1 May 2014
Stompy - image
Yeah. Okay. You have a choice. That is, you have a choice if you're looking to ride a giant hexapodal spider-type robot. How did we ever get by before?
In fact, the Mantis, a six-legged ride-able robot was developed by Matt Denton and Micromagic Systems. And, although I don’t know if any models are for sale, you can rent the six-legged Mantis for special occasions. You know -- those special events when a pony just won’t do. I honestly thought that the market could bear no more than one of these . . . er, ah . . . specialty items. But I was wrong.
The production of the first ride-able spider-robot was the shot that started a race by competitors to develop even more ride-able spider robots. Well, at least one competitor is headed in that direction.
And this is their story . . .
It begins with a dream. What child hasn’t looked at a passing arachnid and thought, “Gee, I wish I had a giant spider robot I could ride.” But Gui Cavalcanti wasn’t content to just dream dreams. He was determined to build a giant six-legged (hexapodal) robot.
In October of 2011, caught in a sudden wave of inspiration, he emailed two of his friends, Dan Cody and James Whong, expressing his determination to build a six-legged ride-able robot. His email said that he aspired make one of the age-old dreams of humanity, a giant, six-legged spider-robot you could ride, a concrete reality. Well, actually, the wording of his email was a bit more colorful, but you get the idea.
A year later, the three, Cavalcanti, Cody, and Whong, had created “Project Hexapod.” As of January 14, 2014, they'd created a complete prototype of one of the robot’s legs and were looking for new team members.
A 10,000 pound hydraulic forklift engine was selected to make the hexapod move. The engine will be powered by a fuel that would have made TV’s “Hank Hill” proud – “clean burning” propane. Oh, and this 4,000 pound, 10 feet tall, 18 feet-wide hexapod has a name: Stompy.
Project Hexapod
Project Hexapod is located at the Artisan’s Asylum in Somerville, Massachusetts. The “Asylum” is a non-profit community design & fabrication center providing public “access to professional manufacturing equipment, education, and a creative community network.”
Artisan’s Asylum
The project is, in fact, a class taught at the Asylum -- the “Robotics Intensive: Rideable Hexapod.” The project team includes the Asylum’s president, Cavalcanti, who, together with Cody, Whong, and a teaching assistant, instruct the class. The number of students keeps increasing.
The three developers have described their motivations in various ways. But one gets the impression that they are having a lot of fun working on the project and will really get a kick out of the final result: Stompy.
So far, funding for the project has been provided through the group’s Kickstarter Page. They have also promised that, if funds are available, they will continue their work to include the production of “an entire zoo” of ride-able robots.
Stompy: The Giant, Rideable Walking Robot
Why There's A Rideable 4,000-Pound Spider-Robot Being Built In Somerville
Stompy - image
Yeah. Okay. You have a choice. That is, you have a choice if you're looking to ride a giant hexapodal spider-type robot. How did we ever get by before?
In fact, the Mantis, a six-legged ride-able robot was developed by Matt Denton and Micromagic Systems. And, although I don’t know if any models are for sale, you can rent the six-legged Mantis for special occasions. You know -- those special events when a pony just won’t do. I honestly thought that the market could bear no more than one of these . . . er, ah . . . specialty items. But I was wrong.
The production of the first ride-able spider-robot was the shot that started a race by competitors to develop even more ride-able spider robots. Well, at least one competitor is headed in that direction.
And this is their story . . .
It begins with a dream. What child hasn’t looked at a passing arachnid and thought, “Gee, I wish I had a giant spider robot I could ride.” But Gui Cavalcanti wasn’t content to just dream dreams. He was determined to build a giant six-legged (hexapodal) robot.
In October of 2011, caught in a sudden wave of inspiration, he emailed two of his friends, Dan Cody and James Whong, expressing his determination to build a six-legged ride-able robot. His email said that he aspired make one of the age-old dreams of humanity, a giant, six-legged spider-robot you could ride, a concrete reality. Well, actually, the wording of his email was a bit more colorful, but you get the idea.
A year later, the three, Cavalcanti, Cody, and Whong, had created “Project Hexapod.” As of January 14, 2014, they'd created a complete prototype of one of the robot’s legs and were looking for new team members.
A 10,000 pound hydraulic forklift engine was selected to make the hexapod move. The engine will be powered by a fuel that would have made TV’s “Hank Hill” proud – “clean burning” propane. Oh, and this 4,000 pound, 10 feet tall, 18 feet-wide hexapod has a name: Stompy.
Project Hexapod
Project Hexapod is located at the Artisan’s Asylum in Somerville, Massachusetts. The “Asylum” is a non-profit community design & fabrication center providing public “access to professional manufacturing equipment, education, and a creative community network.”
Artisan’s Asylum
The project is, in fact, a class taught at the Asylum -- the “Robotics Intensive: Rideable Hexapod.” The project team includes the Asylum’s president, Cavalcanti, who, together with Cody, Whong, and a teaching assistant, instruct the class. The number of students keeps increasing.
The three developers have described their motivations in various ways. But one gets the impression that they are having a lot of fun working on the project and will really get a kick out of the final result: Stompy.
So far, funding for the project has been provided through the group’s Kickstarter Page. They have also promised that, if funds are available, they will continue their work to include the production of “an entire zoo” of ride-able robots.
Stompy: The Giant, Rideable Walking Robot
Why There's A Rideable 4,000-Pound Spider-Robot Being Built In Somerville