A terrifying robot tarantula that can easily tackle tricky terrain has been built using a 3D printer in an inventor's garage. The homemade all-terrain machine runs using 18 different motors that help it smoothly navigate over uneven surfaces. The robot has exceptional flexibility, climbing over surfaces like rocks and stairs with ease, and even appear to dance in a video.
Weighing less than 5 kilograms or 11 lbs, the spider-inspired robot is called MX-Phoenix. It sounds like a scary spider robot, but it really is not that scary at all. It’s a six-legged, dark and shiny creepy crawly, but it actually moves really slow. Despite the technology used in creating it, MX-Phoenix didn’t spring from a top-flight university or Google-owned research lab like most of the impressive robotics projects we see.
The terrifying tarantula robot was actually created in the garage of Norwegian amateur robot maker Kåre Halvorsen, aka Zenta. According to Daily Mail, robot-enthusiast Zenta used a 3D printer that he keeps at home to make MX-Phoenix. The "hexapod" robot, a mechanical vehicle that walks on six legs, is currently controlled using a large remote.
The MX-Phoenix is the first spider model Zenta has made and it is an extraordinary machine due to its design and capabilities. Zenta has been working on it since November last year, but the tarantula-like machine just started taking its first steps this week. He announced the birth of his DIY robot on his forum, gushing that he's loving the fluid motion and the very quiet sound of the MX's in action.
According to Digital Trends, the hexapod tarantula robot is more stable than two or four-legged robots and can keep moving even if a leg is disabled. Zenta shares that his main goal is making robots is to have fun, and keep learning and developing new robots, adding that his machine has the potential to be used in “search and rescue” missions. As of now, he does not mention any plans to market and sell his creation anytime soon.
