Inchworm style gecko adhesive climbing robot

Abstract

We present a gecko-adhesive enabled robot that can climb surfaces in any gravitational orientation or operate in full zero gravity. The robot is a prototype for inspection applications aboard the International Space Station (ISS) both inside and outside the station. A specific area of interest for this paper is a narrow gap, approximately 1.5 inches wide, behind internal equipment racks. The prototype robot uses oppositional pairs of gecko adhesive pads that turn the van der Waals adhesion ON and OFF using an applied shear load. The robot is currently teleoperated and utilizes an inchworm style gait. The robot can turn in a tight circle, fits within a 1.5 inch gap, and can transition between orthogonal surfaces. The gecko adhesives leave no residue, are highly reusable, and create strong adhesion in vacuum and across a wide temperature range. The robot design and initial experimental results are presented including climbing vertical walls in Earth's gravity.