YOR: Your Own Mobile Manipulator for Generalizable Robotics

TL;DR

YOR is a low-cost, modular, open-source mobile manipulator designed for generalizable robotics research, combining affordability with capabilities like whole-body mobility and manipulation.

Contribution

The paper introduces YOR, a modular, affordable mobile manipulator platform that integrates off-the-shelf components for versatile robotics research.

Findings

YOR can perform coordinated manipulation and navigation tasks.

YOR costs under $10,000 USD, making it accessible for research.

YOR demonstrates competitive functionality compared to existing platforms.

Abstract

Recent advances in robot learning have generated significant interest in capable platforms that may eventually approach human-level competence. This interest, combined with the commoditization of actuators, has propelled growth in low-cost robotic platforms. However, the optimal form factor for mobile manipulation, especially on a budget, remains an open question. We introduce YOR, an open-source, low-cost mobile manipulator that integrates an omnidirectional base, a telescopic vertical lift, and two arms with grippers to achieve whole-body mobility and manipulation. Our design emphasizes modularity, ease of assembly using off-the-shelf components, and affordability, with a bill-of-materials cost under 10,000 USD. We demonstrate YOR's capability by completing tasks that require coordinated whole-body control, bimanual manipulation, and autonomous navigation. Overall, YOR offers competitive functionality for mobile manipulation research at a fraction of the cost of existing platforms. Project website: https://www.yourownrobot.ai/