A robot that climbs walls using micro-structured polymer feet

Insect-inspired foot materials can enable robots to walk on surfaces regardless of the direction of gravity, which significantly increases the functional workspace of a compact robot. Previously, Mim-Whegs (TM), a small robot that uses four wheel-legs for locomotion, was converted to a wall-walking robot with compliant, conventional-adhesive feet. In this work, the feet were replaced with a novel, reusable insect-inspired adhesive. The reusable structured polymer adhesive has less tenacity than the previous adhesive, resulting in less climbing capability. However, after the addition of a tail, changing to off-board power, and widening the feet, the robot is capable of ascending vertical surfaces using the novel adhesive.