I Gave Myself 30 Days to Build a Walking Robot From Scratch

Duckbert is a tiny 3D-printed biped: six hobby servos, an ESP32, a gyroscope and an OLED face, under $50 of parts. I gave myself 30 days to build a robot from scratch that learns to move on its own. This is day 10. His walk was found in a physics simulation: a search over about a dozen numbers (step length, hip swing, knee lift) that keeps whatever carries him furthest. On the real robot it works, just not as well. So I built the tools to measure that gap: record what the robot does, replay the same commands in the model, and fit the model until the two agree. 🔗 Code and simulation (open source): https://github.com/thinking0things/du... 🎮 Drive him in your browser: https://thinking0things.github.io/duc... The printable parts come in the next video, once the lid closes flush, the battery bay is redone and he closes without glue. What should he get next: a better walk, or AI features like voice commands? Tell me in the comments. Twenty days left. Chapters Building a biped robot from scratch in 30 days. On day 10, I am tackling the gap between simulation and real-world movement. Duckbert is a 3D printed robot powered by six hobby servos and an ESP32, built entirely for under $50. While he walks perfectly in a physics simulation, the real hardware struggles to match that performance. This video documents my process of measuring that discrepancy by recording real-world data and fitting the model until the simulation and the actual machine agree. This robotics project is all about refining the gait and ensuring his movements translate from the digital environment to the physical world. I am currently working on the mechanical design, including the battery bay and shell, before moving on to advanced features. What should Duckbert get next: a better walk, or AI features like voice commands? Tell me in the comments. Twenty days left. 0:00 Building a Robot from Scratch in 30 Days 0:28 Open Source Repo 0:51 Engineering the Mechanics and Body Design 1:41 Teaching the Robot to Walk via Simulation 4:29 Bridging the Gap Between Simulation and Reality 10:19 Open Source Progress and Future Iterations Music: The Blue Danube (US Marine Band, public domain) · The Entertainer (Scott Joplin, performed by Gnissah, public domain) · Gymnopédie No. 1 (Erik Satie, performed by Teknopazzo, CC0) · Air on the G String (Bach, US Air Force Band, public domain) #robotics #3dprinting #opensource #esp32 #mujoco #bipedrobot