OK, guys...this one is new to me. It's a ROTARY hexabot platform.
http://www.hexel.com/rotobot.htm
It's addressed a lot of the problems for home builders, like variable length legs. Its legs are a fixed length, and the base length is adjusted. Brilliant...it's inspirational.
BUT, being the cheapskate that I am, I WANT to build one of these, but on the cheap! Any ideas? It appears that each of the legs has freedom to move, only until it hits its neighbor...there *is* interference between them. Could it be as simple as a set of nested "lazy susans?" In their graphic, the center looks to be nothing more than stacked ball bearings with attached "arms."
Any thoughts as to the ball joints? I wouldn't mind one of these units, but I'd want something small...maybe a socket-wrench u-joint could work, instead?
And, is it just my imagination, or are the strut connections to the ball joint at the top of the platform, co-planar? i.e. just a hinge? That would simplify the construction tremendously.
So, what do y'all think? Worth it to build one of these, or not?
-- Chuck Knight
P.S. I know EMC has support for hexabots...would it control something like this?