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arXiv · 2504.05351

Design and Characterization of a Micro-Vibration Adhesion System

Siqian Li·Xi Wang·Jung-Che Chang·Xin Dong
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Abstract

In recent years, miniature wall-climbing robots have attracted widespread attention due to their significant potential in equipment inspection and in-situ repair applications. Traditional wall-climbing systems typically rely on electromagnetic, electrostatic, vacuum suction, or van der Waals forces for controllable adhesion. However, these conventional methods impose limitations when striving for both a compact design and high-speed mobility. This paper proposes a novel Vibration-Based Adhesion (VBA) technique, which utilizes a flexible disk vibrating near a surface to generate a strong and controllable attractive force without direct contact. By employing an electric motor as the vibration source, the constructed VBA system was experimentally evaluated, achieving an adhesion-to-weight ratio exceeding 51 times. The experimental results demonstrate that this adhesion mechanism not only provides a high normal force but also maintains minimal shear force, making it particularly suitable for high-speed movement and heavy load applications in miniature wall-climbing robots.

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Siqian Li, Xi Wang, Jung-Che Chang, Xin Dong. 2025-04-06. Design and Characterization of a Micro-Vibration Adhesion System. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.05351

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