Gadget Master

ROCR from the University of Utah climbs carpeted walls with very little effort.

The trick is a swinging action, and two claws.

The brainchild of Mechanical Engineer William Provancher, the half kilo machine is 30cm wide and can climb at more than 8m/s.

Until now, says Provancher, the prime design objective of most robots was not falling off.

Taking the two-big-hooks-and-carpet-approach has made gripping easy, allowing him to concentrate on an efficient climbing style - achieving 20% efficiency which Provancher says is pretty good.

To move, a motor drives a gear at the top of the tail, causing the tail to swing back and forth, with the battery at the end of the tail providing the mass necessary to swing the robot upward.

The curved stabiliser girder helps keep the hooks engaged.