Featured system

Spherico

A low-cost spherical robot architecture built with laser-cut and 3D-printed parts alongside off-the-shelf hardware.

RoleRapid prototyping, low-cost system design, robotics platform development

TimelineResearch platform and fast-build hardware study

TagsSpherical robot / Raspberry Pi / rapid fabrication

Summary

Spherico was designed as an inexpensive spherical robot using laser-cut and 3D-printed parts with off-the-shelf components. Driven by Raspberry Pi and ROS, it offers a quick-to-assemble base for control and mobility research.

Challenge

Spherical robots often become expensive or mechanically awkward to iterate on. A useful research platform needs to be affordable, rebuildable, and robust enough for repeated experiments.

Approach

The platform combines low-cost fabrication methods with readily available electronics so experiments can move quickly without waiting on complex manufacturing cycles.

System breakdown

Fabrication strategyLaser-cut and 3D-printed parts keep the mechanical stack accessible and repeatable.

Control coreRaspberry Pi and ROS support experimentation with control and sensing workflows.

Research roleA compact platform for quickly exploring spherical robot architectures and behavior.

Gallery

Build imagery and platform video.

Spherico chassis. — Chassis and internal structure.

Spherico build view. — Build and assembly detail.

Platform motion and system overview.

Lessons learned

For experimental robotics, affordability and rebuild speed matter. Spherico shows that a lower-cost platform can still create a strong foundation for meaningful control and mechanical studies.

Outcome

Spherico became a practical spherical robot base for rapid prototyping, iterative testing, and accessible research exploration.