Build Your Own Hexapod Robot with FPGA

Hello FPGA lovers! Today’s project is going to be a challenge on mainly 3 fronts. The Project at hand is to build a Hexapod Robot based on FPGA, and the 3 challenges are to get the Hexapod to work with FPGA, design and simulate it with CAD and to carve and glue the parts with plywood. Sounds funny!

The Hexapod Robot basically works on 12 DC servo motors. So if you thought that programming one of those with your FPGA was hard work, then you should definitely try this project to build on experience. The Robot consists of 6 arms, and each arm must have 2 degrees of freedom, the vertical and horizontal axis. For this, 2 motors are used per arm. Other than that, you will need a saw, electric drill, electric grinder, pencil, PU glue, Plywood, screws, nuts, ball bearings and, of course your FPGA board.

But if you are not a fan of all the carpentry work, then you can easily design and print your parts using a 3D printer and then just assemble them.

The Author has sadly not shared the CAD files or VHDL files for this project. However you can leave a request on the comments page to see if you get a response. The different software that you will need for this project is CAD, EDA and VHDL.

Since the VHDL code will be just about controlling 12 DC servo motors with an FPGA, you can use the code here which is the basic module to control one motor. You can simply extend this to 12 motors to get the Hexapod running.

Though the author has not shared the codes, he has been pretty helpful in giving pictures of all the development phases of the Hexapod. You can use these while designing parts in the CAD software.

Now it´s your turn…have fun!

By costaud