Summary

I love building little robots with my Vex IQ robotics kit but I noticed that my wheeled creations struggle to move over carpet, so I thought "what if they could walk instead of roll?" Heavily inspired by Theo Jansen's strandbeest kinetic sculptures, this kit included various parts to build your own strandbeest from a Vex IQ kit!

Every hole in this project is 4.3 mm across. The Vex IQ 3D printing specification sheet I found insists the holes should be 4.2 mm, but I suspect some quirk of my printer requires the holes to be bigger in order to accommodate the kit's pegs. Some post-processing may be required to get the mechanisms to work smoothly.

Like the Vex robotics kit, the intent of this project is to provide one with tools to build something unique of their own design, so I encourage you to print off a few of each piece and just kind of tinker.

If you wish to assemble a strandbeest exactly as I have, you will need to print eight of each truss, two struts, two drivers, and four of each linkage. To assemble one leg, do the following, taking into account the color-coded positioning outlined in the jansen's linkage diagram:

1. Lay down one red truss and one blue truss. The red truss should be oriented such that the side with the "V" cut into it is vertical. Remember, V for vertical.
2. Connect the two trusses with the purple and vomit linkages. Remember, the vomit linkage has a "V" cut into it, for vomit.
3. Connect the green and orange linkages next.
4. Finally, place another red and blue truss on top to make a "sandwich".

If your Vex motor and brain assembly is too heavy, it may behoove you to print the linkages at double thickness.