Modelling, simulation and experimental validation of wheel and arm locomotion based wall-climbing robot

Abstract

This article presents modelling, simulation, and development of a wall-climbing robot based on coupled wheel and arm-type locomotion mechanism. The developed robot consists of two mobile modules connected with a robot arm mechanism. The actuation of the robot arm is inspired by inchworm locomotion, particularly during wall-to-wall transition, obstacle avoidance, and uneven surface locomotion. Easiness in the interchanging of wheel to arm and vice versa makes the robot more effective compared to previously developed wall-climbing robots. The kinematic and dynamic model for the proposed coupled wheel and arm locomotion concept has been established. A combination of particle swarm optimization (PSO) and proportional, integral, derivatives (PID) feedback control algorithm has been developed using MATLAB to simulate the different cases of robot motions. The developed prototype of the wall-climbing robot is used to verify the coupled wheel and arm locomotion concept in various wall climbing scenarios. The simulation and experimental findings show good comparisons and validate the model-based design of the wall-climbing robot.

Research on obstacle climbing gait structure design and gait control of hexapod wall climbing robot based on STM32F103 core controller

“…The wall-climbing robot's created prototype is used to test the concept of connected wheel and arm mobility under various wall-climbing conditions. The simulation and experimental results, which provide useful comparisons, support the wall-climbing robots' model-based design [23].…”

Special issue on recent advances in field and service robotics: handling harsh environments and cooperation

“…To manage such tasks as delivering components in an uneven environment, some service robots are required to possess the capability of walking as humans or animals besides scooting along on wheels. Motivated by advances in wall-climbing robots, Bisht, Pathak, and Panigrahi present the work on modelling, simulation, and experimental validation of wheel and arm locomotion for wall-to-wall transition, obstacle avoidance, and uneven surface navigation [7]. The robot consists of two mobile modules connected with an inchworm-inspired robot arm mechanism.…”

Design and analysis of a wall-climbing robot with passive compliant mechanisms to adapt variable curvatures walls

“…After that, more and more research institutions, including Boston Power [7] and Zurich Technology [8], have researched wall-climbing robots. Many adsorption technologies have been explored: vacuum suction [9, 10], magnetic attraction [11], and bionic adsorption [12, 16], and each technology has advantages and disadvantages. Vacuum suction is the closest to the application requirements due to its simple structure, easy control, and ability to adapt to different types of material surfaces.…”