# An Interview with James Bruton

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2018-11-19
- Length: 1h 28m
- Episode: 416
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/416-an-interview-with-james-bruton/

## Summary

James Bruton, the creator of XRobots and the Open Dog robotic dog, discusses the engineering and business of building complex quadruped robots. He details the Open Dog's hardware, including 12 brushless motors, O-Drive controllers, and STM32 microcontrollers, and explains his implementation of inverse kinematics using basic trigonometry. Bruton also covers his workflow as a full-time YouTuber, managing production with multiple 3D printers and CNC machines, and his transition from costume builds to niche robotics content supported by Patreon.

## Chapters

- [0:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=30) Introduction: James Bruton and XRobots
- [2:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=145) History of Open Dog and Early Prototypes
- [9:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=581) Open Dog Hardware: O-Drive, STM32, and Brushless Motors
- [13:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=791) Inverse Kinematics and Mathematical Modeling
- [26:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=1588) Robotics Industry: Boston Dynamics, Anki, and Rethink Robotics
- [35:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=2123) Control Systems: CAN Bus and Serial Communication
- [46:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=2816) Production Workflow: 3D Printing and CNC Operations
- [58:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=3513) YouTube Business Model and Content Strategy
- [1:19:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton#t=4754) BB-8 and BB-9E Builds: Mechanics and Stability

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Creator business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/creator-business)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- XRobots (company)
- Open Dog (product)
- O-Drive (product)
- Boston Dynamics (company)
- Anki (company)
- Rethink Robotics (company)
- STM32 (chip)
- Arduino (product)
- Teensy (product)
- ROS (other)
- BB-8 (product)
- BB-9E (product)
- Fusion 360 (tool)
- Longspot (company)
- CNC Router Parts (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep037: 2 Flavors of Robot Dog, Fitness Tracker Hacks, Clocks Wind Themselves, Helicopter Chainsaws](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-09-27-ep037-2-flavors-of-robot-dog-fitness-tracker-hacks-clocks-wind-themselves-helico) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [534: I Think We'll Add a Head](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-09-17-534-i-think-well-add-a-head) (Embedded.fm)
- [Episode 109: Building robots at home - Dan Nicholson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2025-02-14-episode-109-building-robots-at-home-dan-nicholson) (Robot Talk)
- [201: Accidentally Incredibly Dangerous](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-05-24-201-accidentally-incredibly-dangerous) (Embedded.fm)
- [142: New and Improved Appendages (Repeat)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-05-20-142-new-and-improved-appendages-repeat) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-11-19-an-interview-with-james-bruton. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.