The GEKKO Principle: inspired by Nature
What is the GEKKO principle?
Robots from SERBOT are able to work on smooth, inclined areas – due to the GEKKO principle. We studied the feet of geckos and transformed their principle in a technically feasible solution. We had to solve two problems: the fixation and the walking. For the first one we use suction cups, which look like inversed tea cups. They are able to lower themselves individually and to suck to smooth surfaces.
How are the suction cups arranged?
A dozen or more suction cups are arranged in the form of a D or its mirror image. A belt moves the cups along the D-form. They can lower themselves along the curved sectors or along the straight sectors of the D.
How does the robot walk?
Now we can solve the second problem, the walking. If the suction cups on the straight lines fix themselves to the ground and the belt tries to move them, the robot moves! It walks forward or backward. Imagine a person on a skateboard, trying to pull a rope backwards, which is fixed to the ground in front of the board: the skateboard is moving forward. If the suction cups on the curvature fix themselves and the belt tries to move them, the robot turns: clockwise if the belt tries to move counter clockwise and vice versa.
