Climbing robots: recent research and emerging applications

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to provide details of recent research into robots capable of ascending vertical or near-vertical surfaces and to illustrate how the ability to climb is set to resolve a critical industrial need arising from the growth in renewable energy. Design/methodology/approach Following a short introduction, the first parts of this paper describe a selection of recent research activities that involve innovative concepts and designs. The second part discusses climbing robot developments aimed at the automated inspection, maintenance and repair of wind turbine blades. Brief concluding comments are drawn. Findings Robots that can ascend vertical or near-vertical surfaces are the topic of an extensive and technologically innovative research effort. Many developments take their inspiration from the climbing abilities of living creatures. Drones with the ability to adhere to and climb vertical surfaces are also being developed. Potential applications include inspection, surveillance and search and rescue. Climbing robots are poised to provide a solution to the need to de-man and reduce the cost of inspecting and maintaining composite wind turbine blades. Originality/value This provides an insight into recent innovations in climbing robot concepts and designs and shows how the ability to ascend vertical surfaces is being exploited in the robotic inspection, maintenance and repair of wind turbine blades.

Applications of robotics in floating offshore wind farm operations and maintenance: Literature review and trends

“…It is envisaged that a climbing robotic mechanism could replace some of these O&M tasks, improving efficiency in the process while also addressing the H&S aspects. In literature, different types of climbing robots are discussed based upon their design specification and functional requirements 6,28 . For this paper, the definition of climbing robots is restricted to be the machines that can move vertically or around the tower and blades of a wind turbine.…”

“…In literature, different types of climbing robots are discussed based upon their design 27 applied to the UAV-based inspection of turbine blades specification and functional requirements. 6,28 For this paper, the definition of climbing robots is restricted to be the machines that can move vertically or around the tower and blades of a wind turbine. The robot's access to the entire circumference of the tower and to the surface of the blade is imperative as it would determine the range of the O&M tasks that could be conducted.…”

An overview of self-engineering systems

“…Advances in drone and image processing research have led to the creation of many visual inspection drones which are utilised on wind turbines (Shihavuddin et al 2019;Bonnin-Pascual et al 2015). Other robots have focused on climbing the tower or the blades directly for inspection (Sahbel, Abbas, and Sattar 2019;Bogue 2019), or using a rope attached to the tower to guide the robot up and down (Hayashi et al 2018). Currently, all these robots have focused on inspection and identification of damage to the outer side of the wind turbine.…”

A low-cost single-motor-driven climbing robot based on overrunning spring clutch mechanisms

“…Forest farm monitoring, high-voltage power transmission equipment overhauling, and spacecraft on-orbit maintenance have harsh working environments, high working intensity, and frequent accidents. 1,2 It is urgent to develop low-cost robots with climbing capabilities that are suitable for replacing humans in carrying out high-altitude and deep-space operations.…”