Exploring Dynamic Analysis of a Quadrupedal Mobile Robot Modified for Animatronic Entertainment in Musical Theatre Production

This project investigates how animatronic modifications of a mobile robot change the dynamic stability of the system. In collaboration with UNCSA’s Animatronics MFA program, the Unitree Go1 quadruped was modified to resemble a dog for its role as Rufus in Elon University’s production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. During this process, several issues arose, including excessive wear on the front motors and an uneven weight distribution from the external PLA 3D-printed shells, causing the Go1 to drift, overcorrect, and topple. This study employs a Qualisys Motion Capture system to track the dog’s motion which was then processed using Microsoft Office’s Excel and MATLAB. Data was collected from two reflectors placed on the back of the Go1 in various states: bare, with shells attached, with shells and the silicone head, and with the full performance setup, including shells, the silicone head, and fur. Using the collected data of the backplane from the robotic quadruped, the dynamics were analyzed and compared across system configurations. This analysis will be used to inform modifications of the system control algorithm, namely reducing the walking height setpoint to reduce stress on the shells and mitigate the overshoot and toppling issues observed in the early Go1 animatronic tests. This work may be helpful for other engineers working on bio-inspired systems, lifelike animatronics, or other projects involving novel modifications to previously well-modeled dynamic systems.