HEXA: Hazardous EnvironmenteXpedition Apparatus : Design of a multi-terrain hexapodal robot that utilizes sensory feedback

Abstract: Many hexapods and other robots struggle with walking in uneven terrain, this is due to their lack of sensory feedback. This is the problem aimed to be solved by introducing a sensory feedback loop that measures the current over the servos. By doing this one could know whether or not the leg is in contact with the ground. If a successful sensor can be made, this method could be implemented on any hexapod that uses servos and inverse kinematics for their locomotion to enable them to walk in uneven terrain. With the complete system in place most of what was expected from the system was achieved. HEXA can indeed walk in uneven terrain where the terrain had the maximum height difference of ±2.3 cm, as seen in the video linked in appendix B. It also can detect when a leg has contact with the ground but due to low servo quality the walking could not be tested to its full extent.