Everything You Need to Put Together an Awesome Hexapod

Systems that have a screen or LED display are fun, robots that roll around or move an arm are even cooler, but you might consider a walking…

Jeremy Cook
6 years agoRobotics

Systems that have a screen or LED display are fun, robots that roll around or move an arm are even cooler, but you might consider a walking robot to be the pinnacle of “robot-ness.” While two-legged designs normally require an advanced balancing routine to keep them on their feet, if you triple that number to make a hexapod, you can get a robotic creature that keeps three feet on the ground at all times for inherent stability.

This type of movement can be done with as little as three servos, but for a truly versatile hexabot, Capers II — which uses three servos per leg, or 18 total — is a great example of what can done with the proper components and design. A purchased frame is employed for the bot’s body and legs, and a PS2 gamepad and receiver breakout provide control. The brains of the beast is an Arduino-compatible board called a BotBoarduino, and you can find all the code needed for this build on GitHub.

A demo of how Capers II can move about is seen in the first video below, while the second goes over how it can execute different gaits depending on the kind of speed and stability that you need. It’s an awesome little robot under remote control, and the platform would lend itself nicely to sensors or even additional actuators for truly autonomous robo-bug operation.

Jeremy Cook
Engineer, maker of random contraptions, love learning about tech. Write for various publications, including Hackster!
Latest articles
Sponsored articles
Related articles
Latest articles
Read more
Related articles