I’m having a hard time deciding whether to call this… creature beautiful or horrifying, but one thing’s for sure – it’s an amazing piece of technology, and from a modern world perspective, you could even call it a work of art.
This 3D-printed robot arachnoid called T8 was designed by a company called Robugtix which, in their own words, focuses on creating bio-inspired multi-legged robots and providing innovative robotics systems for professional and educational use worldwide. Sounds promising, right? The T8 is probably a little too life-like for most people’s tastes, but you can’t help but appreciate the smooth, almost elegant moves that the spider can execute, using its 26 servo motors.
It’s powered by a Bigfoot™ Inverse Kinematics Engine and when given a command, it uses math calculations to perform the creepy dance (or walk) in real time. Commands are sent and received via wireless XBee. Optionally, you can choose between pre-programming your own sequences or directly controlling the robot in real time with the wireless Robugtix™ Controller.
The little guy won’t be sent to you in one piece, but rather you will receive a kit which includes all the 3D printed parts, a microcontroller, the 26 motors and other fasteners you will need to put it together.
But, of course, all this exciting technology comes at a price, with the T8 being listed at $1,500. You can get a nice $150 discount, if you purchase it within the pre-order period. The robot will be released in September, so there is still time to save up!
