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Design and analysis of a climbing robot for pylon maintenance

Xiaolong Lu (School of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China)
Shiping Zhao (School of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China)
Xiaoyu Liu (School of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China)
Yishu Wang (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jincheng College of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China)

Industrial Robot

ISSN: 0143-991x

Article publication date: 25 January 2018

Issue publication date: 9 April 2018

471

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and development of “Pylon-Climber II”, a 5-DOF biped climbing robot (degree of freedom – DOF) for moving on the external surface of a tower and assisting the electricians to complete some maintenance tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper introduces a pole-climbing robot, which consists of a 5-DOF mechanical arm and two novel grippers. The gripper is composed of a two-finger clamping module and a retractable L-shaped hook module. The robot is symmetrical in structure, and the rotary joint for connecting two arms is driven by a linear drive mechanism.

Findings

The developed prototype proved a new approach for the inspection and maintenance of the electricity pylon. The gripper can reliably grasp the angle bars with different specifications by using combined movement of the two-finger clamping module and the retractable L-shaped hook module and provide sufficient adhesion force for the Pylon-Climber II.

Practical implications

The clamping experiments of the gripper and the climbing experiments of the robot were carried out on a test tower composed of some angle bars with different specification.

Originality/value

This paper includes the design and development of a 5-DOF biped climbing robot for electricity pylon maintenance. The climbing robot can move on the external surface of the electric power tower through grasping the angle bar alternatively. The gripper that is composed of a two-finger gripping module and a retractable L-shaped hook module is very compact and can provide reliable adhesion force for the climbing robot.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research work was partially supported by the Sichuan Science and technology Program funded projects, China, under Grant 2008GZ0156, and in part by the young teachers Scientific Research Foundation of Sichuan University under Grant 2011SCU11119.

Citation

Lu, X., Zhao, S., Liu, X. and Wang, Y. (2018), "Design and analysis of a climbing robot for pylon maintenance", Industrial Robot, Vol. 45 No. 2, pp. 206-219. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-08-2017-0143

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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