Climbing robots face significant challenges when navigating unstructured environments, where reliable attachment to irregular surfaces is critical. We present a novel mobile climbing robot equipped with compliant pin-array structured grippers that passively conform to surface irregularities, ensuring stable ground gripping without the need for complicated sensing or control. Each pin features a vertically split design, combining an elastic element with a metal spine to enable mechanical interlocking with microscale surface features. Statistical modeling and experimental validation indicate that variability in individual pin forces and contact numbers are the primary sources of grasping uncertainty. The robot demonstrated robust and stable locomotion in indoor tests on inclined walls (10-30 degrees) and in outdoor tests on natural rocky terrain. This work highlights that a design emphasizing passive compliance and mechanical redundancy provides a practical and robust solution for real-world climbing robots while minimizing control complexity.

翻译：攀爬机器人在非结构化环境中导航时面临重大挑战，其中对不规则表面的可靠附着至关重要。我们提出了一种新型移动攀爬机器人，其配备顺应性针阵列结构夹持器，能够被动适应表面不规则性，无需复杂传感或控制即可确保稳定的地面抓握。每个针采用垂直分割设计，将弹性元件与金属脊柱相结合，以实现与微观表面特征的机械互锁。统计建模与实验验证表明，单个针力与接触数量的变异性是抓取不确定性的主要来源。该机器人在室内倾斜墙壁（10-30度）测试及户外自然岩石地形测试中均表现出鲁棒且稳定的运动性能。本研究表明，强调被动顺应性与机械冗余性的设计为现实世界攀爬机器人提供了一种实用且鲁棒的解决方案，同时最大限度地降低了控制复杂性。