Magnetic Omnidirectional Wheel for Ferromagnetic Surface Cleaning Robots

Abstract

Robots for cleaning/inspecting surfaces ferromagnetic are used to guarantee safety and speed. The robot’s versatility is by using magnetic fields to obtain adhesion on a ferromagnetic surface. However, there are limitations to the magnetic force and maneuverability of the robot. This article aims to present the development of a magnetic mecanum omni wheel, using additive manufacturing to generate extra magnetic force to assist robots in adhering to ferromagnetic surfaces with high maneuverability. For this, we realized studies about the magnetic arrangement, topological optimization, structural analyses, and practical tests to determine the magnetic force until obtaining the final wheel concept.