The robot and gamepad firmware are CC BY-NC-SA, and the project is no longer updated or sold as a kit.
Vorpal The Hexapod is a small classroom hexapod with 12 metal-gear micro servos, two per leg, in a fully 3D-printed body. An Arduino Nano runs the robot and a second Nano powers a matching Bluetooth button gamepad that can record and replay moves. It was designed for games and competitions and can also be programmed from Scratch.
At a glance
| Parts cost | $250 kit · Price of the QuickBuild Maker Kit on the Vorpal store, which listed all its kits as unavailable source ↗ |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 2/5 Easy · No soldering with a kit and a detailed guide, but self-sourcing means building the power harness and configuring Bluetooth modules with AT commands. |
| Build time | 3 to 6 hours when self-sourcing parts (30 minutes to 2 hours with kits) source ↗ |
| Tools needed | 3D printer (150 mm bed minimum; ABS or PETG preferred, about $10 of filament), screwdrivers and pliers, soldering only when self-sourcing the power harness |
| Motors | 12 MG90 metal-gear micro servos |
| Controller | Arduino Nano with an Adafruit-style PCA9685 servo board; second Nano in the gamepad |
| Sensors | Optional HC-SR04 ultrasonic and light sensors via an accessory port; HC-05 Bluetooth pair |
| Published | ✓ Parts list✓ CAD/STL✓ Assembly guide✓ Wiring✓ Software✓ Video MediaWiki build guide with step-by-step photos, parts list and wiring tables + two Teaching Tech build videos + Dropbox STL folder + GitHub code |
| Activity | Last update 2022-04-08 · 143 GitHub stars · Google Groups forum; repo 143 stars and 58 forks; user gallery on the wiki |
| Kits | Vorpal Robotics kits (QuickBuild Maker, Complete, Assembled), currently out of stock |
Licenses
| Design files | CC BY-SA 4.0 (all 3D models, including OnShape sources) source ↗ |
|---|---|
| Code | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (Arduino robot and gamepad code; Scratch code is CC BY-SA 4.0) source ↗ |
| Documentation | None found for the wiki pages source ↗ |
Builder notes
Practical points from the project's issue tracker, forum and docs, each linked to its source.
- The Arduino code is NonCommercial even though the 3D models are CC BY-SA, so selling built robots needs a separate license from Vorpal Robotics. source ↗
- Some HC-05 Bluetooth modules from other sellers buffer data and add 1.5 to 2 seconds of lag, which makes the robot unusable, and they cannot be told apart from listings. source ↗
- The leg servo pockets flex to snap the servos in, so brittle PLA can crack, and ABS or PETG is recommended. source ↗
- The store lists all hexapod kit versions as unavailable while still selling some single parts such as MG90 servos, so a build today means printing the parts and self-sourcing electronics. source ↗
- The site says full kits are no longer offered, only some individual components. source ↗
Other hexapods plans
- RookiDroid Hexapod (Mochi) · $350 · difficulty 2/5
- MakeYourPet hexapod (Chica) · $590 (2022) · difficulty 3/5