HexArth Brings Pro Robotics to the Masses

Getting into robotics without spending a lot of money is no problem. There are plenty of beginner-friendly platforms on the market today that will get you up and running for well under $100. But as one’s skills increase, the limitations of these platforms become more apparent. You can only accomplish just so much with a robot that is a small step away from being a child’s toy.

At the other end of the spectrum, robots can easily cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is not exactly within reach for most hobbyists. But now, Waveshare has released a new robot called HexArth that is a big step up from entry-level systems. It has a high-quality construction and is packed with useful components, yet it still has a modest price tag (for robotics, anyway). HexArth is available now for $440.

HexArth is a fully articulated hexapod robot with 18 degrees of freedom, meaning each of its six legs has three independently controlled joints. Those joints are powered by high-torque bus servos capable of delivering up to 30 kg·cm of torque, which gives the robot the strength to traverse uneven terrain while carrying payloads of up to 1 kg. The frame itself is constructed from a combination of 5052 aluminum alloy and PA12 nylon, balancing durability with a relatively light overall weight of about 2.1 kg.

HexArth uses a layered computing architecture designed to split the workload between two controllers. The onboard sub-controller is an ESP32-WROOM-32 module that handles low-level tasks such as servo control, gait generation, and inverse kinematics calculations for the robot’s legs. Offloading these intensive real-time operations allows an optional host computer—such as a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B or Raspberry Pi 5—to focus on higher-level functions like computer vision, decision-making, and advanced autonomy.

The robot also includes several sensors to help maintain stability during movement. A built-in ICM20948 9‑axis IMU continuously measures orientation data such as pitch, roll, and yaw. Combined with high-precision control algorithms, this enables the robot to perform self-balancing adjustments in real time while walking. The result is a smoother gait and improved stability on irregular surfaces.

Power comes from a recommended (but not included) 3S2P pack of 18650 lithium-ion cells, providing around 4,000 mAh of capacity. The system supports simultaneous charging and discharging, which is particularly convenient during development sessions where the robot may need to remain powered for extended periods.

HexArth is also designed with experimentation in mind. It includes a 0.91-inch OLED display for system status, a variety of expansion headers, and reserved mounting points for accessories such as cameras or LiDAR modules. Developers can control the robot through a built-in web interface, which automatically creates a Wi-Fi hotspot so users can connect from a phone or computer without installing special software.

Waveshare provides documentation, communication protocols, and example code to help developers customize behaviors or build entirely new capabilities on top of the system. If you want to learn more about this robot, check out the Waveshare website.