A controllably adhesive climbing robot using magnetorheological fluid

• Published in: 2012 IEEE Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot Applications pp. 91 - 96
• Main Authors: Wiltsie, N., Lanzetta, M., Iagnemma, K.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-04-2012
• Subjects: adhesive effects; adhesive failure strength; adhesive stress; Adhesives; controllably adhesive climbing robot; fluid thickness; fluids; glass sheets; Magnetic separation; Magnetomechanical effects; magnetorheological fluid; magnetorheology; mobile robots; normal force; parallel plates; pressure 7.3 kPa; pull-off adhesion; Robots; Rough surfaces; rough vertical surfaces; shearing loads; Stress; surface orientations; Surface roughness; target surface roughness
• ISBN: 9781467308557; 1467308552
• ISSN: 2325-0526
• DOI: 10.1109/TePRA.2012.6215660

The novel adhesive effects of magnetorheological fluid for use in climbing robotics were experimentally measured and compared to existing theoretical models. Contrary to these models, the fluid thickness between two parallel plates was found to have little effect on the adhesive failure strength and a positive effect on time to failure. Target surface roughness was found to have a detrimental effect on pull-off adhesion and a positive effect on shearing loads. A robot capable of adhering to ceilings was designed and shown to be capable of holding 7.3 kPa of adhesive stress in both shear on rough vertical surfaces and normal force on glass sheets, demonstrating a novel form of adhesion on a wide range of surface roughnesses and orientations.