The Problem of Adhesion Methods and Locomotion Mechanism Development for Wall-Climbing Robots

TL;DR

This review analyzes various adhesion methods and locomotion mechanisms for wall-climbing robots, focusing on their physical principles, advantages, disadvantages, and potential combinations to improve mobility and efficiency.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive classification and comparison of adhesion and locomotion methods, highlighting their technical aspects and integration possibilities.

Findings

Friction and magnetic adhesion are most common.

Hybrid locomotion mechanisms offer improved mobility.

Energy efficiency varies significantly among methods.

Abstract

This review considers a problem in the development of mobile robot adhesion methods with vertical surfaces and the appropriate locomotion mechanism design. The evolution of adhesion methods for wall-climbing robots (based on friction, magnetic forces, air pressure, electrostatic adhesion, molecular forces, rheological properties of fluids and their combinations) and their locomotion principles (wheeled, tracked, walking, sliding framed and hybrid) is studied. Wall-climbing robots are classified according to the applications, adhesion methods and locomotion mechanisms. The advantages and disadvantages of various adhesion methods and locomotion mechanisms are analyzed in terms of mobility, noiselessness, autonomy and energy efficiency. Focus is placed on the physical and technical aspects of the adhesion methods and the possibility of combining adhesion and locomotion methods.