Development of climbing robot for steel bridge inspection

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a design of climbing robot with magnetic wheels which can move on the surface of steel bridge. The locomotion concept is based on adapted lightweight magnetic wheel units with relatively high attractive force and friction force. Design/methodology/approach The robot has the main advantages of being compact (352 × – 215 × – 155 mm), lightweight (2.3 kg without battery) and simple mechanical structure. It is not only able to climb vertical walls and follow circumferential paths, but also able to pass complex obstacles such as bolts, steps, convex and concave corners with almost any inclination regarding gravity. By using a servo as a compliant joint, the wheel base can be changed to enable the robot to overcome convex corners. Findings The experiment results show that the climbing robot has a good performance on locomotion, and it is successful in negotiating the complex obstacles. On the other hand, the limitations in locomotion of the robot are also presented. Originality/value Compared with the past researches, the robot shows good performance on overcoming complex obstacles such as concave corners, convex corners, bolts and steps on the steel bridge. Magnetic wheel with the characterization of compact size and lightweight is able to provide bigger adhesion force and friction coefficient.