Unique robot welded from online parts walks on two legs with ease

MEVITA is a newly developed open-source bipedal robot created by engineers at the University of Tokyo's JSK Robotics Laboratory. It addresses common challenges in DIY robotics platforms by combining durability, simplicity, and accessibility. Unlike many existing designs that rely on fragile 3D-printed parts or complex metal assemblies with hard-to-source components, MEVITA uses sheet metal welding to integrate complex shapes into just 18 unique metal parts, four of which are welded. This approach significantly reduces the number of components, making the robot easier to build using parts readily available through online e-commerce. The robot’s control system leverages advanced AI techniques, specifically reinforcement learning trained in simulation environments (IsaacGym and MuJoCo), before transferring the learned behaviors to the physical robot via Python scripts. This Sim-to-Real transfer enables MEVITA to walk effectively across diverse terrains such as uneven indoor floors, grassy fields, dirt, concrete tiles, and gentle slopes. Safety and control are enhanced by features including wireless