Please note: This is a first time trial run of the workshop. We are offering a considerable discount for registrant since it's the first run. We are asking all participants to provide feedback and input throughout the workshop. Once we complete the first series, make necessary modifications and adjustments based on feedback, the plan would be to offer this series again in the future but it will come without the "trial participant" discount.
Overview
Building and operating the Maker’s Pet robot is a hands-on crash course in modern robotics, offering practical robotics experience —from physical fabrication and electronics to advanced robotics software. You’ll begin by assembling the 3D-printed chassis, integrating motors, sensors, a microcontroller, and a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) unit. This gives you a solid foundation in mechanical and electrical systems of your robot, including wiring, and power management, with no soldering required.
On the software side, the project centers on the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2), an industry-standard middleware for robotic systems. By installing and configuring ROS 2 on your development machine, you’ll learn about ROS nodes, topics, services, and launch files. You’ll also gain experience working with RViz, ROS’s powerful visualization tool, which lets you observe real-time sensor data, robot state, coordinate frames, and LiDAR scans as the robot moves and maps its environment.
A highlight of this workshop is learning to work with Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and navigation stacks using real LiDAR data. You’ll see how robots build maps of their environment, plan collision-free paths, and adjust to changes in surroundings. The Maker’s Pet robot makes these advanced topics approachable, offering a project-based path to understanding the systems used in professional and academic robotics today.
You’ll also get a brief introduction to using Gazebo, a physics-based 3D simulation environment. You’ll explore how to simulate a robot before real-world testing. This is a great way to validate behaviors and system design before deploying them on actual hardware.
We’re also considering offering later enhancements for your robot including using the Tormach to mill an aluminum base-plate, upgrading to Li-ion batteries, migrating to a full Linux-based environment, and incorporating additional ROS software.
The workshop includes a kit with most everything you need to build your robot, however, you’ll need to supply:
- A Windows 10 or 11 laptop PC. If you don’t have a PC, we can supply a loaner for use during the workshop, but your own computer is recommended so you can operate the robot at home.
- Six AA batteries (a spare set of six batteries is also recommended).
- A small box to carry your robot and various parts (minimum of 6”x6”).
- Three or four evenings, two to three hours per evening for building, software installation, troubleshooting, and operation. The goal is to run one workshop session per week until your robot is complete. The schedule will be flexible to accommodate attendees.
A short video of the robot in action can be found here.
Additional Technical Details
Maker’s Pet is a DIY educational robot built around Arduino, ESP32, and ROS 2. You build from scratch using open‑source parts, firmware, and software.
Open-source stack: 3D models (STL/3MF), firmware (ESP32), ROS 2 packages, PCB schematics—all available under Apache‑2.0 license.
A compact, open‑source, educational self‑driving robot built on a 3D printed base, powered by an ESP32/Arduino stack with ROS2 support and a 360° LiDAR sensor.
Hardware
- 120 mm circular chassis
- Dual N20 brushed DC motors for smooth movement
- BDC‑30P driver board paired with an ESP32 DevKit v1 for control
- A rotating 360° LiDAR (e.g., YDLIDAR X3 Pro) for mapping and obstacle detection
- Wired for six AA batteries; optional 18650 Li‑ion upgrade can be made
Software & Autonomous Features
- Open‑source build guides on assembly, firmware flashing, ROS2 setup, mapping, and autonomous driving
- Offers Docker‑based deployment for PC control via ROS2/Kaia.ai
- Supports SLAM-based mapping, live sensor feeds, and automatic navigation within mapped environments
Who is it For?
- Makers, students, and robotics enthusiasts interested in hands‑on learning
- Great for STEM & robotics enthusiasts - adults and children age 12 and up - excellent hands-on project combining electronics, ROS2, LiDAR, SLAM mapping/navigation, and autonomous behavior
- Skill level - we’re making the workshop accessible to all levels - beginners will be assisted with all aspects of the building and operation, while intermediate to advanced users can take full advantage of hardware expansion and ROS2 features
- Fully hackable - want to add personality, sensors, or skills - the platform is designed for extensibility
This is an affordable, hackable, and educational ROS2‑powered ESP32/Arduino robot with LiDAR-based SLAM and self-driving built in. Perfect for DIYers who want something small yet capable. This robot can be used for serious education and research activities, or as a first-time robotics learning experience.
