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My Hexabot

That's what (s)he looks like ...
Six-legged just as the name tells us.... Again I used my favourite "chassis": The perforated aluminium sheet-metal. And my favourite "micro", too: The AT90S2313 by Atmel on it's favourite board, a "DT104" by Dontronics.
Actually there are quite a few of those "hexapods" around. Mine is totally different of course :). At least there are not many designs on the web with just two servos ...
Oh and please take a thorough look at the filigrane fretwork of the legs ;)

An 'update' of this project is '2willdo'.

This 'bot has the first beginnings of "interaction": it "reacts" on crashing into something ;). This really elaborate behaviour is done by two Cherry type switches under the front bumper. Hitting something with just one end of the bumper will make the 'bot back up and turn it's rear to the same side, thus trying to evade the obstacle. After a few moments it starts going forward again. Hitting an obstacle with both switches simultaneously (yes, it does happen!) will make it go backwards straight. And keep on bouncing forever :)

This design actually uses a joint with one DOF, too. But there is a sort of work-around for the short-comings that arise of that: There is a pair of middle-legs which alternately lifts the right and left side of the 'bot, thus the legs of one side are completely in the air and can move forward whereas the "ground-legs" do the propulsion. Actually, this is the principle of a crutch ... The fore- and hindlegs of each side are coupled by a string. Only the forelegs are actually powered by a servo. The hindlegs just "follow along". It walks. Pretty straight, too ...

An "animated GIF" (1.4Mb) showing the Hexabot "in action". Sorry about the poor quality.

I took part in the SimmStick Contest 2000 and actually won the 2nd prize with my little six-feeter :)
This is the zip file I handed in for the contest, containing all the necessary stuff including a "How To" text in Adobe PDF format (about 1.4Mb).