Magnebots – a Magnetic Wheels Based Overhead Transportation Concept

This paper presents “Magnebots ”, a simple yet novel concept for overhead transportation. The system consists of vehicles with magnetic wheels that move on trackless ferromagnetic walls and ceilings, driven by on -board controllers and commanded by a central computer. Magnebots is designed to be a fundamentally simple technology that can fulfill many generic transportation needs including factory and hospital material handling and positioning of overhead equipment , with straightforward extension to use as overhead and floor-based toys. Robust mechanical hardware, performance enhancement by controls, and vehicle coordination by wireless communication illustrate a synergistic integration of various disciplines in the true spirit of mechatronics.