The igus Humanoid Open Platform: A Child-sized 3D Printed Open-Source Robot for Research
This platform addresses the problem of high costs and complexity in larger humanoid robots for researchers, offering an incremental improvement in accessibility and usability.
The paper introduces the igus Humanoid Open Platform, a 92cm tall, fully open-source humanoid robot designed to be affordable and accessible for research, featuring a 3D-printed structure for lightweight and customizable use in human environments.
The use of standard robotic platforms can accelerate research and lower the entry barrier for new research groups. There exist many affordable humanoid standard platforms in the lower size ranges of up to 60cm, but larger humanoid robots quickly become less affordable and more difficult to operate, maintain and modify. The igus Humanoid Open Platform is a new and affordable, fully open-source humanoid platform. At 92cm in height, the robot is capable of interacting in an environment meant for humans, and is equipped with enough sensors, actuators and computing power to support researchers in many fields. The structure of the robot is entirely 3D printed, leading to a lightweight and visually appealing design. The main features of the platform are described in this article.