I've begun working on designs for an Inmoov hexapod. Thoughts?

[Aaron Skaien]

Hi all! I've been working on designing an inmoov hexapod to fill my free time (I spend most of my time working on the road, so yeah haha) and so far it's coming along very well. I'd say I\m around 3/4 done working out STLs, and have sourced all the parts save for a few minor but simple circuits which I need eagle schematics for. Figured I'd through some photos out here to see what people think of the idea, and if there's any interest I'll toss out the STLs as well which I think just need a few more days of polish (these photos are also a bit old. There's been some modifications, and no I'm mostly just touching up to get them to print more nicely.). I want to make a proper assembly guide too, but I have some concerns before I do, namely regarding the servo mounts and any possible structural deficits. The motors being used are:
 

6x RoboStar SBRS-5314HTG 280° Digital Metal Gear High Voltage Robot Servo 53.1kg / 0.14Sec / 81g

13x RoboStar SRS-3216HTG 280° Digital Metal Gear High Voltage Robot Servo 32.4kg / 0.16Sec / 73g

and the controller is a Lynxmotion SSC-32U USB Servo Controller using both a 11.1 V channel for the SBRS-5314HTG and a 7.4 V channel for the SRS-3215HTG, with capacitors hooked in parallel between the controller and servos to help control current spikes and eliminate noise from the circuit. As I have it designed now, there are two different and rather large battery packs in the centre between the hips for the 11.1 V channel and for the 7.4 V channel. and since the current draw is so large I can't think of any safe way to power just off one large 11.1 V channel since the regulator for the 7.4 V channel would be huge and run very hot (Unless anybody here has some ideas?). I also haven't yet worked out the mounts for the battery chargers, and any good tips for decent battery chargers which could be safely mounted right into the body and automatically detect the proper voltage for their respective battery pack (hooked in parallel with proper balance lines) would be much appreciated. (Nothing to fancy needed, 8 amps each line would be plenty.). Thanks much and again mostly here to guage interest! My buddy Dallas is also working on designing a mini-laser light show projector to replace the LED ring in Inmoov's stomach haha.

[RobotGuy6]

Oh my, why? Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.... (-;

[Aaron Skaien]

Oh well the plan is to hopefully get a design light enough that we can work in some sort of smoke machine. That way it can fill an area with smoke and then emerge from that smoke firing complicated laser patterns while dancing feverishly. Ideally we would have 3 or 4 which would appear randomly around people through the smoke, doing a sort of robot human/spider hybrid whirling dervish (with lasers) and then retreat back into the smoke to disappear.

[gael langevin]

Very cool!!!

This reminds me of an idea I posted on the site sometime ago:

http://www.inmoov.fr/wp-content/uploads/bpfb/1_0-78510500-1423338412_hexapod-inmoov3-bpfbt.jpg

It would be very interesting to see more details of your structure mechanisms.

The servos you selected are very interesting, and I had never seen them on Hobbyking before.

Delighted to follow this even though it will be creepy, best way to make it less scary is to put a dress over the hexapod legs, ahaha!

Gael

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[Aaron Skaien]

Thank you very much! If you're interested, here's what I have for STLs so far (attached). I'm probably missing something in here, and they're not positioned for printing, but they get the point across in the rough draft sort of sense which they possess haha. I've been putting together an Inmoov hand (with double actuated thumb and sensors. Pretty cool! Mechanics done, onto sensors and programming when I'm next home.) and for some reason me and my friend decided that we need some sort of spider human hybrid robot, and you're exact picture is what came up when I looked into what people have done along those lines and so I thought I might as well actually design a real one! One major concern with these STls is my reliance on "lock blocks" for holding sections together, and that I have no idea where to put the holes for the motor mounts and so the current mounting holes are placeholders until I can figure that out. Again this is just for your perusal, I hope I'm not putting out any pressure for a more detailed review as I certainly don't mean to haha. I also intend to try to reduce weight before settling on a design ready to be built.

[gael langevin]

Thanks I will check this out after this week-end once the event Game Assembly of Poitiers is finished.

[nanomole]

Now that's got to look spooky when it moves about, its gait will look very weird as it will move very quickly in all directions I would imagine ?

[Aaron Skaien]

I'm designing it to run a variant of the Phoenix code for hexapod walkers. Here's a nice example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAeQn5QnyXo

The hexapod in the video is much smaller and has a wider range of motion, but it gets the general idea across.

[RobotGuy6]

It will move like any other Hexapod... Fast, slow, medium, left, right, spin, reverse, forward etc.... Got to youtube and watch a couple of videos of hex's and quads in motion....

[Aaron Skaien]

Well I've made much progress in completing and refining the design and reducing weight as well as improving the bearings! I've also been offered a free sample of Taulman 3D Alloy 910 to experiment with since I think I may need to use a material with a greater strength to weight ratio on some of the larger parts to keep the weight withing my desired limits. I will be away from home for the remainder of the month, but hopefully when I receive that Alloy 910 I can experiment with it and see how it performs. I'm told it's brilliant for gears and the like since it's nylon component tends to be quite slippery and generally good for wear. If I can get a good sense of it, I think I can figure out which parts to use it for and which to use ABS for (which is important because this 910 alloy is rather expensive in comparison).

[JJ Kane]

did you ever finish this...look interesting.  I have a hexapod and custom software, but it seems underpowered with hobby servos, I like the idea of the servos you used...appears to be a much better mechanical design.

[Bodo Facklam]

RobotGuy you must not send silly comments to every post.

[RobotGuy6]

Sure I do... Who is silly me or the people doing silly things?

[William Hall]

Agreed. This is very cool. Would love to see it actualized.

[Shido Xen]

Did this ever become a thing? The concept made my morning and am dying to see it if it ever did get built! XD