Endless Tread Robot Drive Unit for Inclined Surface Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional wall-climbing robots fail to operate effectively on rough surfaces with gaps, limiting their ability to navigate inclined surfaces for applications like building inspection and surveillance.
Innovation Solution
A robotic drive unit featuring an endless tread with holes that engages wheels and a vacuum motor to create suction, allowing the robot to navigate gaps and maintain contact with inclined surfaces, supplemented by a turbine for additional attachment force when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional wall-climbing robots use continuous solid treads, then they maintain stable contact with smooth surfaces, but they fail to navigate gaps in rough surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous solid tread is segmented into discrete holes distributed across the tread surface. These holes allow the tread to bridge gaps in rough surfaces while the surrounding solid material maintains contact with smooth surfaces, resolving the contradiction between gap navigation and stable contact.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tread serve different functions: the holes provide gap-bridging capability for rough surfaces, while the solid regions between holes provide contact areas for smooth surfaces. This local differentiation allows the single tread structure to adapt to varying surface conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the robot uses a vacuum motor to create suction attachment, then it can adhere to inclined surfaces, but it loses effectiveness when gaps are present
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum system is segmented into multiple independent vacuum chambers corresponding to the holes in the tread. Each chamber can maintain suction independently, allowing the robot to adhere to inclined surfaces even when some holes bridge gaps, as long as other holes maintain contact with the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Different vacuum chambers are distributed across the tread to provide localized suction forces. This distribution ensures that if some areas lose contact due to gaps, other areas with holes contacting the surface can maintain sufficient suction force to keep the robot attached.
3Force
If the robot uses a turbine to push against the surface, then it gains additional attachment force, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine propulsion system is merged with the existing vacuum motor and tread structure. The turbine works in conjunction with the vacuum system rather than as a completely separate mechanism, sharing structural support and control systems to minimize overall complexity while providing additional attachment force.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the robot to more easily traverse inclined surfaces with gaps, maintaining suction attachment and ensuring stable operation on rough surfaces for various inspection and surveillance tasks.
Implementation Method 1
A vacuum motor pulls air through holes in the endless tread when the holes are aligned with a vacuum opening
Implementation Method 2
A turbine for expelling air in a direction opposite the planar bottom surface is provided such that the planar bottom surface to pushed toward an inclined surface
Implementation Method 3
A vacuum motor is connected to a vacuum opening that is aligned with the bottom surface such that the vacuum motor pulls air in through the plurality of holes when the plurality of holes are aligned with the vacuum opening and supplies the air to the at least one duct fan in the body causing the duct fan to rotate and apply a force that presses the robot toward the bottom surface
Data Source
AI summary
A drive unit for driving a robot along an inclined surface is disclosed. An endless tread engages a pair of wheels to define a planar bottom surface of the endless tread. A vacuum motor pulls air through holes in the endless tread when the holes are aligned with a vacuum opening.