Study of Wall Climbing Robot Having Magnetic Force
The paper studied the climbing structure and magnet selection method of exploration platform utilized for large-scale steel structures such as vessel surface. With respect to wall climbing robots, the study proposed a stable operation structure even in rapid incline change of vessel surface. Since the wheel-based operating method is hard to work flexibly in inclination changes, we employed joints and designed the robot to have a rotation joint in the center. The arrangement of wheels is an important aspect of this structure. Viewed from the side, the robot wheels should overlap with each other to have intersection points. The wheels here are ring-type permanent magnets and serve as a tool of attachment on walls. Based on the conditions identified through formula modeling, we proposed the required magnetic force. Important factors needed for magnetic force setup include platform weight, angle between ground and inclined plane, and friction coefficient. We considered only the required magnetic force for the stable adhesion of circular magnet while making not a separate mention about the necessary force for directional locomotion. The analysis results of ANSYS Maxwell are applied to magnetic attachment. Based on the final analysis results, we built a platform and found it did not slip and stayed attached on steel plate.