A controllably adhesive climbing robot using magnetorheological fluid
Author(s)
Wiltsie, Nicholas Eric![Thumbnail](/bitstream/handle/1721.1/78191/830375556-MIT.pdf.jpg?sequence=5&isAllowed=y)
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Other Contributors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Advisor
Karl Iagnemma.
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Show full item recordAbstract
In this thesis, the novel adhesive effects of magnetorheological fluid for use in climbing robotics were experimentally measured and compared to existing cohesive failure fluid models of yield stress adhesion. These models were found to correlate with experimental results at yield stresses below 1.12 kPa. MR fluid samples activated to have yield stresses above 1.12 kPa were limited to an adhesive stress of approximately 25-30 kPa regardless of inital fluid thickness or yield stress. A climbing robot capable of utilizing MR fluid adhesion was constructed and shown to be capable of adhering to surfaces of any orientation and climbing rough surfaces with a 45° slope. The robot was capable of controllably adhering to rough sandpaper and smooth glass with an adhesive stress of 7.3 kPa, demonstrating a novel form of adhesion on a wide range of surface roughnesses and orientations.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2012. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-69).
Date issued
2012Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical EngineeringPublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Mechanical Engineering.