Finger-sized climbing robot using artificial proleg

Abstract

Climbing is one of the major subjects in robotics research. We present a finger-sized wood climbing robot with a spine-based gripper. This robot is inspired by the inchworm (Ascotis Selenaria) which can crawl and climb on trees with a simple omega-shaped bending motion. This simple locomotion enables the robot to be smaller and more easily controlled. The robot is built with smart composite microstructures (SCM) and shape memory alloy spring actuators. We suggest a special pattern design for the SCM to generate a two-dimensional turning motion and climb a vertical wood surface. Compared with crawling on the ground, climbing a wall against gravity requires larger actuation force. This paper describes the design and fabrication of “Climbing Omegabot,” and a proper selection of SMA spring actuators with a method for improving actuation performance. Our results demonstrate that Omegabot can crawl, turn, and climb on a tree. This robot can be used for search and rescue, or gathering useful information in areas where only small-scale robots can penetrate.