climbing robotWhat do you get when you combine a monkey and a grandfather clock? The ROCO–Oscillating Climbing Robot, that’s what. Designed by researchers at the University of Utah, this 1.2 pound robot that measures only 12.2 X 18 inches can climb up all kinds of walls, even carpeted ones, with impressive efficiency.

While it does not actually look anything like a monkey, or a clock, it copies their movements to produce its unique style of climbing. It does so by swaying back and forth with its large pendulum tail, which gives its momentum and allows it to inch up swing by swing. It’s hook-like claws allow it to attach itself to the surface without doing any damage, which gives it stability and prepares for the next motion up. This stop-start climbing method is what monkeys, particularly gibbons, use to jump up on trees.

Recent tests showed ROCO climb up an 8-feet tall carpet wall in about 15 seconds, which is rather impressive. It moves up with 6.2 inches per second, but actually the most significant achievement was that it reached a 20% efficiency rate. This is only 5% less than a car engine. In previous experiments, the researchers said their biggest problem was making sure ROCO did not fall of the walls it was climbing, so this is a big improvement.

One of the assistant professors who worked on the project, William Provancher, has said that in the future, these robots can be used for climbing up and expecting tall buildings, bridges, nuclear facilities, and all kinds of other places where a human worker would be in danger. To accomplish such tasks, the robots will have to bulk-up in size, because right now it looks like a strong wind might be all that’s needed to knock them down.

Watch a video demonstration of the Utah robot climbing up a wall.