Spinybot

 Spinybot is the first climbing robot that use micro claws to produce adhesion on  surface. I and Alan Asbeck designed this platform to test feasibility of claw for climbing purpose. We tried many design iterations in foot design and best result is

(See also the SpinyBot page in BDML.)

The mechanisms are created using a rapid prototyping process, Shape Deposition Manufacturing that permits hard and soft materials to be combined into a single structure. In the present case, the white and grey materials are hard and soft urethanes, of 75 Shore-D and 20 Shore-A hardness, respectively (Innovative Polymers Inc.).  The soft urethane flexures provide both elasticity and visco-elastic damping.