Disney’s research arm has developed a robot capable of transitioning from the ground to the wall.

Dubbed VertiGo, the wall climbing robot was created in collaboration between Disney Research Zurich and Switzerland’s ETH Zurich university.

The four-wheel prototype uses two tiltable propellers that provide thrust to move the robot onto the wall and then to keep it there as it manoeuvres around the vertical surface. One set of the robot's wheels are steerable, and each propeller has two degrees of freedom for adjusting the direction of thrust.

The robot offers new capability for moving devices, extending the ability for robots to travel through both urban and indoor environments, something Disney could incorporate into its theme parks as part of immersive technology on rides, or use in its shows to create seemingly impossible effects. Developer Paul Beardsley told IEEE Spectrum that while he couldn’t discuss why Disney was developing VertiGo, one such use could be “robots with lighting effects for entertainment or wall games.”

Weight on the VertiGo has been minimised by using a central carbon-fibre baseplate. In addition, 3D-printed parts have been used and carbon-rods are used for more complex structures, such as the wheels and wheel suspension.

The robot works with two infrared distance sensors mounted on the front to estimate the robot's orientation in space, while the two propellers control speed and direction.

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