Stompy: "the giant, ridable walking robot"

Stompy the giant robot hexapod has been, well... stomping around the internet lately, and has now made its way to the IEEE Spectrum website. The brainchild of  Artisian's Asylum (a makerspace out in Boston), Stompy has been on the crowdfunding website kickstarter for a while now, but with the unofficial approval of the IEEE Stompy finally seems newsworthy. Coming in at 4000 lbs, Stompy is 18 feet wide, 10 feet tall, and has a six foot clearance gap large enough to drive a car underneath it. Though Stompy began as a “this is seriously cool and can you imagine the squeals of joy and child-like whimsy of driving around in a giant stomping robot” project, it is surprisingly practical too. Stompy is not only an educational experience, introducing students to robotics, and engineering, but is also an invaluable tool for disaster relief, traversing terrains other vehicles can’t -- from mountains, to rubble piles, to water up to 7 feet deep -- all while carrying loads up to 4000 lbs.