Journal of Computer Science 6 (10): 1156-1159, 2010

ISSN 1549-3636
© 2010 Science Publications

Development of a Wall Climbing Robot

Surachai Panich
Srinakharinwirot University, 114, Sukhumvit 23, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Abstract: Problem statement: The problem of a wall climbing robot is holding on the wall. This is
challenge for researchers. There are many factors, which effect in holding, all forces, robot movement
and mechanical design. Approach: This study proposed movement step design for wall-climbing
robot. In design the robot use pneumatic system as main unit to move on the wall. The robot can move
in four directions, forward, backward, left and right. Results: We analyzed force acting with the wall
that the wall should have only slope from 0° (parallel with the ground) to 90° (vertical line). At
equilibrium condition, we expressed all forces in equilibrium by sum all forces that equal zero.
Conclusion: We can choose parameter to improve the climbing efficiency that the robot can climb
much slope. For the first way, we can change the wall material to increase µs and for the second way,
we can improve vacuum force by means of increasing pneumatic system efficiency.

Key words: Wall climbing robot, force analysis, pneumatic system

INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS

Nowadays, Pneumatic systems use pressurized Industrial applications where a vacuum pressure is
gases to transmit and control power. Pneumatic systems used include materials handling, clamping, sealing and
typically use air rather than some other gas the fluid vacuum forming. In terms of materials-handling
medium because air is a safe, low-cost and readily applications, a pneumatic vacuum (Collie et al., 1986)
available fluid particularly safe in environments where can be used to lift smoothly objects that have a flat
an electrical spark could ignite leaks system
surface and are not more than several hundred pounds
components (Gelhaus and Roman, 1990). There are
in weight. Figure 2 shows a materials-handling
several reasons for considering the use of pneumatic
system instead of other systems. Pneumatic systems use application where a vacuum cup called a suction cup is
air that is exhausted directly into the surrounding used to establish the force capability to lift a flat sheet.
environment so this reason is important for selection
this system driving the robot (Collie et al., 1990).
Control algorithms are an important part, which should
be selected by proper with their purposes (Fig. 1).
Computer or microprocessor is used to easily
construct control algorithms, but the challenge task is
how to communicate between PC or microcontroller
and the robot. This is a motive to learn and develop
innovation algorithms in order to control robot.

Fig. 1: The example of a wall climbing robot Fig. 2: Vacuum cup used to lift a flat sheet
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The cup is typically made of a flexible material such as

rubber so that a seal can be made where its lip contacts
the surface of the flat sheet.
Pneumatic vacuum systems: A vacuum pump is
turned on to remove air from the cavity between the
inside of the cup and top surface of the flat sheet
(Watanabe and Kubo, 1992; Yamamoto, 1992). As the
pressure in the cavity falls below atmospheric pressure,
the atmospheric pressure acting on the bottom of the
flat sheet pushes the flat sheet up against the lip of the
cup. This action results in vacuum pressure in the cavity
between the cup and the flat sheet that causes an
upward force to be exerted on the flat sheet. The
magnitude of this force can be determined by
algebraically summing the pressure forces on the top
and bottom surfaces of the flat sheet as follows, as in:

F = Patm*A 0 − Psuction*A i (1)

Fig. 3: Movements steps of the robot in forward
Where:
direction
F = The upward force the suction cup exerts on
the flat sheet
Patm = The atmospheric pressure in absolute units, Movement step design: Robot movement is carefully
A0 = The area of the outer circle of the suction designed because the robot moves on the wall. The
cup lip robot must move and hold on the wall in the same time.
Psuction = Suction the suction pressure inside the cup From this constraint, a robot movement is designed as
cavity in absolute units shown in Fig. 3. It shows six movement steps only in
Ai = The area of the inner circle of the suction forward direction, but other directions; left, backward
cup lip and right directions are similar as forward movement
steps. As the robot is moving, in each step, robot must
The atmospheric pressure on the top and bottom
remain minimum two vacuum cups to hold on the wall.
surfaces of the flat sheet cancels out away from the
outer circle area of the cup lip. If all the air were In designing, robot can move in line, which is
removed from the cup cavity, we would have a perfect controlled by pneumatic cylinders. Figure 3 shows a
vacuum and thus the suction pressure would be equal to pattern of robot movement to forward direction for a
zero in absolute pressure units. The exact amount of cycle step by starting from alphabet ordering (A) to (F).
suction pressure developed cannot be guaranteed and Frame (A) shows the initial robot condition and will
the resulting suction force must be at least as large as start movement in forward direction.
the weight of the object to be lifted. Thus a factor of In frame (B) robot stops air-suction line and
safety is applied with a value of between 2 and 4, changes to air-injection line in vacuum cup 1 and robot
depending on the application. lifts the vertical cylinder with vacuum cup 1 then
When large, flat sheets are to be lifted, four to eight contract parallel cylinder 1 then releases the vertical
suction cups are used. In this way the sheet can be lifted cylinder 1 with vacuum cup 1 and then expand vertical
uniformly. In addition, the load-lifting capacity is cylinder 1 and final step vertical cylinder 1 moves in
multiplied by the number of suction cups used. When a original position and changes to air-suction line again.
suction cup is placed on the top of a flat sheet and the In frame (C) robot stops air-suction line and changes to
vacuum pump is turned on, a certain amount of time air injection line in vacuum cup 2 at left side and in
must pass before the desired vacuum. vacuum cup 3 at right side. Then the robot lifts both the
vertical cylinder 2 and vertical cylinder 3. In frame (D),
Wall-climbing robot design: The problem, how to robot contracts parallel cylinder 1 and expands parallel
holding on the wall is solved by many methods. There cylinder 4 in the same time (robot moves its body to
are many factors, which effect in holding, all forces, new position from back to forward). In frame (E), robot
robot movement and mechanical design. stops air-injection line and changes to air- suction line
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in vacuum cup 2 at left side and in vacuum cup 3 at Regarding free-body diagram, all forces exerted by
right side. And then it stops air-suction line and changes robot will be resolved into X and Y component. We
to air-injection line in vacuum cup 4. In frame (F), first determined vacuum force. From Fig. 4 and Eq. 2-3,
robot contracts parallel cylinder 1 and expands parallel we can calculate vacuum force to hold robot on the
cylinder 4 in the same time (robot moves its body to vertical terrain by below steps. The suction pressure
new position from back to forward). The robot moves calculation equals:
to the original position and prepares for next instruction
from PC. In the other directions (left, right, backward), Psuction(abs) = Psuction(gage) + Patm (4)
movement steps are similar as above pattern.
The vacuum force calculation, which can be found
RESULTS using Eq. 4:

Fvacuum * Patm  A0-Psuction (abs)  Ai (5)

The force analysis is guarantee that the robot can
hold and move on the wall. We will analyze force The friction force is calculated by Eq. 2-5:
acting with the wall that the wall should have only
slope from 0° (parallel with the ground) to 90° (vertical µs (Fvacuum + Mg cos θ) = Mg sin θ (6)
line). All forces are acting on the slope wall can show
in free-body diagram. Figure 4 shows free-body
From Eq. 6, shows friction force that should be
diagram that consists of all forces, vacuum force,
theoretically equal the robot weight, in order to the
reaction force, robot weight and friction force. The
robot can hold on the wall. But we should construct the
vacuum force is exerted by pressure difference between
robot that has robot weight less than friction force,
atmosphere pressure and inside vacuum cup pressure. because we do not know some unknown forces. If robot
The robot weight is force, which depends on the robot weight in X-axis is less than friction force (robot weight
Mass (M) and acceleration of gravity (9.81 m sec−2), cannot overcome maximum friction force), robot will
which has downward direction. Friction force is due to not slide to ground, but still hold on the wall with a
the irregularities of the surfaces in contact. At vacuum cup. From robot weight in X-axis, it equals
equilibrium condition, we express all forces in Mg(Sinθ) and below analysis. So the equations are:
equilibrium by sum all forces that equal zero. We thus
obtain the following two equilibrium equations from µs (Fvacuum  Mg(Cosθ)) ≥ Mg(Sinθ ) (7)
equation 2 and 3, which express, respectively, that the
sum of the X-Component and the sum of the Y- and:
Component of given forces must be zero:
Sinθ
µs ≥ (8)
∑ Fy = 0 (2)
((Fvacumm / M g ) + Cosθ)
Re cation force − vacuum force − robot weigth = 0
From Eq. 8, we can choose parameter to improve
the climbing efficiency that the robot can climb much
∑ Fx = 0;Robotweight − friction force = 0 (3) slope.

DISCUSSION

Now we do not consider uncertain force when the

robot is on the wall such as vibration force as
movement and others. Not consider all moments when
the robot is on the wall, because the piston rod of
pneumatic cylinder is made from strength material.

CONCLUSION

This study has proposed movement step design for

Fig. 4: All forces acting on the sloped wall wall-climbing robot.
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In design the robot use pneumatic system as main unit Collie, A.A., J. Billingsley and E. von Puttkamer, 1990.
to move on the wall. The robot can move in four Design and performance of the Portsmouth
directions, forward, backward, left and right. During the climbing robot. Proceeding of 7th International
robot move on the wall, the robot must remain always Symposium on Automation and Robotics in
the vacuum cups for holding. We can choose parameter Construction, June 1990, Bristol, England, pp: 125-130.
to improve the climbing efficiency for hardware design. Gelhaus, F.E. and H.T. Roman, 1990. Robot
The first way, we can change the wall material to applications in nuclear power plants. Nuclear
increase µs. The second way, we can improve vacuum Energy, 23: 1-33.
force or reduce robot weight (Mg), by using robot light Watanabe, A. and K. Kubo, 1992. Development of an
material, example straight plastic. This study is automatic inspection robot for nuclear power
valuable as literature review for researchers, who want plants. Ind. Robots, 19: 25-29.
to construct wall-climbing robot. Yamamoto, S., 1992. Development of inspection robot
for nuclear power plant. IEEE Int. Conf. Robot.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Automat., 2: 1559-1566.

This research from Measurement and Mobile

Robot Laboratory (M and M-LAB) was supported by
Faculty of Engineering, Srinakharinwirot University.

REFERENCES

Collie, A.A., L. Billingsley and L. Hatley, 1986. The

development of pneumatically powered walking
robot base. Proceeding of the IMechE C371/86
Conference, Dec. 1986, ImechE, c377/86 Pub,
London, pp: 137-144.

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