(From left) KAIST Department of Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. candidates Seungwoo Hong, Professor Haewon Park, and Ph.D. candidate Yong Eom. Courtesy of KAIST.

A quadripedal robot capable of swiftly maneuvering across steel walls and ceilings has been developed.

Professor Haewon Park of KAIST, alongside Ph.D. candidates Yong Eom and Seungwoo Hong from the KAIST Department of Mechanical Engineering, unveiled a robot on the 26th that climbs vertical walls at a speed of 70 cm/s and traverses ceilings at a maximum speed of 50 cm/s.

This robot has potential applications in inspecting, repairing, and maintaining large metal structures such as ships, bridges, transmission towers, large storage tanks, and construction sites. The key to this technology lies in the robot's feet.

Technology applied to the feet of a quadripedal robot. Courtesy of KAIST.

Professor Park's team identified the need for quick on-off switching capabilities for strong adhesion and the importance of maintaining adhesion on rough or uneven surfaces.

To achieve this, they utilized electromagnets capable of on-off functionality and a magneto-rheological elastomer, which is an elastic composite made by mixing magnetic response agents like iron powder into an elastic material such as rubber.

They engineered feet that can rapidly activate or deactivate magnet adhesion while maintaining high adhesion on non-flat surfaces.

Courtesy of KAIST.

Thanks to these advancements, the robot can quickly transition from the ground to walls, and from walls to ceilings. It can also easily overcome obstacles protruding 5 cm high from the wall.

Co-lead author Ph.D. candidate Yong Eom remarked, “This robot could be utilized extensively for performing challenging and hazardous tasks on steel structures like shipyards. We anticipate that this technology will lay the groundwork for expanding the mobility and operational spaces of walking robots from 2D to 3D.”

This research was featured in the cover article of the December issue of the international journal Science Robotics.

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