Robot enthusiasts raise funds to build large rideable robot

The funding, raised through funding platform Kickstarter, will be used to purchase the steel, waterjet, electronics and hydraulic components required to complete the 10ft-tall machine that could equally serve as a fairground or festival attraction.

For humanitarian missions, it is anticipated that the machine will be able to use its six force-sensitive legs with a ground clearance of 6ft to access areas unreachable to other ground vehicles, as well as walk in water at depths of up to 8ft. While navigating such terrain, Stompy — powered by a 135hp propane engine — could carry 1,000lb (454kg) at 2–3mph (3–5km/h) and up to 4,000lb at 1mph.

Project Hexapod is being led by research roboticists Gui Cavalcanti, Dan Cody and James Whong, who have enlisted 15 engineers, programmers and electronics enthusiasts to help bring Stompy to life at a dedicated facility in Artisan’s Asylum, a non-profit community craft studio in Somerville, Massachusetts.

The robot is being developed as an open-source hardware project. Once complete, all project software, plans and schematics will be released so that other groups can build large, hydraulic robots.