Design of adhesive surface for track-type climbing robots

Abstract

This poster focuses on the design of dry adhesives to generate tractive forces between a tracked climbing robot and a surface to maintain equilibrium while in motion. There are two primary elements of a tracked robot design : the adhesive mechanisms at the track-surface interface and the distribution of these forces over the full contact surface (the tracks). This poster will focus on the design and study of models for two specific adhesives – unpatterned elastomeric dry adhesives and micro suction cup tape to choose the most suitable material for our robot.