Design and Control of a Climbing Robot for Warehouse Automation
摘要
Efficient vertical movement within warehouses is pivotal for optimizing material flow and storage. Current solutions, such as elevators, are often costly, static, and present a single point of failure. These systems hinder rapid changes in response to evolving needs and are prohibitively costly for small to medium enterprises. Autonomous robotic systems offer a promising solution for enabling free movement and storage of materials in 3 dimensions. However, most existing robotic solutions focus on XY plane movement or movement of small loads along the Z axis. This paper presents a novel helical drive mechanism and control algorithm that enable our robot – the Mytra Bot – to move in a 3D grid-like system of racks and lift payloads of more than 1000 kg. When lifting such heavy payloads, minimizing robot tilt is a primary safety concern. The proposed control algorithm draws inspiration from the field of grasping to synchronize the Mytra Bot’s degrees of freedom during vertical movement and achieve minimal tilt while following a desired velocity profile. The experimental results demonstrate the Mytra Bot’s capability to lift a 1360 kg pallet across 3 m of travel while maintaining a tilt below 0.5 \(^\circ \) throughout the motion.