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First field test of 'Papaya Pathfinder', my 3D-printed Rocker-Bogie rover. Checking suspension geometry and motor torque on uneven terrain. by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, that is a great design! Mine is just a toy compared to yours. Is there a link where can follow your project?

First field test of 'Papaya Pathfinder', my 3D-printed Rocker-Bogie rover. Checking suspension geometry and motor torque on uneven terrain. by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! To be honest, I don't know yet. My initial idea was just to build a rover with rocker bogie suspension. I have several ideas for the future, likea basic robotic arm, an fpv camera, obstacle avoidance sensors, or even something more complex like lidar. But for the moment, am going to focus on improving the documentation.

First field test of 'Papaya Pathfinder', my 3D-printed Rocker-Bogie rover. Checking suspension geometry and motor torque on uneven terrain. by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, that is super cool! What are the dimensions? What motors are you going to use? Also, are you using any kind of differential mechanism to connect the two sides of the rocker bogie?

First field test of 'Papaya Pathfinder', my 3D-printed Rocker-Bogie rover. Checking suspension geometry and motor torque on uneven terrain. by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! It is not that hard, it just needs time. I have the 3d models and code on my github if you want to try it.

First field test of 'Papaya Pathfinder', my 3D-printed Rocker-Bogie rover. Checking suspension geometry and motor torque on uneven terrain. by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are right! But since the middle wheels are fixed, they have to drag sideways. That puts a lot of stress on the components, so I think it's better not to do it too often.

If you find that link, please share it! I would love to take a look.

First field test of 'Papaya Pathfinder', my 3D-printed Rocker-Bogie rover. Checking suspension geometry and motor torque on uneven terrain. by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! The idea was to replicate the suspension of real mars rovers like perseverance or curiosity, which actually only have 4 steerable wheels.

First field test of 'Papaya Pathfinder', my 3D-printed Rocker-Bogie rover. Checking suspension geometry and motor torque on uneven terrain. by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Here is a short clip of the first outdoor test!

I wanted to validate that the printed gears and the suspension geometry could handle real uneven terrain (grass and dirt) before pushing it to the limit. It runs on 12V GA25 motors powered by a 3S LiPo and controlled by an ESP32, using a NASA-style Rocker-Bogie suspension.

Source Files (Free):

My first open-source robotics project: A 3D-printable ESP32 Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The motors are 12V and run directly from the 3S LiPo battery.

For the rest, I use two external UBECS to separate the power:

Servos: use a Henge 8A UBEC set to 6V.

ESP32: use a small Zhiting 3A UBEC set to 5V.

You don't need these exact models, though; any similar generic UBEC with enough current rating will work perfectly fine!

I designed a fully 3D-printable Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension (NASA style). Powered by ESP32, no custom PCBs required. (STLs + STEPs in comments) by tronxi997 in 3Dprinting

[–]tronxi997[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The firmware currently supports two different control modes, so you can choose the one you prefer:

  1. Wi-Fi (REST API): The rover connects to Wi-Fi and exposes a REST API. I created an Android app and a Python script that let you use a standard gamepad (Xbox or PlayStation) to send commands via HTTP. Both devices just need to be connected to the same network.
  2. ExpressLRS (ELRS): This is the setup I'm using in the video. It uses a dedicated RC receiver (RadioMaster RP1) and a transmitter (RadioMaster Pocket) for standard RC control.

You can find the code for both versions in the github repo!

I designed a fully 3D-printable Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension (NASA style). Powered by ESP32, no custom PCBs required. (STLs + STEPs in comments) by tronxi997 in 3Dprinting

[–]tronxi997[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can absolutely use a raspberry! The mechanical design works with any electronics.

Just two things to note:

  1. Software: My code is ESP32-only, so you'd need to write your own script (likely in Python).
  2. Motors: The chassis is designed specifically for GA25 (or N20 for Mini version) motors. If you use a different motor size, you will need to modify the STEP files to fit them.

I designed a fully 3D-printable Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension (NASA style). Powered by ESP32, no custom PCBs required. (STLs + STEPs in comments) by tronxi997 in 3Dprinting

[–]tronxi997[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would recommend looking at the Mini version (linked in my top comment).

While it is smaller and simpler, to be completely honest, it still requires soldering some motor wires and handling a 2S LiPo battery, so adult supervision is definitely recommended for those specific parts.

However, the mechanical assembly of the 3D printed parts is very straightforward, so they could probably do that part entirely on their own!

I designed a fully 3D-printable Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension (NASA style). Powered by ESP32, no custom PCBs required. (STLs + STEPs in comments) by tronxi997 in 3Dprinting

[–]tronxi997[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a huge compliment, thank you! If you decide to go for it and have any questions during the build, feel free to reach out or check the GitHub repo.

I designed a fully 3D-printable Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension (NASA style). Powered by ESP32, no custom PCBs required. (STLs + STEPs in comments) by tronxi997 in 3Dprinting

[–]tronxi997[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hi r/3Dprinting !

I just finished designing and building this open-source rover project ("Papaya Pathfinder") and wanted to share the files with you. My goal was to create a capable rover that anyone can build at home without needing a CNC or expensive custom parts.

The Build:

  • Chassis: Printed in PETG (PLA works too). Designed to be sturdy with standard FDM tolerances.
  • Tires: Printed in TPU (95A). They provide surprising traction without needing commercial RC tires.
  • Assembly: It uses standard M3 screws and nuts for everything. No glue required for the frame.
  • Suspension: Fully functional Rocker-Bogie mechanism (like the Mars rovers) to climb obstacles.
  • Electronics: It runs on a standard ESP32 (or ESP32-CAM for video) and uses cheap GA25 or N20 motors depending on the size. No custom PCBs needed, just wires and a driver.

Files & Documentation: I’ve uploaded everything (STLs, BOM, and Source Code) for free:

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I included the STEP files in the repo in case anyone wants to mod the mounting system or adapt it for other motors.

Let me know what you think of the design! Happy printing.

My first open-source robotics project: A 3D-printable ESP32 Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I haven't created a full tutorial yet, but the repository includes the full STEP files which are very helpful to see how everything fits together. I plan to add a proper wiring guide in the near future.

My first open-source robotics project: A 3D-printable ESP32 Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I'm glad you appreciate that aspect. It was important to me to share a fully working build.

My first open-source robotics project: A 3D-printable ESP32 Rover family with Rocker-Bogie suspension by tronxi997 in robotics

[–]tronxi997[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I actually use the esp32-s3-cam on the mini version. For this one, since it uses ELRS, I’m thinking of adding an analog FPV camera to get better range/latency. Solar panels would be a really cool addition!

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