🤖 A low-cost, modular, and extensible open-source spherical robotics platform
combining modern control systems, wireless connectivity, sensor fusion, and future AI capabilities.
Vision • Features • Architecture • Structure • Docs • Status • Contributing
OpenPaw BallBot is an open-source, ESP32-powered, self-balancing spherical robot designed as a complete, extensible research and learning platform.
The goal is to create an accessible robotics platform that allows developers, students, and researchers to explore:
| Domain | Focus Areas |
|---|---|
| 🤖 Robotics | Self-balancing, motion control, sensor fusion |
| 💻 Embedded | ESP32 architecture, real-time systems, RTOS |
| 📡 Connectivity | WiFi, Bluetooth, OTA, remote monitoring |
| 🗺️ Navigation | Autonomous movement, localization, SLAM |
| 🧠 AI | Neural networks, reinforcement learning, vision |
🎯 Core Robotics
✅ Self-balancing control system (PID)
✅ ESP32 dual-core 240MHz architecture
✅ Real-time sensor processing (FreeRTOS)
✅ Motor control and stabilization
✅ Wireless communication stack
📡 Connectivity
✅ WiFi control interface
✅ Bluetooth setup and pairing
✅ OTA (Over-the-Air) firmware updates
✅ Remote monitoring dashboard
📱 Mobile Experience
✅ Cross-platform mobile application
✅ Live telemetry dashboard
✅ Robot configuration tools
🔜 Future mapping interface
🔬 Research & Development
🔜 Localization systems (SLAM)
🔜 Autonomous navigation
🔜 Sensor fusion algorithms (Kalman)
🔜 Computer vision experiments
🔜 AI-assisted autonomous behavior
openpaw-ballbot/
│
├── 📱 app/ → Mobile application (React Native / Flutter)
├── 💻 firmware/ → ESP32 firmware (C++ / FreeRTOS)
├── ⚙️ hardware/ → Hardware documentation & BOM
├── 🔌 pcba/ → PCB schematic & layout files (KiCad)
├── 🔩 cad/ → Mechanical CAD models (STEP / STL)
├── 🎥 media/ → Images, renders, demo videos
├── 🔬 research/ → Research notes, papers, references
└── 📚 docs/ → Full project documentation
OpenPaw BallBot
│
┌────────────────────┼─────────────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
Firmware Mobile App Documentation
(ESP32) (Client) & Research
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Sensor Layer │
│ ├─ IMU / Gyroscope (MPU6050) │
│ ├─ Wheel Encoders │
│ ├─ Distance Sensors (ToF) │
│ └─ Power Monitor (INA219) │
└────────────────┬────────────────────┘
│
┌────────────────▼────────────────────┐
│ Control Layer │
│ ├─ PID Controller │
│ ├─ State Manager (FreeRTOS) │
│ ├─ Motion Planner │
│ └─ Safety & Watchdog Systems │
└────────────────┬────────────────────┘
│
┌────────────────▼────────────────────┐
│ Communication Layer │
│ ├─ WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) │
│ ├─ Bluetooth LE (BLE 5.0) │
│ ├─ REST / WebSocket APIs │
│ └─ OTA Firmware Updates │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
All project documentation lives inside the docs/ directory:
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
roadmap.md |
Full project roadmap and milestones |
architecture.md |
System architecture overview |
hardware-arch.md |
Hardware architecture & component selection |
software-arch.md |
Software architecture & firmware design |
development-plan.md |
Development timeline & sprint planning |
milestones.md |
Project milestones and deliverables |
🟡 Research & Development Phase
[██████████░░░░░░░░░░] 50% Overall Progress
System Architecture ████████████████░░░░ 80%
Hardware Planning ██████████████░░░░░░ 70%
Firmware Foundation ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ 40%
Documentation ██████████░░░░░░░░░░ 50%
Research & Proto ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ 40%
PCB Design ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 20%
Mobile App ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 10%
Active work areas:
- 🔍 System architecture definition
- 🔧 Hardware component planning
- 💻 Firmware project scaffolding
- 📝 Documentation writing
- 🧪 Research and prototyping
| Phase | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Research & Planning | 🟡 Active |
| Phase 2 | Firmware Foundation | ⏳ Upcoming |
| Phase 3 | Self-Balancing MVP | 🔮 Future |
| Phase 4 | Autonomous Navigation | 🔮 Future |
| Phase 5 | AI & Computer Vision | 🔮 Future |
Contributions, ideas, discussions, and feedback are genuinely welcome!
🔌 Embedded Systems → ESP32 firmware, HAL, drivers
📐 Control Algorithms → PID tuning, Kalman, state machines
⚡ Electronics → PCB design, schematics, power
🔩 Mechanical Design → CAD, 3D printing, assembly
📱 Mobile Dev → React Native / Flutter app
📚 Documentation → Guides, tutorials, API docs
🧪 Testing → Unit tests, HIL, CI/CD
🔬 Research → Papers, algorithms, experiments
# 1. Fork the repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/openpaw-ballbot.git
# 2. Create a feature branch
git checkout -b feature/your-amazing-feature
# 3. Make your changes and commit
git commit -m "feat: add amazing feature"
# 4. Push and open a Pull Request
git push origin feature/your-amazing-featureThis project is released under the MIT License.
MIT License — Copyright (c) 2024 OpenPaw BallBot Contributors
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction...
See LICENSE for full details.
If you find this project interesting or useful:
| Action | Impact |
|---|---|
| ⭐ Star the repository | Increases visibility |
| 👁️ Watch for updates | Stay informed |
| 🍴 Fork and contribute | Grow the project |
| 💬 Share feedback | Improve direction |
| 🐛 Report issues | Improve quality |
Together, we can build an accessible open-source robotics platform for learning, experimentation, and innovation.