I’m a university student, currently working on a project to build a wall climbing robot. The basic features of the robot I want to build are:
- Four-legged robot
- Can detect obstacles and avoid them
- Should be able to climb indoor walls using suction cups
- Programmable microcontroller so as to be able to write my own software
- Can switch between autonomous or remote controlled
The most important thing in this project is that the robot should be able to climb using suction cups. I’m considering using the LynxMotion Servo Erector Kit. But before I decide to purchase it, I need to be absolutely sure that it’s up for the job. This is my first time working with robotics so any advice is appreciated.
Is the LynxMotion the most suitable for this project? Does anyone have a better robot kit to suggest? I’m looking for second opinions, so I’d appreciate any input. Thanks!
DEXTER sems to have only 4DoF and “normal” suction cups. This means that it puts pressure on the suction cups to hold its weight, and pulls back on the suction cup to free one of its halves. You can use normal RC servos for this (really up to you which size). A simple setup would be:
1x ASB-15v2
2x ASB-11 bracket (so the robot is close to the glass) or ASB-09 (or other C-channel)
1x Custom body
4x 645MG servos
1x Pololu Micro Servo Controller (lightest weight we have)
4+ Suction cups (experimentation)
1x Lightweight 6V battery + charger
Hope this gives you some ideas.
The SQ3 is a 12DoF quadruped walking robot and has way too much additional weight to really be able to use suction on a wall. Also, the joints are not made for vertical motion. You need something which is as lightweight as possible. If you don’t want to use a vacuum pump, test some suction cups to see how much force can be suspended vs. the original force applied to press it against the wall. This will give you a good idea of the total weight of the robot.
We don’t know - we have not tried this.
There is simply not enough precedent for or against using legged robots to climb walls using suction cups.
As mentioned before, you might want to try some suction cups.
Unless you copy a successful design with the exact same components, nothing is foolproof. We have not made such a robot and can only help you brainstorm ideas.
The two main factors seem to be:
1 - Suction power
2 - Weight
We are only aware of a handful of robots which can actually climb a wall using suction cups. Note that the two main issues when building such a robot are:
- engaging / disengaging the suction cups (usually requires a vacuum source with individual solenoids or actuators for each suction cup)
- weight (a vacuum system capable of keeping a robot up against a wall is not lightweight at all)
Even before you consider a frame, you might want to find a powerful yet ultralight vacuum system, experiment with different suction cups / actuators and once you have found a system which can actually hold itself against a wall, test just how much additional weight you can add for the frame, battery, legs and motors.
Share your opinions, people. If you were going to build a wall climbing robot (or if you’ve already built one), which robot kit would you prefer to use and why?
Thanks for the info.
This is my first time working with robotics so excuse me if I seem to have so many questions. But do you think it’s possible to get a four-legged robot such as the Lynxmotion SQ3 and adapt its feet (i.e.: attach suction cups) to get it to climb walls? How feasible do you think that idea is?
Do you mean to say that the SQ3 in particular cannot be adapted for wall climbing? Or, in general, that walking robots do not have the correct structure to climb walls?
Regarding the weight, the DEXTER robot I mentioned earlier weighs well over 3 kg and is still being held up by suction cups which suggests that it’s possible to hold up a very large weight with just suction cups.
I’m reluctant to buy individual parts and build a robot from scratch because I haven’t ever built one before. That’s why I’m trying to find a more fool-proof way to build a climbing robot. Hence trying to adapt a walking robot.
Actually, I’m hoping to build a climbing robot with suction cups and without using any vacuum source. This has been proven to be possible as a handful of climbing robots have been built this way. See an example here. The link also describes how the suction cups can be attached in such a way that reduces required power for attachment and detachment. The DEXTER robot weighs about 3.7 kg and is held up by nothing but suction cups.
I’m hoping to do something similar, but I need guidance as to how to choose a robot kit to begin working.
