GLEWBOT scales buildings like a gecko to examine wall tiles

Quite a lot of constructing upkeep bills are the results of easy inaccessibility. Cleansing the home windows are your home is a trivial chore, however cleansing the home windows on a skyscraper is critical enterprise that wants specialised gear and coaching. To make exterior wall tile inspection environment friendly and reasonably priced, the GLEWBOT crew turned to nature for inspiration.

GLEWBOT climbs up partitions like a gecko and faucets on tiles like a woodpecker to guage wall integrity. Like cleansing the home windows on a skyscraper, the normal inspection methodology requires specialised instruments and expertise. GLEWBOT can carry out the identical capabilities autonomously, dramatically decreasing prices.

This robotic has a two-part design that lets it scale partitions in a way much like a climber utilizing ascenders. One half grips, whereas the opposite releases. When the underside half grips, the highest half can prolong to maneuver up the wall. When the highest half grips, the underside half can retract to repeat the method. The robotic grips the tile utilizing suction cup ft related to micro vacuum pumps and a linear actuator performs the extension/retraction. Every finish has a motor that lets it rotate relative to the linear actuator, so the robotic can flip.

The system is supplied with two Arduino boards. An Arduino Nano serves as central command and handles common capabilities, whereas an Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense acts as an acoustic recognition module and controls the inspection device. That device is a hole drum hammer that faucets every tile and listens for the ensuing echo. An audio classification mannequin skilled for this process will detect a questionable tile based mostly on the sound it makes, so engineers can examine additional. 

Extra particulars on GLEWBOT might be present in its Hackster.io write-up and the crew’s printed paper right here.