Characterization and design of a dry adhesive material based mechanism

• Grant number: 17/14856-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Glauco Augusto de Paula Caurin
• Grantee: Choi Wang Dzak
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

It is possible to find in Nature many animals with peculiar characteristics and able to perform tasks, often with high versatility but not showing disadvantages in their normal function. It has drawn scientific attention and has set path to many studies towards the design of bio-inspired robots aiming to harness these characteristics. In regard of this project, the focus will be synthetic dry adhesive materials based on the tissue of gecko tokay paws. This material has remarkable characteristics born from both the geometry of its shape and material, which allows the gecko to adhere to a variety of surfaces and low to null energy cost detachment. On the gecko, it makes possible to climb vertical surfaces with neither chemical adhesion nor active mechanism such as magnets and vacuum generation. These features are especially attractive to mobile robotics, since it broadens its field of work and versatility. Then, the present project aims to design a foot of a hexapod prototype able to climb vertical surfaces through a dry adhesive material. Possible applications include surveillance and monitoring, inspection, repairs, maintenance and cleaning, but, a priory, this mechanism only intend to be used in inspections (payload is only a camera, no claws nor other devices) of difficult human access locations and, thus, reducing harm risks and costs. To that purpose, firstly it will be carried out a characterization of this material from small samples, intending to understand its mechanisms of adhesion and at the same time study a gait pattern suitable to the prototype. (AU)