Cromsci

Climbing RObot with Multiple Sucking Chambers for Inspection

Description

One unsolved problem of mobile robotics is the inspection of large concrete buildings such as pylons of huge bridges or walls of dams. These dangerous inspection tasks are currently done by humans who are driven inside gondolas to the needed position. To reduce the exposure to danger and the interference of the traffic (some lanes have to be closed during inspection) this prototype will be created.

The major goal of this project is the development of a wheel driven service robot, which can cling to a wall via underpressure. It has to be controllable by a person but should evade obstacles autonomously and inspect the concrete building area-wide. To demonstrate the performance of the system a bridge pylon should be inspected by the robot. Sub-goals of the project are the underpressure chambers including seals and valves, a reliable control architecture and sensorbased perception of the environmental conditions.

For optimal movement the robot CROMSCI is equipped with three single steerable and driven wheels. On an outer ring lies a movable manipulator which should carry the sensor for inspection. The round shape with a complete diameter of 80cm is devided into seven single vacuum chambers for better sucking attributes. Single losses of underpressude can be balanced and the robot will not drop down.

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Technical Data

outer diameter80 cm
total height50 cm
current weightabout 50 kg
energy supplyextern
max. depression of one motor30.000 Pa
max. volume flow of three motors180 l/s
drivethree omnidirectional wheels
max. speed10 m/min
range of manipulatorabout 80 cm
processor1 onboard PC

List of Publications

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  • Risk and Safety Aspects for Wall-Climbing Robots.
    Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    8th German Conference on Robotics (Robotik) , (2014)
  • 3D Realtime Simulation Framework for a Wall-Climbing Robot using Negative-Pressure Adhesion.
    Daniel Schmidt, Jens Wettach and Karsten Berns
    10th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (ICINCO), S. 184 - 191. (2013)
  • Climbing Robots for Maintenance and Inspections of Vertical Structures – A Survey of Design Aspects and Technologies.
    Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    Journal of Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 61, S. 1288 - 1305. (2013)
  • Development and Applications of a Simulation Framework for a Wall-Climbing Robot.
    Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    26th International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), S. 2321 - 2326. (2013)
  • Examination of Surface Feature Analysis and Terrain Traversability for a Wall-Climbing Robot.
    Daniel Schmidt, Marcel Jung and Karsten Berns
    16th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR), S. 309 - 316. (2013)
  • Safe Navigation of a Wall-Climbing Robot - Risk Assessment and Control Methods.
    Daniel Schmidt
    (2013)
    http://www.dr.hut-verlag.de/978-3-8439-0930-3.html
  • Safe Navigation of a Wall-Climbing Robot by Methods of Risk Prediction and Suitable Counteractive Measures.
    Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    26th International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), S. 2309 - 2314. (2013)
  • Advanced Motion Control for Safe Navigation of an Omnidirectional Wall-Climbing Robot.
    Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    22nd Conference on Autonomous Mobile Systems (AMS), S. 137 - 145. (2012)
  • Analysis of Sliding Suction Cups for Negative Pressure Adhesion of a Robot Climbing on Concrete Walls.
    Daniel Schmidt, Karsten Berns and Jürgen Ohr
    15th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR) , S. 813 - 820. (2012)
  • Risk Prediction of a Behavior-Based Adhesion Control Network for Online Safety Analysis of Wall-Climbing Robots.
    Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    9th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (ICINCO), S. 118 - 123. (2012)
  • Surface Feature Extraction and Analysis for a Wall-Climbing Robot.
    Marcel Jung
    (2012)
  • Behavior-Based Adhesion Control System for Safe Adherence of Wall-Climbing Robots.
    Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    14th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR), S. 857 - 864. (2011)
  • Omnidirectional Locomotion and Traction Control of the Wheel-driven Wall-climbing Robot CROMSCI.
    Daniel Schmidt, Carsten Hillenbrand and Karsten Berns
    Robotica Journal, Vol. 29, Nr. 7, S. 991 - 1003. (2011)
  • Behavior-based obstacle detection and avoidance system for the omnidirectional climbing robot Cromsci.
    Marcel Jung, Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    13th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR), S. 73 - 80. (2010)
  • Local Mapping and behavior-Based Control for Obstacle Avoidance of a Climbing Robot.
    Marcel Jung
    (2010)
  • Sicheres Klettern eines radgetriebenen Roboters mit Unterdruckkammern an por"osen Fl"achen.
    Carsten Hillenbrand
    RRLab Dissertations, (2010)
    http://www.dr.hut-verlag.de/978-3-86853-352-1.html
  • Force and traction controlled propulsion of the omnidirectional climbing robot Cromsci.
    Christian Marx, Daniel Schmidt, Carsten Hillenbrand and Karsten Berns
    12th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR) , S. 757 - 764. (2009)
  • Kraft- und traktionskontrollierte Fortbewegung des omnidirektionalen Kletterroboters Cromsci.
    Christian Marx
    (2009)
  • Sicheres Klettern eines radgetriebenen Roboters mit Unterdruckkammern an porösen Flächen.
    Carsten Hillenbrand
    (2009)
  • Cromsci - A Climbing Robot With Multiple Sucking Chambers For Inspection Tasks.
    Carsten Hillenbrand, Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    11th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR), S. 311 - 318. (2008)
  • Cromsci - Development of a Climbing Robot with Negative Pressure Adhesion for Inspections.
    Carsten Hillenbrand, Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    Industrial Robot Journal, Vol. 35, Nr. 3, S. 228 - 237. (2008)
  • Design and development of a sealing-system for climbing-robots.
    Tim Leichner, Tobias Gastauer, Bernd Sauer, Carsten Hillenbrand, Daniel Schmidt and Karsten Berns
    6th National Conference on Mechanical Engineering (Gepeszet), (2008)
  • Development of a sealing system for a climbing robot with negative pressure adhesion.
    Carsten Hillenbrand, Daniel Schmidt, Karsten Berns, Tim Leichner, Tobias Gastauer and Bernd Sauer
    10th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR), S. 115 - 124. (2007)
  • Control of an Autonomous Climbing Robot.
    Carsten Hillenbrand, Jan Koch, Jens Wettach and Karsten Berns
    Lecture Notes in Control and Information Sciences, (2006)
  • Inspection of Surfaces with a Manipulator Mounted on a Climbing Robot.
    Carsten Hillenbrand and Karsten Berns
    37th International Symposium on Robotics (ISR), (2006)
  • The Force Controlled Propulsion And Adhesion System For A Climbing Robot.
    Carsten Hillenbrand and Karsten Berns
    9th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR), S. 158 - 161. (2006)
  • Thermodynamical Modelling and Control of an Adhesion System for a Climbing Robot.
    Jens Wettach, Carsten Hillenbrand and Karsten Berns
    20th IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), S. 2727 - 2732. (2005)
  • A Climbing Robot based on under Pressure Adhesion for the Inspection of Concrete Walls.
    Carsten Hillenbrand and Karsten Berns
    35th International Symposium on Robotics (ISR), S. 119. (2004)
  • A Sensor System for the Localisation of Climbing Robots.
    Carsten Hillenbrand and Karsten Berns
    4th International Workshop on Robot Motion and Control (RoMoCo), S. 109 - 114. (2004)
  • Simulation of Climbing Robots Using Underpressure for Adhesion.
    Carsten Hillenbrand, Jens Wettach and Karsten Berns
    7th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots (CLAWAR), (2004)
  • A Climbing Robot for Inspection Tasks in Civil Engineering.
    Karsten Berns and Carsten Hillenbrand
    1st International Workshop on Advances in Service Robotics (ASER), (2003)