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RHex
Details
RHex is a bio-inspired, hexapedal robot designed for locomotion in rough terrain. It can drive over rocks, mud, sand, snow, and railroad tracks. You can throw any obstacle in front of it: RHex doesn't care.
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Did You Know?
Roboticist Martin Buehler got the inspiration for RHex's design when he saw a cockroach racing over a rough surface. |
The name RHex means "robotic hexapod." |
The latest version, X-RHex, has an actuated tail for improved mobility. |
Specs
- FEATURES
- Rugged, modular design. Dust- and waterproof. Equipped with modular payload bay for mission-specific packages.
- HEIGHT
- 20 cm | 7.9 in
- LENGTH
- 57 cm | 22.4 in
- WIDTH
- 39 cm | 15.4 in
- WEIGHT
- 12.5 kg | 27.6 lb (RHex); 8.6 kg | 19 lb (X-RHex)
- SPEED
- 9.72 km/h | 6 mph
- SENSORS
- Cameras, gyroscope, accelerometer, and other optional sensors. Position, current, and temperature sensors in the motors.
- ACTUATORS
- Six DC motors
- POWER
- Two 144-Wh lithium-polymer batteries, 6 hours of operation
- COMPUTING
- Intel-based main computer; payload computer (optional).
- SOFTWARE
- Linux OS. Control software can be programmed in C, Python, or Matlab.
- DEGREES OF FREEDOM (DOF)
- 6
- MATERIALS
- Aluminum and carbon fiber body.
- COST
- N/A
- STATUS
- Ongoing
- WEBSITE
- http://kodlab.seas.upenn.edu/RHex/Home
History
The original RHex hexapod was built between 1999 and 2001 by a DARPA-funded consortium that included McGill University and the University of Michigan. Later versions include Rugged RHex, Aqua, EduBot, and Desert RHex, among others, and a commercial version is available from Boston Dynamics. The latest version, developed at the University of Pennsylvania, is X-RHex, which features improved hardware and a modular payload system that makes it a "laboratory on legs." X-RHex supports a variety of sensor suites on a small, mobile robotic platform intended for broad, general use in research, defense, and search-and-rescue applications.
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