How IHMC built the six-legged HexRunner
The original IHMC report explains the rotating legs, speed measurement and research behind HexRunner.
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IHMC's HexRunner uses six spring-loaded legs rotating around a central hub. The institute's archive dates its report to 2015, so the demonstration predates the Instagram post by years. [1]
Understand the mechanism
Three legs sit on each side of the hub. IHMC built this relatively simple robot to study stability before applying the lessons to its more complicated FastRunner design. The research question was how a machine could run quickly without extensive sensing or actuation. [1]
Read the measurement carefully
IHMC reported an estimated 30 to 33 mph on an open course without support tethers. The team used a chase car and high-speed video analysis; the report calls 30 mph the conservative video-based figure. [1]
That result describes the reported run. It does not establish performance across every terrain or an independently repeated benchmark. The useful engineering story is the team's choice to simplify the machine so they could study what kept it stable. [1]
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