SpiderBot

YouTube Video:

A hexapod spider robot controlled by Robotis CM-700 controller, motorized by twenty Robotis Dynamixel AX-18A servos, and one Robotis AX-S1 integrated sensor mounted on its head. The robot frame is a slightly modified TrossenRobotics ABS PhantomX kit.

Robot Controller (Robotis CM-700):

There are many options of robotic controllers in the market and it is a great fun to try it all. Initially I started this spider project using the 1st version of TrossenRobotics Arbotix controller with the open source software from the same company. Then I tried the ROBOTIS OpenCM9.04 open source controller along with its Arduino like IDE. Finally, I picked ROBOTIS CM-700 controller along with ROBOTIS RoboPlus Software. I’m not sure how long I will keep using it.

What I like about CM-700 is its compact design, the low-power 8-bit AVR RISC-based microcontroller (ATMEL ATMEGA2561) which is widely used in many applications including Arduino boards, its big number of ports, and the very user friendly RoboPlus software.

Controller Specfications:

• MCU : ATMEL ATMega2561
• Working Temperature : -5℃~70℃*
• Weight : 37.3g
• Working Voltage:
  • Allowed Range : 7V ~ 35V
• Current:
  • Consumed Current When idle : 40mA
  • Exterior I/O Maximum Current : 0.9A
  • Overall Maximum Current : 10A (Fuse)
• Internal I/O Device
  • Button : 2 sets (Reset 1, Start 1)
  • Temperature Sensor : 1
  • Voltage Sensor : 1
• External I/O Device
  • OLLO 5 pin I/O Port : 6
  • 3-Pin Connector TTL Communication : 4
  • 4-Pin Connector RS-485 Communication : 5

Robot Motors (Robotis AX-18A):

Robot Sensors (Robotis AX-S1):

Frame (Customised from PhantomX MK1):

Battery:

Programming Hardware (Robotis LN-101):

Programming Software (Robotis RoboPlus 1.x and 2.x):

Repository Contents

• /Docs - Project Related documentations.
• /RoboPlus Files - Motion,Task, and Design Files generated using Robotis RoboPlus 1.x & 2.x
• /Research Paper - Related robotics research documents.

#Version History

• Version 1.0 (work in progress).

SpiderBot VSCode

Overview

This project is a firmware for a hexapod robot ("SpiderBot") using Dynamixel AX-18A servos. The code is designed for Arduino-compatible microcontrollers and provides modular control for legs, a sensor turret, and optional AX-S1 sensor modules.

Features

• Hexapod Leg Control: Modular support for 6 legs, each with multiple degrees of freedom.
• Dynamixel Servo Communication: Uses DynamixelWorkbench for robust servo management.
• Sensor Turret: Pan/tilt turret control for sensors or cameras.
• RC Controller Support: Remote control via serial interface.
• Gait Controller: Multiple walking gaits and speed control.
• AX-S1 Sensor Integration: Read temperature, luminosity, and sound level; control onboard LED.

Directory Structure

HexapodPlatformIO/
├── include/           # Header files (e.g., AXS1Sensor.h)
├── src/               # Source files (e.g., main.cpp, AXS1Sensor.cpp)
├── lib/               # Optional libraries
├── platformio.ini     # PlatformIO project configuration
└── README.md          # Project documentation

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• PlatformIO installed (VS Code recommended)
• Supported Arduino-compatible board (e.g., Teensy, STM32, ESP32)
• Dynamixel servos and compatible power supply
• (Optional) AXS-1 sensor module

Building and Uploading

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd HexapodPlatformIO

2. Open the project in VS Code with PlatformIO extension.

3. Connect your board via USB.

4. Build and upload the firmware:

   pio run --target upload

Configuration

• Edit Config.h to set pin assignments, baud rates, and other hardware-specific parameters.

Usage

• On startup, the robot initializes all modules and prints status messages to the serial monitor.
• The main loop demonstrates turret movement; you can expand this to add walking, sensor reading, or remote control.

File Descriptions

• src/main.cpp - Main firmware entry point; initializes all modules and runs the main loop.
• include/AXS1Sensor.h / src/AXS1Sensor.cpp - Interface for the AX-S1 sensor module.
• DynamixelController.* - Handles low-level servo communication.
• Hexapod.*, Leg.* - Implements hexapod kinematics and leg control.
• Turret.* - Controls the pan/tilt sensor turret.
• RCController.* - Handles remote control input.
• GaitController.* - Manages walking gaits and timing.

License

This project is provided for educational and research purposes. Please check individual source files for license details.

Credits

• Uses DynamixelWorkbench library by ROBOTIS.
• Developed by Muthanna Alwahash (c) 2025