Open Source RoboticsRobots, software & learning

Zowi

Robot / hardware build

Historical four-servo educational biped with FreeCAD sources, printable parts and Arduino calibration/motion code; selected coverage is the original printable design. [1] [2]

Build & first use →Official websiteUpstream build guideBill of materials

For
Arduino learners with adult or experienced help for wiring and mechanical calibration [1] [3]
Cost
No current cost yet. Upstream bill of materials [1]
Source rights
Some licenses are unresolved. Review licenses
Unknowns
host computer, tools, operating system not fully established. Review gaps

Source researched · Not tested by us
Sources checked · Research details

Photograph of the original four-servo, printable BQ Zowi. Cropped to remove an unrelated beverage can.
Photograph of the original four-servo, printable BQ Zowi. Cropped to remove an unrelated beverage can. Obijuan · CC-BY-SA-4.0. Cropped from x=352, y=0, width=681, height=783 of the 1033x783 original to remove the unrelated beverage can while retaining the complete robot; no other edits. The crop is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Preview re-encoded for faster display; the link opens the original file.
Licenses & related hardware
License
CC-BY-SA-4.0 · license not fully assessed for firmware · Details by part

Research details and dates

On this page

Overview

The original printable Zowi is a small educational biped driven by four servos. BQ released FreeCAD design sources, individual printable meshes and Arduino motion code. This profile selects Zowi_3Dprintable; the injection-molded product and the JIM/Scopum remixes in the same repository have different parts and should be treated separately. [1] [2]

Is this for you?

Known limitations
  • No current complete-build quote or available kit verified; printing, board, servos, power, tools and delivery remain configuration-specific.
  • The calibration sketch loads EEPROM despite a false-flag comment, and its active loop walks repeatedly despite a centering comment; review before uploading.
  • The Oscillator dependency and third-party software rights/version matching need separate checks; no compilation or physical gait test performed.

Editorial assessment from cited sources; no reproduction or compatibility test.

[1] [3] [4] · Editorial assessment

Hardware & parts

Upstream bill of materials [1]

Hardware configuration

Four-servo educational biped; selected printable original has no actuated arms

[1] [2]

Actuators
  • Four Futaba 3003 servos or equivalents named by upstream

[1]

Controller

BQ ZUM BT328 or Arduino as specified by the printable BOM

[1]

Power

Printable BOM lists eight AAA cells and four dual-cell holders; wiring/voltage must be reconciled with the selected board and servos

[1]

Degrees of freedom

4

[1] [2]

Assembly & first use

Open the upstream getting-started guide [1]

  • Use Zowi_3Dprintable parts and BOM; do not mix Zowi_mold or Scopum/JIM remix parts.
  • Match the board, servo power and four servo signal pins; inspect the calibration sketch before writing EEPROM.
  • Center the mechanism, adjust individual trims and attempt a short documented motion after checking the dependency versions.

Editorial assessment from cited sources; no reproduction or compatibility test.

[1] [2] [3] [4] · Editorial assessment

Cost

No current, complete configuration-specific build cost has been established for this profile.

Cost and licensing boundaries

No current complete price or available kit is established. Budget for the selected servos and board, printed parts, fasteners, power, programming computer, tools, shipping and tax. [1]

BQ declares CC-BY-SA-4.0 for the design. That declaration should not be extended automatically to separately linked Arduino and oscillator code. This is source-researched educational coverage; firmware compilation, calibration and physical walking remain untested. [4] [5]

3D preview

Preview not available yet. The original printable design provides FreeCAD and STL payloads. No source-positioned preview has been prepared; this is separate from the molded product and remixes.

Model sources

The original printable design provides FreeCAD and STL payloads. No source-positioned preview has been prepared; this is separate from the molded product and remixes.

Project notes

Start with the four-servo BOM

Upstream lists four Futaba 3003 servos or equivalents, a BQ ZUM BT328 or Arduino, specified M3 fasteners, four two-cell AAA holders and eight AAA cells. That list identifies components, but does not establish that every alternative Arduino board and servo can use the same power wiring. Resolve the selected board's supply and servo requirements before energizing the mechanism. The original printable design has no actuated arms. [1] [2]

The FreeCAD source and STL files are real payloads: the FreeCAD container and a sample binary mesh were inspected. No CAD fit, printing tolerance or mechanical strength test was performed. [1]

Read the calibration code as well as its comments

The calibration sketch maps the four servo signals to pins 2, 3, 4 and 5. The motion library can load individual trim values from EEPROM. The supplied sketch calls init(..., true), while a nearby comment explains the behavior for false; check the actual flag and stored state before calibration. Upstream also warns to save trims once and remove the EEPROM-writing line on later runs. [2] [3]

The code README links the Oscillator library to ArduSnake. Match that dependency and the selected Arduino toolchain before compiling; the repository's older examples are source material, not a verified current installation recipe. In Zowi_3Dprintable/code/zum/calibration/calibration.ino, the active loop calls zowi.walk(4,1800) repeatedly, despite a comment describing servo centering. Review and adapt that loop before uploading if the intended first exercise is stationary centering. Only then attempt a short movement. [2] [3] [4]

What we checked

Source research only. No firmware compilation, dependency installation, CAD fit or strength validation, assembly, calibration, runtime or physical performance test performed. No affiliate links or supplier endorsement. Upstream design/media files are linked, not redistributed.

Not yet established

  • Requirements: operating system, host computer, tools

Updates

Upstream last updated
Jan 8, 2016 [6]
Latest release
Not established
Profile updated
Oct 28, 2026
Sources last checked
Oct 28, 2026
Next review
Nov 28, 2026
Reviewed revision
c8981003695be8a97ea401da0e51d454429000fb (commit snapshot; separately linked artifacts have their own revisions) · combined hardware and software repository

Source files and licenses

Include this distinct physical design for Study a simple four-servo biped and follow its documented trim-and-motion workflow. The inspected artifacts support a bounded source-researched next step; they do not establish reproduced hardware or commercial support.

LayerAvailability / license
mechanical designavailable · CC-BY-SA-4.0
FreeCAD ZIP container and binary STL payload inspected. Printable original is separate from mold version and remixes. [1] [5]
electronicsnot found · License not fully assessed
BOM specifies bought-in BQ ZUM BT328 or Arduino; custom board design completeness/rights not established in this review. [1]
firmwareavailable · License not fully assessed
Source available. Root CC-BY-SA declaration exists, but linked and bundled oscillator/Arduino dependencies need component-specific terms; no blanket software license inferred. [2] [3] [5]
documentationavailable · CC-BY-SA-4.0
[1] [5]

No distinct robot host application selected; Arduino development tools remain external dependencies.

No learned policy or dataset is selected for the documented first task.

References

Each source links to the exact revision we read. “Used for” shows where this page relies on it.

Correction guidance · Discussion is not enabled · Profile format 0.7.0-draft.5

Change history

2026-10-28 — Added an attributed crop of the original printable four-servo Zowi photograph under CC BY-SA 4.0; profile facts and cost evidence unchanged.