01 / THE SPATIAL FRAME Six alternating hinges along each arm
01 / STRUCTURE
Trace a connection. Understand its role.
Select the hub, arms or terminals to see where each belongs in the body.
Showing the whole structure.
Hub / shared services
The center provides arm attachment frames and a place for battery, sensing, power distribution and communications. Our control direction gives each arm a local coordination role, with the hub exchanging intent and shared state.
Arm / alternating joint chain
One arm definition combines A and B hinges in sequence. Each downstream hinge inherits all earlier rotations. The same arm interface supports different chain lengths through the same hub-to-arm connection.
Terminal / contact interface
A leg ends in a dedicated terminal. Ball, floor-pad and spike concepts separate contact behavior from the arm chain, so surface interaction can evolve alongside the rest of the design.
02 / COMPONENT EXPLORER
Get closer to the hardware.
Choose a component. Turn it over, separate the assembly and open the notes to follow the connections.
Joint module / drive and service access
Turn motor output into a supported hinge while keeping the servo replaceable.
Servo case
Horn / output yoke
Opposed support
Next link
Assembled inspection
Compare assembled and exploded views to separate the motor, clamp and load-bearing support. The views show the component service arrangement.
Case cradle and clamp
The cradle locates the motor case. Clamp pieces retain the purchased servo inside the cradle.
Output and reaction
The horn drives the output yoke. The opposite bearing provides a second support location; the surrounding bracket carries reaction loads into the preceding link.
Service order
The bolt-before-nut study checks whether the hardware can be inserted and accessed in a workable sequence. Inspect bolt alignment and tool approach space together.
Opposed bearing / compact support stack
Support the far side of the rotating output and retain the bearing axially.
Support spindle
Bearing
Retainer
Fasteners
Exploded inspection
Use the side view to read the spindle, bearing seat and retaining face. The exploded view separates the fastening stack.
Two sides of the hinge
The support spindle and bearing give the output a second locating surface across from the drive side.
Axial retention
The retainer keeps the bearing in its seat. Its thickness, seating faces and screw access belong to one assembly stack.
Compact alternative
This study uses the L-1360ZZ support concept. Compare its packaging and access before assuming it can replace a larger bearing under the same load.
Hub / power, sensing and electronics packaging
Package shared services while leaving access to arm ports and internal hardware.
Base + battery
Electronics tray
Compute + sensing
Lid
Exploded inspection
Open the exploded view to distinguish the lid, raised tray and battery layer. Compare the side view for vertical packaging.
Battery and retention
The battery envelope sits in the base with strap retention. Pack selection, removal access and protected power distribution must be considered together.
Electronics tray
Separate envelopes locate compute, IMU, regulator and bus controller. Each envelope shows the space allocated to its electronics function.
Interfaces
The lid, tray and arm attachment regions compete for fastener and connector space. Exploding the stack makes those relationships easier to inspect.
Ball terminal / contact and capture
Terminate the arm with a retained contact element that can move inside its carrier.
Arm interface
Carrier
Ball insert
Retaining lip
Exploded inspection
Switch between assembled, exploded and underside views to see how the ball is enclosed and how the retainer attaches.
Carrier and insert
The carrier attaches to the arm while the spherical insert supplies the contact geometry. These have different mechanical roles.
Retaining lip
The retainer captures the ball. Clearance and lip geometry must be considered together: room to move and resistance to escape are competing requirements.
Fit inspection
This dimensional candidate explores a larger gap and deeper lip. The exploded arrangement exposes the carrier, ball and retaining lip.
03 / MOVEMENT
Read the bends. Follow the whole chain.
Alternating local axes let successive hinges shape an arm through space. A turn near the hub carries every joint further along the chain.
1 / Alocal Z
2 / Blocal Y
3 / Alocal Z
4 / Blocal Y
5 / Alocal Z
6 / Blocal Y
Unfold. Rise. Reach across the body.
Six gathered arms open to their full span as the hub rises and turns upright. Broad reaches to each side reshape the whole silhouette.
Follow the tips from the gathered opening into the tall, open body. Every arm changes its bends as the hub leans from side to side.
Choose a stage to pause and inspect.
Motion · Whole-body opening, rising and broad reachesKeyframe · The upright body at full span
Trade high and low reaches.
Teal and amber groups of three arms exchange their reach directions. The hub shifts and leans with each exchange, then all six arms gather into an overhead reach.
Choose one teal arm and its amber neighbor. Follow their tips through the exchange, then watch both join the overhead reach.
Choose a stage to pause and inspect.
Motion · Moving arm groups and a shifting hubKeyframe · The first group reaches through space
Tuck, turn and open wide.
The extended body gathers its arms, turns through a full revolution and opens again. The arm chains continue changing shape throughout the turn.
Follow the hub orientation through the turn. Compare the long opening silhouette, the gathered middle and the final spread.
Choose a stage to pause and inspect.
Motion · Articulated gathering and a full body turnKeyframe · Arm shapes during the turn
04 / SCALE
A family of articulated bodies.
Six joints per arm is the primary design target. Compare shorter prototypes and longer chains through their joint counts and engineering focus.
Arms × joints
Total joints
Build role
Design focus
6 × 3
18
Quick MVP
Short chains for first assembly, fit and control experiments.
6 × 6
36
Primary design target
The main balance of spatial shaping, packaging and whole-body exploration.
6 × 12
72
Long-arm exploration
More places to bend; compare accumulated mass, routing and tip placement.
6 × 30
180
Scaling exploration
Extreme chain length makes transmission choice and distributed control central questions.
Reach and moving mass
Longer chains create more places to bend. Link mass, cable routes and loads accumulate along the path to the hub.
Joint count and actuation
A motor at every hinge connects joint count directly to motor count. Tendons and coupled mechanisms offer other arrangements for transferring motion.
05 / ACTUATION
How motion reaches the ground.
Explore four approaches to placing motors, transmitting force and introducing compliance.
Joint-local servo
Motor + gearbox
Hinge
Link
Why explore it: Direct joint addressing and a straightforward mechanical chain.
Design tradeoff: Motor mass travels with the arm; gearbox behavior and heat matter under sustained load.
Root motor + tendons
Root motor
Tensioned cable
Hinge
Why explore it: Moves motor mass closer to the hub or arm root.
Design tradeoff: Routing, pretension and friction couple transmission behavior to the changing arm shape.
Servo + series spring
Motor
Spring + sensing
Hinge
Why explore it: Adds a compliant element between actuator and load.
Design tradeoff: Spring travel, calibration and oscillation become part of the control problem.
Hybrid arm
Proximal servos
Distal transmission
Contact
Why explore it: Combines an actively positioned root with a lighter or more compliant distal section.
Design tradeoff: Requires explicit coordination between two transmission models.
COORDINATION
Local movement. Shared intent.
AT THE ARM
Respond through the chain
Joint state, sensing and task commands support each arm's coordinated motion. Arm-level policies are part of the control architecture direction.
ACROSS THE BODY
Coordinate around a task
The hub connects shared sensing and body state with the work of the arms. Simulation brings contact, balance and actuator behavior into that process.
06 / CAD & BLENDER
From shared design to editable models.
Each representation serves a practical part of the design process.
01 / DEFINE
Shared design
Attachment frames, dimensions and joint axes describe how the assembly fits together.
02 / ENGINEER
CAD / STEP
Solid assemblies and individual parts support fit checks, mechanical edits and fabrication planning.
03 / POSE
Blender / .blend
Armatures, rigid skins, pose assets and actions support editing, animation and presentation.
04 / EVALUATE
Simulation
Joint frames and physical descriptions bring actuator and contact behavior into motion studies.
Shape the appearance
Edit shells, faces, materials and cameras in Blender. Select the armature in Pose Mode to explore the chain.
Develop the hardware
Edit solids in CAD and inspect their interfaces. STEP carries editable geometry; STL carries a surface mesh.
