I want a hexapod like this
lynxmotion.com/Category.aspx?CategoryID=92
Is there any way I can get anything close to this without having to spend $1,200 USD like over $2,000 AUS which is where im from, plus I am a beginner and wouldnt want to spend that much…
Cheers
You could start off with the BHR or CHR instead for about $700+. They are quite a bit less as they start off with lesser servos. however to upgrade either to the BHR or CHR adds about $400.
Kurt
I am a little depressed that Im so fascinated by a hobby that is so expensive
building up incrementally is by far the least painful way to go… by far this is one of the nice benefits of the SES. Also most folks tend to learn more as they go as well so that’s a bonus (things like programming skills, how different sensors and accessories work, construction improvements, etc)
i posted a similar question previously elsewhere with a less than fulfilling response, so thought I may give that another shot but… everybody refers to the SES as though it is one all encompassing thing, but it isnt is it? It is not a “kit” that i buy which comes with all you need to build stuff? If i want to build something from the SES (which as i understand are just metal brackets) i will in addition need to know exactly what else to buy in terms of quantity of servos, screws etc etc so that something can actually be built? The specific materials and stuff i need i will have to just write down and orders as found in the relevant assembly guides?
How precisely do the SES products work?
The SES is a series of components that all work together. There are aluminum brackets, tubing, hubs, etc. Sort of like Legos, in a way, except you don’t buy “sets” or “kits”. Every piece has a purpose, and you just purchase the pieces you need.
The servos you need depend on what exactly you’re going to build. You could build a 6-servo walker like the BRAT with 422 servos, but if you were building a hexapod you’d need much stronger servos.
The brackets come with tons of hardware (screws, nuts, etc.) and as people will tell you, you’ll end up with extras even after a pair of brackets.
I guess I’m not getting the point or the problem. Lynxmotion has from the beginning made available every little part, piece, assembly, or thingy that we use in our robot kits separately. We do this to allow anyone to take advantage of the cool parts we have designed over the years for use in whatever they dream up. Well at one point it occurred to me to just call this assortment of parts the Servo Erector Set. It is an all encompassing thing, a set of interchangeable parts that can be used to build bigger cool things. I don’t get the complaining about the necessity to know in advance what you need to buy to build something. We have done a great job of creating a lot of robot kits from this assortment of parts for those who don’t want to figure it out themselves. For an idea of how the SES products work, just click on any of the assembly guides for a step by step tour of how to build hexapods, arms, bipeds, etc. We will be adding more as we add kits. Hope this helps…
Maybe you should calm down a little and stope defending things that do not ned to be defended… my question was based in confusion as to how the items were sold, rather than a complaint of not knowing what to buy
but i must add… thanks for the response - it did help
If you don’t have much $$$ and want to develop your construction and programming skills until you do have the $$$, you might look at making a simple walking bot like below. Something to feed the mind on a small budget.
I say buy an SSC32, 1 servo, and a serial cable and start working on your programming. That’s how I started… 
thank you very much… they were very helpful and I will do that… thanks for your help again and that manual is so thorough its great
by the way looking at the discussions i am glad i am not alone in my specific desires 
I totally agree. If one only gets one servo, get the HS-422. With it and the ssc-32, one can experiment with servo position feedback, continous rotation testing, and other interesting things. The ssc-32 has digital output and analog/digital input for sensor testing and such.
Yes I know i need to learn the programming and stuff… i am currently completing the Lynx 5 Robotic Arm… i am not up to the programming part yet, but will my programming of the arm, serve just as good a foundation for learning and experimenting with programming?
Will the tutorial to program the arm be good enough to teach me the programming required?
Some good recommendations have been made!
Buy an SSC32, and a servo or two. I’d go with a pair of legs. You can bolt them down to a simple sheet of plastic or wood initially, then as you can afford, buy more legs and the proper body until you get a full 'bot.
Connect the SSC32 up to your PC, and run a simple program to control the legs.
I’d love to say start by building a Quad first, but it doesn’t work that way. It appears to be much more difficult to make a quad walk then a hexapod.
Humm, a creative chap could probably buy a pair of legs, a small aluminum chassis box, and a pair of wheels and come up with a little 'bot that pulls its self around with the two legs (the wheels would be free-spinning). I might have to try that myself…
I bought the SES parts individually, as I wanted to make a few of the parts myself (body, aluminum leg). It would have been a LOT simpler to just buy the leg kits! Otherwise it is a real challenge to figure out the parts to order.
Alan KM6VV
One could use a single leg with two wheels on front and a single leg on the rear. A resting peg could be put under the rear of the bot to sit on when the leg is off the ground moving to a new position, then the leg could lift up the rear of the bot off the peg and do what ever is needed to move the bot. It would make for an interesting youtube bot.
That’s true!
Although the leg kits are sold in pairs. I think the pair of legs reaching out forward, or at angles would add to the “creepiness” of the motion. Makes me visualize a pair of spider mandibles clawing at something!
Certainly would lower the cost of getting into robotics, and being able to experiment/learn with SES parts. Add an SSC32, and a tether for RS-232 and power, and you’d be good to go!
More elaborate models could use an on-board battery, and Bluetooth. Add an onboard processor and sensors, and it could be autonomous!
Alan KM6VV
(Here I go again on ANOTHER new 'bot!)
Hi there,
I just bought my phoenix kit from lynxmotion (Finally, after drooling and saving 
) I came from a country with less superior currency rate, so it actually cost more to purchase it.
Initially I plan to buy only the aluminum bracket (the coolest hardware ever, it probably cost more (time and money) to fabricate it myself). But when I checkout, the freight charges cost as much as my order!!! (UPS Experdite charge USD 143 for international)
Obviously, i dropped the plan, and start saving to get the whole set. But still, it’s not enough. I took the body, leg, bracket, servos, and left the electronics.
Only 1 suggestion to lynxmotion, if possible, is to include other freight services to international region.
Congratulations on your Phoenix order!
I think you’ll be happy with it. I understand about the difficult task ordering from another country. I’ve been on the other end of it as well.
Let us know how you’re doing with the kit!
Alan KM6VV
