Built by Hand. Bound for Space.

Built by Hand. Bound for Space. campaign photo, 1 of 3Built by Hand. Bound for Space. campaign photo, 1 of 3

A veteran’s hand-built humanoid needs parts: actuators, PCBs, carbon fiber, compute

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Built by Hand. Bound for Space.

Built by Hand. Bound for Space.

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$50 raised of 

1 donation
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Built by Hand. Bound for Space. One veteran's journey from Desert Storm to building a humanoid robot.

In 1991, I was an 11M Bradley Fighting Vehicle operator deployed during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. My service ended abruptly when my vehicle struck a mine, leaving me with Bilateral Calcaneus Fractures, broken heels in both feet. I spent months recovering at a MASH unit, then Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center in Germany, and finally Fort Hood. I came home with a Purple Heart and a long road ahead.

Decades later, I went back to school, and I didn't go halfway. I earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Robotics & Embedded Systems and Artificial Intelligence, graduating Summa Cum Laude. I've tested electric vehicles for Freightliner/Daimler Truck on the eCascadia and worked as a safety operator for TORC Robotics on autonomous trucking systems.

Now I'm building something I've dreamed about for years: a full-scale, 5'9" humanoid bipedal robot, designed and fabricated entirely by hand, from the ground up. This robot features 29 actuated joints, a CAN-FD motor control bus, custom PCB electronics, carbon-fiber reinforced structural components, and onboard AI. My long-term goal is space robotics, building machines that can go where humans cannot.

Every dollar raised goes directly toward hardware: actuators, filament, compute boards, and electronics. No salaries. No overhead. Just parts and progress. Thank you for believing in this mission.
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Michael Caruana
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Maxwell, TX
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