Design of a robot capable of moving on a vertical wall

Abstract

The development of a mobile robot which can work on the vertical walls of tall buildings, the side walls of large ships, etc. has been expected for a long time. A magnetic force or vacuum pressure is available to sustain the robot on a vertical wall, and wheels, crawlers and some other walking mechanisms can be used as the methods of moving. Many combinations of these mechanisms will be developed for various applications. Two kinds of robot model were built and tested. The air was sucked from the peripheral nozzle of the suction cup to the fan and crawlers were used as the moving system. There are two dangerous situations-slipping and falling, and their limits are determined. It is important to decrease the shock of an impulsive load, such as a falling body colliding with the robot on the wall. In such a case, a guard with a shock absorber is useful for avoiding this danger, and its optimum design condition is derived. The aerodynamic matching between the fan and suction cup is also important to understand the safety conditions and to design an active controller to avoid dangerous situations. It is investigated using the above models.