There have been several posts over the past year about engineering innovations that have enabled robots to scale vertical surfaces. These have generally required the use of adhesives or suction pads. This newly launched robot, however, relies on the same principle that makes it possible to stick balloons to a wall. By generating an electrostatic charge from an onboard power supply, the robot is able to adhere to vertical surfaces, enabling it to scale walls. How long before those little security cameras in the corners of rooms stop being fixed to the wall, but start following us around? Could this principle be used to make gloves that enable us to climb up walls too?
Here are some other robots that use different techniques.
Wall Climbing Robots
Electrostatic Vertical Surface Climbing
Trend Themes
1. Electrostatic Wall Climbing - The trend of using electrostatic charges to enable robots to adhere to vertical surfaces presents disruptive innovation opportunities in surveillance systems and security solutions.
2. Adhesive-free Wall Climbing - The trend of developing adhesive-free climbing robots opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation in maintenance and inspection of tall structures, such as skyscrapers and wind turbines.
3. Flexible Wall Climbing - The trend of creating flexible wall climbing robots can lead to disruptive innovation in search and rescue operations, allowing for efficient exploration of hard-to-reach areas.
Industry Implications
1. Security Systems - The use of electrostatic wall climbing robots can disrupt the security systems industry by offering enhanced surveillance capabilities on vertical surfaces.
2. Construction and Maintenance - The development of adhesive-free climbing robots presents disruption opportunities in the construction and maintenance industry, enabling efficient inspection and repair of tall structures.
3. Emergency Services - Flexible wall climbing robots can disrupt the emergency services industry by providing agile and versatile tools for search and rescue operations in challenging environments.