A new robot design could help build tall buildings where humans are in danger of falling.

The Hydras-Ascent prototype robot is designed to roll up poles, scaffolding or more complicated obstacles and may soon be lending construction workers and others a flexible hand.

Dennis Hong, director of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (Romela) at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, said that most snake-inspired robots have been engineered for sidewinding or moving on the ground.

While the Hydras-Ascent robot can unfold and move around on the ground, its main innovation is to use flexible universal joints to let the mechanical snake roll up poles, scaffolds and other structures. It can be used to reduce human injuries at construction sites by shooting up poles and doing work that might be risky such as visual inspections of high-rises or bridge piers.

Small electric motors generate an oscillating motion at the universal joints between each module.  This leads to a wobble along the entire length that allows the robot to roll up or down a pole or girder. X

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