Manaen

GOAT Morphing Robot

School: EPFL

Lab: CREATE Lab

PI: Josie Hughes

Direct Supervisor: Nana Obayashi

Duration: May 2025 – Aug 2025

Overview

Under the ERIP Summer Research Scholarship, I worked as an individual researcher on GOAT (Good Over All Terrains), a bio-inspired shape-changing robot that switches between driving and rolling modes. My work focused on building multi-scale prototypes, integrating electronics, and testing how material stiffness affects morphing performance.

Research Focus

How do scaling and material stiffness influence the morphing performance and load capacity of a shape-changing field robot?

Bending Deflection Test

Contributions

  • Built mini and mega GOAT prototypes

  • Integrated electronics and control (ESP32, DRV8833, Bluetooth)

  • Designed and 3D-printed parts for motors, winches, and cable routing

  • Conducted stiffness and bending tests on fiberglass frames

  • Diagnosed and fixed mechanical and wiring issues

  • Worked independently with weekly supervision

Skills

  • CAD

  • 3D Printing

  • Electronics Integration (ESP32, motors, PCB)

  • Prototyping

  • Mechanical Testing

  • System Debugging

  • Experimentation

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