Stubby Is a Stargate SG-1-Inspired Hexabot You Can Build at Home

Posted on 04/07/2014 by Alexandru Chiuariu

The Stargate SG-1 replicators inspired Wyatt Olson to create a hexapod robot for a competition hosted by Hackaday back in April. Stubby, as this hexapod is called, is a fine example of what kind of complex robots people can build at home.

Ever since Olson submitted Stubby for that competition, he and his fellow (enthusiast) roboticists have been trying to improve the hexapod. I admire people who ever strive for progress and for doing things better, even though perfectionists have a few faults of their own.

In the following video, which was uploaded by Olson last week, you get to see the third version of Stubby. It’s easy to assume that the developer of the Stargate SG-1 inspired hexapod robot enjoys documenting his progress so that his fans are aware with the changes made from one version to another.

Stubby is omnidirectional, as exemplified in the video. Olson showed how easy it is for the robot to walk, turn and rotate its body along the three axes. Best of all, the hexapod robot can be controlled with a modified PlayStation 2 controller.

For a first-timer, Olson did quite well: “This project is my first experience with walking robots. The concept is loosely based off of the SG-1 universe’s replicators, although there are definitely differences. Stubby version 3 has six legs with three DOF per leg, whereas the replicators have four legs with four DOF per leg. Then there is the whole thing of Stubby not being able to consume raw resources to construct copies of itself… I figure I will add that feature in the next version.”

As you might have noticed, he’s determined not to stop here, so there will definitely be more versions in the future. Should the changes be dramatical, I will provide a follow-up to this story, just to see how a hexabot can be improved.

Lazy geeks might want to buy Stubby, but they should know that it is not commercially available. The others will be happy to know that all the tools and the components needed for building this robot from scratch are available on Stubby’s project page. Everything needed for making a hexabot such as this one shouldn’t cost more than $150, provided that you already have the necessary tools.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the hexapod hexacopter robot that comes in a nightmarish design and this hexapod robot with servo-legs.

Stompy gets off the ground with a Kickstarter: buy a ride on a 2-ton hexabot

Posted on 03/08/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

In June we were promised a Kickstarter for Project Hexapod's 10-foot tall, two-ton Stompy. We're happy to report that Gui Cavalcanti and his cohorts (James Whong and Dan Cody) at the Artisan's Asylum weren't kidding. This morning the page went live and you can officially pledge your support for rideable six-legged robots. Now that the chassis is 80 percent through the design phase, the half-scale prototype leg (Gimpy) has proven its mettle, and the full-size prototype leg has been designed and the necessary parts ordered, it's time to start lining up funding for the final project. You know how it works: you pledge a certain amount of money and in return you receive a particular level of reward. Don't have much to offer? For just $5 the team will scale the White Mountains and shout your name from the top, while $10 will get you get you something a bit more tangible -- a bumper sticker that reads "my other car has six legs."

Continue reading Stompy gets off the ground with a Kickstarter: buy a ride on a 2-ton hexabot

Filed under: Robots, Transportation

Stompy gets off the ground with a Kickstarter: buy a ride on a 2-ton hexabot originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hexy: hands-on with the adorable, affordable hexapod (video)

Posted on 14/06/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

The Artisan's Asylum has a few guiding principles, one of which is anyone can "make." We assume one of the others is "you can never have too many hexapods." If Stompy, the giant rideable bot, is a bit much for you to handle (or store), then maybe Hexy is more your speed. He's got six legs and 20 servos, but at only $200, he's much cheaper than similar hexapod kits and, most importantly, more adorable. The bot is the brain child of Joseph Schlesinger, a resident at the Somerville hacker space who saw a need for a low-cost but serious robotics kit. Since hitting Kickstarter in May, his creation has raked in roughly $86,000 in pledges, far surpassing his original goal of thirteen grand. We swung by Joe's booth to get a taste of what exactly his hundreds of backers have bought into and to find out what's next for the budding bot entrepreneur.

Gallery: Hexy the hexabot hands-on