marcuscw / Hexapod

Hexapod

The ultimate purpose for the hexapod is to be able to walk in multiple terrains. I've been working on this for 2 years now and everything has been done from scratch apart from the servo control library and the IDEs used. The hexapod is controlled using an ESP32 and a PCA9685 on both sides to control all 18 servos.

For a video introduction and guide watch the videos below:

• episode 1 Here I am tackling the legs

• episode 2 Here I am issuing some problems

• episode 3 Here I explain how it creates a smooth arc when stepping and share some footage of it walking

• episode 4 Here I test it on different terrains

Hardware

Requirements

• An FDM 3D Printer (I use an ender3v2)
• CAD experience incase you wish to modify parts to your liking
• A soldering iron
• Experience with the arduino IDE

Parts

Amount	Part Type	Part Name	Note	Price For All Units / Link
x18	Servo	MG996R	Stall Torque: 11 kgf·cm (6 V)	£93
x1	Microcontroller	ESP32		£10
x2	Servo Controller	PCA9685	used to control up to 16 servos with $\text{I}^2\text{C}$ In both of my boards the reverse polarity diode blew up so it is recommended to buy the newer model with the beefier diode however there is an easy fix	£26
x2	Battery	"6V 2400mAh Ni-MH AA Rechargeable Battery Pack with SM-2P 2Pin Plug"	two of these in parallel double the capacity but keep the voltage	£30

Diagrams

in Leg.ino I have code for the inverse kinematics however all the variable names are very vague so here are some diagrams to help you identify which is which.