A hexapod robot is a mechanical vehicle that walks on six legs. Since a robot can be statically stable on three or more legs, a hexapod robot has great flexibility in how it can move. If the legs are deactivated, the robot can still walk. In addition, not all robot legs are necessary for stability; other legs are free to reach new foot locations or manipulate a payload. Many hexapod robots are biologically inspired by Hexapoda locomotion. Hexapods can be used to test biological theories on insect locomotion, motor control and neurobiology.
Hexapod designs vary in leg layout. Insect-inspired robots are often symmetrical laterally, such as the RiSE robot in Carnegie Mellon. A radially symmetrical hexapod is the ATLETA (All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) robot in JPL. Normally, the individual legs vary between two and six degrees of freedom. Hexapod feet are often pointy, but can also be tipped with adhesive to help raise walls or wheels, so the robot can drive quickly when the ground is flat.