Automatic personalized limbed robot design from media inputs

Journal Article (2026)
Author(s)

Gang Chen (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)

Moji Shi (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering, Shanghai AI Laboratory, TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

Yu Xing (Shanghai AI Laboratory)

Marija Popović (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering, TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

Javier Alonso-Mora (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)

Lei Zhang (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai AI Laboratory)

Jiangmiao Pang (Shanghai AI Laboratory)

Research Group
Control & Simulation
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1038/s44182-026-00101-3 Final published version
More Info
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Publication Year
2026
Language
English
Research Group
Control & Simulation
Journal title
npj Robotics
Issue number
1
Volume number
4
Article number
42
Page Views
42
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Abstract

Designing limbed robots is a complex, multidisciplinary task that typically requires substantial effort from experienced engineers. In this paper, we present a novel automatic robot design framework based on Decomposition-Optimization-Assembling (DOA) to address this challenge. Our framework enables non-experts to create personalized limbed robot designs from media inputs, such as text and images, within minutes to a few hours. Our system leverages recent advances in generative AI and 3D printing to produce designs that match the descriptions provided in the input media. The output consists of selected motors and 3D-printable mechanical components that can be assembled into a limbed robot. To handle the large design space and intricate details in fabrication and assembly, we formulate and solve a series of optimization problems involving actuators, geometry, and structural density. We validate the proposed system by designing and fabricating a Centaur robot based on an image input. Furthermore, we demonstrate the system’s versatility and effectiveness through the generation of a wide variety of limbed robot designs.