  Robots must cost less and be force-controlled to enable widespread, safe
deployment in unconstrained human environments. We propose Quasi-Direct Drive
actuation as a capable paradigm for robotic force-controlled manipulation in
human environments at low-cost. Our prototype - Blue - is a human scale 7
Degree of Freedom arm with 2kg payload. Blue can cost less than $5000. We show
that Blue has dynamic properties that meet or exceed the needs of human
operators: the robot has a nominal position-control bandwidth of 7.5Hz and
repeatability within 4mm. We demonstrate a Virtual Reality based interface that
can be used as a method for telepresence and collecting robot training
demonstrations. Manufacturability, scaling, and potential use-cases for the
Blue system are also addressed. Videos and additional information can be found
online at berkeleyopenarms.github.io
