Multi-mode Hexapod Switches Instantly Between Rollerskating and Walking Locomotion

Robotics
Multi-mode Hexapod Switches Instantly Between Rollerskating and Walking Locomotion

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Nick Donaldson is a systems engineer and programmer hailing from Winchester, UK, and now based in San Francisco. In his leisure time he builds robots. Pretty amazing ones. Since 2004, his multipods Ziggy and Flik have taken home a dozen medals in the RoboGames Walker Challenge event, in which contestant ‘bots have three minutes to autonomously navigate a 1m × 3m obstacle course strewn with junk, then climb a set of steps.

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Shown here is his latest creation, Glider, a six-legged linear-frame walking machine with cleverly designed forelegs featuring conventional rubber feet as well as wheels (which are off-the-shelf inline skate parts) mounted at an interior angle. The robot can thus configure itself for rolling or walking by the simple expedient of changing its stance.

You can check out more of Donaldson’s work onine at gotrobots.com.

If you’re going to be in northern California the weekend of the 17th, don’t miss the chance to see Glider (and many more amazing robots) at Maker Faire Bay Area 2014.

 

0 thoughts on “Multi-mode Hexapod Switches Instantly Between Rollerskating and Walking Locomotion

  1. Matt Whitehouse says:

    The link brings up flappingsrocket.com it should be gotrobots.com

    1. Sean Ragan says:

      Sorry and thanks. Should be fixed now.

  2. Nygel Rose says:

    Nice
    read! Very informative. Something interesting: Danone Said in Talks to Sell
    Medical Nutrition to Nestle. Read it here: http://bit.ly/1iHdqGZ

  3. Dadie Host says:

    A manifesto for the future that is grounded in practical solutions addressing the world’s most pressing concerns: Pretty amazing ones, Obstacle course strewn, RoboGames Walker Challenge & Off-the-shelf inline skate.

    1. fire115 says:

      attach a gatling gun to that and you can solve world over-population.

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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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