This Drill Powered Walking Machine Is like a Monster Segway

Izzy Swan loves to make machines that are powered by a drill. In the past he has made a lawn mower, band saw, and a little mini bike. In a recent project, he decided to try to make a walking machine and came up with a pretty amazing design that is powered by just a “DIY gear box and a dewalt 20V drill.”

Swan was inspired by the leg design Theo Jansen used in his Strandbeest. He knew he wanted to do something with it some day, and when he decided to make a walking machine, it was time to start working with the leg. After going through a few different models, Swan came up with the design you see below that gave him the nice long stride he was looking for.

Over the past month, Swan has been posting updates on his progress to his Facebook feed including the evolving leg design, the change in color (he originally wanted to do green and blue, but user feedback had him changing to the silver color you see in the final design), and his progress with making it move.

After he released the video of the walking machine in action and what all went into creating it, he answered some questions about it. On Facebook he said that he estimates the battery can last for about a mile. Also, while the video only shows him using the machine, he said it can move much faster with a smaller person on it, even though it can hold up to 370lbs: “You should see this thing get down and boogie with just one of the kids on it. It moves pretty quick.”

Once you’ve watched the video below, make sure to check out some of his other videos on the awesome builds he has done; an impressive folding table with attached chairs is the internet’s favorite by far.