Cloth-Climbing Robot for Body Surface Inspection without Clothing Removal Using Magnetic Gears

This study proposes a novel robot designed for inspecting body surfaces while attached over clothing. This inspection robot consists of a driving unit with a motor and a camera unit with a camera for observing the body surface. The camera unit is placed inside the clothing, while the driving unit is positioned outside, and both units are attached through magnetic gears over the clothing. The motor's driving torque from the drive unit is transmitted to the wheels of the camera unit via the magnetic gears, allowing both units to move in parallel. This enables the robot to move across the clothing and inspect the body surface underneath. The robot is envisioned for applications such as checking the body surface condition of individuals who have difficulty changing clothes. This study also derives the conditions necessary for the robot to move effectively over clothing. The effectiveness of the robot is demonstrated through experiments.