Design and analysis of a climbing robot for pylon maintenance

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and development of “Pylon-Climber II”, a 5-DOF biped climbing robot (degree of freedom – DOF) for moving on the external surface of a tower and assisting the electricians to complete some maintenance tasks. Design/methodology/approach The paper introduces a pole-climbing robot, which consists of a 5-DOF mechanical arm and two novel grippers. The gripper is composed of a two-finger clamping module and a retractable L-shaped hook module. The robot is symmetrical in structure, and the rotary joint for connecting two arms is driven by a linear drive mechanism. Findings The developed prototype proved a new approach for the inspection and maintenance of the electricity pylon. The gripper can reliably grasp the angle bars with different specifications by using combined movement of the two-finger clamping module and the retractable L-shaped hook module and provide sufficient adhesion force for the Pylon-Climber II. Practical implications The clamping experiments of the gripper and the climbing experiments of the robot were carried out on a test tower composed of some angle bars with different specification. Originality/value This paper includes the design and development of a 5-DOF biped climbing robot for electricity pylon maintenance. The climbing robot can move on the external surface of the electric power tower through grasping the angle bar alternatively. The gripper that is composed of a two-finger gripping module and a retractable L-shaped hook module is very compact and can provide reliable adhesion force for the climbing robot.

Advances in Climbing Robots for Vertical Structures in the Past Decade: A Review

“…For the inspection and maintenance of transmission towers, Lu et al developed two climbing robots dubbed Pylon-Climber I [ 64 ] and Pylon-Climber II [ 65 ]. Both robots use gripper adhesion and step-by-step driving.…”

Design of Power Tower Climbing Robot

“…Still, the clamping claw and the body are rigidly connected by moving pairs, which cannot compensate for the error, and the ability to cross obstacles is weak. Later, Sichuan University developed a 5-DOF climbing robot [6][7]. The clamping mechanism of the robot is composed of a clamping claw and an L-shaped baffle, which has stable clamping performance, but the clamping mechanism is complex, and the motion control is difficult.…”

Mechanical structure design and analysis of the outside needle pipe climbing robot

“…The design principle is derived from the foot buckle used by electricians to climb poles, and the robot uses its own gravity and driving force for stable and continuous crawling. 11 Owing to its own structural characteristics, its load capacity is small, but the mechanism has the advantages of simple structure, flexible walking, and stable operation. Thus, this robot is suitable for the detection of heating vertical needle pipe.…”