Hi,

I'm after ways on a building a multi cross-section pole-climbing robot with a rotating video camera which can observe the pole it is climbing and the scenary around it.

I've done a little programing using rf chips, but not used any mechanics in my designs before. Can anyone help/ point me in the right direction? much appreciated

quote:

Originally posted by electro:
Hi,

I'm after ways on a building a multi cross-section pole-climbing robot with a rotating video camera which can observe the pole it is climbing and the scenary around it.

I've done a little programing using rf chips, but not used any mechanics in my designs before. Can anyone help/ point me in the right direction? much appreciated

You need to be much more specific. Will your robot always climb the same pole? Will the pole be slick or rough? Will there be impediments? From what distance do you want to exercise control?

All of your control can come from 6 channel RC units for model aircraft. Two channels can control camera altitude and azimuth. You then have four channels to control your segments. Do you want to climb with arms and feet or the more successful method of wheels surrounding the pole?

Hi there,

The robot will be climbing one pole (which is metallic) in this case, however it could be applied to other poles. The start diameter is 400mm point to point on an octagonal cross section and it tapers to 220mm at 12m up. I hope to be controlling the robot at around 15-20m.

The pole has small steps pertruding out (about 10mm) as you travel up and has cable ties at several intervals.

I have spoken to a model car hobbyist and he has recomended using 4 channel RF transmitters (1 for up/down of robot, 2 for 2 DOF's for the camera... leaving 1 just incase), do you think this is possible?

I'm looking into using 1:10 truck wheels, however the problem is getting the thing to stick onto the pole (I might us the magnet option, but I don't want to create too much stick otherwise the robot will not get over the obstacles and won't come down due to the taper). Another idea is using a sprung mechanism to push the wheels to the pole, again same problems as before, with additional prob of if its too loose, the robot plummits to the ground!

Cheers,
Lekki

How about an inch-worm with electromagnets?
Like so:

../\
3/ \E

Where the apex of the triangle is a hinge and the E and 3 are electromagnets.

Turn on both electromagnets and put the robot on the pole, turn on top magnet and draw the bottom one up, turn on the bottom magnet and push the top one up.

It would need to be very light weight. Perhaps the batteries would be placed near the bottom magnet.