Basic studies on wet adhesion system for wall climbing robots

Abstract

This paper reports a vacuum-based wet adhesion system for wall climbing robots. In this adhesion system, a suction cup adheres on a wet surface. The problems addressed are an adherability on a rough surface, which is comes from the seal action of a liquid, and low friction between suction cup and adhered rough and smooth surfaces which is comes form lubricating action of a liquid. Generally, it is difficult that a vacuumed suction cup adheres on rough surface such concrete plate and hardly slidable. In this paper, the adhesion force and friction when a suction cup adheres on smooth glass plate and concrete plate are measured and compared wet condition with dry condition. The experiment result showed that a viscosity is important at the sealing performance of adhesion on rough surface. The silicon oil of a viscosity of 5000cSt allows a suction cup to adhere on concrete surface. In this condition it comes up to the adhesion force when a suction cup adheres on smooth glass with dry condition.