This is part 2 of our adventures to build Strandbeests, large and small.

After building the first mini Strandbeest, we wanted more. The mini was fast and fun, but its 3D-printed linkages kept jamming under load. We wanted something sturdier that the kids could actually use — not just chase across the living room floor.

Lucky for us, Josh-3D, a maker on MakerWorld, designed an excellent Strandbeest-inspired walker with a flat top to carry stuff. The kids immediately called it "the walking table" and started scheming about what to load on top: snacks, drinks, and mommy's orchids.

The build

Josh's original version uses CyberBrick for the brains and remote control. Since the robot moves slowly, it doesn't need the responsiveness of the dual-stick remote control from the CyberBrick kit. I swapped out the electronics for an ESP32 with a DRV8833 motor driver and an IR remote control. This used components I already had and gave us a setup the kids already knew from our previous builds.

The design uses metal fasteners and bearings at the joints to reduce friction, which is a huge upgrade from our first mini walker that relied on 3D-printed plastic fasteners prone to warping.

Printing took about 12 hours across several plates. Assembly took us two afternoons — the kids helped with snapping in the bearings and threading the bolts. Having a second pair of small hands is actually useful here since some of the linkage assemblies need to be held in place while you fasten the other side.

Mini vs. Walking Table

If you're wondering which Strandbeest to build first, here's how the two compare. The mini (Spidey) is a better starter project: it's cheaper, prints faster, and the payoff is immediate because the thing is surprisingly quick. But its all-plastic joints mean it'll eventually jam, and the fix is usually reprinting parts. The Walking Table takes longer to build and moves at a crawl, but the metal fasteners and bearings make it far more reliable. It's also bigger and more impressive — the kind of thing other parents notice at a maker faire. My recommendation: start with the mini to hook the kids, then build the Walking Table as the "upgraded" sequel project.

How does it move?

The tradeoff for all that sturdiness is speed. The robot is slow — very slow.

But the slowness is part of the charm. The legs are mesmerizing to watch. There's something hypnotic about watching eight legs coordinate in a smooth walking rhythm. It's a great opportunity to talk with your kids about how a single rotating motor translates into complex leg movement through the Jansen linkage — or you can just enjoy the show together.

What you'll need

Beyond the 3D-printed parts, here's what I used for the electronics swap:

• 1x ESP32 dev board (I used an ESP32-C3 SuperMini)
• 1x DRV8833 dual motor driver
• 4x 030 motors (Bambu store), they come with a CyberBrick kit
• 1x IR receiver module + remote
• 2x 14500 batteries wired together to make a 7.4v 2S configuration (Bambu store)
• 4x 1:105 single axis gear reduction kit LA022 (Bambu store)
• M3 bolts, nuts, and bearings (see Josh's BOM on MakerWorld for exact quantities)

Total cost for the electronics was around $15–20 if you order from AliExpress, or $25–30 from Amazon. The M3 hardware kit ran about $10.

Tips for dads building this with kids

• Let the kids do the bearing press-fits. They're satisfying and hard to mess up.
• Pre-sort your hardware into labeled bags before you start assembly. There are a lot of identical-looking bolts in slightly different lengths.
• If your kids are impatient (mine are), build the legs first so they can see the walking motion early. Wire up the electronics last.
• The IR remote is the way to go for kid-friendliness. No phone required, no app to load, no Bluetooth pairing. They just grab it and drive.

Recommendation

Here's my experience building the robot with the kids:

Concepts learned: Linkage mechanisms, gear reduction, motor drivers, IR communication, mechanical vs. 3D-printed fasteners

Get started

Ready to build? Head over to MakerWorld to download the design:

https://makerworld.com/en/models/1415280-walkingtable

You can find my hardware modifications and firmware here: phmagic/walking-table.

See Part 1 - Spidey if you want to start with the mini version first.