Design and fabrication of a foldable hexapod robot towards experimental swarm applications

This paper presents the development of a lightweight origami-inspired foldable hexapod robot. Using a single sheet of polyester and a laser cutter, the hexapod robot can be fabricated and assembled in less than one hour from scratch. No screw or other external tools are required for assembly. The robot has built-in polyester fasteners considered in its crease pattern. The design uses four-bar mechanisms, which makes the robot flexible to be adjusted for different speeds or other task metrics. For a given desired locomotion velocity, various parameters of the four-bar mechanisms in the crease pattern can be modified accordingly. Design flexibility, ease of fabrication, and low cost make the robot suitable as an agent for swarm objectives. This work presents the foldable hexapod design and its kinematic analysis. The robot is fabricated, assembled, and tested for functionality. Experimental results show that the robot prototype runs with a maximum forward speed of 5 body lengths per second and turns in place with a speed of 1 revolution per second. The final robot weighs 42 grams.