Stomper - 3 servo hexapod

By droidbuilder
@ February 9, 2009

• Actuators / output devices: 3 - Hitec 325bb servos, piezo speaker
• Control method: autonomous
• CPU: Microchip PIC 16F84A
• Operating system: none
• Power source: One 9V and 4 AA batteries
• Programming language: PIC Basic
• Sensors / input devices: SRF04
• Target environment: indoor on smooth surfaces

Here is a link to the "Insectronics" book on Amazon, you might be able to find a copy at your local booksellers as well. If you want to build one, be forewarned this isn't exactly a beginning project! You will need to make pc board if you follow the directions in the book. You will also need a Pic programmer to program the PICmicro 16F84A. I built my programmer from another book - the "el-cheapo programmer" from "Programming and Customizing PICmicrontrollers" by Myke Predko.

The software demonstrated in the YouTube video is straight out of the Insectronics book, this link: minimap.bas will show you the code I used. You could also use room-mapping.bas for nearly identical behavior - though a bit more open to some fun hacking!

If you are good with translating code, it should be easily adaptable to a BASIC Stamp or  PicAxe (that is so popular here). Since the pc board is very close to the same size as an Arduino I am tempted to convert to that (maybe I will sometime, hmmm).

Stomper is built of hobby aluminum I found at my local hardware store, as well as the little rubber bumpers I used for the feet. You will need some basic metalworking tools to build the body - a hacksaw, a drill, a tape-measure, and a screwdriver should do it. The book assembles him with small bolts, I used pop-rivets on the non-moving frame parts, bolts and lockwashers elsewhere. I also put a dab of superglue in the leg joints as the bolts loosened from walking.

In case anyone wants to know Stomper is about 21cm x 20cm, stands about 10cm tall (~ 8.5" x 8", 4" tall)

Have fun!