Façade operation robot on convex surface using an embedded rope ascender

Abstract

Robots have been researched and developed for cleaning or inspecting buildings with vertical walls. However, robots that target buildings with convex surfaces are a necessity. This paper describes a robot that can move on a convex surface using two ropes and analyzed its feasibility. A spur gear differential mechanism was implemented to reduce the weight of the robot targeting the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. The accessible area of the two-rope driven system was derived through static and manipulability analyses. In addition, an algorithm for maneuvering a robot using instantaneous kinematics was proposed. A dome-shaped test bench was built to verify the accessible area of the robot and performance of the maneuvering algorithm.