OpenBot Waffle — Authoritative Bill of Materials
Component list with current prices. Drives the order spreadsheet — every line item maps to a real part on Amazon / Robotis / Adafruit.
Robots — Open-Source 3D-Printable Designs
Combined archive search across FBI Vault, SPLC, PHMPT, ACIP, NIH grants, the Federal Writers' Project, and other collections we've ingested.
🧠 Ask this record
Get an AI answer drawn only from the Robots — Open-Source 3D-Printable Designs documents indexed here — every claim cited back to the filing or proceeding it came from. It will tell you plainly when the record doesn't cover your question, rather than guessing.
OpenBot Waffle — Academic Paper (Springer 2024)
Most detailed published reference. Full design rationale, simulation results, and photos. Cite when answering questions about why specific components were chosen.
OpenBot Waffle — Gazebo Simulation Setup
Run the robot in Gazebo before/while building. Best way to learn the ROS2 Nav2 stack (SLAM, AMCL localization, path planning, teleop) while waiting for ordered parts to arrive.
TurtleBot3 — Commercial Robot This Design Is Inspired By
The ~$1.5k Robotis platform OpenBot Waffle clones. Assembly photos and cable-routing guides translate directly — useful reference when the Waffle docs are sparse.
TurtleBot3 — Hardware Setup Photo Reference
Cable routing and component-mounting photos. Similar enough geometry to OpenBot Waffle that these are useful when our own docs are ambiguous.
IEEE Spectrum — Waffle Robots & TurtleBot Tutorials
Video roundup including OpenBot Waffle demos. Good 'why this exists' context for visitors evaluating whether to build one.
Dynamixel XL430-W250-T — Pinout & Control Table
Servo used for drive on OpenBot Waffle. Wiring diagrams and the full control table for programming via the Dynamixel SDK.
Dynamixel Shield — Wiring to Arduino + Motors
How to wire the Robotis Dynamixel Shield to the XL430s and an Arduino host. The control loop sits on this shield; this doc explains every pin.
Slamtec RPLidar A1 — 360° 2D Lidar
Spec sheet for the lidar used in the SLAM stack. ~$110, 12m range, 5.5 Hz scan rate. Sufficient for indoor Nav2 demos.
Intel RealSense D435i — Depth Camera + IMU
Stereo depth camera with built-in IMU. Used for visual odometry and obstacle avoidance. Rolls over to the JPL OSR build per the next-project plan.
Adafruit BNO055 — Absolute Orientation IMU
9-DOF orientation sensor (accelerometer + gyro + magnetometer with on-chip fusion). I2C interface, easy to wire to a Pi. Used for attitude estimation when wheel encoders aren't enough.
NASA JPL Open Source Rover — Primary GitHub Repo
The NASA-designed rocker-bogie Mars-rover analog, sized for a 2-foot personal robot. README has assembled-rover hero photos and links to every build doc.
JPL OSR — Parts List (Authoritative BOM)
Every fastener, motor, wire, and bracket needed to build the rover. ~$2,900 in new parts before rolling over electronics from a prior build.
JPL OSR — Mechanical Assembly Steps
Step-by-step build of the rocker-bogie suspension, chassis, and motor mounts. The largest single doc in the build process.
JPL OSR — Electrical Wiring
How the 6 brushed-DC drive motors, 4 Dynamixel XM430 steering servos, RoboClaw controllers, and Pi 5 brain interconnect. Includes power-distribution and the U2D2 servo controller.
JPL OSR — Custom PCB Reference
Schematics and BOM for the optional custom PCB that consolidates the drive/steering wiring. Can be replaced with point-to-point wiring; this doc explains both options.
JPL OSR — Rover Code (osr-rover-code)
The ROS2 driver stack: motor control, joystick teleop, IMU-aided odometry, and an example autonomous-driving demo. Runs on the Pi 5.
JPL OSR — Read The Docs Manual
Hosted long-form documentation with the parts list, assembly, and wiring rendered with images. Easier to read than the in-repo Markdown.
JPL OSR — Project Landing Page (opensourcerover.jpl.nasa.gov)
Official NASA JPL project page. Photos, video, mission rationale, and links to the GitHub repo. Best place to send non-technical visitors.
OpenBot Waffle — primary GitHub repo
Main repo. README has hero shots of the completed robot, links to every other build doc, and points at the ROS2 stack you'll run on it.