hexapod

A hexapod is a six-legged organism or machine. In biology, the term broadly applies to insects and other arthropods with six legs (Hexapoda). In robotics and mechanical engineering, a hexapod commonly refers to a six-legged walking robot or to a six-actuated-platform known as a Stewart platform.

Six legs arranged around a central body provide redundancy and stability on uneven terrain. Each leg typically has multiple joints actuated to provide reach and force; control systems coordinate leg movements to achieve locomotion.

Gait: The most common walking pattern for hexapod robots is the alternating tripod gait, where three legs form a stable tripod while the other three swing forward. Variants include ripple, wave, and circular gaits used for different terrain.

In addition to legged walkers, the term hexapod is also used for hexapod parallel manipulators, a class of six-actuator mechanisms offering precise six-degree-of-freedom motion, widely used in flight simulators, machining, and optical positioning.

Benefits include stability and obstacle negotiation; drawbacks include mechanical complexity, energy use, and control overhead. Applications include service robots, search-and-rescue, industrial inspection, education, and research.