In 2023, I decided to learn a little more about computer graphics as well as take a crack at making a game that allowed users to dive deeper on robotics concepts. My initial thinking was that many games already utilize many concepts in robotic perception and navigation, but the algorithms are often not visualized. At the time, I didnt realize how difficult it would be to make such a game in OpenGL and entirely written in C.

Nevertheless, developing the game allowed me to learn robotics concepts at a more granular level. The lessons here allowed me to better understand transform trees, timing, planning algorithms, control, and even perception concepts such as world modeling.

I named the game B.R.A.R. for Bipedal Robotic Arm Runner. It depicts exactly what the title suggests: a robotic arm on legs. The goal of the game is to collect green items while avoiding red items and not being abducted by another chasing robot.

If you’re interested in playing the game, you totally should check it out! I have tested it on the latest Ubuntu versions, Arch Linux, and even MaxOS. You can find the code here: https://github.com/donceykong/BRAR.