A Survey on Magnetic Wall-Climbing Robots for Inspection

Ferromagnetic surfaces in the industry such as Gas and oil tanks require periodical inspections for detection of cracks, corrosion, material degradation and welding defects. The workers carrying on these operations have to face hazardous environments and this process is time-consuming. A climbing robot would ease these processes by eliminating the risks of the employees and will improve the inspection time considerably. Thus, the magnetic adhesion remains a growing application area of research in mobile robots for non-destructive testing of various surfaces. Design of such robots requires equipping them with proper locomotion, adhesion mechanisms and the right adaptation for carrying the appropriate tools and sensors. This paper presents the survey of the magnetic systems for the wall climbing robots for inspection with the comprehensive detailing of classification, locomotion and its applications.