening. Also note the printable body isn't here; you print Deok-yeon Kim's original Thingiverse frame, while this repo supplies the gaits and SLAM software. Has anyone modernized the stack and shared their fork?