Perfect for STEM education? Cat robot

SmallKat is a cat-shaped quadruped robot created by robot engineer Kevin Harrington and STEM education at Worcester Polytechnic University for learning robot assembly and programming.

It is said that the initial model that was first made had difficulties in size and weight, and recently, a new model was developed to improve it. We added an encoder for feedback inside and improved the look of the cat. Of course, in recent years, four-legged walking robots have increased, but it is difficult to obtain them comfortably. Not to mention high-end robots like Boston Dynamics’ Spot Mini and MIT’s Mini Cheetah.

In contrast, Small Cat was designed for education. It is equipped with lecture slides, manuals, and experimental procedures for teachers, and students can use it as a textbook to learn about STEM. Students first learn to build, program, and manipulate, then move on to creating or using open source programs. This robot is said to have a wide range of applications as it can also be equipped with advanced technologies such as AI learning and image processing.

The improved new model has a slightly increased number of parts than the earlier model, but it is said that the accessibility of parts has been improved so that assembly is simple and parts replacement is quick. Of course, there are still deficiencies, but it is said that it is approaching the level of the consumer-level product version.

The robot is also made available for 3D printing data, but if you can’t print it directly, you can buy a finished product for $500. It has 16 degrees of freedom and can control movement with basic programming skills in Java or Groovy. Students can try and reflect coding directly through Wi-Fi. You can even rotate the head and tail, so if it is overturned, you can learn to rotate it in the opposite direction. Related information can be found here .