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Recently, on the popular Instructables platform, Jake Lee, a maker and industrial designer from Taiwan, shared a fascinating project called "Ultimate Panda." This robot is an upgraded version of his earlier cleaning robot design, featuring enhanced functions such as suction, a cleaning brush, and a roller. According to Lee, his previous model was too small and required a power cable, limiting its mobility. That's why he designed a larger version, with a chassis measuring 17 cm x 17 cm, capable of cleaning both desks and floors.
The robot moves randomly, detecting obstacles and cliffs to avoid falling or getting stuck. The top, bottom, middle housing, battery covers, gearboxes, and dust compartment were all 3D printed using a MakerBot 2x Replicator at 0.2 mm resolution. Lee mentioned that he created three initial prototypes before finalizing the dimensions.
To power the robot, multiple motors drive the wheels, rollers, vacuum, and fan blades. All electrical components are controlled by an Arduino UNO board. While he used PRO_E for modeling, Lee emphasized that the choice of software isn't crucial—what matters is the idea and execution.
One of the biggest challenges was designing the gear system to efficiently power the roller and cleaner, which required less energy. He eventually used three gears to connect the motor, roller, and cleaner, saving battery life while maintaining performance.
Lee submitted the project to the "3D Printing Contest" on Instructables. Although he hasn’t released the full STL file yet due to plans for another competition, his Instructables page includes step-by-step instructions, useful videos, and a free eDrawing file that details the internal components. If you're interested in DIY robotics, this project is definitely worth checking out.
In total, Lee spent about a month on the project, and the cost was surprisingly low—only NT$164 for parts. It’s a great example of how creativity and open-source tools can lead to impressive results with minimal resources.