Quadruped (research) · 2019
MIT Mini Cheetah
The quadruped that set the template for every cheap QDD robot after it: 12 custom actuators, ~9 kg, and a gait controller that runs at hundreds of Hz. Its actuator design is the reason Robstride and friends exist.
$40k
MIT Biomimetic Robotics Lab
12 DOF
Closed source
Why it matters
Read the papers and the actuator design — it is the clearest worked example of QDD leg design anywhere.
Where it falls short
Not sold as a kit. Treat it as a design reference and a papers library, not a BOM.
Read this if you plan to copy itThe parts below are the same classes of component at this platform scale — they are not the exact vendor parts. Use them to understand the architecture and to price a home-built equivalent.
What it is made of
| Subsystem | Comparable part | Price | Primary spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actuators | ODrive S1 | $149 | 40 A |
| Actuators | Unitree GO-M8010-6 | $200 | 23.7 N·m |
| Sensors | ICM-42688-P | $5 | 3-axis accel (±16 g) + 3-axis gyro (±2000 °/s) |
Software you would touch
C++ real-time control · Convex MPC · MIT Cheetah software