Researcher Mohammed Katea Joda's doctoral dissertation was discussed at the College of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Basra, entitled Design and Implementation of a Climbing Robot on Rough Surfaces
In recent years, the urgent need for robotic applications in sensitive and hazardous
work areas, such as tall buildings, has driven significant advances in the design of
robots that can climb rough surfaces. Climbing uneven walls is a major challenge
because of their irregular terrain. This thesis presents a quadrupedal robot capable
of climbing rough surfaces. The design aims to be lightweight with strong grip
performance. The robot's shape, body, arms, and locomotion mechanism are inspired
by geckos, while its limbs are inspired by those of cats.
The gripper is designed to imitate a cat's limbs and claws. Its claws are fitted with
fishing hooks, and each gripper has seven claws. These hooks are arranged in an arc
and in a specific pattern to keep each claw independent and prevent interference with
neighboring hooks. Springs behind the hooks increase adhesion and flexibility The
robot's arm is designed in a parallelogram shape, and its level with the robot's body
structure to keep the robot in close contact with the wall surface. The climbing
robot's arm also has three degrees of freedom. This design helps maintain the robot's
center of gravity near the wall to boost grip strength and reduce the risk of slipping
or falling. The design of the gripper and climbing robot arm with the above features
and advantages made the robot able to grip, cling, and climb rough surfaces easily
and increased the robot's efficiency.
A kinematic model was developed to calculate the displacement and position of the
robot arm's effective end. Dynamic equations were then derived to determine the
forces applied, such as torques. The robot's gripper tip was designed using
SolidWorks. The gripper design was built and implemented using a 3D printer.
Multiple simulations were conducted to validate the design using SolidWorks.
Several experiments and tests were conducted to test the design and measure
performance, with successful results.The motion algorithm applied to the climbing robot was inspired by the gecko, and
the dynamic equations for arm motion were carefully derived. The robot's frame was
designed using SolidWorks, and the robot's body structure was built and
implemented using a 3D printer. Some calculations of the system's kinematics were
performed using MATLAB. The robot's climbing speed ranged from 30 to 60
cm/min. Experiments conducted on the robot demonstrated its ability to climb and
navigate on rough surfaces and uneven terrain efficiently and with stable performance
