  Bio-inspired walking hexapod robots are a relatively young branch in robotics
in both state of the art and applications. Despite their high degree of
flexibility and adaptability derived by their redundant design, the research
field that compliments their abilities is still very lacking. In this paper
will be proposed state-of-the-art hexapod robot specific control architecture
that allows for full control over robot speed, body orientation and walk gait
type to employ. Furthermore terrain interaction will be deeply investigated,
leading to the development of a terrain-adapting control algorithm that will
allow the robot to react swiftly to terrain shape and asperities such as
non-linearities and non-continuity within the workspace. It will be presented a
dynamic model derived from the interpretation of the hexapod movement to be
comparable to these of the base-platform PKM machines, and said model will be
validated through Matlab SimMechanicsTM physics simulation. A feed-back control
system able to recognize leg-terrain touch and react accordingly to assure
movement stability will then be developed. Finally results coming from an
experimental campaign based of the PhantomX AX Metal Hexapod Mark II robotic
platform by Trossen RoboticsTM is reported.
