Freenove Big Hexapod Robot Kit for Raspberry Pi 5 4 B 3 B+ Zero 2 W, Walking, Self Balancing, Face Recognition, Ultrasonic Ranging, App Control, Camera, Servo (Raspberry Pi NOT Included)

This was the first time I had ever purchased a kit like this and I wasn’t disappointed! What I liked: The instructions for building were clear and very well written. If they are followed to the letter the kit will work first time. When completed it’s a terrific kit. I do confess though for me I did manage to kill the servo control board after getting it to work. The only explanation I have is that it was probably an electrostatic discharge. In some ways I’m glad I did because it led me to get in contact with Freenove support. In the documentation they advise that they are there to help and indeed they do. The support and eventual diagnosis of my problem was second to none, they are awesome! Over a few days corresponding with their helpful and courteous staff, trying different options we sorted out my issue. I was able to purchase a replacement board for a very reasonable price. As yet I haven’t had time to swap the board but I have no doubt it will be fine. Just have to avoid the carpet.

Everything worked perfect following the instructions, I am on Ubuntu 20.04 and bought the Raspberry Pi 4B. The support team of Freenove is simply amazing, very helpful and quick replies!

El producto llegó un día antes, al parecer todo, en buen estado, no lo he terminado de armar ni de probar, no sé si todo funciona, pero tiene muy buena calidad, en primera observación, hay que lo de armar y probar, es muy pronto para dar una opinión realista de este producto, pues lleva tiempo armarlo y realizar las configuraciónes de la raspberry pi, y subir los diferentes programas, y probar ya todo en su conjunto, pero al parecer tiene buena apariencia y espero que todo salga bien, Saludos

This was an amazingly fun project to build. It's not simple and definitely not a toy for younger kids to try to build on their own unless they are exceptionally gifted makers. Middle teens and up with a serious interest in robotics will immensely enjoy it. There were some rocky moments during assembly. I think some of the steps could have been layed out smoother. Overall it was a challenging build that kept me engaged for hours. The final result worked exactly as expected. The software is advanced but can be understood with some effort. After that, it's great to add some features or see if you can optimize its capabilities. My kittens gave it mixed reviews initially. Now they play with it and I'm adding functions so it can play back autonomously. I'm wirelessly linked it to my own larger AI server system so it can "learn" from observing and "playing" with the kittens. It's done some unexpected things. For example, it learned how to chase a ball right along with the kittens. The kittens are far quicker and more agile but the hexapod tries. Overall 5 out of 5 stars

OK so I know it is clearly stated, but be aware, you need to supply batteries, charger and Raspberry Pi. I used a Raspberry Pi 3. This is my 3rd Freenove kit. I have been impressed by the quality of their kits and their outstanding customer support and the big hexapod is no exception. I believe problems can happen with any purchase; it is how they are dealt with that is the measure of a company. My kit had one mis-cut piece. I contacted Freenove support and they had a replacement in the post the next day, they also offered me an STL file to build my own if I had access to a 3d printer. I consider that to be 5 star support. The kit included 2 screw drivers and a spanner, which between them were suitable for all the nuts and bolts. Freenove do supply a few spares of each nut and bolt, but the servos do not include spares, so be careful with the screws for securing the servo arms! I found a very helpful set of build videos on you tube (search for 'Blade Dreams'). If you do follow the video, a couple of points to note: Blade Dreams had an issue with the orientation of the ultrasonic connection wire - the tutorial is now updated so just follow that. Blade Dreams also inserted rubber bushes in his servo mounts - I don't believe this is necessary. The Freenove tutorial is clear and easy to follow, except, perhaps, when connecting and orientating the servos. The golden ruler is never connect or disconnect anything when the Pi is powered up, always shut it down and power it off first. So first connect the servos, then turn on and run the server program. Everything else went smoothly and was a lot of fun. It sailed through the set up tests, I calibrated the leg positions using the supplied calibration sheet and now it's good to go. One aspect of Freenove products that I particularly like is the open source code. Having had fun creating new movements and actions with my Freenove dog kit, I am now looking forward to exploring and tinkering with the Hexapod code. I have found with previous kits that any questions I have about both the kit and the code are always promptly and helpfully answered by the support team. I think the coding side is a big plus, but, having built the kit, it is good to go with the supplied PC software or via a phone app so software tinkering is purely optional. Compared with my previous kits, the Hexapod is big! It also feels very sturdy. I am very pleased with my purchase and I'm looking forward to further exploring its potential. I would recommend the Freenove Robot User group on Facebook facebook.com/groups/333208747878884 which is a recently formed group for Freenove robot owners with the intention of sharing tips, mods and code. I shot the video immediately after calibration, I'm not very good at filming and controlling the robot (via android app) at the same time which is why things get a bit jerky particularly when I move the head!