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Navigation of biped wall-climbing robots using BIM and ArUco markers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2025

Shichao Gu Open the ORCID record for Shichao Gu [Opens in a new window] ,
Ziyang Fu ,
Weinan Chen ,
Yisheng Guan ,
Hongmin Wu ,
Xuefeng Zhou  and
Haifei Zhu
Shichao Gu
Affiliation:
Guangzhou Maritime University, Guangzhou, China School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China Institute of Intelligent Manufacturing, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China Guangdong Key Laboratory of Modern Control Technology, Guangzhou, China
Ziyang Fu
Affiliation:
School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Weinan Chen
Affiliation:
School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Yisheng Guan
Affiliation:
School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Hongmin Wu
Affiliation:
Institute of Intelligent Manufacturing, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China Guangdong Key Laboratory of Modern Control Technology, Guangzhou, China
Xuefeng Zhou
Affiliation:
Institute of Intelligent Manufacturing, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China Guangdong Key Laboratory of Modern Control Technology, Guangzhou, China
Haifei Zhu*
Affiliation:
School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
*
Corresponding author: Haifei Zhu; Email: hfzhu@gdut.edu.cn
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Abstract

Biped wall-climbing robots (BWCRs) serve as viable alternatives to human workers for inspection and maintenance tasks within three-dimensional (3D) curtain wall environments. However, autonomous climbing in such environments presents significant challenges, particularly related to localization and navigation. This paper presents a pioneering navigation framework tailored for BWCRs to navigate through 3D curtain wall environments. The framework comprises three essential stages: Building Information Model (BIM)-based map extraction, 3D climbing path planning (based on our previous work), and path tracking. An algorithm is developed to extract a detailed 3D map from the BIM, including structural elements such as walls, frames, and ArUco markers. This generated map is input into a proposed path planner to compute a viable climbing motion. For path tracking during actual climbing, an ArUco marker-based global localization method is introduced to estimate the pose of the robot, enabling adjustments to the target foothold by comparing desired and actual poses. The conducted experiments validate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed navigation framework and associated algorithms, aiming to enhance the autonomous climbing capability of BWCRs.

Keywords

biped wall-climbing robotenvironment maplocalizationclimbing path correctionBIMArUco marker

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Robotica , Volume 43 , Issue 2 , February 2025 , pp. 743 - 763
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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