Insect-inspired hexapod robot with magnetically coupled compliant and modular drive system

Legged robots are increasingly inspired by insects’ ability to combine rigidity and compliance for agile, damage-tolerant locomotion in cluttered terrain. Herein, we introduce INSECTRON, a centimeter-scale hexapod robot that employs magnetic transmission to achieve robust mobility with minimal mechanical complexity. Each leg connects to the drivetrain via neodymium magnets, forming a self-aligning micro-clutch that transmits torque under normal load and safely slips under overload, while additional magnetic couplings between drive modules accommodate load imbalances and perturbations. Hall effect sensors provide proprioception for a phase-domain controller maintaining persistent anti-phase coordination. The magnetic transmission architecture introduces intrinsic mechanical adaptability, functionally analogous to biological preflex mechanisms, enabling rapid responses to external perturbations without additional control complexity. Experiments demonstrated stable locomotion across multiple slopes and substrates. Maneuverability was achieved through differential turning and spin-in-place. A minimum Cost of Transport (CoT) of 30 was achieved during locomotion experiments. Under vertical perturbations, INSECTRON autonomously recovered in over 90% of trials, highlighting strong passive impact tolerance. The architecture eliminates the need for precision alignment and mechanical fasteners, enabling tool-free leg replacement and rapid mechanical reconfiguration. This work establishes a scalable route toward modular, resilient, and field-deployable miniature legged robots for confined and uncertain environments.