Wallbot is watching you...

July 8, 2008 4:43 AM

"What we've invented is a way to induce charges on the wall using a power supply located on the robot....The robot carries with it positive and negative charges, and when the walls sees these charges it automatically generates the opposite charge. The robot can then clamp onto those charges." Scientists have robots climbing the walls.
posted by Kronos_to_Earth (29 comments total)

Wow, this is incredible... I had no idea this was possible.
posted by phrontist at 5:04 AM on July 8, 2008

The video wasn't working for me, so I went to YouTube to find another. I didn't find it, but I found this two-part explanation of the underlying technology. (Starts off about geckos, but the also talks about electroadhesion.)
posted by DU at 5:08 AM on July 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'm glad it also makes a terrifying swarm-of-rabid-bats noise. Otherwise I fear it wouldn't entirely scare the fuck out of me and would leave me feeling only semi-aghast. Thanks, Science.
posted by pracowity at 5:20 AM on July 8, 2008 [3 favorites]

Wide-Ranging Applications

* Wall-climbing robots for military and first responders: Real-time and/or longer-term reconnaissance of buildings


It's sad, that every time cool science is invented, the first thing the scientists have to mention, in order to get funding, is its application by "special forces" and SWAT teams in our wars on Terror and Drugs.
posted by orthogonality at 5:33 AM on July 8, 2008 [2 favorites]

That is awesome and terrifying. I'm going to see that thing crawling up the wall of every room I'm in today.
posted by cashman at 5:38 AM on July 8, 2008

Can't see the video at work, but I already saw Minority Report so I'm probably good.
posted by localroger at 5:42 AM on July 8, 2008

Now somebody needs to add this to the "in popular culture" section of "walls" on WikiPedia.
posted by mystyk at 5:58 AM on July 8, 2008

The video wasnt working for me either, though i did find a video of the SRI robot on youtube.

That aside, this is something that could have a wide range of uses. For example if the power consumption is low enough (it says 20 microwatts/Newton, which is pretty low i think), it could be used to hang a wall clock. As a renter, i cant put holes in the wall; So this would be good for hanging pictures and such...

that and attaching miniture winged insect spy robots to the ceiling.
posted by Merik at 6:03 AM on July 8, 2008

Cool. Also, this. (Video from 2002, not the same, but somewhat related.)
posted by Dumsnill at 6:08 AM on July 8, 2008

We should be fine, assuming these researchers remember that with great power comes great responsibility.
posted by DU at 6:12 AM on July 8, 2008

Needs a botshitinsane tag.
posted by cashman at 6:29 AM on July 8, 2008

It's sad, that every time cool science is invented, the first thing the scientists have to mention, in order to get funding, is its application by "special forces" and SWAT teams in our wars on Terror and Drugs.

It is sad, but you wouldn't be making commentary here on teh interwebs without 'military' applications.
posted by spicynuts at 7:22 AM on July 8, 2008

No more washing windows for me!
posted by Mister_A at 7:23 AM on July 8, 2008

I poked into this a while ago (spicynuts, you're entirely wrong; nifty tech and nifty robots are sufficient for intertube propagation). The technique is already fairly widely used, for manipulating wafers in clean rooms, for example. I'm not clear on what SRI has achieved: higher adhesion forces (5-15 kPa instead of 200 Pa)? Use on a mobile robot? A better PR department?
posted by hattifattener at 7:31 AM on July 8, 2008

spicynuts, you're entirely wrong; nifty tech and nifty robots are sufficient for intertube propagation

You missed my point - I was saying that there would be no internet if it hadn't been for military need.
posted by spicynuts at 7:37 AM on July 8, 2008

sign by plate: 'human food'

robot clinging to wall: *drops anvil*
posted by sexyrobot at 7:41 AM on July 8, 2008 [2 favorites]

Yeah, I totally see Wile E. Coyote using one of these.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:08 AM on July 8, 2008

I liked the part where he brought EVE back to his trailer to show her his copy of Hello Dolly.

Oh, wait. Wrong "wall" robot.
posted by hifiparasol at 8:10 AM on July 8, 2008

The technique is already fairly widely used, for manipulating wafers in clean rooms, for example.

?
i thought they used vacuums and edge clamps...wouldn't these electrical forces just wreck naked chips?
posted by sexyrobot at 8:28 AM on July 8, 2008

Thank you, DU and merik! Next time I find a BBC page with a video, I'll check around for an alternative.
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 8:29 AM on July 8, 2008

spicynuts: Ah, you're right, I misunderstood what you were saying.

sexyrobot: I'm guessing they grip the unetched underside of the wafer. Some wafer processing happens in vacuum, where you can't use a vacuum clamp. Not being a chip-fab kind of guy, I don't know why edge clamps can't be used universally ... my guess is that a big wafer is too delicate to handle only by the edges. Maybe an electrostatic gripper has fewer exposed moving parts, making it easier to keep it clean of nano-dust. Google might tell you; I need to be off to work.
posted by hattifattener at 8:36 AM on July 8, 2008

In my day robots used massive suction cups. I'm not comfortable with the kids today and their hoverboards and magnetobots.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:08 AM on July 8, 2008

These robots really ought to play Ministry songs as they zerg the poor humans.
posted by Mister_A at 9:09 AM on July 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

I wonder how well they work on rough surfaces like shingles or bricks. This is exciting, and now I want to make a wall clock that drives around like a roomba
posted by aubilenon at 9:33 AM on July 8, 2008

ahhh...forgot about the vacuum processes...

my guess is that these things need a name...how about 'robo-roaches'? roachbots?
posted by sexyrobot at 9:35 AM on July 8, 2008

ES grippers for chips are effectively rigid. It looks like what's new in SRI's technology is having grippers that conform to variable degrees of surface roughness - but not by using microfibers like a gecko, but using pads that have embedded micro conductors in a conformable surface, eliminating the need for manufacturing all those little hairs that are expensive (at least for now).

Anybody know if these kind of things will stick to a human?
posted by buzzv at 9:45 AM on July 8, 2008

"How do you like my SPIders, RAMsey? They shoot ACid!"
posted by adipocere at 10:11 AM on July 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'll be impressed once they show the robot going around concave and convex corners.
posted by ooga_booga at 11:10 AM on July 8, 2008

How d'ya think they'd hold up in the Colorado wind?
posted by katillathehun at 12:31 PM on July 8, 2008