Spherical Magnetic Joint for Inverted Locomotion of Multi-Legged Robot

Sison, Harn; Ratsamee, Photchara; Higashida, Manabu; Mashita, Tomohiro; Uranishi, Yuki; Takemura, Haruo

doi:10.1109/icra48506.2021.9561838

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Previous robots (17)(18)(19) achieved high speed (locomotion) at the cost of degraded maneuverability because of the limited number of actuators. Another family of climbing legged robots (1,24,25,(27)(28)(29), which have fully actuated leg structures, is equipped with high gear ratio transmissions to maximize the actuator's torque density. Despite their wide range of maneuverability, the benefits come at the cost of low output speed and low-bandwidth torque control capability, which are not suitable for high-speed locomotion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Foremost among the design components is the adhesion mechanism, which provides holding force to facilitate locomotion against the force of gravity. Legged climbing robots have been developed with different types of adhesion mechanisms, including pneumatic [active suction (1)(2)(3) and passive suction cups (4)], mechanical [grippers (5)(6)(7) and frictional contact (8)(9)(10)], bioinspired (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), electroadhesive (20,21), and magnetic-based approaches (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29), each serving a particular purpose and applicable to different surfaces. The most commonly adopted adhesion mechanism is pneumatic adhesion, such as active suction using vacuum pumps (1-3) and passive suction cups (4) that are effective on smooth surfaces regardless of materials; however, high energy consumption required for vacuum pumps and the time delay caused by pressurizing the suction cups limit their application for autonomously powered, legged locomotion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mechanism used for attachment and detachment of magnetic foot determines the overall design complexity and power consumption of the robot. For instance, permanent magnet-based mechanisms (22)(23)(24) require the robot to attach (or detach) magnetic feet on the substrate using additional mechanical actuators that increase the overall weight and attachment (or detachment) time. Electromagnets (25)(26)(27) do not require any mechanical parts and can realize fast attachment (or detachment) by switching on (or off ) the electric current; however, electromagnets have the disadvantage of high power consumption that requires a continuous power supply to retain the holding force.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Agile and versatile climbing on ferromagnetic surfaces with a quadrupedal robot

Hong

Park

et al. 2022

Sci. Robot.

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A climbing robot that can rapidly move on diverse surfaces such as floors, walls, and ceilings will have an enlarged operational workspace compared with other terrestrial robots. However, the climbing skill of robots in such environments has been limited to low speeds or simple locomotion tasks. Here, we present an untethered quadrupedal climbing robot called MARVEL (magnetically adhesive robot for versatile and expeditious locomotion), capable of agile and versatile climbing locomotion in ferromagnetic environments. MARVEL excels over prior climbing robots in terms of climbing speed and ability to execute various motions. It demonstrates the fastest vertical and inverted walking speed, whereas its versatile locomotion ability enables the highest number of gaits and locomotion tasks. The key innovations are an integrated foot design using electropermanent magnets and magnetorheological elastomers that provide large adhesion and traction forces, torque control actuators, and a model predictive control framework adapted for stable climbing. In experiments, the robot achieved locomotion on ceilings and vertical walls up to 0.5 meter (1.51 body lengths) per second and 0.7 meter (2.12 body lengths) per second, respectively. Furthermore, the robot exhibited complex behaviors such as stepping over 10-centimeter-wide gaps; overcoming 5-centimeter-high obstacles; and making transitions between floors, walls, and ceilings. We also show that MARVEL could climb on a curved surface of a storage tank covered with up to 0.3-millimeter-thick paint with rust and dust.

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