Towards a DIY Robotic Tail Toolkit for Future Service Robot and Computing Education
Marco Cano, Carolina Padilla Velasco, Patrick C. K. Hung, Hao An Tseng, Kai-Xuan Koh · 2025
A service robot is an Internet of Things (IoT) or a cyberphysical system comprising a robotic body integrated with one or more Cloud-based services. This architecture enables sophisticated human-machine interaction and expands the functional capabilities of conventional robotic systems. A service robot can take the form of anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, or even theomorphic design. Our research team is collaborating with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) to develop a prototype service dog robot. Due to this, this paper presents our current experiences in designing, developing, and evaluating a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) articulated robotic tail toolkit for zoomorphic robots at Ontario Tech University. We detail the design process that led to the development of a robotic tail mechanism, driven by microservices, which emphasizes reliability and expressive while utilizing readily accessible components. We range also conducted experiments and evaluations of the robotic tail during a hands-on workshop with students from diverse backgrounds, using a services computing approach. We continue to develop an effective DIY educational tool that promotes student engagement in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) design for future service computing education.