A High-Payload Wall-Climbing Robot Using Passive Bistable Suction Cups
Andrew Nguyen, Mingyuan Li, Daniel Bruder
AI summary
Problem
Existing wall-climbing robots struggle with either low payload capacity due to passive adhesion limits or high energy consumption from active adhesion systems. Traditional suction cups also face a force trade-off where application force can destabilize the robot or limit adhesion strength.
Approach
The team designed a track-based robot that automatically flips custom bistable suction cups between two stable states to trap air and create suction. This mechanism generates high adhesion forces without requiring the robot to push hard against the wall.
Key results
- Designed and fabricated custom bistable suction cups with two stable equilibrium states
- Developed a track-based system that automatically engages and disengages cups for locomotion
- Demonstrated vertical, sideways, and upside-down climbing on glass, wood, metal, and painted surfaces
- Achieved a 7.940 kg payload tow with a payload-to-weight ratio of 2.25
Why it matters
Enables energy-efficient, high-capacity wall-climbing robots for safe automation of hazardous tasks like building inspection and window cleaning without constant power draw.
Abstract
Wall-climbing robots capable of scaling vertical surfaces could help automate hazardous or labor intensive tasks such as window washing, inspection, maintenance, and construction. Active adhesion methods achieve higher payload capacities, but require power to maintain their grip. Passive adhesion devices such as suction cups are an attractive option for such robots because they do not require power to maintain their grip, but they are limited by their payload capacity. This work presents a novel high-payload wall-climbing robot that utilizes passive bistable suction cups to generate adhesion without needing to be pushed into the wall. The robot features a track-based system that automatically engages and disengages bistable suction cups to achieve locomotion on smooth surfaces. The robot is able to achieve vertical wall climbing on glass, wood, metal, and painted surfaces, sideways and upside-down climbing, and is able to tow a payload of 7.940 kg (with a payload-to-weight ratio of 2.25).