Design and control of hexapod with integrated limb mechanism: MELMANTIS

Abstract

This paper describes the mechanical design and basic control of a prototype hexapod with "integrated limb mechanism", named MELMANTIS. MELMANTIS uses a six-bar linkage with four degrees of freedom as an example of integrated limb mechanism with both advantages for leg and for arm. The kinematic analysis is done for mechanical design. Basic control program of MELMANTIS is developed to experiment simple walking motion and transformation from a leg into an arm.