This remote control hermit crab is a bio-inspired toy designed for fourth graders; we built it as part of a first-year engineering project. The kids can transport magnetic “sea anemones," and play a game where they compete and earn points. We designed the hermit crab in SolidWorks and simulated the intended motion to ensure it looked realistic.
The body of the hermit crab is made out of laser cut Delrin. The hermit crab can move forward and turn left and right through wheels attached to servos. It has moveable legs, which are pushed by a cam. On the day of our demonstration, the kids loved it!