Description

Ever since I watched Big Hero 6, I was inspired by the idea of a soft, gentle robot that could help humans, not just through brute force, but with empathy and care. My goal is to design a humanoid healthcare robot, inspired by Baymax, that can detect injuries, provide basic first aid, and interact naturally with people in need.

The Goal

The goal of this project is to create a foundational humanoid healthcare robot inspired by Baymax, but built with a practical and scalable engineering approach. Rather than replicating full bipedal locomotion from the start, I’ve opted for a wheeled base (similar to a powered wheelchair) to prioritize rapid prototyping, system integration, and safety. This lets me focus on developing robust, modular components that can later evolve into more advanced versions including walking variants.

At its core, Baymax is designed to safely interact with people, provide light caregiving assistance, and serve as a platform for exploring the intersection of soft robotics, "hard" robotics, AI, and human-centered design.

High-Level System Overview A.K.A THE PLAN

6-DoF Arms: Designed to manipulate objects gently but precisely, combining rigid actuators (for shoulder and elbow) with cable-driven wrists and soft fingers for compliant, human-safe interaction.
Multimodal Sensing: The robot is equipped with capacitive touch sensors, air-pressure feedback, and future integration of thermal/IR sensors for injury detection and interaction awareness.
Projected Touchscreen Interface: A capacitive GUI projected onto the soft torso allows intuitive user interaction, mimicking Baymax’s iconic screen.
ROS 2-Based Autonomy: High-level decision-making, motion planning, and system coordination are handled by a ROS 2 stack running on a Raspberry Pi 5.
Distributed Embedded Control: Real-time motor and sensor control is handled by a network of STM32 and ESP32 microcontrollers, allowing responsive actuation and closed-loop behavior.
Soft-Body Integration: The robot’s inflatable torso and layered skin help ensure safety and comfort during human interaction while embedding touch sensors and a visual interface.

This architecture reflects my goal of blending soft and "hard" robotics into a cohesive, modular platform that can evolve. Over time, I aim to develop a suite of Baymax variants—some focused on caregiving, others on social assistance, object manipulation, or even emotional support—all built upon this same core system.

Ongoing: Baymax