Freenove Big Hexapod Robot Kit for Raspberry Pi 5 4 B 3 B+ Zero 2 W, Walking, Self Balancing, Face Recognition, Ultrasonic Ranging, App Control, Camera, Servo (Raspberry Pi NOT Included)

I waited some time before writing a review, in order to thoroughly explore the capabilities of this robotic hexapod. I thoroughly enjoyed this project and it's certainly a 'talking piece'. Construction: The written instructions (a .pdf file) are considerably above average, especially in the software sections. Pay attention to the software. Once the machine is ready to start waving its arms, you will need to connect to a PC or laptop using remote desktop - this is well documented and works. For the physical construction there are invaluable youtube videos linked in the document, but you can also find user reviews which compliment the official videos. Overall, although daunting, I had no problems putting the hexapod together, checking out the individual features and then calibrating the legs. I would suggest you need to be over 10 years old to put this robot together, but adult supervision (or other help) would probably give you the best shot at success. In terms of parts: In my kit there were no missing parts or screws. I ordered the 18650 batteries online (I recommend the Sony/Murata batteries rated at 3Ahr.) Make sure you buy the FLAT top batteries (not the variety that has the (positive) button top. The robot draws a considerable amount of current and I'd caution against buying cheap batteries with outrageous claims in respect of amp-hours. Be aware that this robot, with 20 servo motors, can easily pull 15A so make sure to get well-regarded batteries if you want to avoid overheat damage. Coding tutorials are included and I had no problem getting every feature to work 'as advertised'. This is a well thought-out kit, probably better than any I've constructed before (which includes wheeled vehicles, robotic dogs, drones, 3D printers and assorted electronic kits). I've added or substituted several sensors, including Lidar, RTK GNSS, MEMS gyro and actual radar! Worked fine. The ultrasonic was usable and gives the robot 'character' but not my favorite ranger finder. Nothing in life is perfect so here are the minor issues: First, the robot is seriously heavy. I feel they could've used high-tensile strength plastic bolts/nuts to reduce weight, but otherwise the complexity and sheer number of servo motors guarantees serious weight. My robot, assembled with batteries, and using a Raspberry Pi 4, came in at 4lbs 9.5oz. The motors are capable and they do a good job articulating the robot, but the cost is battery run-time. During energetic motion, the run-time is less than 20 minutes (at least in my experience). So for this reason I recommend you buy several sets of batteries! Note, as stated the robot does not have a built-in charger for the batteries so you'll need a D-4 or similar charger that can take (at least) 4 batteries at a time. Second: given the battery life is short, it would've been nice if the robot had an easy way to shut off power to the servo motors while doing program development. There are two press-buttons used to power-on the robot and I suspect one of these powers the raspberry pi while the other powers the servo management board. However, they are not labeled as such, and I do not know if it is safe to operate the robot with just one power button pressed - I feel this could've been better documented. Third: This is a minor point but this robot has only limited practical usage - I'd consider it a great introduction to Pi and IoT programming; it's certainly a lot of fun, but aside from amusement and educational value, it's not got much of a walking range before it runs out of battery. You aren't going to chase the cat around the house unless it's very elderly or very patient. Fourth: I wish the robot had come with rubber booties for grip, but these are easily fabricated so not a show-stopper. Summary: This is a well thought out kit, not suitable for young kids, unless unusually gifted, and would benefit from adult supervision during construction and initial commissioning. Thereafter, it's easy to work with, especially if you are programming in python. Value for money is excellent - other than batteries and a rapsberry pi, everything is included.

Loved it, great platform to learn and experiment, good quality, and very fun for kids that like robotics and adults seeking to learn something new. Instructions are hard to follow and also be aware that it does not inclide the special LiPo batteries needed to make it work. Make sure to calibrate it before first use.

The Big Hexapod Robot Kit by Freenove is a fantastic robot to have. The tutorial takes you through every aspect from setting up a Raspberry Pi to assembly and operating the hexapod robot. This thing is bigger than I imagined and is a bargain for the price. I would suggest just getting a Raspberry Pi 3B, which has WiFi built in. I installed a Raspberry Pi 4B 8GB version on it, but had an issue with it not connecting to the mobile app when it is turned on. I replaced it with a 3B version. Maybe a 4B with less memory might work but the 3B with a 16GB sd card is all you really need. Tech support is fast and friendly. Shaynee and Denzel are very committed to getting your issues resolved. I had to email them many times trying to get the 4B 8GB Pi to work, and they were always glad to help in any way they could.

This was an amazingly fun project to build. It's not simple and definitely not a toy for younger kids to try to build on their own unless they are exceptionally gifted makers. Middle teens and up with a serious interest in robotics will immensely enjoy it. There were some rocky moments during assembly. I think some of the steps could have been layed out smoother. Overall it was a challenging build that kept me engaged for hours. The final result worked exactly as expected. The software is advanced but can be understood with some effort. After that, it's great to add some features or see if you can optimize its capabilities. My kittens gave it mixed reviews initially. Now they play with it and I'm adding functions so it can play back autonomously. I'm wirelessly linked it to my own larger AI server system so it can "learn" from observing and "playing" with the kittens. It's done some unexpected things. For example, it learned how to chase a ball right along with the kittens. The kittens are far quicker and more agile but the hexapod tries. Overall 5 out of 5 stars

Overall very good quality, so being ignored by the product support is fine. I ended up replacing the battery compartment with a different brand, because the ones came with the kit don't hold the battery tight. Assembly is not very challenging, except plugging in the Servo cables. I had to do it several times, to make it record an acceptable initial positions. Calibrating the six legs is a painful process... The software is written in Python, which needs serious work to increase the response speed. I use Python for 10+ years, this kind of coding for this bot should get one fired. But I guess the point is to hack it, I might do it if I get a big chunk of time. I would not recommend it for nonprogrammers, or kids in general. It might be a good idea for enthusiastic makers who wants to hack the software.

This was the first time I had ever purchased a kit like this and I wasn’t disappointed! What I liked: The instructions for building were clear and very well written. If they are followed to the letter the kit will work first time. When completed it’s a terrific kit. I do confess though for me I did manage to kill the servo control board after getting it to work. The only explanation I have is that it was probably an electrostatic discharge. In some ways I’m glad I did because it led me to get in contact with Freenove support. In the documentation they advise that they are there to help and indeed they do. The support and eventual diagnosis of my problem was second to none, they are awesome! Over a few days corresponding with their helpful and courteous staff, trying different options we sorted out my issue. I was able to purchase a replacement board for a very reasonable price. As yet I haven’t had time to swap the board but I have no doubt it will be fine. Just have to avoid the carpet.

Everything worked perfect following the instructions, I am on Ubuntu 20.04 and bought the Raspberry Pi 4B. The support team of Freenove is simply amazing, very helpful and quick replies!

El producto llegó un día antes, al parecer todo, en buen estado, no lo he terminado de armar ni de probar, no sé si todo funciona, pero tiene muy buena calidad, en primera observación, hay que lo de armar y probar, es muy pronto para dar una opinión realista de este producto, pues lleva tiempo armarlo y realizar las configuraciónes de la raspberry pi, y subir los diferentes programas, y probar ya todo en su conjunto, pero al parecer tiene buena apariencia y espero que todo salga bien, Saludos

Really good kit for the money, Worked staright out of the box, Remeber you need to buy a Raspberry Pi and Batteries + Charger , but kits is easy to build and lots of spares in there as well.

New review Freenove really helped me after i have showed them that the box was damage and the board was faulty they were able to send me a new one to get me started. They are very amazing Old review When I got the box it was a bit smashed. After finishing the build of the Big Hexapod and following the document from what the website offer document FNK0052 It still didn't work i think the hexapod is broken The light doenst work ( adding the updaed part) Freenove really helped me after i have showed them that the box was damage and the board was faulty they were able to send me a new one to get me started. They are very amazing