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<title>WHIP — Walking Hexapod Intelligence Platform</title>
<meta name="description" content="WHIP is an 18-servo ESP32 hexapod from the DREAM Robotics ecosystem, with obstacle avoidance, MPU6050 tilt safety, an IR remote, a browser control page and a gamepad controller.">
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<meta property="og:description" content="An 18-servo ESP32 hexapod with obstacle avoidance, tilt safety and web control.">
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  <div class="wrap">
    <a class="brand" href="#top">WHIP</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#overview">Overview</a></li>
      <li><a href="#hardware">Hardware</a></li>
      <li><a href="#controls">Controls</a></li>
      <li><a href="#quickstart">Quick start</a></li>
      <li><a href="#near">Nearby</a></li>
      <li><a href="#screens">Screens</a></li>
      <li><a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/WHIP-Robot-v00">GitHub</a></li>
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  <div class="wrap">
    <div class="eyebrow">A DREAM Robotics Agent &middot; Hexapod</div>
    <h1>WHIP</h1>
    <p class="tagline">Walking Hexapod Intelligence Platform</p>
    <p class="lede">Eighteen servos on an RTrobot controller, driven by an ESP32 that runs her gaits, WiFi and a browser control page. An MPU6050 stops her before she tips, and an ultrasonic sensor watches the way ahead.</p>
    <div class="cta">
      <a class="btn primary" href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/WHIP-Robot-v00">View on GitHub</a>
      <a class="btn" href="#controls">Controls</a>
      <a class="btn" href="https://ko-fi.com/cursedentertainment">Support on Ko-fi</a>
    </div>
    <div class="tags" aria-label="Technologies">
      <span class="tag">C++</span>
      <span class="tag">Python</span>
      <span class="tag">ESP32</span>
      <span class="tag">18-DOF</span>
      <span class="tag">MPU6050</span>
      <span class="tag">MIT License</span>
    </div>
    <figure class="avatar">
      <img src="images/whip_avatar.jpg" alt="WHIP's avatar: a human representation of the robot" width="768" height="768">
      <figcaption>WHIP &middot; avatar</figcaption>
    </figure>
    <div class="photos">
      <figure>
        <img src="images/whip00.png" alt="WHIP, the 18-DOF hexapod robot" width="1200" height="1144" loading="lazy">
        <figcaption>WHIP</figcaption>
      </figure>
      <figure>
        <img src="images/whip01.png" alt="WHIP from another angle" width="1200" height="1144" loading="lazy">
        <figcaption>Legs</figcaption>
      </figure>
    </div>
  </div>
</header>

<main>

<section id="overview">
  <div class="wrap">
    <h2>Overview</h2>
    <h3 class="title">Six legs, eighteen joints</h3>
    <div class="grid cols-3">
      <div class="card">
        <span class="k">Walk</span>
        <h4>Gaits</h4>
        <p>Forward, backward, turn left and turn right, plus stand, rest and shut-down poses, all tuned in the RTrobot editor.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="card">
        <span class="k">Avoid</span>
        <h4>Obstacle mode</h4>
        <p>Walks on her own until something is within 20&nbsp;cm, then stands, turns and carries on once it's clear past 35&nbsp;cm.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="card">
        <span class="k">Balance</span>
        <h4>Tilt safety</h4>
        <p>Past 10&deg; of pitch or roll she stops and stands, and resumes once she's back under 7&deg;.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="card">
        <span class="k">Remote</span>
        <h4>IR remote</h4>
        <p>Arrows walk and turn while held. She stands when you let go.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="card">
        <span class="k">Web</span>
        <h4>Browser &amp; gamepad</h4>
        <p>A control page on port <code>5005</code>, and a Python controller that drives her from a PS2-style gamepad.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="card">
        <span class="k">Fleet</span>
        <h4>RIFT integration</h4>
        <p>She joins the <code>NORA</code> network and registers with the fleet, or hosts her own access point.</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

<section id="hardware">
  <div class="wrap">
    <h2>Hardware</h2>
    <h3 class="title">What she's built from</h3>
    <ol class="parts">
      <li><span class="n">01</span> ESP32 (the same module as NORA)</li>
      <li><span class="n">02</span> RTrobot 32-channel servo controller</li>
      <li><span class="n">03</span> 18-DOF hexapod chassis</li>
      <li><span class="n">04</span> 18&times; MG995 180&deg; servos</li>
      <li><span class="n">05</span> 3S LiPo battery</li>
      <li><span class="n">06</span> UBEC set to 6&nbsp;V</li>
      <li><span class="n">07</span> HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor</li>
      <li><span class="n">08</span> MPU6050 gyro + accelerometer</li>
      <li><span class="n">09</span> NEC IR receiver + remote</li>
    </ol>
    <h3 class="sub">Power</h3>
<pre>3S LiPo &#9472;&#9472;&#9658; UBEC (6 V) &#9472;&#9472;&#9658; RTrobot servo controller V+ / GND
All grounds tied together</pre>
    <p class="note"><strong>Set the UBEC to 6&nbsp;V</strong> before connecting the servos, and make sure every module shares a common ground.</p>
    <h3 class="sub">ESP32 pinout</h3>
    <div class="grid cols-2">
    <div class="table-wrap">
      <table>
        <thead><tr><th>Signal</th><th>GPIO</th></tr></thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr><td>Servo controller (UART0, 38400 baud)</td><td class="mono">TX0 1 / RX0 3</td></tr>
          <tr><td>Debug console (Serial2)</td><td class="mono">RX2 16 / TX2 17</td></tr>
          <tr><td>HC-SR04 TRIG / ECHO</td><td class="mono">12 / 13</td></tr>
          <tr><td>MPU6050 SDA / SCL</td><td class="mono">21 / 22</td></tr>
          <tr><td>IR receiver</td><td class="mono">14</td></tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>
    </div>
    <div class="table-wrap">
      <table>
        <thead><tr><th>Servos</th><th>RTrobot channels</th></tr></thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr><td>Left side (three legs)</td><td class="mono">1&ndash;9</td></tr>
          <tr><td>Right side (three legs)</td><td class="mono">24&ndash;32</td></tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>
    </div>
    </div>
    <p class="muted spaced">The servo controller shares UART0 with the USB bridge, so <strong>disconnect it before uploading</strong>. <code>scripts/servo_setup</code> centres every channel at 1500&nbsp;&micro;s for fitting servo horns.</p>
  </div>
</section>

<section id="controls">
  <div class="wrap">
    <h2>Controls</h2>
    <h3 class="title">Three ways to drive</h3>
    <div class="grid cols-3">
      <div class="card mode">
        <span class="k">Boot default</span>
        <h4>Obstacle Avoidance</h4>
        <p>IR <kbd>2</kbd>, the web page, or gamepad Circle.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="card mode">
        <span class="k"><kbd>1</kbd> &middot; IR remote</span>
        <h4>Hold to walk</h4>
        <p>Arrows walk and turn. 350&nbsp;ms without a repeat and she stands.</p>
      </div>
      <div class="card mode">
        <span class="k">Web</span>
        <h4>Browser or gamepad</h4>
        <p>The page's D-pad or the Python controller. 500&nbsp;ms without a command and she stands.</p>
      </div>
    </div>
    <h3 class="sub">Python controller</h3>
    <div class="table-wrap">
      <table>
        <thead><tr><th>Input</th><th>Action</th></tr></thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr><td>D-pad / arrow keys</td><td>Forward, backward, turn left, turn right</td></tr>
          <tr><td>Cross (A)</td><td>Web control mode (needed before driving)</td></tr>
          <tr><td>Circle (B)</td><td>Obstacle Avoidance mode</td></tr>
          <tr><td>Square (X)</td><td>IR Remote mode</td></tr>
          <tr><td>Triangle (Y)</td><td>Emergency stop (stand)</td></tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>
    </div>
    <h3 class="sub">Driven by NORA</h3>
    <p class="muted"><a href="https://cursedprograms.github.io/NORA-Robot-v00/">NORA</a> can drive WHIP through her IR transmitter: Samsung-format IR at address <code>0x0DA3</code>, with the fleet link&rsquo;s commands <code>0x48</code>&ndash;<code>0x4F</code> (drive, stop, obstacle, manual, speed). Driving switches her into IR Remote mode, and each command runs as the matching remote button. She stands once the link has been quiet for 600 ms (frames can land mid-step). She has one gait speed, so <code>speed</code> is ignored. Link frames print as <code>LINK cmd=0x..</code>.</p>
  </div>
</section>

<section id="quickstart">
  <div class="wrap">
    <h2>Quick start</h2>
    <h3 class="title">Get her walking</h3>
    <ol class="steps">
      <li>Flash <code>scripts/esp32/esp32.ino</code> with the servo controller's wires disconnected, then reconnect them.</li>
      <li>Power WHIP. She stands, joins NORA's network or starts her own <code>WHIP</code> AP, and starts in Obstacle Avoidance mode.</li>
      <li>Open <code>http://&lt;WHIP's IP&gt;:5005/</code>, or run the Python controller.</li>
    </ol>
<pre><span class="p">$</span> python -m venv venv
<span class="p">$</span> source venv/bin/activate
<span class="p">$</span> pip install -r requirements.txt
<span class="p">$</span> python scripts/controller.py</pre>
    <div class="table-wrap">
      <table>
        <thead><tr><th>Setting</th><th>Value</th></tr></thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr><td>NORA's network</td><td><code>NORA</code> / <code>12345678</code></td></tr>
          <tr><td>WHIP's own AP</td><td><code>WHIP</code> / <code>12345678</code></td></tr>
          <tr><td>Control page / RIFT port</td><td><code>5005</code></td></tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

<section id="near">
  <div class="wrap">
    <h2>Who's nearby</h2>
    <h3 class="title">ESP-NOW + Bluetooth LE: the robots sense each other</h3>
    <p class="muted">Every robot sends a small "I'm here" beacon twice a second. The signal strength says roughly how close each one is, and how it changes says whether it's <b>coming closer</b>, <b>steady</b> or <b>leaving</b>. Coarse, for "who's around": the ultrasonic and ToF sensors still do the precise avoiding.</p>
    <div class="grid cols-3">
      <div class="card"><span class="k">Zones</span><h4>Very close to far</h4><p>Above &minus;45 dBm very close, &minus;60 near, &minus;75 medium, below that far.</p></div>
      <div class="card"><span class="k">Talk</span><h4>In Brainfuck</h4><p>Over ESP-NOW each beacon carries a program that prints <code>park</code>, <code>go</code>, <code>wait</code> or <code>hand</code>; the receiver runs it. RIFT decodes them too.</p></div>
      <div class="card"><span class="k">Manners</span><h4>Who makes way</h4><p>A parked robot isn't the one moving; a yielding one is making way; a human-driven one gets space; otherwise the alphabet decides, and everyone makes way for MILA.</p></div>
    </div>
    <p class="muted spaced">WHIP hears the others over <b>ESP-NOW</b> (NORA, MILA) and <b>Bluetooth LE</b> (NORA, KIDA-00, KIDA-01). In <b>obstacle</b> mode she stands, then turns away, when a robot with right of way is close. <code>GET /near</code> shows her list.</p>
  </div>
</section>

<section id="screens">
  <div class="wrap">
    <h2>Screens</h2>
    <h3 class="title">The controllers</h3>
    <p class="muted">Captured without a robot connected, so live values show their offline state.</p>
    <div class="screens">
      <figure class="shot">
        <img src="images/screenshots/controller-python.png" alt="WHIP's controller showing the gamepad layout" width="902" height="652" loading="lazy">
        <figcaption>Python controller (PS2 / gamepad)</figcaption>
      </figure>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

<section id="related">
  <div class="wrap">
    <h2>DREAM Robotics</h2>
    <h3 class="title">The rest of the family</h3>
    <div class="related">
      <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/MILA-Robot-v00">MILA-Robot-v00</a>
      <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/IDA-Robot-v00">IDA-Robot-v00</a>
      <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/KIDA-Robot-v00">KIDA-Robot-v00</a>
      <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/KIDA-Robot-v01">KIDA-Robot-v01</a>
      <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/NORA-Robot-v00">NORA-Robot-v00</a>
      <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/ARM-Robot-v01">ARM-Robot-v01</a>
      <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/RIFT">RIFT</a>
      <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/DREAM">DREAM</a>
    </div>
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<!-- DREAM-ECOSYSTEM:START -->
<section class="eco">
  <div class="eco-title">The DREAM Robotics ecosystem</div>
  <div><strong>Minds</strong> — <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/DREAM">DREAM</a> companion · <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/TINA">TINA</a> engineer · <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/NINA">NINA</a> caretaker · <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/RIFT">RIFT</a> fleet hub · <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/LYCEA">LYCEA</a> training school</div>
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  <div><strong>Tools</strong> — <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/CRUSH">CRUSH</a> compression · <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/Image-Generator">Image-Generator</a> · <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/GloriosaAI">GloriosaAI</a> · <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/SynthWomb">SynthWomb</a> · <a href="https://github.com/CursedPrograms/PyVitals">PyVitals</a></div>
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