# Climbing Mechanism Design and Fuzzy PID-Based Control for a Stay Cable De-Icing Robot

## TL;DR

A robot for de-icing cables on bridges was developed with a new climbing mechanism and improved control system for better performance in icy conditions.

## Contribution

A novel climbing mechanism and fuzzy PID control system for de-icing robots on stay cables was designed and tested.

## Key findings

- Fuzzy PID control reduces response time by about 50% compared to traditional PID control.
- The robot maintains climbing speed error within ±1.5% in icy environments.
- Simulations and experiments confirmed improved climbing performance and adaptability.

## Abstract

In winter, ice is prone to forming on the surface of stay cables in cable-stayed bridges, posing a threat to their structural safety. As temperatures rise, the risk of ice shedding increases, posing a potential hazard to pedestrians and vehicular traffic. At present, de-icing relies mainly on manual operations, which are associated with high safety risks and low efficiency. As a result, the application of robotic systems for stay cable de-icing has become an emerging research focus. A key challenge in robotic de-icing operations lies in the complex and variable surface conditions of ice-covered stay cables, which frequently hinder stable climbing performance. To address this issue, a climbing mechanism was designed, integrating a grooved-track drive and a spring-assisted lead screw clamping system. A fuzzy PID control strategy was implemented to achieve adaptive coordination between the clamping force and climbing speed. Simulink simulations and indoor climbing experiments were performed to verify its effectiveness. The results show that compared with traditional PID control, the fuzzy PID controller reduces the response time by approximately 50%, exhibits better adaptability in icy environments, maintains a climbing speed error within ±1.5%, and improves overall climbing performance.