Meet Thunder Paws, St. John’s Student-Programmed Robotic Dog

St. John’s University students from The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies (CCPS) are turning heads—and wagging tails—with their latest innovation: a robotic dog that can perform a series of tricks, just like a real canine.

Designed and programmed entirely by students, the robotic pup was unveiled during the Red Storm Men’s Basketball team’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament send-off rally, where it delighted the crowd with playful, dog-like stunts, executing commands to sit up, run, roll over, and more. It has been present at select CCPS events since.  

The mechanical canine is a Unitree Go2 quadruped robot. Students code it for robotic tasks. Named Thunder Paws by CCPS students, it is referred to scientifically as a “quadbot” or “quad robot,” with four wheels corresponding to a dog’s four paws.

The project was part of a hands-on learning initiative led by Max A. Hergenrother, M.F.A., Associate Dean, Academic Technology and Pedagogic Innovation, the Collins College of Professional Studies. The University purchased the robot’s body; students apply mechanical design, coding, and artificial intelligence skills to manipulate Thunder Paws.

A pocket-sized joystick allows students to guide Thunder Paws on simple tasks such as walking. More advanced dog-like tricks such as greeting, rolling over, and running are controlled through an app. Thunder Paws even has a companion mode that allows it to follow the user and match its footsteps.

“In the future, hopefully our students will be able to program it to respond to verbal commands and do additional tricks,” said Karenarose J. Rizzo, Lab Control Technology Coordinator, Office of the Dean at CCPS.

Thunder Paws is the latest St. John’s faculty initiative to stay up to date on tech industry developments and standards, according to Giancarlo Crocetti, D.P.S., Assistant Professor, Division of Computer Science, Mathematics and Science, the Collins College of Professional Studies, who worked with Mr. Hergenrother on the initiative.

“At CCPS, we know that we need to stay ahead of the curve in a fast-paced world, and it was clear that artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics would merge sooner or later,” Dr. Crocetti said. “Together with the humanoid robot Pepper and now the Unitree Go2 four-legged robot, we plan to make our AI program modern and experimental.”

Pepper is the first social humanoid robot able to recognize faces and basic human emotions. A fixture in St. Augustine Hall, Pepper uses artificial intelligence to engage with students, faculty, and others through conversation and a touch screen.

Dr. Crocetti said Mr. Hergenrother; Joan E. DeBello, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Division of Computer Science, Mathematics and Science at CCPS; as well as other college faculty members, were inspired by students’ eagerness to bring the Thunder Paws initiative to life.

“The idea of the Go2 robot was the result of inspiration, collaboration, and exploration from several people that happened simultaneously,” Dr. Crocetti said. “Together we saw the potential and opportunity for students in the Data Science and Computer Science programs to explore and apply their learning with cutting-edge robotics in a hands-on and immersive approach.”

St. John’s has long been a hub for cutting-edge technology. From specialized learning environments and labs where students can master career-specific skills, to common areas where they can collaborate on interdisciplinary projects, the University is buzzing with the latest technology, including AI, eSports, and virtual reality (VR).

Aside from Pepper and Thunder Paws, the University provides other opportunities for students to enhance their tech skills. For example, the Media Arts and Design (MAD) lab allows students to study digital media, animation, illustration, graphic design, and more through Mac Pro workstations with Cintiq tablets used in 3D modeling, illustration, and photograph retouching.

Similarly, the Technology Commons features 30 MakerBot 3D printers, where students execute their own designs such as prosthetic hands and sculptures rendered through VR technology.

See Thunder Paws in action in this video.