In Spring 2025, undergraduate engineering students from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) partnered with the Australian Cobotics Centre (ACC) to explore an innovative prototyping method for human–robot interaction (HRI). As part of the subject 43019 Design in Mechanical and Mechatronic Systems, student teams built and tested the Kinematic Puppet—a low‑cost, modular robot‑skeleton prototyping tool designed to support rapid experimentation with robot morphology, motion and collaborative behaviour.
The puppet’s design combines 3D‑printed joints with magnetic rotary encoders and PVC linkages, giving users a physically manipulable platform for exploring robot movement and interaction in a way that is accessible, intuitive, and adaptable. The motivation for the kinematic puppet was discussed in a previous ACC article.
Building Capability Through Hands‑On Prototyping
The project offered students rich, applied learning opportunities across mechanical engineering, mechatronics, electronics, CAD, and hands‑on fabrication. Assembling the puppet from provided design files required teams to engage deeply with mechanical design principles while developing practical manufacturing skills. Students then used the puppet to prototype real HRI scenarios, experimenting with robot behaviours, designing custom end‑effectors, and capturing motion data based on their task concepts.
Beyond construction, students were asked to use the puppet to prototype HRI scenarios relevant to ACC partners. This shifted the learning experience from purely technical engineering to a more integrated design research mindset. Teams were encouraged to roleplay interactions, test alternative geometries, capture movement data, and reflect on usability. The result was a deeper understanding of how cobot systems behave not just as mechanisms, but as partners in real work environments research mindset. Teams were encouraged to role play interactions, test alternative geometries, capture movement data, and reflect on usability. The result was a deeper understanding of how cobot systems behave not just as mechanisms, but as partners in real work environments.
Real Benefits for the Australian Cobotics Centre
For the ACC, the project delivered meaningful insight into how the Kinematic Puppet performs as an early‑stage cobot‑prototyping tool. Students worked with the puppet across a variety of task types and skill levels, generating feedback on build complexity, robustness, adaptability, and user experience. This diversity of testing environments and techniques offered the Centre a broad evidence base for understanding the puppet’s value and limitations in practical prototyping settings.
The partnership also produced a range of custom tool attachments, demonstration artefacts, and user reports, helping the ACC shape future iterations of the puppet and refine research questions around embodied prototyping for collaborative robotics. These outputs contribute directly to a forthcoming study on the prototyping tools effectiveness as a design and ideation tool for industry‑relevant cobot applications.
A Model for Meaningful Industry–University Collaboration
The Kinematic Puppet project exemplifies the mutual benefits of embedding authentic industry challenges within university engineering curricula. Students gained hands‑on technical experience, confidence in iterative prototyping, and exposure to real‑world HRI design practices. Meanwhile, the Australian Cobotics Centre accessed high‑value feedback, creative exploration, and a new understanding of how early‑stage tools can support collaborative robot development.
By bringing students into the research process, this project created space for innovation, fresh ideas, and critical evaluation, laying groundwork for future cobot systems that are safer, more intuitive, and more attuned to human needs.
I would like to thank the students for their hard work on this impressive project; Lachlan Scott Rogers, Laila Chamma, Mishoura Rahman, Nicholas Uremovic and Tran Thu Nhan Dang. A video summarising the journey of the students can be seen here: Kinematic puppet for cobot prototyping