Design and realization of a non-actuated glass-curtain wall-cleaning robot prototype with dual suction cups

This paper describes a non-actuated glass-curtain wall-cleaning robot prototype that has been designed and realized based on some wall-climbing robots developed recently and common traits of glass-curtain walls of high-rise buildings. The robot hasn’t its own driving mechanism, but it can move on smooth glass surfaces depending on its own gravity and the lifting force of the trolley crane on the roof while adhering to the surfaces using dual vacuum suction cups. Obstacles, such as horizontal window frames, can be crossed while cleaning. The safety analysis ensures that the robot can work reliably. The analysis on characteristics of suction cups using fluidic network theory is to enhance the adhering capacity of the robot. The control system utilizes two-level computer control strategy to achieve the robot’s moving, cleaning and crossing obstacles. Experiments proved the robotic system is feasible and practical.