Dropbear-Mini 🥚
Dropbear-Mini (codename: EGG) is a compact, tabletop-scale humanoid designed for education, research, and rapid prototyping. It shares the same software stack as the full-size Dropbear but at a fraction of the cost and build time.
Why Mini?
Not everyone needs a 1.8m humanoid. Dropbear-Mini targets:
- Students — learn robotics fundamentals with real hardware at university-friendly costs
- Researchers — rapid iteration on control algorithms before testing on the full-size platform
- Developers — test skills and behaviors at desk-scale before deploying to a real Dropbear
- Educators — classroom-ready platform for teaching ROS 2, RL, and embodied AI
Design Goals
Software Compatible
Same ROS 2 stack, same Python API, same skill format. Code written for Mini runs on the full Dropbear with only kinematic re-mapping.
Affordable
Target BOM under $500. Fully 3D-printable body with widely available hobby servos. No custom PCBs required for the base version.
Quick Build
Assemble in a single weekend. Minimal soldering, snap-fit joints, and pre-configured firmware images.
Sim-to-Real Bridge
Train in simulation, deploy to Mini for real-world validation. The reduced scale makes experiments safer and faster to iterate.
🥚 Hatching Soon
Dropbear-Mini is currently in the design phase. The concept is being refined based on community feedback. Join the discussion on Discord to influence the design. CAD files and BOM will be published once the design is finalized.