VertiGo: Disney’s New Wall Climbing Robot

VertiGo: Disney’s New Wall Climbing Robot

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Disney is known for its great family films, amusement parks, and even cruise lines, as well as snatching up many beloved franchises. The conglomerate’s research division, however, is busy developing many groundbreaking technologies. The newest fruit of this labour is a wall climbing robot called the VertiGo.

The VertiGo was developed in collaboration between ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich) and Disney Research Zurich. The division’s motto, “science at play,” really shines through in the VertiGo, with the robot looking a bit like a toy car, but packing in it much more than child’s play.

Apart from the usual four wheels – two of them steerable – the robot has two tiltable propellers that provide more than enough thrust for the robot to cling onto a wall. Each propeller is adjustable in two directions, so thrust can be directed where needed to give the VertiGo the agility it needs.

Here is how it looks:

The choice of two propellers is crucial. With only one, the robot would not be able to transition from floor to wall as easily as it does. During the transition, the rear propeller applies thrust towards the wall while the front propeller applies thrust upwards. This bi-directional thrust is what allows the VertiGo to perform the transition manoeuvre.

To reduce the weight of the machine, the VertiGo has a central baseplate made from carbon fibre, as well as carbon rods and 3D printed parts are used for complex structures such as wheels and wheel suspension.

Theoretically, the robot should be able to move along a ceiling, as well. It’s not yet clear, however, if the propellers can generate quite enough thrust for upside down travel.