A survey of technologies for climbing robots

To replace human workers in dangerous environments or difficult-to-access places, climbing robots with the ability to travel on different types of surfaces (floors, walls, ceilings) and to walk between such surfaces were developed. The most important technology for a climbing robot is how to resist gravity, and adhere to surfaces. This paper presents mainly six types of adhesion technologies to ensure climbing robot sticks to wall surfaces: magnetic adhesion, vacuum suction techniques, attraction force generators, grasping grippers, bio-mimetic approaches inspired by climbing animals, and compliant electroadhesion, et al. Moreover, this paper represents advantages and limitations of adhesion technologies.