CLIMBING ROBOT WITH THERMAL GLUE

Abstract

Climbing robots require an adhesion principle in order to overcome gravity. Many physical principles have been used. In this work, the use of thermal glue is proposed. The implementation of miniature thermal glue dispenser is presented with experimental results. The adhesion force depends on the surface, but 7 N/cm^2 is achieved on aluminium and synthetic surfaces. Several ideas were tested to save energy for detaching the glue foot. A climbing robot using this innovative adhesion principle was built. The strength and disadvantage of this technique are presented. The system offers an alternative solution to other commonly used method.