A MODULAR DESIGN OF A WALL-CLIMBING ROBOT AND ITS MECHATRONICS CONTROLLER

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The modular design of a wall-climbing robot, implementing two articulated legs per module (biped robotic modules), is presented in this paper. Modular design improves a wall-climbing robot’s manoeuvrability and flexibility during surface changes or while walking on uneven surfaces. The design of the articulated legs uses four motors to control the posture of the vacuum cups, achieving the best possible contact with the surface. Each leg can contain more than five sensors for effective feedback control, and additional sensors such as gyros, CCD sensors, etc, can be fitted on a module, depending on the robot’s application. As the number of modules used in the design of the robot is increased, the number of actuators and sensors increases exponentially. A distributed mechatronics controller of such systems is presented. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Modulêre ontwerp van 'n muurklim-robot met twee geskarnierde bene per module (twee-benige robotmodules) word in hierdie artikel weergegee. Modulêre ontwerp verbeter die muurklim-robot se beweeglikheid en aanpasbaarheid tydens veranderings in die loopvlak of terwyl dit loop op ongelyke oppervlaktes. Ontwerp van geskarnierde bene implementeer vier motors wat die ori ntasie van vakuumsuigdoppe beheer om die bes moontlike kontak met die loopvlak te handhaaf. Elke been kan meer as vyf sensors hê vir doeltreffende terugvoerbeheer, en bykomende sensors soos giroskope, CCD sensors, ens. kan by 'n module gevoeg word soos die toepassing van die robot dit mag vereis. Soos die aantal modules wat in die ontwerp van die robot gebruik word, toeneem, neem die aantal aktiveerders en sensors eksponensi el toe. 'n Verdeelde megatroniese beheerder van sulke stelsels word aangebied.