The Evolution of TrotBot
World Maker Faire 2016
October 1st-2nd
Can a group of teens and one Geek-Dad invent a new walking machine capable of traversing terrain where wheeled vehicles can't go? Ben Vagle, 16, presents TrotBot's evolution, from the original design goals and prototype performance, to what was learned by scaling it up to an SUV-sized monstrosity.
Ben Vagle
Ben Vagle is a high school junior in Colorado. His childhood was spent observing animals in the natural world and building with LEGO, and these passions are alive and well in his role as a young maker. He has spent over 4 years working on TrotBot, a new type of walking machine inspired by the gait of a galloping horse, originally prototyped in LEGO and eventually scaled to the size of an SUV.
