UGears Hexapod Explorer

Your cat is going to love/hate Ugears' for this one! Are you ready for the coolest crawler available anywhere on the model market? Introducing the Ugears Hexapod Explorer: part insect, part robot, part extraterrestrial rover. Driven by a powerful spring motor, the Hexapod Explorer can walk up to 3 meters on its legs, without the need of an auxiliary or supporting wheel like other models have. The ability to bear its weight, on the legs alone, allows the Hexapod Explorer to navigate slightly rough terrain, like a planetary rover stepping out of the capsule to explore new worlds. Another amazing feature that makes Ugears' walker unique is that the Hexapod Explorer comes with a variable speed dial. You can make your robo-bug creep, crawl, or skitter at any speed you want! When the Hexapod stops walking, pick it up and watch the legs come to life and flail about, just like a real insect, crab or spider would do. It's the stuff of nightmares, or a mechanical model maker's dreams, depending on one's perspective!

Ugears' are fortunate to live in an exciting age of space exploration and rapid technological advancement. Mankind's first steps on another celestial sphere came in 1969, with the Apollo 11 moonwalk of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. From 1997 to the present there have been six different Mars rovers operating on the red planet. Imagine you are the commander of a mission to explore Planet X. A rover can only take photos and samples along its solitary path. But imagine if your landing craft could release a robotic army of Hexapod Explorers to skitter across the surface of the new planet in every direction, testing the soil, collecting rock samples, searching for alien life forms.

Each night the Hexapods rest, and each day they recharge and come to life, continuing their explorations and scientific work. Maybe a lander from another civilization on a different planet arrives, sees the Hexapods, and believes them to be the dominant life form on Planet X!

The Hexapod Explorer wooden model kit has 388 pieces and features a strong metal spring that powers the robot's walking action, and rubber band foot pads for better traction on smooth surfaces. This DIY model is rated Medium level with an assembly time of approximately 8 hours.

The internal spring is wound with a ratchet key located on the belly. With a ratchet mechanism you don't have to hold the key while winding to prevent slippage—potential energy is stored with each twist, without slippage, until the spring is fully loaded. The Hexapod Explorer can traverse rough surfaces and even step over obstacles of 1-2 cm. Crank the model up, set it down, choose the desired speed using the dial on the Hexapod's head, then release the "go" switch at the rear to set the model in motion. You can change speeds at any time, either mid-run or on the next go.