A Comparative Survey of Climbing Robots and Arboreal Animals in Scaling Complex Environments

The inchworm-style climbing robot present in current literature will only take us so far towards the robotic maintenance of transmission towers. To continue to push toward developing robots that can perform work in reticular structures we must consider a broader spectrum of animals for inspiration. The abilities of Primates in climbing have long been a benchmark in climbing standards, but due to the mechanical and control complexity associated with their development, they are seldom seen in robotics. Birds (specifically Psittaciformes) offer an alternate solution, utilising less degrees-of-freedom whilst maintaining stability and maneuverability. These ancient arboreal specialists may hold they keys to unlocking the next stage in the development of climbing robotics. This work presents lessons learned from a review on primates as well as some preliminary observations on the climbing capabilities of Psittaciformes.