Leech-inspired soft robot can climb walls

Scientists have developed a soft, flexible robot that resembles a leech and can climb up a wall.

Wall climbing robots have a wide range of potential application, including building inspection and maintenance, and search and rescue tasks at disaster sites.

The team from Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan and University of Cambridge in the UK created LEeCH (Longitudinally Extensible Continuum-robot inspired by Hirudinea) with material used for shower hose, and two suction cups.

Climbing straight up vertical walls is fairly easy to accomplish, however, in reality, the robot may have to navigate over obstacles on the wall such as steps and transition to walls with different directions, researchers said.

The hardest task is to reach the other side of the wall. A robot capable of climbing up to the top of the wall has to face extreme difficulty in traversing the summit over to the other side.

"I came up with the idea in the bathroom of my house. The shower hose went wild as if it ..