A team of scientists has developed a climbing robot, quadruped style inspired by animals capable of climbing rough vertical surfaces, with a unique and effective technique. The robot, which is simple in design, adheres to these surfaces effectively.
LORIS, the climbing robot
The LORIS robot was created by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robomechanics Laboratory, including Paul Nadan, Spencer Backus and Aaron M. Johnson. The prototype gets its name after a climbing marsupial and an acronym for “Lightweight observation robot for uneven slopes.”
Its construction is based on the use of micro-spine tweezers, which are equipped with small hooks that manage to adhere and hold in the cracks and crevices of the surface. This mechanism is deployed when the gripper is raised to take the next step, allowing continuous movement.
In addition, each individual microspin gripper is passive and relies on the weight of the robot to maintain its adhesion. robot to maintain its adhesion . At the moment, they are effective on relatively flat surfaces, but face difficulties on extreme uneven terrain, which requires a more adaptable climbing displacement.
Other features of LORIS
The robot coordinates its limbs, fixing two diagonal grippers firmly attached to the surface while releasing two others to move forward. This method is inspired by insect climbing techniques known as directed inward grasping(DIG). In addition, it implements a depth detection camera and a microprocessor to follow the best possible route.
A lightweight robot for surface exploration and free climbing. Source: Robomechanics Lab
The LORIS robot combines the lightness and efficiency of passive grippers with the firmness and adaptability of active grippers, resulting in an economical and easy-to-manufacture design. This development was recently presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation.
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Source and photo: Carnegie Mellon University
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