OpenCatESP32 — OpenCat Framework on ESP32/BiBoard
🚀 Quaddle — Petoi’s newest OpenCat-lineage quadruped — goes live on Kickstarter Sept 2, 2026. Get notified → (details below)
OpenCatESP32 runs the OpenCat quadruped robotics framework on BiBoard — an ESP32-based development board designed for multi-degree-of-freedom legged robots with up to 12 servos. Developed by Petoi, the maker of futuristic programmable robotic pets.
This is the codebase for current-generation Petoi hardware. If you’re on the older NyBoard (ATmega328P), see the main OpenCat repo.
Click either GIF to watch the demo.
Quaddle mini robot dog — launching on Kickstarter Sept 2, 2026
Quaddle is Petoi’s newest quadruped, going live on Kickstarter Sept 2, 2026 — a mini desk robot built on the same OpenCat lineage as Bittle and Nybble.
- Full quadruped running on just 4 servos instead of the usual 8–12, which forces genuinely different gait-design and leg-coordination solutions to still get all four legs walking, running, and balancing
- Position-feedback servos — readable, not just drivable — which is what makes Puppet Mode possible: hand-guide the legs and record a motion directly, no code required
- 3D-printable shells and mounts for customization
- Same open platform this repo already supports for gait research, reinforcement learning (RL), and sim2real work — a hands-on physical AI platform, not a toy version of the idea
- Try it in the online simulator before it ships
Source code is not yet public. It’s an upgraded version of the OpenCat project, and its ESP32-S3 code structure is closer to this repo than to the main NyBoard-based OpenCat repo. We plan to open source it before Quaddle delivery.
About the Project
Inspired by Boston Dynamics’ Spot, Dr. Rongzhong Li started OpenCat in his dorm at Wake Forest University in 2016. The goal was straightforward: make agile quadruped robots affordable and hackable enough for researchers, educators, and makers — not just well-funded labs.
Since then:
- 30,000+ robots shipped, cumulative across all channels
- 60+ countries
- $1M+ raised across two prior Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns
- 20+ academic papers cite the platform — see Research Spotlight
- One of the most-starred open-source quadruped robot projects on GitHub
Hardware
BiBoard is the control board for:
The older Bittle and Nybble (NyBoard) are discontinued. BiBoard is the current platform.
Why BiBoard Over NyBoard?
The ATmega328P (NyBoard) gets the job done for locomotion. BiBoard is for when your robotics programming needs more headroom:
- ESP32 dual-core @ 240 MHz — handle real-time servo coordination and a perception pipeline simultaneously
- Wi-Fi + Bluetooth built in — wireless control and data streaming without a dongle
- Up to 12 servos — full 12-DOF configurations
- Arduino IDE compatible — same workflow, more horsepower
- Open source — hardware and software both forkable
If you’re building an open source robot dog for research, running ROS, deploying a vision model, or just want room to experiment — BiBoard is the right foundation.
Board Configuration
Arduino IDE settings (ESP32 Dev Module):
| Setting |
Value |
| Upload Speed |
921600 |
| CPU Frequency |
240 MHz (WiFi/BT) |
| Flash Frequency |
80 MHz |
| Flash Mode |
QIO |
| Flash Size |
4 MB |
| Partition Scheme |
Default 4MB with spiffs |
| Core Debug Level |
None |
| PSRAM |
Disabled |
Full setup: Upload Sketch for BiBoard
What People Have Built
Education
OpenCat shows up in AI robotics education across K-12 programs, community colleges, university labs, and maker spaces — hands-on physical AI teaching that goes beyond screen-based coding exercises:
- r/OpenCat — firmware code, framework hacking, extending and porting OpenCat
- r/Petoi — hardware Q&A, builds, quadruped coding, RL experiments, curriculum, 3D-printed parts, general discussion
- Facebook Group — community discussion and builds
- Discord — real-time chat with the Petoi community
Resources
Follow the project:
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