Structural Design of Clamping-Type Truss-Climbing Robot

A novel clamping-type climbing robot is proposed with the aim of achieving efficient climbing capabilities through biomimetic design and structural optimization. The primary application scenario involves truss structures, where the robot replaces manual climbing for tasks such as exploration, maintenance, and inspection of trusses. Inspired by the locomotion of the inchworm, the design introduces a clamping mechanism that emulates the inchworm's undulating motion and applies it to truss climbing tasks. The innovative clamping mechanism features V-shaped grippers equipped with a dual-layer cushioning structure to enhance friction and distribute forces. The robot's main body achieves multidimensional complex motions through five rotatable joints, resulting in significantly improved obstacle-surmounting abilities. Genetic algorithms are employed to optimize link lengths, yielding enhanced obstacle-surmounting performance within limited volume and force constraints. Finite element analysis and physical testing confirm the effectiveness of the optimization results and the rationality of the robot's structure.