Black Mirror-style robot dog designed by Stanford students can be built with a 3D printer and PlayStation controller for under $900
- Black Mirror released an episode around robotic dogs that hunt humans
- Stanford students have created a smaller version – but it’s not a deadly machine
- Called Stanford Pupper, the robot can be made using a 3D printer
- It takes about four to 10 hours to complete and costs no more than $900
The popular show ‘Black Mirror’ may be on hold due to the pandemic spreading across the globe, but fans of the dystopian world can create a part of the sci-fi series on their own.
A Stanford student built a robot dog similar to that used in the episode titled ‘Metalhead’ that hunts and kills humans in an apocalyptic setting.
The miniature version, called the Stanford Pupper, was developed using a 3D printer, a PlayStation controller and other common pieces – and the team has shared all the details for the public to use.
It has 12 degrees of freedom, meaning it can goes backwards, forwards, side-to-side and also features a ‘sneaky mode’ that mimics the movement of a real canine creeping on the floor.
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A Stanford student built a robot dog similar to that used in the episode titled ‘Metalhead’ that hunts and kills humans in an apocalyptic setting. The miniature version, called the Stanford Pupper, was developed using a 3D printer
‘We’re a student robotics team at Stanford and we were inspired by other quadrupeds and other legged robots that we’re seeing out there like Boston Dynamics,’ Nathan Kau, one of the creators, said during an interview.
‘But we really want to play and have one in our own hands, and we didn’t have a way to do that because they are very expensive.
‘That led to using inexpensive parts while finding the most powerful motors, powerful actuators and doing the software ourselves.
‘For this robot, it is a continuation of our original robot, Stanford Dogo, and we’re just trying to make it as accessible as possible to people who are into robotics.’
Black Mirror’s ‘Metalhead’ was the fifth episode of the fourth season that was filmed entirely in black and white
The three-pound machine is able to trot, hop, run and sneak across the floor like a living dog – and can be made for $600 to $900.
To create a mini ‘Metalhead’, you will need a range of pieces including carbon fiber plates for the robot’s frame and a Raspberry Pi.
‘You can buy most of the parts directly from a reseller like Amazon or McMaster-Carr, but for some you’ll need to get them custom manufactured for you,’ reads the instructions.
‘The custom parts include the carbon fiber routed parts, the 3D printed parts, the power distribution printed circuit board, and the motors. The BOM spreadsheet goes into much more detail.’
Build time is about four to 10 hours depending on how skilled you are at building a robot, but the students note that it is similar to constructing a quadcopter drone.
Black Mirror’s ‘Metalhead’ was the fifth episode of the fourth season that was filmed entirely in black and white.
The three-pound machine is able to trot, hop, run and sneak across the floor like a living dog – and can be made for $600 to $900
Build time is about four to 10 hours depending on how skilled you are at building a robot, but the students note that it is similar to constructing a quadcopter drone
The story follows a character named Bella through a world ravaged by robotic dogs that have taken over after the collapse of human society.
And the machines pulled inspiration from Boston Dynamic’s robots.
The creator of Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker, recently announced he would be taking a break from writing another series, as the public would struggle to ‘stomach’ the show in the midst of the global pandemic.
‘At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart, so I’m not working away on one of those,’ he said in an interview with Radio Times.
‘I’m sort of keen to revisit my comic skill set, so I’ve been writing scripts aimed at making myself laugh.’