Meet the Mantis, the world’s largest hexapod robot in the world. It took Micromagic Systems and its founder/chief designer Matt Denton four years to design and build the walking robot that is big enough to carry a human passenger.

The all-terrain robot weighs 1,900 kg (4,188 lbs), is 2.8 meters (9.18 ft) tall and is powered by a 50hp Perkins 2.2-liter turbo diesel engine which sets the hydraulics into motion. It’s fitted with a series of sensors that help it walk, with its movements being controlled by a Linux PC running the HexEngine software that coordinates the 18 hydraulic actuator in its legs.

Micromagic Systems specializes in animatronics for the film and television industry and has worked on hexapods before, with one of them appearing in the Harry Potter films as a six-legged turtle. However, the Mantis project is something different, a passion project. There’s a little problem with the Mantis though: it can only go as fast as 1 km/h (0.62 mph). However, with proper funding, Denton believes it could go two or three times faster.

By now, some of you may be asking what the point of such a vehicle is. Well, its creator says the Mantis has been built to see what interest it generates and from where. Until something materializes, it is available for private hire, custom commissions, events and sponsorship. Since the Mantis can also be remotely operated, it could be used in the military or in search and rescue missions, we would add.

Follow the jump to watch a presentation of the project.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: Digital Journal , Photo Credits: Mantis Robots

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