Magnecko: Design and Control of a Quadrupedal Magnetic Climbing Robot

Climbing robots hold significant promise for applications such as industrial inspection and maintenance, particularly in hazardous or hard-to-reach environments. This paper describes the quadrupedal climbing robot Magnecko, developed with the major goal of providing a research platform for legged climbing locomotion. With its 12 actuated degrees of freedom arranged in an insect-style joint configuration, Magnecko's high manipulability and high range of motion allow it to handle challenging environments like overcoming concave 90 degree corners. A model predictive controller enables Magnecko to crawl on the ground on horizontal overhangs and on vertical walls. Thanks to the custom actuators and the electro-permanent magnets that are used for adhesion on ferrous surfaces, the system is powerful enough to carry additional payloads of at least 65 percent of its own weight in all orientations. The Magnecko platform serves as a foundation for climbing locomotion in complex three-dimensional environments.

LEVA: A high-mobility logistic vehicle with legged suspension

The autonomous transportation of materials over challenging terrain is a challenge with major economic implications and remains unsolved. This paper introduces LEVA, a high-payload, high-mobility robot designed for autonomous logistics across varied terrains, including those typical in agriculture, construction, and search and rescue operations. LEVA uniquely integrates an advanced legged suspension system using parallel kinematics. It is capable of traversing stairs using a rl controller, has steerable wheels, and includes a specialized box pickup mechanism that enables autonomous payload loading as well as precise and reliable cargo transportation of up to 85 kg across uneven surfaces, steps and inclines while maintaining a cot of as low as 0.15. Through extensive experimental validation, LEVA demonstrates its off-road capabilities and reliability regarding payload loading and transport.