InchwormClimber: A light-weight biped climbing robot with a switchable magnet adhesion unit

Abstract

This article presents an inchworm climbing robot that is designed with switchable magnets and a single DOF arm. The InchwormClimber works on ferromagnetic structures and consumes little energy when climbing and can descend safely with almost zero energy consumption. Furthermore, considering the critical role of the adhesion unit in the overall functionality of the robot (weight, climbing speed and the payload), we optimized the switchable magnet unit for a higher adhesion force per mass unit.