(From left) Seungwoo Hong, Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at KAIST, Professor Hae-Won Park, and Yong Um, Ph.D. candidate. Provided by KAIST.

A four-legged robot capable of rapidly moving on metal walls and ceilings has been developed.

Professor Hae-Won Park of KAIST and Seungwoo Hong and Yong Um, Ph.D. candidates in Mechanical Engineering at KAIST, showcased a robot on the 26th, which can climb vertical walls at a speed of 70 cm/s and walk while hanging from ceilings at a maximum speed of 50 cm/s.

The robot can be applied to various tasks such as inspection, repair, and maintenance of large-scale metal structures, including ships, bridges, transmission towers, large storage tanks, and construction sites. The capability of this technology lies in the robot's feet.

The technology applied to the feet of the four-legged robot. Provided by KAIST.

The research team under Professor Park saw the need for strong adhesion forces that can be switched on and off quickly and should maintain adhesion on rough or uneven surfaces.

To achieve this, they utilized an electromagnet capable of on-off switching and a magnetorheological elastomer, which is a combination of elastic materials such as rubber mixed with ferrous powder as a magnetic response factor.

They created feet capable of rapidly turning the adhesive force of the magnet on or off while maintaining high adhesion on uneven surfaces.

Provided by KAIST.

Thanks to this, the robot could swiftly transition from the floor to the wall, and from the wall to the ceiling. It was also able to easily overcome obstacles protruding 5 cm high from the wall.

Yong Um, co-first author and Ph.D. candidate, stated, “This robot can be actively used for dangerous and challenging tasks in metal structures like shipyards,” adding, “It is anticipated to be the cornerstone for expanding the mobility and working space of walking robots from 2D to 3D.”

This study was published in the December issue of the international journal Science Robotics, featuring a cover paper.

Source: The Report (https://www.thereport.co.kr) / Original article: https://www.thereport.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=28295