Wall-Climbing Robot Thrust Control for Stable Arched-Wall Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wall-climbing robots struggle to maintain stability on rough, arched tunnel walls due to high requirements for thrust, which are difficult to achieve with existing negative pressure or magnetic adhesion methods, and result in significant wear on contact surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A thrust control method for a wall-climbing robot that involves controlling the direction and magnitude of thrust from rotating ducts to oppose and match the gravity of the robot body in real time, ensuring stable suspension on arched walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a booster fan provides large thrust to stabilize the robot on a curved tunnel wall, then the robot can be stabilized on negative angle walls, but the voltage and current requirements become extremely high and difficult to achieve in practice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thrust counterbalancing mechanism where the booster fan generates upward thrust to counteract the robot's weight and gravitational force. The control system dynamically adjusts the thrust magnitude to match the robot's weight, creating a force equilibrium that enables stable adhesion on curved and negative angle walls without requiring excessively high power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a closed-loop feedback control system that continuously monitors the robot's state (position, orientation, thrust) and adjusts the booster fan's thrust output in real-time. This feedback mechanism ensures the thrust remains optimized to counteract gravity while adapting to changes in tunnel geometry, preventing energy waste and maintaining stability under varying conditions.
2Reliability
If a booster fan provides large thrust to offset gravity on curved surfaces, then the robot can be stabilized on arched walls, but the friction force requirements become extremely high causing significant wear on contact surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust counterbalancing mechanism directly counteracts gravitational force, reducing the robot's effective weight on the contact surfaces. By generating upward thrust equal to the robot's weight, the system minimizes the normal force between the robot and wall, thereby reducing friction requirements and wear on contact surfaces while maintaining stability on arched walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on high-friction mechanical contact with an aerodynamic thrust-based adhesion system. Instead of depending on high friction forces generated by heavy contact pressure, the system uses controlled thrust to create a force balance that achieves stability with minimal contact surface wear.
3Reliability
If negative pressure adsorption is used to hold the robot on the wall, then the robot can be adsorbed on the tunnel wall, but it is difficult to keep the robot stably on the arched wall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from static negative pressure adsorption to dynamic thrust counterbalancing. The booster fan continuously adjusts its thrust output in real-time to counteract gravitational and centrifugal forces on arched walls, providing active stabilization. This dynamic approach adapts to changing tunnel geometry and robot position, maintaining stability where static adsorption fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fundamental control parameter from negative pressure (static adsorption force) to thrust magnitude (dynamic counterbalancing force). By controlling thrust as a variable parameter that can be adjusted in real-time based on robot state and tunnel geometry, the system achieves stable adhesion on arched walls where fixed negative pressure systems cannot adapt.
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
This method allows the robot to be stably suspended at any position on an arched wall, reducing wear on contact surfaces and overcoming the limitations of existing thrust control methods.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of rotating ducts configured to provide a thrust
Implementation Method 2
the thrust of the rotating ducts is kept opposite to the gravity of the robot body in direction and equal to the gravity of the robot body in magnitude
Implementation Method 3
a first pressure sensor configured to acquire thrust data corresponding to the rotating ducts
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A thrust control method for a wall-climbing robot includes: acquiring an attitude direction of a body first, where the attitude direction includes an angle of the body on a vertical plane, and calculating a first included angle between the attitude direction and a direction of gravity of the body; rotating rotating ducts according to a value of the first included angle, adjusting a thrust direction of the rotating ducts to make the thrust direction opposite to the direction of gravity of the body; acquiring thrust data measured by a first pressure sensor, adjusting rotating speeds of fans in the rotating ducts according to the thrust data to make the thrust data equal to a value of gravity of the body. By controlling a direction and a thrust of the rotating ducts to keep the thrust of the rotating ducts opposite to the gravity of the robot body in direction and equal to the gravity in magnitude in real time, so that a robot can be stably suspended on a wall.