iC Hexapod
Looking around over at Trossen Robotics today, I noticed the end of the August TRC Project has some extremely interesting entries. After some intense link-clicking, I found myself at the iC Hexapod site. Before I say anything else, watch this video.
Amazing, huh?
You probably fall into one of two categories. A person who is completely amazed and excited after watching the video, like me. Or a person who is completely amazed, but doesn’t necessarily understand what was so exciting about it. Oh! Don’t leave! There’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a hexapod expert. But I do understand enough about robotics to hopefully help explain.
Think about the way humans move. Without thinking, we are constantly shifting our weight, measuring our position in 3d space. We even understand our orientation relative to the ground without opening our eyes. When we move, it is usually fluid, careful, and meaningful. From the pressure exerted on a pen or a paintbrush to the Olympic athletes pushing their bodies, intent on winning, our bodies are extremely well built machines.
Now imagine most walking robots. Typically they are clunky. Robots don’t always have the capabilities to sense their surroundings, such as whether or not their feet are touching the ground, or if they are falling down a flight of stairs. But as technology improves, we move closer and closer to imitating biological movement. That’s what makes this little hexapod so special. Go back and watch the video again. Watch how it pans and tilts its entire body to keep the user’s face in focus. It does so carefully and deliberately. It’s innovation like this that really makes you think.
To check out this little guy’s website, click here.