The Theo Jansen mechanism can be made as an 8-bar leg mechanism. There are two triangles in the design that are rigid and can be modeled as tertiary links. This means each triangle can be treated as one link instead of 3. Making the triangles into tertiary links helps with the vector analysis and the layering of the leg mechanism.

The design considerations are as follows:

Scalable manufacturing for more expensive components
Minimal friction
No adhesives
Lightweight
Rigid
Planer load capabilities

The joints feature ball bearings and wooden dowel rods. The bearings are in imperial measurements as that made sourcing local parts easier. The wooden dowels were chosen over metal rods because of expense limitations. The links are made from laser cut wood instead of aluminum. This decision was also made because of expense limitations. We chose wood over acrylic as it would make the press-fitting process easier. Every joint between links was made using press fits. The goal was to use no adhesives and to adhere to a level of manufacturing we deemed acceptable.

The legs are mirrored and attached to one driving link. This means that the 8-bar Jansen leg becomes a set of Jansen mechanisms that make a 14-bar walking mechanism. They are controlled by a PWM signal to a DC motor and encoder. The motor has a planetary gearbox that increases the torque and lowers the rotational speed.

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