Multipurpose Mobile Manipulator MkI

Overview

The Multipurpose Mobile Manipulator Mk 1 is an advanced open-source human-size mobile robotics platform for students, educators, hobbyists, artists, and researchers. Build your own DIY giant robot that plays the piano, draws pictures, prepares meals, waters plants, engages in lightsaber duels, and more.

Built under Choitek LLC at Carnegie Mellon University, the MMM MkI was designed to significantly lower the barrier to entry for human-size mobile manipulation research — both in cost (~$2,000) and complexity.

Capabilities

The robot is organized around student-led task teams (NATO alphabet squads), each tackling a different behavior:

Watering Plants — ultrasonic rangefinder seeks out houseplants, pours water via a specialized hose adapter from an upside-down bottle on the robot’s back
Playing Piano — adaptive gripper positions for keyboard interaction
Drawing Pictures — end-effector for writing/sketching
Lightsaber Duels — demonstrated at National Maker Faire 2016
Meal Preparation — task research in development

Hardware

Laser-cut plywood frame (base, arms, chest — modular and detachable)
Arduino Mega at the core for sensor/actuator interfacing
Laptop-for-a-face for intelligence and interface
Adaptable gripper end effectors
Mobile base for autonomous navigation
Expandable mounting holes for sensors and electronics

Software

Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux — programmable in:

Python 2.7
Arduino IDE
Processing
Unity
ROS, MATLAB, C++, Scratch (in progress)

Recognition

2016 National Maker Faire — showcased at the White House’s National Week of Making
Arduino Blog — “Build your own life-size, multipurpose robot with Arduino”
CMU IDeATe — featured article on Maker Faire participation

Support

Frank-Ratchye Fund for Art @ the Frontier (FRFAF) — microgrant and regular grant
CMU SURG — $500 seed grant
CMU Robotics Club — workshop space and community

Licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.