Legged-Robots

A curated collection of papers, videos, tools, and references for legged robotics (actuators, control, design).

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Table of Contents

• Start Here
• 1) Full Conference Paper Lists
• 2) Curated Papers by Topic
  • 2.1 Actuators & Transmissions
  • 2.2 Legged Robot Control
  • 2.3 Legged Robot Mechanical Design & Co-Design
• 3) Hands-on Resources
• 4) Ecosystem
• 5) Buying Hardware & Parts
• Star History

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Start Here

Use this repo as a quick index depending on what you are currently working on:

If you are…	Go to	What you’ll find
New to legged robotics	2.3 Mechanical Design & Co-Design + 3) Hands-on Resources → YouTube Projects / Videos	Design Principles + key Quadruped/Humanoid design papers + beginner-friendly quadruped build videos
Working on actuators	2.1 Actuators & Transmissions	Planetary / Cycloidal + Non-conventional actuators + Motor theory & dyno/testing
Working on control or RL	2.2 Legged Robot Control	Model-based control + Learning-based locomotion
Looking for implementations / code / builds	3) Hands-on Resources	YouTube builds + GitHub repos + workshops + lectures
Looking for people / labs / companies	4) Ecosystem	Professors & labs + conferences/journals + companies
Buying parts for a build	5) Buying Hardware & Parts	Motors + drivers + stators + magnets + manufacturing tools

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Note: Click the small triangle next to each section (▶) to expand the detailed list.

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1) Full Conference Paper Lists

ICRA

1. ICRA 2025: [Github]
2. ICRA 2024: [Github] / [Google Sheet] / [Offcial IEEE List]
3. ICRA 2023: [Google sheet]

IROS

1. IROS 2025: [Official IEEE List]
2. IROS 2024: [Offcial IEEE List]
3. IROS 2023: [Google sheet] / [Github Repo] / [Offcial IEEE List]

Humanoids

1. Humanoids 2025: [Official IEEE List]

Paper Copilot: A centralized tool for accessing conference paper lists and related statistics, all in one place.

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2) Curated Papers by Topic

2.1 Actuators & Transmissions

Planetary Gearboxes

1. MIT Mini Cheetah Actuator: Mini Cheetah: A Platform for Pushing the Limits of Dynamic Quadruped Control [Paper] [Blog]
2. MIT Humanoid Actuator (Alex Hattori, Thesis): Design of a High Torque Density Modular Actuator for Dynamic Robots [Thesis-Webpage]
3. MIT Humanoid Actuator (Paper): Design and Development of the MIT Humanoid: A Dynamic and Robust Research Platform [Paper]
4. Berkeley Humanoid: Berkeley Humanoid: A Research Platform for Learning-based Control [Paper]
5. Quasi-Direct Drive Actuator (ICRA 2024): Design and Experimental Characterisation of a Novel Quasi-Direct Drive Actuator for Highly Dynamic Robotic Applications [Paper]
6. 3D-Printed Open-Source Actuators (EmBiR Lab, Univ. of Michigan): Design and Characterization of 3D Printed, Open-Source Actuators for Legged Locomotion [Paper] [Open-Source Designs]

Cycloidal Gearboxes

1. Berkely Humanoid Lite: Demonstrating Berkeley Humanoid Lite: An Open-source, Accessible, and Customizable 3D-printed Humanoid Robot [Paper] [Documentation] [Github]
2. Wesley Roozing's Paper: Experimental comparison of pinwheel and non-pinwheel designs of 3D-printed cycloidal gearing for robotics [Paper]
3. RaM (Uni of Twente): Anti-Backlash Mechanisms for Cycloidal Drive Robotic Actuators: Design and Evaluation [Paper]

Series Elastic Actuators (SEA)

1. High-Performance Series Elastic Actuation: Paine, Nicholas Arden: Thesis [Thesis-PDf] [Thesis-webpage-link]

Non-Conventional Actuators

1. KAIST, Actuator Design: DRPD, Dual Reduction Ratio Planetary Drive for Articulated Robot Actuators [Paper]
2. Dual Motor Design (2021): Explosive Electric Actuator and Control for Legged Robots [Paper]
3. John Harry Bell, Master's Thesis, MIT (2018): A Two-Motor Actuator for Legged Robotics Applications [Thesis]
4. Robotics and Multibody Mechanics Research Group (R&MM), Belgium (2017): Modeling and design of an energy-efficient dual-motor actuation unit with a planetary differential and holding brakes [Paper]
5. Alexandre Girard's paper, Hamburg, Germany IROS(2015): A Two-Speed Actuator for Robotics with Fast Seamless Gear Shifting [Paper]
6. Hoyul Lee's Paper, ASME/IEEE Transactions on mechatronics(2012): A New Actuator System Using Dual-Motors and a Planetary Gear [Paper]
7. Jung Jun Park' paper, ASME/IEEE Transactions on mechatronics(2010): A Serial-Type Dual Actuator Unit With Planetary Gear Train: Basic Design and Applications [Paper]
8. Brubotics VUB paper, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters(2022): A Methodology for Designing a Lightweight and Energy-Efficient Kinematically Redundant Actuator [Paper]

Modelling actuator dynamics

Motor Theory & Dyno / Testing

Motor Theory and Design

1. Master's Thesis: James Mevey [Thesis-Link]
2. Book, Brushless Permanent Magnet Motor Design, Dr. Duane Hanselman
3. Instructables Post: [Link]
4. Source: Reddit Post: [Need some guidance with BLDC motor design: Answer by alternativemax]

Dynamometer: Actuator testing setup

1. Benjamin Katz, blog: [Link1] [Link2] [Link3] [Link4]
2. MJbots blog: [Link]
3. The brushless zone: [Link]
4. Understanding a motor dynamometer setup, Adi Mehrotra: [Link: PDF]
5. Berkeley humanoid motor testing setup:
   i. Paper Title: Demonstrating Berkeley Humanoid Lite: An Open-source, Accessible, and Customizable 3D-printed Humanoid Robot

Actuator Design: Blogs, Videos, twitter threads, posts, papers etc

1. 3D Printed QDD Robotic Actuator (MIT Mini Cheetah Clone) : By nachumtwersky [Blog-Link]

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2.2 Legged Robot Control

Model based Control: Quadrupeds

1. Survey Paper: Optimization-Based Control for Dynamic Legged Robots [Paper]
2. Convex MPC for Quadruped walking: Dynamic Locomotion in the MIT Cheetah 3 Through Convex Model-Predictive Control [Paper]
3. Feedback MPC: Feedback MPC for Torque-Controlled Legged Robots [Paper]
4. RF-MPC: Representation-Free Model Predictive Control for Dynamic Motions in Quadrupeds [Paper] [Github]
5. Motion Imitation: Learning Agile Robotic Locomotion Skills by Imitating Animals [Paper] [Github]
6. Non-Linear RF-MPC: Real-Time Constrained Nonlinear Model Predictive Control on SO(3) or Dynamic Legged Locomotion [Paper]
7. WBC+MPC: Highly Dynamic Quadruped Locomotion via Whole-Body Impulse Control and Model Predictive Control [Paper]

Learning Based Control: Quadrupeds

1. RMA: RMA: Rapid Motor Adaptation for Legged Robots [Paper]
2. Walk These Ways: Walk These Ways: Tuning Robot Control for Generalization with Multiplicity of Behavior [Paper][Github]
3. DreamWaQ: DreamWaQ: Learning Robust Quadrupedal Locomotion with Implicit Terrain Imagination Via Deep Reinforcement Learning [Paper][Video][Website]
4. HIMloco: Hybrid Internal Model: Learning Agile Legged Locomotion with Simulated Robot Response [Paper][Github]
5. Tencent Robotics: Lifelike Agility and Play on Quadrupedal Robots using Reinforcement Learning and Deep Pre-trained Models [Paper][Website][Video]
6. Linear Policy: Force Control for Robust Quadruped Locomotion: A Linear Policy Approach [Paper][Video][Website]
7. PIP-Loco: Pip-Loco: A propioceptive Infinite Horizon Planning Framework for Quadrupedal Robot Locomotion [Paper]

Learning based controls: Interesting behaivour in Quadrupeds

1. DribbleBot: DribbleBot: Dynamic Legged Manipulation in the wild [Paper][Video][Code][Notes]
2. Legs As Manipulator: Pushing Quadrupedal Agility Beyond Locomotion [Paper][Video][Website]

Learning based controls: Humanoids

1. Bi-Level Motion Imitation for Humanoid Robots [Paper]

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2.3 Legged Robot Mechanical Design & Co-Design

Design Principles for legged robots:

1. MIT, Design Principles: Design principles for highly efficient quadrupeds and implementation on the MIT Cheetah robot [Paper]

Quadruped Robot Design Papers

1. MIT Cheetah-3: MIT Cheetah 3: Design and Control of a Robust, Dynamic Quadruped Robot [Paper]
2. MIT Mini Cheetah: Mini Cheetah: A Platform for Pushing the Limits of Dynamic Quadruped Control [Paper] [Blog] [Gear-width-Calc]
3. MIT Super Mini-Cheetah: The MIT Super Mini Cheetah: A small, low-cost quadrupedal robot for dynamic locomotion [Paper]
4. ANYmal Robot: ANYmal - A Highly Mobile and Dynamic Quadrupedal Robot [Paper]
5. KAIST, HOUND design: Design of KAIST HOUND, a Quadruped Robot Platform for Fast and Efficient Locomotion with Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization of a Gear Train [Paper]
6. Barry Robot: Barry: A High-Payload and Agile Quadruped Robot [Paper]
7. UIUC, Panther: Design and experimental implementation of a quasi-direct-drive leg for optimized jumping [Paper]
8. Stanford Doggo: Stanford Doggo, an open source quasi-direct drive quadruped [Paper] [Github]
9. Solo Robot: An Open Torque-Controlled Modular Robot Architecture for Legged Locomotion Research [Paper]
10. MiniTaur: Design Principles for a Family of Direct-Drive Legged Robots [Paper]
11. Stoch, IISc: Design, Development and Experimental Realization of A Quadrupedal Research Platform: Stoch [Paper]
12. Tachyon, Sony: Tachyon: Design and Control of High Payload, Robust, and Dynamic Quadruped Robot with Series-Parallel Elastic Actuators [Paper]
13. Raibo Robot, KAIST: RaiBo: A versatile robo-dog that runs through a sandy beach at 3 meters per second [News-Article] [Video]
14. Stoch-3, IISc, Bengaluru: A Chain-Driven, Sandwich-Legged Quadruped Robot: Design and Experimental Analysis [Arxiv-Paper][Video]
15. PADWQ: Design and Control of a Open-Source, Low Cost, 3D Printed Dynamic Quadruped Robot [Paper]

Humanoid Robot Design

1. Berkely Humanoid: Berkeley Humanoid: A Research Platform for Learning-based Control [Paper]
2. MIT Humanoid: Design and Development of the MIT Humanoid: A Dynamic and Robust Research Platform [Paper]
3. UIUC, Tello Leg: Tello Leg: The Study of Design Principles and Metrics for Dynamic Humanoid Robots [Paper]
4. UIUC, Tello Leg: The dynamic effect of mechanical losses of transmissions on the equation of motion of legged robots [Paper]
5. AMI, IIT, Italy, egroCub Humanoid: Optimization of Humanoid Robot Designs for Human-Robot Ergonomic Payload Lifting [Paper]
6. Tiktok, Humanoid, Cornell University: [Website]

Design Optimization and Co-design Optimization

1. Vitruvio: An Open-Source Leg Design Optimization Toolbox for Walking Robots [Paper]
2. Co-design(CACTO): Exploring the Limits of a Redundant Actuation System Through Co-Design [Paper]
3. Meta Reinforcement Learning for Optimal Design of Legged Robots [Paper]
4. Embodied Co-Design for Rapidly Evolving Agents: Taxonomy, Frontiers, and Challenges [Paper] [Github-Repo]

Design Patents

1. Boston Dynamics: List of Patents from Boston Dynamics
2. Boston Dynamics: Screw Actuator for Legged Robots
3. Boston Dynamics: WO2018112097 - TRANSMISSION WITH INTEGRATED OVERLOAD PROTECTION FOR A LEGGED ROBOT

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3) Hands-on Resources

Youtube Project / Videos

Quadruped Robot projects

1. Stanley by AheadIO: [Video-Link][Video-link-2]
2. Open Robot Dog by James Bruton: [Video-Link]
3. CARA by Aaed Musa: [Video-Link]
4. Dingo by Nathan Ferguson: [Video-Link]
5. Quadruped by Alex Hattori:
   a. Quadruped V1: [Video-Link]
   b. Quadruped v2, v3: [Video-Link]
6. PuppyPi, MechDog and ROSpug by Hiwonder:
   a. PuppyPi: [Video-Link]
   b. ROSPug: [Video-Link]
   c. MechDog: [Video-Link]
7. Fully 3d-printed robot dog by jorgefer88: [Video-Link]
8. NovaSM3 by Chris Locke: [Video-Link]
9. XGO-Mini: [Video-Link]

Robotics Tools Tutorials

1. Convert Solidworks CAD to URDF: [YouTube-Playlist]

Useful GitHub Repositories

Control of quadruped robots

1. motion_imitation: Useful for Quadruped robot simulation in Pybullet using SRB (single-rigid body) model (by Erwin Couman, creator of Pybullet)

2. walk-these-ways: Learning-based locomotion controller in Issac-gym simulator, with different gaits and height changes

3. HIMLoco: Learning-based locomotion controller for rough terrain navigation using hybrid internal models

Controls for Humanoids and Biped robots

1. VI_discretized_TO: Code for the Backflips of biped and quadruped robots using Traj_Opt using Variational Integration

Mechanical Design

1. COMPAct: A computational design optimization and automated CAD generation for 3D-printed actuators for legged robots

2. Manim-Gearbox A gearbox visualizer tool build on Manim

Others

1. loco-3d/crocoddyl: Crocoddyl is an optimal control library for robot control under contact sequence. Its solver is based on various efficient Differential Dynamic Programming (DDP)-like algorithms

2. Pinocchio: Efficient and Versatile Rigid Body Dynamics Algorithms

Workshops

1. ICRA 2024 Workshop on Co-design in Robotics: Theory, Practice, and Challenges: [Webpage]
2. ICRA 2024 Advancements in Trajectory Optimisation and Model Predictive Control for Legged Systems: [Webpage]

Video Lectures

Robotics and Controls:

1. Robotics Fall 2023, by Pranav Bhounsule: [Videos][Notes]

Topics in Mathematics

1. MIT 18.06 Linear Algebra, Spring 2005, MITOCW: Gilbert Strang

Optimization

1. Course: Numerical Optimization, (NPTEL): Shirish Sevade

Trajectory Optimization

1. Video Lecture: Introduction to Trajectory Optimization: Matthew Kelly
2. Video Lecture: Underactuated Robotics, Trajectory Optimization I: Lec 11, Russ Tedrake
3. Video Lecture: Underactuated Robotics, Trajectory Optimization II: Lec 12, Russ Tedrake
4. Video Lecture: Optimization, Optimal Control, Trajectory Optimization, and Splines: Jesus Tordesillas
5. Book: Practical Methods for Optimal control and estimation using non-linear programming, John T. Betts
6. Github Repos: Matthew Kelly's TrajOpt Repo
7. Github Repos: MindtPy Library Page: MINLP solver
8. Tutorial Paper: An Introduction to Trajectory Optimization: How to do your own direct collocation, Matthew Kelly

Basics of Control systems

1. Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR): Basics/Overview Derivation

Reinforcement Learning

1. Deep RL Bootcamp
2. Reinforcement Learning: David Silver
3. CS-285: Deep Reinforcement Learning, UC Berkeley
4. Spinning up*: It's a blog but really useful

ROS

1. ROS Wiki Tutorials: Muhammad Luqman

Mechanical Design and Theory

1. Kinematics of Mechanisms and Machines: NPTEL, IIT KGP
   1. Lec-37: Gear Kinematics
   2. Lec-38: Gear Trains I
   3. Lec-39: Gear Trains II
   4. Lec-40: Gear Trains III
2. Bond Graph Modeling: NPTEL
3. Gear Strength Theory: NPTEL
4. Friction-Model-for-Spur-Gear-transmission-efficiency: Review by Tsuneji Yada

Miscellaneous:

1. List-of-Science-and-Math-courses

Informative videos

1. Materials: Neodymium magnets [Video-1: Brief history and use] [Video-2: Manufacturing_process]

Books

Mechanical Engineering

1. Statics and Dynamics: Andy Ruina

Articles (Installs / Study / Technical)

Technical topics:

1. DDP: A good read for DDP
2. Policy Gradient Algorithms: A good read for Policy Gradient Algos
3. Reinforcement Learning Resources: A list of resources for studying Reinforcement Learning
4. What are Diffusion Models?

Study:

1. How to read Research Papers?

   • How to read a research paper by Andrew NG: Video / Notes
   • How to Read a Paper by S. Keshav: PDF
   • How to read a paper: LinkedIn Post
   • Useful Resources by Ness B Shroff, on PhD and writing papers: Webpage

2. How to organize research papers?

   • How to find, read and organize papers by Maya Gosztyla: Article

3. How to setup and run your research Lab?

   • A guide to setting up and managing a lab at a research-intensive institution : [Article]

Stories of Science:

1. Steven LaValle: Motivating story of Steven LaValle, who gave the RRT algorithm.
2. Shuji Nakamura: Invention of Blue LED: Documentary about the invention of blue LED, which eventually led to a Nobel Prize in physics, one of the few for engineering efforts.
3. The Value of Science: Richard P. Feynman: An article on why science and the scientific method are important, is it just a tool for the betterment of society or is it much more?

Resource Websites:

1. List of useful resources: Aditya Mehrotra, MIT D-lab
2. StePhane Caron
3. Usefull Resources: Xiaobin Xiong

Software installations:

1. Installing Anaconda on Ubuntu 22.04
2. Installing Anaconda on Ubuntu 18.04

Random Cool Stuff

Mathematics

1. Lean: Programming Language for Theorem prover [Link]
   i. Tutorials: Natural Number Game [Link]
2. Manim: Python Library for making cool mathematical videos [Github-Link] [Manim Community]

Cool AI tools:

1. InstantID : Merges your picture with text description and an optional pose photo
2. Text to Image Playground: COnvert text to image with free credits addition.

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4) Ecosystem

Professors & Labs

India

• Shishir N Y, Stochastic Robotics Lab, RBCCPS, IISc Bengaluru [Personal Website][Lab website]
• Mangal Kothari, IIT Kanpur: [Homepage]

USA

• Sangbae Kim, Biomimetics Robotics Lab, MIT [Lab Website]
• Pulkit Agarwal, Improbable AI Lab, MIT [Personal Website]
• Deepak Pathak, CMU [Personal Website]
• Zac Manchester, Robotic Exploration Group, CMU [Personal Webpage][Lab Website]
• Ye Zhao, LIDAR lab, Georgia Tech [Personal Website][Lab Website]
• Sehoon Ha, Georgia Tech [Personal Website]
• Quan Nguyen, Dynamic Robotics and Control Laboratory, University of South California (USC) [Personal Webpage][Lab Website]
• Pranav Bhounsule, Robotics and Motion Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago [Personal Webpage][Lab Website]
• Joao Ramos, Robo Design Lab, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) [Lab Website]
• Ayonga Hereid, Cyber-Physical and Robotics Lab, Ohio State University [Personal Webpage][Lab Webpage]
• Koushil Sreenath, Hybrid Robotics, University of South California, Berkeley (USC, Berkeley) [Personal Webpage][Lab Website]
• Jitendra Malik, EECS, University of California at Berkeley [Personal Webpage]
• Yanran Ding, Robotics Department, University of Michigan [Personal Website]
• Xiaobin Xiong, UW WELL Lab, University of Wisconsin-Madison [Personal Website][Lab Website]

Europe

• Marco Hutter, Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, Switzerland [Lab Website]
• Serena Ivaldi, Research Scientist, INRIA, France [Personal Website]
• Oliver Strasse, French National Centre for Scientific Research, France [Personal Website]
• Carlos Mastalli, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK [Personal Website]

South Korea

• Hae-Won Park, DRDC Lab, KAIST [Lab Website]
• Jemin Hwangbo, RaiLab, KAIST [Lab Website]

Other Labs

• Sony Quadruped Research Website

List of Robotics Conferences and Journals

1. List of Top Robotics Conferences and Publications: [List on Google Scholar Webpage]

   1. A few ASME Conferences and Journals:
      1. Journal of Mechanisms and Robots,
      2. Journal of Dynamics Systems, Measurement and Control, and
      3. Transaction on Mechatronics (IEEE/ASME) etc
   2. A few IEEE Conferences and Journals:
      1. International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA),
      2. International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS),
      3. Robotics and Automation Letters (RAL),
      4. Transaction on Robotics (T-RO) etc.

2. IEEE publication recommender: [Link]

Legged Robotics Companies

India

• Strider Robotics, Quadruped Company, based in Bengaluru [Website]
• General Autonomy, Humanoid and Quadruped Company, based in Bengaluru [LinkedIn]
• xTerra Robotics, Quadruped robot company, based in Kanpur [Website]
• Addverb, Industrial mobile robots company with a division for legged robots, based in Delhi NCR [Website]
• Ati Motors, Industrial Mobile robots company with a division for upper body humanoid robots, based in Bengaluru [Website]
• NeoManav Robotics: In stealth mode, in Bengaluru

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5) Buying Hardware & Parts

Motors

1. TQ-Motors: Used in Raibo Quadruped
2. Halodi Motors: Used in Hound quadruped
3. Cube Mars: Different kind of actuators available
4. Robstride Dynamics: Actuators of different kinds, one of the most cost effective ones

Drivers

1. Mjbots: Moteus-n1, Moteus-r4.xx
   It also provide several other accesories for legged robots. It is like a one stop shop.
2. O-drives: Buying-Link

Stators

1. 8110 Stator: you can order single stator here [Ebay-Link] \
2. BLDC Stators: You can order bulk stators here [Made-in-china link]

Permanent Magnets

1. N52 Neodymium magnets: [Digikey India Link]

Manufacturing Tools

1. HONEST(Shenzen Honest Intelligent Equipments): Chinese Company, sells Motor Winding Machines [Website-Link]
   Has a center in Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India as well

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Star History