Boston Dynamics RHex

Boston Dynamics / multi-university DARPA project (USA) RHex (1)

Boston Dynamics / multi-university DARPA project (USA) RHex (2)

Not for sale

Not for sale (research)One motor per legRuggedStair climbingLegacy

Not for saleShipping: N/A.

LEARN MORE (Boston Dynamics, archived) ↗

Overview

A deceptively simple hexapod with one motor per springy C-shaped leg that runs at five body lengths per second, climbs stairs, self-rights and even swims. It emerged from a DARPA-funded project spanning Michigan, McGill, CMU, Berkeley, Princeton and Cornell, and Boston Dynamics built a sealed, all-weather version remote-controlled up to 700 m away. Its compliant-leg approach inspired later designs such as Whegs.

Type: Multi-legged robot · Research & legacy
Maker: Boston Dynamics / multi-university DARPA project (USA)
Released: 2009
Price: Not for sale
Status: Not for sale (research)
Best for: Professionals & labs
Programming: No programmability

Price and shipping

Research platform (original academic RHex from ~2000). Boston Dynamics' ruggedized version was publicized around 2009 and tested for government use.

Shipping: N/A. Research and government platform. Never sold to the public.

Specifications

Category	Multi-legged robots · Research & legacy
Released	2009
Country	USA
Availability	Not for sale (research)
Sales	At least 7 X-RHex / XRL units listed at Kodlab and partner sites (estimate) Kodlab (UPenn) ↗
Programmability	No programmability
Built-in autonomy	Reactive · Responds to its surroundings without a map, such as avoiding obstacles or following a person
LLM support	None · No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one.
Best for	Professionals & labs
Vision sensors	Camera
Actuators	DC / gear motors
Audio	No audio
Compute type	Proprietary / undisclosed
Compute	Onboard computer, teleoperated from an operator control unit
Weight	Not published
Speed	Up to 2.7 m/s (research versions)
Legs / DOF	6 compliant C-shaped legs, 1 actuator each (6 DOF)
Sensors	Visible/IR cameras and illuminators front and rear (BD version), IMU and leg proprioception (research)
SDK	None public

Common questions

How much does RHex cost?

Not for sale. Research platform (original academic RHex from ~2000). Boston Dynamics' ruggedized version was publicized around 2009 and tested for government use.