18. Invention, Intellectual Property and Income

Individual Assignment

Dissemination Plan for My Final Project: Interactive Robot Dog

Audience

This project is designed for users of all ages—from young children who are just beginning to explore interactive technology, to teens and adults interested in robotics, DIY projects, or playful programmable companions. It also appeals to parents, educators, STEM clubs, and robotics enthusiasts looking for a flexible, open-source platform to engage with learning and making.

Dissemination Plan

The purpose of sharing my interactive robot dog is to inspire curiosity, learning, and creativity in others—especially beginners in robotics and electronics. I want to make it easier for people to explore physical computing projects that feel personal and fun. By documenting and sharing my project, I hope others will build upon it, modify it for their own ideas, and even teach with it.

To reach this audience, I plan to disseminate the project through several channels. The Fab Academy website will host the full documentation and tutorials, allowing others to easily access step-by-step instructions. I will publish the open-source code, PCB design files, and 3D printable models on GitHub to enable community collaboration and further development. Additionally, I will upload a demo video to YouTube that showcases the robot dog in action. To broaden reach and invite feedback, I will share project updates on social media platforms such as Instagram and Reddit, where makers and educators often gather.

The project will be shared in multiple content formats to suit different learning styles and needs. This includes the source code written for Arduino and the ESP32 microcontroller, 3D printable STL files for the robot dog’s parts, and PCB design files created in Eagle or KiCad. A detailed build tutorial featuring wiring diagrams and photos will be available on my Fab Academy page. The demo video and a presentation slide deck will further explain the project goals and key features.

The robot dog project will be released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) license. This license allows others to freely use, modify, and share the project for non-commercial purposes while preserving credit to the original creator and encouraging community collaboration. If I decide to commercialize the project in the future, I may adopt a dual-license model or develop a separate commercial version, while keeping the educational edition free and open-source.

Future Possibilities

If I choose to continue developing this project after Fab Academy, one of the most impactful upgrades I’d pursue would be to add bendable knee joints to the robot dog’s legs. Right now, the dog has limited motion, but adding extra degrees of freedom—either through additional micro servos at the joints or using a mechanical spring system—could dramatically improve its range of motion and lifelike movement. I’m especially interested in exploring spring-loaded or elastic joint mechanisms, such as compliant hinges or torsion springs, which could provide passive resistance and rebound for more natural-looking motion while keeping power consumption low. This would make the robot dog not just more functional but more expressive and engaging to interact with.

“Imagine it—tail wagging, knees bouncing, and a prance that says ‘I’m alive!’ (well, mostly).”

Video and Slide

  • presentation.png: A 1920x1080 slide showing:
  • A clean render or photo of the robot dog
  • Key features and project title
  • My name and licensing info

Placeholder Image:

  • presentation.mp4: A short (~1-minute) video under 25 MB showing:
  • The robot dog in action (walking, reacting to input)
  • Voiceover or captions explaining its goals and audience
  • Final message inviting feedback or future collaboration

Placeholder Video

Both files will be placed in the root directory of my final project website.

Reflection

This week helped me take a step back and think not just about how my robot dog works, but why it matters, who it’s for, and how it could be shared responsibly. I learned how licensing can support open innovation while still offering options for commercialization. Most importantly, I started visualizing how this project could grow beyond Fab Academy—technically, creatively, and as something that brings joy to people.