KAIST Develops Quadruped Robot 'MARVEL'
Climbs Any Magnetic Surface
Moves Up to 42m per Minute on Walls
Can Carry Up to 37kg of Equipment
Deployed in Hazardous Areas Instead of Humans

'MARVEL', developed by Professor Haewon Park's team at KAIST, ascends a rusty, dusty storage tank. Courtesy of KAIST

[Financial News] The mechanical engineering team led by Professor Haewon Park at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed the quadruped robot 'MARVEL', capable of climbing any surface that attracts magnets. Despite weighing only 8kg, MARVEL can carry items or equipment weighing more than 37kg and climb distances of up to 42 meters per minute.

'MARVEL', developed by Professor Haewon Park's team at KAIST, ascends a rusty, dusty storage tank. Courtesy of KAIST

This quadruped robot can be deployed for inspection, repair, and maintenance tasks on large steel structures such as massive ships, bridges, transmission towers, large storage facilities, and construction sites, replacing human intervention. Professor Haewon Park stated on the 26th, "Recently, as regulations and penalties for disaster accidents have been strengthened under the Serious Accident Punishment Act, deploying robots in hazardous work environments can not only prevent safety accidents but also increase productivity and efficiency." 

The robot climbed steel walls at a speed of 42 meters per minute. Additionally, it moved at a speed of 30 meters per minute while hanging upside down from the ceiling. The research team explained, "This represents the world's fastest speed for a walking-type climbing robot." 

The researchers also conducted experiments where 'MARVEL' climbed water tanks that were painted and covered with dust and rust. The results showed that MARVEL could climb at 21 meters per minute and easily overcome obstacles protruding 5 centimeters high on the walls, demonstrating its feasibility for real-world applications.

Professor Haewon Park (left) and graduate students Um Yong (center) and Hong Seungwoo observing 'MARVEL' climbing a wall. Courtesy of KAIST

The quadruped robot 'MARVEL' features electromagnetic operation using Electropermanent Magnets and Magneto-Rheological Elastomers, which are synthetic resins mixed with magnetically responsive agents like iron powder for the feet. This design allows for rapid adhesion and release of magnetic forces even on uneven surfaces. Electropermanent Magnets can switch electromagnetic force with short current pulses and do not consume energy to maintain magnetic forces, unlike typical electromagnets. Furthermore, the use of Magneto-Rheological Elastomers in the robot's feet allows them to maintain magnetic forces while increasing friction even on uneven surfaces. Despite the feet weighing only 169g, the combination of Electropermanent Magnet and Magneto-Rheological Elastomer gives them exceptional vertical adhesive force and friction. Specifically, the robot's feet can withstand up to 54.5kg vertically and 45.4kg horizontally without detaching from steel surfaces. Meanwhile, this project's results included participation by Hong Seungwoo and Um Yong as co-first authors, and the findings were published in the international journal 'Science Robotics', featured on the cover of the December issue. 
#Robots #KAIST #MARVEL #SeriousAccidentPunishmentAct #TransmissionTowers 

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