Are you or some people close to you fascinated by the combination of arachnids and mechanical creatures (spiders and robots) but haven’t yet found a solution that combines the two? If so, then we have got good news for you: Robugtix T8 is a remote control robot for those not suffering from arachnophobia, which uses 26 servo motors for its movements and a 3D printed body, and hence featured here on 3DPI.
It uses something called The Bigfoot™ Inverse Kinematics Engine to accomplish the actual work behind the electronic curtain i.e. all calculations needed to keep the eight legs doing the user-desired movements. Basically this should also mean that even a novice in the world of remote control small robots could operate the mechanical spider with the (separately sold) controller with no problems whatsoever. If this sounds too easy or you just like to plan ahead, the robot can also be pre-programmed to follow a personalized choreography to impress its audience.
Besides the 3D printed spider parts, microcontroller board, servo motors and other core parts included in the basic bundle, the user will also need a pack of AA batteries and the Robugtix controller and wireless Xbee modules if remote controlling the robot sounds more viable compared with the pre-programming option. All of this fun does come with a price, regardless of the chosen additional elements. The basic set – without the Robugtix controllers and wireless modules – goes for $1,350, if (pre)ordered before the 1st of September. After that date the dollars needed for the basic set total up to $1,500, with the controller bundles adding $35 or $85 to that sum depending on the chosen total bundle.
Source: Robugtix
