Design and Analysis of a Novel Robot for Aerial-to-Wall Transformation
摘要
Since there exists a process with thrust direction change and allocation in the transition from flight mode to climbing mode for climbing aerial robots (CAROs), it is extremely challenging for these robots to transition smoothly and stably between air and wall in a complex environment. To mitigate this challenge, this paper proposes a novel thrust adsorption-type climbing aerial robot (TACARO) with multi-vector thrust and deformable mechanisms. We focus on improving the controllable and disturbance rejection capability during the TACARO’s transition. The rotor thrusts of the deformable mechanism are directed toward the wall during the transition process. In this case, the deformable mechanism is pushed into full contact with the wall, which can obtain the angular tilt of the wall by the IMU and provide friction to suppress side disturbance. This can effectively improve the stability and disturbance rejection capability of the robot transition process so that the robot can seamlessly switch from flight mode to climbing mode. Furthermore, based on the derivation of the robot dynamics model, this paper proposes a transition controller based on PID. In addition, the experimental results validate the feasibility of TACARO and demonstrate a smooth transition from aerial to wall-based operation. The robot successfully adheres to the wall under both loaded and unloaded conditions, demonstrating robust resistance to external disturbances.