From bits to legs to locomotion: Building a hexapod from the ground up

Hexapods are six legged robots which are a staple in academic and hobbyist circles due to their versatility and static stability. Hexapod platforms however, specifically six degree of freedom (6DOF) Hexapod kits are commonly quite expensive. Expensive enough that I couldn't afford one -- So, I set out to build an inexpensive (order of magnitude cheaper) 6DOF Hexapod. This talk is aimed at beginner and intermediate hobbyists who are interested in more advanced robotics topics, it sets out to to answer one main question: How on earth does one design and build a 6DOF Hexapod (hardware and software) from the ground up? In it the design process, challenges and trade-offs as well as how one gets a Hexapod to walk without tripping over itself (inverse kinematics and gait algorithms) will be examined. Linux Australia: http://mirror.linux.org.au/pub/linux.conf.au/2020/room_5/Wednesday/From_bits_to_legs_to_locomotion_Building_a_hexapod_from_the_ground_up.webm YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-dpzoZQC1E