← Darsh Patel

Rocker-bogie rover

Personal · Onshape, ESP32

A wireless six-wheel rover I designed and 3D printed in Onshape. A game controller drives it through a web page that sends joystick input to an ESP32 over a WebSocket.

The off-the-shelf 12 V gear motors didn't have enough torque, so I designed a 16:1 two-stage planetary gearbox that sits inside each wheel. It took four iterations, with tolerance changes for printing: gears in PLA, static parts in PETG. The rocker-bogie links have internal channels to hide the wiring.

It runs on two circuits: a 9 V battery and LM2596 regulator for the ESP32, and a 4S 18650 pack through an XL4015 converter for the motors.

The rover in Onshape: six wheels on rocker-bogie linkages, with the planetary gearbox inside each wheel.
The rover in Onshape: six wheels on rocker-bogie linkages, with the planetary gearbox inside each wheel.
Section view of the 16:1 two-stage planetary gearbox that sits inside each wheel, driven by the 12 V gear motor.
Section view of the 16:1 two-stage planetary gearbox that sits inside each wheel, driven by the 12 V gear motor.
An early build on stock yellow gear motors, before the planetary gearboxes were added.
An early build on stock yellow gear motors, before the planetary gearboxes were added.