Robots do all sorts of things, but climbing walls seems to be a goal engineers can't live without. Meet the Waalbot which is fitted with gecko-like micro fiber feet that can stick to vertical and ceiling surfaces. In addition, the legs are wheeled with three feet that can rotate and cruise over surface curvature and even grab onto other walls at right angles. Unlike other wall-climbing robots, this one is small and light, and given its diminutive size, capacity varies depending on the surface type and size of feet. Using a PIC microcontroller and wireless controls along with batteries, Waalbot is designed to be completely autonomous and untethered.

[Via Engineering TV]

International Climbing Machines' Climber certainly isn't the first of its kind, but we'll admit, this thing can handle some pretty daunting tasks. After successfully lasting through a number of field deployments this year, this wall climber is reportedly ready to take on the world in assignments such as "climbing the surfaces of C-5 / C-137 airplanes, decontaminating a vessel in a Nuclear Power Plant and removing paint from concrete walls for the Department Of Energy." Apparently, this iteration trumps many similar alternatives due to its ability to scale ceilings, rounded / rough surfaces and overcome obstacles that protrude up to 1-inch from a given surface. The rig can be controlled from the ground with a handheld remote, and attachments can be added for painting, cleaning, drilling or just capturing imagery from above. Mum's the word on pricing, but feel free to check out a couple more shots after the jump.

[Via Gizmag]

While not the first wall climbing machine we've come across, Vortex's VRAM Mobile Robot Platform (VMRP) machine weds ascension and undercover surveillance in fine fashion. Aimed at law enforcement tasks, military missions, and fanatical hobbyists, this clinger is remotely controlled with the capacity to add "onboard intelligence and sensors to monitor VMRP status and health." It utilizes a vortex vacuum to suction itself to vertical surfaces, and then relies on the wheels to get it movin'. Moreover, this bot was built to withstand mild weather hazards and communicate wirelessly back to the user, and its ability to wield microphones, video cameras, and proximity sensors make this the ultimate eavesdropping tool. Sadly, we've no idea how much it'd take to get one of these in your needy palms, but free free to indulge in the video waiting after the break.

[Via OhGizmo]

Sure, Spider-Man is great and all, but is all the emotional, moral and relational drama really worth it when you could just spend a few thousand on this here City Climber which does about the same thing? The robot, being developed by Jizhong Xiao and his team at the City College of New York, is targeted at New York City's mandate that requires building facades to be inspected every five years. Manual inspection usually involves suspended scaffolding and costs around $5000 a day, more than Jizhong hopes to sell his City Climber for outright. The bot clings to all sorts of surfaces using a vacuum motor to create the pressure it needs to hold on. Weighing in at 2.2 pounds, the device can carry a payload up to four times its own weight, so it shouldn't have much trouble towing along a camera or two for building inspections. By linking dual Climber modules with a hinged arm, the bot is capable of rounding 90 degree corners, or moving from a wall to the roof. Test runs should be happening this summer, spidey sense to follow next year.

[Thanks, William]