Design and analysis of a quadruped wall climbing robot with low power consumption

Purpose Most existing wall-climbing robots use electromagnetic adhesion, which faces energy consumption challenges. Therefore, this study aims to design a low-power quadruped robot based on permanent magnetic adhesion to reduce energy consumption. Design/methodology/approach First, the structural rationality and motion feasibility of the robot were analyzed from a kinematic perspective. Then, dynamic theory was applied to simulate the robot model, verifying the feasibility of the designed V-shaped gait. In addition, three static models were established to determine the minimum magnetic adhesion force required for stable robot motion. Findings A physical prototype was built for performance verification, and the motion performance tests of the self-made prototype further demonstrated the effectiveness of the V-shaped gait and the feasibility of the low-power permanent magnetic adhesion system. Originality/value A low-power permanent magnetic adhesion system was designed while retaining the advantages of electromagnetic adhesion. In addition, a novel V-shaped gait was proposed to address the issue of jamming during the support phase in fully rigidly connected robots when the foot is subjected to strong constraint forces.