Flying drones may be all the rage, but spare a thought for all those ground-based robots trying to make it in the world. Vincross' HEXA is one such gadget a six-legged, fully-programmable sci-fi droid that promises to be a gateway project into the field of robotics.

HEXA is currently being funded via Kickstarter, with the campaign already exceeding its relatively low-ball target of $US100,000. At the time of writing, there's still 26 days to go, so it should hopefully bring in a lot more than that.

As for the robot itself, it weights 1.75kg and can carry 1.5kg. Physical dimensions differ wildly between the official website and Kickstarter campaign, which I'm guessing is down to the spider-like legs. Taking this into account, it can be anywhere from 40-50cm wide and 12-15cm tall.

Housed inside is a 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor, which makes it about as powerful as a late-2011 iPhone 4s. This is coupled with 8GB of storage, a 720p camera, infrared transmitter and an accelerometer. Connectivity comes in the form of 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and yes, it can act as a wireless access point.

In terms of battery life, well, this is where it gets confusing. Like the dimensions, there are discrepancies between the specifications listed on the website and those on the Kickstarter page. The site promises four hours per charge, while the Kickstarter ranges from 45 minutes to three hours. Recharge times on the Kickstarter are also more conservative from two hours to four for wireless charging.

The HEXA can be all yours for $US499 at the lowest pledge tier, which doesn't appear to include shipping. The good news is both Australia and New Zealand are valid shipping destinations.

[Vincross, via The Awesomer]

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HEXA, The Facehugger Mech, Could Be The Perfect Gateway Project Into Robotics - Gizmodo Australia