A Rubbertuator-based structure-climbing inspection robot

Abstract

We describe our progress on the development of ROBIN, a robotic inspector. ROBIN is a structure-climbing robot designed for man-made environments. It is intended to carry cameras and other sensors onto man-made structures such as bridges, buildings, aircraft and ships for inspection. The robot has two vacuum fixtures connected by a 4 degree-of-freedom articulated mechanism that together allow it to walk across surfaces and will permit transition between adjacent surfaces. ROBIN is novel in several areas. It is the only climbing robot that uses McKibben type pneumatic muscles for movement. It is also novel in its use of a subsumption architecture controller in a climbing robot. ROBIN is one of the few climbing robots that is equipped with a mechanism that is capable of transitions between surfaces or from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface below.