SunFounder PiDog with Raspberry Pi Zero

Hello and welcome back. In this article, we are going to introduce a cool Robot dog from SunFounder. It’s very interesting and mainly based on Raspberry Pi technology. For that, I have used the Raspberry Pi Zero W board. But you can use Raspberry Pi 4,3B+ or 3B board. This dog is great for kids, adults, students, teachers, enthusiasts, and makers alike. It can do a lot of things just like a real dog: walk, sleep, run, turn left and right, scratch its ears, bob its head, wag its tail, and more. For that, five main components are included in this robot dog. That’s the ultrasonic sensor, sound sensor, touch switch, 6 DOF(Accelerometer and Gyroscope) module, and camera module. What’s more, it boasts advanced features such as face tracking and ball tracking capabilities, enhancing its interactivity and versatility. Also, 12 servo motors are included for moving the robot dog. Especially, my interesting feature is the RGB LED strip. It’s displaying the emotion als of this dog. Furthermore, this project offers an exciting opportunity to learn Python programming, as you delve into the world of robotics and explore the capabilities of this remarkable creation.

If you want more info about this Robot dog – Click on me
You can buy this PiDog kit using this link – Click on me

Specifications of PiDog

Compatible motherboards – Raspberry Pi 4/3B+/3B/Zero W
Action Set – Walking, Sleeping, Running, turning left, turning right, Scratching ears, bobbing head, wagging tail, push-up
Sensors – Ultrasonic module, touch switch module, 6 DOF sensor module

RGB LED strip – Emotional Expression
Battery type – 2 x 18650 Battery
Battery life — 1.5 Hours

Connection Mode – WIFI/AP
Body Material — Aluminium Alloy
Expansion Board – SunFounder Robot Hat

Camera – 5MP camera
Voice commands – forward, backward, turn left, turn right, trot, stop, lie down, stand up. Sit, bark, bark harder, pant, wagtail, shake head, stretch, doze off, push-up, howling, twist body, handshake, high-five
Charging time – About 2-3 hours

Control mode – SunFounder Controller App
Programming language – Python
Number of servos – 12

OK, let’s assemble this Robot dog step by step. For that, follow the steps below. If you want, you can use the SunFounder instructions. For that use this link — Click on me

Step 1

Firstly, unbox and identify components one by one.

Step 2

Now, install the Sound direction sensor module on Plate A. Then, connect the 7-pin wire to it.

Step 3

Next, install the Raspberry Pi Zero board on it. Then, connect the FPC cable to the camera port and install the Robot HAT.

Step 4

Now, connect the Sound direction module cable to the robot HAT. Then, connect the one servo motor for the dog tail and install the battery using a velcro sticker.

Step 5

And then, charge this dog and turn on the power.

Step 6

Now, let’s install the Raspberry Pi OS and download the required modules. For that, follow the instructions below.

First, plug the SD card to the computer. Then, download the Raspberry Pi OS to your computer and run this setup.

Next, select your device, Operating system, and SD card.

Now, go to the settings and enter your hostname, username and password, SSID, and password. Then. select your country and enable SSH. Finally, click the ok button. Then, it will install it on your SD card.

Step 7

Next, insert this SD card to the Raspberry Pi board and power on it. Then install the required modules to the Raspberry Pi board. For that, follow the instructions below.

First, open Windows Powershell with the Administrator. Then log into the Raspberry Pi terminal using the following commands.

ping -4 raspberrypi.local
ssh [email protected] — Please use your local IP address.

Then, run the following commands one by one.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install git python3-pip python3-setuptools python3-smbus

cd ~/
git clone -b v2.0 https://github.com/sunfounder/robot-hat.git
cd robot-hat

sudo python3 setup.py install
cd ~/
git clone -b picamera2 https://github.com/sunfounder/vilib.git

cd vilib
sudo python3 install.py
cd ~/

git clone https://github.com/sunfounder/pidog.git
cd pidog
sudo python3 setup.py install

cd ~/pidog
sudo bash i2samp.sh

Next, enable the I2C and SPI. For that, run the command below.

sudo raspi-config

Finally, run the servo zeroing script to set the servo motors to 0 points.
cd ~/pidog/examples

sudo python3 servo_zeroing.py

OK, everything is fine.

Step 8

Now, connect the tail servo motor to the P11 terminal. Afterward, power off and connect the servo arm to Plate B. Also, connect the cable tie to the end of Plate B.

Step 9

Next, prepare plates C and D for the left and right legs. Use the following images for that.

Step 10

Then, connect the servo arms to these plates and install the servo motors.

Step 11

Next, install the Acrylic D plates on the legs.

Step 12

Now, run the servo zeroing script again and connect the servo motors one by one to the P11 terminal. Finally, power off this robot.

Step 13

Next, assemble the dog legs using the images below.

Step 14

After, connect the servo arms to E plates and install dog legs on these plates.

Step 15

Now, connect these parts to the main body and install the Plate F back side of this dog. Then, connect the servo motors to the robot HAT. For that, use the images below.

Step 16

Next, install the RGB board on Plate G and connect it to the robot Hat using the 4-pin cable. Then, connect the 6-DOF IMU module to the RGB board using a cable. Finally, install the Plate G and IMU module on the robot dog.

Step 17

Afterward, install Plate H to the bottom of this robot and assemble the robot stand using Acrylic plates.

Step 18

Now, run the servo zeroing script again and set the other servo motors to 0 points using the P5 terminal. Then, attach the servo arm to plate I and connect the other servo motors to it. For that, use the picture below.

Step 19

Next, connect the Plate J to it. Then, assemble Plate K and connect it to the servo motor. Afterward, assemble Plate L and install it other side of the above part.

Step 20

Now, install the servo motor on the Plate M. Then, install that plate on Plate N. After, connect the all parts together.

Step 21

Next, connect the servo motors to Robot HAT. Then, connect this part to the main body.

Step 22

Afterward, connect Plate O to the dog head. Then, install the camera module on the Plate P and install the Plate Q on the Plate P.

Step 23

Now, connect the Ultrasonic sensor with the Acrylic E plate. Then, install the touch switch module on the robot head and connect 4-pin wires to these components.

Step 24

Then, connect the ultrasonic sensor and touch switch module to the robot HAT. Finally, install Plate O on the robot dog head. Now, you can manage wires using cable wrap.