Using a ferro-fluid pad to climb walls
Name
863159338-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
6.42 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
e078647072c7f6394dd8ed855e39cf99
Author(s)
Buchman, Michael Rafael.
Advisor(s)
Karl Iagnemma.
Date Issued
2013
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
The goal of this thesis is to build a wall climbing system that utilizes the viscosity property of ferrofluids. Ferrofluid viscosity is varies based on the magnetic field applied to it and this property enables ferrofluids to be used as an adhesive. This would allow a human, with a specially designed climbing gripper, to climb up walls by varying the magnetic field on the ferrofluid that sits between the gripping surface and the wall. While this concept sounds feasible, it is completely untested. The goal of this study was to create theoretical models of how a gripper would work, and then build a climbing gripper using the data from the models. We found that it is theoretically possible to build a ferrofluid climbing system that would allow a human to climb a wall. We then used finite element analysis to optimize a permanent magnet array. Finally, we designed, built, and tested a system around our analysis and found that the gripper did not work and the system was unable to carry any load.
Description
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (page 31).
Subjects
Mechanical Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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