This paper describes the design and development of a rope climbing robot using four bar mechanism, which enables the robot to climb over an inclined ropeway. In this research, our main aim is to achieve a desired coupler curve using a four bar mechanism. The robot uses a pair of identical four bar mechanisms, with 180° phase shift. The robot has two inverted L-shaped legs on the front side and a supporting pulley on the rear, using these it traverses across the rope. Hence, the design structure and complexity is less than the four-legged robots.
Kinematic modeling is done using “Linkage” software and the desired coupler curve is obtained after simulation. The robot’s mechanism is built using customized acrylic linkages and the body by using foam board. The input crank in the four bar mechanism is driven by a geared DC motor. The Robot’s movement is controlled wirelessly by TX2/RX2 radio frequency module. The design, modeling and prototyping of the proposed rope climbing robot using the above principle are discussed in this paper.