Design of a climbing robot for cylindro‐conic poles based on rolling self‐locking

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe designing Pobot V2, a robot capable to climb poles with a cylindrical or conical shape. Design/methodology/approach – This paper describes the design of the pole‐climbing robot Pobot V2, based on the innovative principle of rolling self‐locking that uses no energy to maintain itself at a given altitude. Findings – The robot is also capable of avoiding tangential obstacles, crossing small collars and regulating passively its normal contact force on conical poles with a diameter that evolves from 300 to 100 mm. The work is validated by experiments. The robot can also perform axial rotation, can cross‐tangential obstacles and climb poles with a strong conical shape, due to passive normal force regulation with springs and a force amplifying linkage. The first experiments showed excellent stability during vertical climbing. Research limitations/implications – More work will be required to make the robot more rigid, more compact, and lighter. The robot is jointly patented by Thales and IFMA. Originality/value – It is original because of its rolling self‐locking concept: rolling allows continuous ascension whereas self‐locking guarantees a null energy consumption while staying still on the pole.