Odetics, Inc. · legged machine
ODEX I
Functionoid
A remote-controlled hexapod with an alternating tripod gait whose legs could reconfigure its body height (about 91-198 cm) and double as manipulators. Odetics pitched it for nuclear and other hazardous sites.
- Price
- —Not published
- Height
- 198 cmTaller than 59%
- Weight
- 136 kgHeavier than 64%
- Payload
- 408 kgCarries more than 89%
- Speed
- —Not published
- Battery
- —Not published
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Why it matters
An early self-contained six-legged robot that could lift far more than its own weight, shown walking onto and moving a pickup truck.
Real-world use
Shown at the National Museum of American History (1986) and Boston's Museum of Science (1987); one unit later went to Cal State Fullerton. ODEX II was developed for Savannah River nuclear labs
Timeline
- Released
- Not yet
Maker
Odetics, Inc.Company · Anaheim, California, USAHow it stacks up
Against other legged & novel that publish the figure. Pick a measure.
ODEX I (Functionoid) is taller than 59% of the 22 other legged & novel that publish a height. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
ODEX I (Functionoid) is heavier than 64% of the 25 other legged & novel that publish a weight. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
ODEX I (Functionoid) carries more than 89% of the 9 other legged & novel that publish a payload. Bars show the 7 closest in date.
Not published by the maker: speed, joints, battery, price.
Public attention
A historic robot: no longer sold or in use, so it is not ranked against current machines.
- No Wikipedia article of its own yet
- 2 news stories from reputable press listed on this page
Measures how much people read and write about a robot, not how good it is. Measured 2026-10-13; same method for every robot. How it is measured
What’s inside
The parts the company has talked about publicly.
- Movement
- Walks on legs
- How it runs
- Assisted. An operator drove it by radio while its onboard computers coordinated the six legs and the tripod gait.
- Actuators & motors
- Six legs walking with an alternating tripod gait; the legs could also be used as manipulators.
- Hands
- No separate hand; legs doubled as manipulators. Each leg could lift about 400-450 lb.
- Compute
- On-board computer, operated remotely.
- Other details
- Could change shape from tall and narrow to short and wide (height about 36-78 in, width 21-105 in) and climb stairs. Weight reported as 300-370 lb. Later ODEX II and ODEX III followed.
From the maker
ODEX I (Functionoid) is the only machine from Odetics, Inc. in the atlas.
Made, sold and where
Unit counts are usually company figures; analysts often disagree.
- Price
- Not published
- How to get one
- No official buying page found
- Built
- Demonstrator; ODEX II and ODEX III followed
- Sold or delivered
- not sold as a product
- Where it is sold or used
- Odetics Inc., Anaheim, California
- Customers and pilots
- Shown at the National Museum of American History (1986) and Boston's Museum of Science (1987); one unit later went to Cal State Fullerton. ODEX II was developed for Savannah River nuclear labs
News
The latest 2, newest first. Summaries are ours; tap through for the original.
- ODEX 1 sits idle at Cal State Fullerton
The student paper reported the 35-year-old walking robot was gathering dust in a CSUF engineering lab and needed repair.
Daily Titan - Make recalls the 1984 Odetics hexapod
Make magazine highlighted ODEX's light weight relative to the loads it could lift and carry.
Make:
Sources
Figures come from press coverage. Every link below backs something on this page.
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