Engineering: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)I present, ACROBOT, a gecko-adhesive enabled robot that can climb surfaces in any gravitational orientation or operate in full zero gravity. The robot is being developed as a prototype for inspection applications aboard the International Space Station (ISS) where current voids in inspection coverage both inside and outside the station pose risks to the vehicle. A specific area of interest for inspection is a narrow gap, approximately 1.5 inches wide, behind internal equipment racks. The prototype robot uses oppositional pairs of gecko adhesive pads that turn adhesion ON and OFF using an applied shear load. The robot is currently tele-operated and utilizes an inchworm style gait. The robot can turn in a tight circle, fits within a 1.5 inch gap, and can transition between orthogonal surfaces. Gecko adhesives leave no residue, are highly reusable, and create strong adhesion in vacuum and across a wide temperature range. The robot design and initial experimental results are presented including climbing vertical walls in Earth's gravity.NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)NASA JPL Extreme Environment Robotics Group (PI: Dr. Aaron Parness)Academic Major: Mechanical Engineerin
