Wall and ceiling climbing quadruped robot with superior water repellency manufactured using 3D printing (UNIclimb)

Abstract

Gecko lizards have superior locomotive capabilities to walk on ceilings and walls of varying angles. Furthermore, their skin has superior water-repellency due to hierarchical hairy structures on it. With these remarkable capabilities, their wide range of locomotion is effective even in rainy and wet environments, leading to enhanced survival capabilities. Current wall climbing robots have limited abilities in locomotion and surface functionalities compared to gecko lizards. In this paper, we present a gecko-inspired quadruped robot that can walk on ceilings and varying angled walls. Furthermore, the surface of the robot is coated with nanoparticles, enabling superior water repellency, similar to the gecko lizard. The quadruped robot is manufactured using a 3D printing technique with minimal materials in a rapid, facile, and environment-friendly manner.