THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a first, College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, has obtained a patent in its name for a multipurpose ‘wall-climbing robot’ which can easily move on vertical surfaces and ceilings using a duct fan mechanism. The device was developed in 2014 as part of the final-year engineering project of CET students comprising a team of five members. Patent-specific modifications and detailed research were carried out by students Praveen Sekhar and Lia Joseph under the mentorship of Reshmi S Bhooshan, an assistant professor at Barton Hill College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Highlighting the idea behind the project, Reshmi says: “The idea was to develop a robot which could address issues related to the stability of the Mullaperiyar Dam in 2014. Often, the process is risky for workers to detect cracks on the concrete surfaces of the dam.
So, we zeroed in on the idea of creating something which can easily climb up the walls of the dam and inspect damage without any human intervention.” “The machine can easily replace manual workforce and work can be inspected more accurately.
For the patent, a working prototype was made and tested which is currently available at the Electronics and Communication Department in the college,” said Praveen. The project was funded by the Centre for Research and Development.
Duct fan mechanism
Compared to existing wall-climbing mechanisms, the proposed one gives faster movement and improved load-bearing capacity. A low-cost mechanism, the four-wheeled robot can move on floors and walls. Cracks are distinguished from surface noises with the help of a less complex percolation algorithm. A computer can also be used to operate the machine and the wireless camera mounted on the device can help in capturing images and conducting a detailed analysis of the damage.
Other applications of the device include spray painting, detecting the human presence in earthquake-affected areas using an infrared camera and climbing skyscrapers for cleaning glass. For the invention, the team won many accolades including the first place in a state-level innovative student project communication organised by the Department of Technical Education, Kerala and the Best Student Project Award of CET 2014-15 from Tata Consultancy Services Limited. The team also published a paper in IEEE Xplore Digital Library, 2014.
Currently, the team is looking for product commercialisation possibilities based on market study and will soon develop industrial robots based on the specific application of use.