I'm excited to share how Blender has been an integral part of my journey into open-source robotics and its role as a powerful computational tool for the parametric design of the Open-Source Bionic Leg (https://www.opensourceleg.org). As the lead research engineer, I used Blender together with Sverchok and a suite of custom Python scripts (a nod to the era before geometry nodes) to computationally tackle the challenges involved in designing an open-source, modular, and affordable robotic leg for researchers and individuals worldwide.

Our Blender-centric workflow not only expedited the overall design process but also provided us with real-time visualizations, allowing us to discern the immediate impact of our decisions on the Open-Source Leg's design. Within the realm of 3D CAD, we executed operations that were previously considered non-existent. I am eager to share a high-level overview of our workflow, shedding light on a few limitations that we encountered, our workarounds, and engage with the blender community to inspire wider utilization of Blender in research and scientific pursuits.