# Rope-Riding Mobile Anchor for Robots Operating on Convex Facades

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a mobile anchor system for robots to clean curved and convex building facades more effectively and safely.

## Contribution

The novel rope-riding mobile anchor system enables repositioning on convex surfaces with improved stability and reduced power consumption.

## Key findings

- The RMA supports a 50.5 kg payload without slippage under 495.24 N tension.
- The system reduces power consumption during facade-cleaning operations.
- The RMA enhances robot mobility and safety on complex curved surfaces.

## Abstract

The increasing presence of high-rise buildings with curved and convex facades poses significant challenges for facade-cleaning robots, particularly in terms of mobility and anchoring. To address this, we propose a rope-riding mobile anchor (RMA) system capable of repositioning the anchor point of a cleaning robot on convex building surfaces. The RMA travels horizontally along a roof-mounted nylon rope using caterpillar tracks with U-shaped grooves, and employs a four-bar linkage mechanism to fix its position securely by increasing rope contact friction. This structural principle was selected for its simplicity, stability under heavy loads, and efficient actuation. Experimental results show that the RMA can support a payload of 50.5 kg without slippage under tensions up to 495.24 N, and contributes to reducing the power consumption of the cleaning robot during operation. These findings demonstrate the RMA’s effectiveness in extending the robot’s working range and enhancing safety and stability in facade-cleaning tasks on complex curved surfaces.