Intelligent legged climbing service robot for remote maintenance applications in hazardous environments

Wheeled-tracked vehicles are mainly suitable for relatively flat terrain. Legged-vehicles, on the other hand, have the potential to handle wide variety of terrain. Robug IIs is a legged climbing robot designed to work in relatively unstructured and rough terrain. It has the capability of walking, climbing vertical surfaces and performing autonomous floor to wall transfer. The sensing technique used in Robug IIs is mainly tactile and ultrasonic sensing. A set of reflexive rules has been developed for the robot to react to the uncertainty of the working environment. The robot also has the intelligence to seek and verify its own foot-holds. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.