Hexa is a six-legged, sensor-laden robot that is a blank slate for users to program their own
functionality and share it across a social network of tinkerers. The robot stands 12 cm high and 51 cm across, and it will navigate the world with the help of an accelerometer, infrared sensor and a 720p camera with integrated night vision mode. Basic function like movement will be built into the robot, giving users ability to program moving direction instead of wading through code to get it going. The robot runs on Linux-based system called MIND. Programming works by setting If/Then conditional statements, to do certain actions in response to certain stimuli. Input come comes from voice commands, gestures, light, temperature and robot reacts by walking, waving, grabbing. Those behaviors can be coded in through a developer kit based on the Go programming language, or through a more visual, user-friendly simulator.
From the companion app, users can download, try out and build on sections of code made by the community. An Explore mode in the app lets users drive robot directly, with a live robot’s-eye view video feed. The robot is currently the subject of Kickstarter campaign. Check out Hexa in action in the campaign video below.
https://www.technology.org/2017/09/11/six-legged-programmable-robot/
