Open-Source Quadruped Robot Launched With ESP32 Control
The TNY-360 V2 brings low-cost legged locomotion to hobbyists using a single microcontroller architecture.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Robotics
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Developer Paul Loisil has released the TNY-360 V2, an open-source quadruped robot project that manages complex gait kinematics using a single ESP32-S3 microcontroller. The robot is currently available for preorder in multiple kit configurations.
Why it matters
By implementing a closed-loop control system with modified standard servos rather than expensive smart actuators, the TNY-360 makes quadrupedal research accessible to students and hobbyists. This architecture provides a low-cost platform for experimenting with robotic movement and sensor integration.
The TNY-360 V2 utilizes a 200Hz control loop governed by an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, managing 12 leg servos through a 16-channel PCA9685 PWM controller. BareBones kits start at €289, significantly undercutting professional-grade robotic platforms.
The players
Paul Loisil
The developer of the TNY-360 open-source robotics project who specialized the control architecture for ESP32 hardware.
The details
The robot achieves stable movement by exposing internal potentiometer signals from modified MG996R servos to the ESP32-S3 via custom op-amp buffers, which are electronic circuits that prevent signal loading. One core of the microcontroller manages the complex kinematics of the four legs, while the second core handles web-based orchestration and user input. The system is powered by a 3S battery array consisting of six Samsung INR18650-25R cells, with onboard vision and distance sensing provided by an OV2640 camera and VL53L0X sensor.
Timeline
October 6, 2026: The project was documented and published.
The Tech Race
The TNY-360 project challenges the dominance of closed, industrial-grade legged platforms by offloading kinematics to accessible microcontrollers. It follows the open-source hardware trend by making complex gait algorithms available to the broader robotics research community.
Preorders are now open with kits ranging from €289 for the BareBones version to €399 for the Maker kit. Users will need to perform manual modifications to standard servos to enable the closed-loop feedback required for the TNY-360 to function.
The takeaway
The TNY-360 demonstrates that complex leg-control tasks can be offloaded to low-cost microcontrollers through custom hardware feedback loops. Interested developers should monitor the TNY-360 project page for the upcoming release date of the Ready2Run assembly.
Further reading
For more on the latest trends in autonomous platforms, explore our Robotics section.
More information
View full documentation and project files on the TNY-360 project information page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Electronics For You - Official Site ElectronicsForU.com.
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Do you believe DIY kits are a reliable alternative to buying expensive commercial robotic products?
