From Equations to a Bipedal Demonstrator: An Open-Source, Integrated Laboratory Kit for Applied Mechatronics Education

Open-source design and validation files of a low-cost bipedal locomotion demonstrator developed as an integrated laboratory kit for teaching applied mechatronics to intermediate-level engineering students. Each leg is a planar linkage with one degree of mobility (a driving crank followed by five passive RRR modular groups), driven by one DC motor per leg and controlled by an ESP8266 (NodeMCU) board. The kit follows a five-stage learning framework: (1) theoretical kinematic model, (2) software validation (trajectories and velocity/acceleration hodographs), (3) CAD modelling and virtual trajectory validation in SolidWorks, (4) physical construction by material extrusion 3D printing (35 parts, Z-HIPS), and (5) physical validation by camera-based tracking of the end-effector trajectory. Contents:01_CAD Parts – SolidWorks part files (35 components)02_Assemblies and motion study – SolidWorks assemblies and Motion Study03_STL – print-ready STL files04_3D printing projects – Zortrax Z-SUITE build plate projects05_Trajectory vid – video of the physical validation test (AVI)06_Annexes – appendices with trajectory data, 3D printing parameters, Arduino firmware and Python acquisition codeREADME.pdf – full documentation; LICENSE.txt – licence notice Related article: "From Equations to a Bipedal Demonstrator: An Open-Source, Integrated Laboratory Kit for Applied Mechatronics Education", to be submitted to Education Sciences (MDPI), 2026.