Additively Manufactured Open-Source Quadruped Robots for Multi-Robot SLAM Applications

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dc.contributor.authorFuge, Zachary Joseph Danielen
dc.contributor.committeechairAkbari Hamed, Kavehen
dc.contributor.committeechairLeonessa, Alexanderen
dc.contributor.committeememberLosey, Dylan Patricken
dc.contributor.departmentMechanical Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-06T08:02:26Zen
dc.date.available2025-06-06T08:02:26Zen
dc.date.issued2025-06-05en
dc.description.abstractThis thesis presents the design and development of the quadruped robot Squeaky, created as a research and learning platform for single and multi-robot simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Affordable robots are increasingly essential for scaling from single-robot to multi-robot applications, as costs can rise exponentially as fleet size increases. SLAM is a critical feature for enabling a robot to perceive and localize itself within its environment, supporting applications such as cave exploration, disaster assistance, and remote inspection. To enhance efficiency, a fleet of robots can collaborate to merge individual maps for multi-robot SLAM. Squeaky is an affordable quadrupedal robot with adaptable hardware and software capable of creating merged maps from multiple robots over a shared network. It is also open-sourced for the benefit of the research and educational community. This work covers Squeaky's full design and development process, with validated results demonstrating the platform's effectiveness for research and educational applications.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralThis thesis presents the design and development of a robot named Squeaky, created as a tool for research and learning. Squeaky is a four-legged robot that can help study how robots map and understand their surroundings. As multiple robots become more common in search-and-rescue missions or exploring dangerous environments, affordable robots become increasingly important. This is because the cost of using many robots can rise quickly as more are added to the team. One key capability for robots is the ability to see their surroundings, which helps them navigate and understand their environment by creating maps. When several robots work together, they can combine their maps to understand an area better. Squeaky is designed to be an affordable and flexible robot that can work together with other robots to create shared maps. It is also open-source, meaning others can freely use and improve it for their research. This thesis details the design process of Squeaky and provides results showing its usefulness for both learning and research purposes.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:43538en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10919/135090en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectQuadrupeden
dc.subjectMulti Roboticsen
dc.subjectSLAMen
dc.subjectAdditively Manufactureden
dc.subjectRoboten
dc.titleAdditively Manufactured Open-Source Quadruped Robots for Multi-Robot SLAM Applicationsen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineMechanical Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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