AUTinyDane

AUTinyDane is an open-source, affordable quadruped robot platform developed at Aarhus University.
The project focuses on a complete real robot stack: mechanical design, servo actuation, inverse kinematics, gait generation, and PS4 teleoperation on a Raspberry Pi.

What this repository contains

• Full Python control stack for a 12-DOF quadruped
• Real-time gait/state logic for trot and standing control modes
• Servo + IMU hardware interface for Raspberry Pi
• PS4 controller integration for teleoperation
• Calibration and utility scripts for bring-up and maintenance

System overview

Hardware architecture

• Controller: Raspberry Pi (single-board control)
• Actuation: 12 hobby servos driven by PCA9685 boards
• IMU: MPU6050
• Chassis: Laser-cut + 3D-printed hybrid structure

Software architecture

Core runtime flow:

1. Read controller command inputs
2. Update movement/stance command state
3. Generate leg trajectories (swing/stance planners)
4. Solve inverse kinematics
5. Send commands to servo drivers

Main components:

• src/GaitPlannerV2.py – trot cycle logic
• src/StancePlannerV2.py, src/SwingPlannerV2.py – stance/swing trajectories
• src/Kinematics.py – inverse kinematics
• src/HardwareInterface.py – servo/IMU communication
• src/PS4Controller/ – DualShock 4 mapping

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Repository structure

AUTinyDane/
├── run_robot.py                 # Main runtime entry point
├── requirements.txt             # Python dependencies
├── src/                         # Core runtime modules
│   ├── Configuration.py         # Robot geometry and limits
│   ├── Command.py               # Command state and mode abstraction
│   ├── State.py                 # Runtime gait/state values
│   ├── Kinematics.py            # IK solver
│   ├── HardwareInterface.py     # PCA9685 + IMU interface
│   ├── ServoCalibration.py      # Servo neutral offsets and gains
│   ├── GaitPlannerV2.py         # Main gait planner
│   ├── StancePlannerV2.py       # Stance phase planning
│   ├── SwingPlannerV2.py        # Swing phase planning
│   └── PS4Controller/           # Controller input mapping/listener
├── tools/                       # Calibration and utility scripts
│   ├── calibrate_servos.py      # Interactive servo offset calibration
│   ├── ServoNeutral.py          # Move servos/legs to neutral
│   ├── TestServo.py             # Interactive servo testing helpers
│   └── IMU_calibration.py       # IMU calibration utility
├── tests/                       # Manual/experimental test scripts
└── legacy/                      # Older planners/simulators

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Prerequisites

Hardware/runtime environment

• Raspberry Pi with Python 3
• I2C enabled on the Pi
• PCA9685 board(s) connected on expected addresses (0x40–0x43 in current code)
• MPU6050 IMU connected (0x68)
• PS4 controller (for teleoperation)

Software

• Python 3.10+ recommended
• pip

Note: Several dependencies are Raspberry Pi / hardware specific and may not install or run on non-Pi machines.

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Installation

git clone https://github.com/JensLajordMunk/AUTinyDane.git
cd AUTinyDane
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

If running on Raspberry Pi, also ensure system packages and I2C support are configured.

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Quick start (robot runtime)

1. Verify wiring and power-off safety state
2. Confirm/update servo calibration in src/ServoCalibration.py
3. Pair and connect the PS4 controller (/dev/input/js0 expected)
4. Run:

python run_robot.py

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Controller mapping

From src/PS4Controller/DogController.py:

• X → TROT
• Circle → ROTATE
• Square → TRANSLATE
• Triangle → NEUTRAL
• Left stick (L3) → translational commands (forward/lateral + stand height)
• Right stick (R3) → yaw/roll/pitch depending on mode

Current modes are defined in src/Command.py:

• NEUTRAL
• TROT
• ROTATE
• TRANSLATE

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Calibration and utility scripts

• Servo neutral/pose checks:

  python tools/ServoNeutral.py

• Interactive servo calibration (writes src/ServoCalibration.py):

  python tools/calibrate_servos.py

• Servo test helper:

  python tools/TestServo.py

Run these carefully with the robot safely supported/off-ground.

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Development and testing

This repository currently contains mostly hardware/manual test scripts under tests/ rather than a full automated CI-style unit test suite.

Basic discovery check:

python -m unittest discover -q

Useful manual scripts include:

• tests/Test_kinematics.py
• tests/gait_simulatorV2.py
• tests/IMU_test.py

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Troubleshooting

• Controller not detected: ensure DS4 is connected and appears as /dev/input/js0.
• No servo movement: verify I2C wiring and PCA9685 addresses.
• Unstable pose/motion: re-run servo calibration and verify geometry values in src/Configuration.py.
• Import/runtime issues on desktop OS: many dependencies target Raspberry Pi hardware.

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CAD model

View CAD Model in Onshape

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.