This machine walks in a way that I’ve never seen before. In fact, it’s hard to even define it as walking, more like a controlled flipping motion. The extremely well-produced video below explains it pretty well. Instead of using legs to lift the robot, the center of gravity is controlled in such a way that the robot itself flips and the legs rotate naturally because of gravity. This repeats itself over and over, and the little walker can even clear some small obstacles.
I suppose the drawback to something like this is that there’s no turning mechanism. This is probably good, as the video claims they are “coming to take over the world.” Per this weakness, when faced with one of these little monstrosities, I would suggest to treat it like an alligator. Don’t try to outrun it, simply sidestep. Regardless of the possible threat, it’s really cool to see a new method of locomotion; maybe there will be further (peaceful) development on this contraption.
Naturally, this isn’t “Maundy’s” only 3D printed creation, you can see more of his clever designs on his Shapeways page. It’s pretty cool that you can display and even sell your creations there. Not a bad way to make a few extra bucks!
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