MAGNETIC WHEELS OPTIMIZATION AND APPLICATION TO THE <i>MagneBike</i> CLIMBING ROBOT

Abstract

Magnetic wheels are a powerful solution to design inspection climbing robots with excellent mobility. Magnetic wheels optimization based on simulations and the results that were obtained on prototypes are presented. The measured adhesion was doubled between the classic configuration and a novel multilayer one sharing exactly the same four magnets and the same total volume of iron. This know-how is then applied to optimize magnetic wheels for the existing robot called MagneBike. The adhesion force has been multiplied by 2 to 3 times depending on the conditions. Those amazing improvements open new possibilities for miniaturization of climbing robots or payload's increase.