Design and Development of a Staircase Climbing Robot

Lim, Jian Bang (2025) Design and Development of a Staircase Climbing Robot. Final Year Project (Diploma), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

This project presents the design and development of a staircase-climbing robot aimed at overcoming the limitations of traditional wheeled robots in navigating multi-level environments, particularly for delivery applications. The main objective was to create a cost-effective, reliable robot that can ascend and descend standard staircases while carrying payloads. A rocker-bogie mechanism was selected for its simplicity, stability, and adaptability to uneven terrain. The robot was modeled in SolidWorks and fabricated using 3D-printed PLA components, driven by six DC motors and three servo motors, and controlled wirelessly via Arduino microcontrollers and nRF24L01 transceivers. Performance testing showed that the robot could climb stairs up to 26.5 cm high while carrying loads of up to 2.25 kg. However, issues such as structural deformation at higher loads and wheel bounce during rapid movementwere observed. To address these challenges, future improvements include implementing a bevel gear system to replace the differential bar, integrating shock absorbers, and using stronger materials like carbon-fiber-reinforced PLA. The results demonstrate the robot’s feasibility as a lightweight, stair-capable delivery system and offer a foundation for future enhancements in multi-terrain robotics.