{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/83685"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/83685","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Using a ferro-fluid pad to climb walls","abstract":"The goal of this thesis is to build a wall climbing system that utilizes the viscosity property of ferrofluids. Ferrofluid viscosity is varies based on the magnetic field applied to it and this property enables ferrofluids to be used as an adhesive. This would allow a human, with a specially designed climbing gripper, to climb up walls by varying the magnetic field on the ferrofluid that sits between the gripping surface and the wall. While this concept sounds feasible, it is completely untested. The goal of this study was to create theoretical models of how a gripper would work, and then build a climbing gripper using the data from the models. We found that it is theoretically possible to build a ferrofluid climbing system that would allow a human to climb a wall. We then used finite element analysis to optimize a permanent magnet array. Finally, we designed, built, and tested a system around our analysis and found that the gripper did not work and the system was unable to carry any load.","abstract_html":"The goal of this thesis is to build a wall climbing system that utilizes the viscosity property of ferrofluids. Ferrofluid viscosity is varies based on the magnetic field applied to it and this property enables ferrofluids to be used as an adhesive. This would allow a human, with a specially designed climbing gripper, to climb up walls by varying the magnetic field on the ferrofluid that sits between the gripping surface and the wall. While this concept sounds feasible, it is completely untested. The goal of this study was to create theoretical models of how a gripper would work, and then build a climbing gripper using the data from the models. We found that it is theoretically possible to build a ferrofluid climbing system that would allow a human to climb a wall. We then used finite element analysis to optimize a permanent magnet array. Finally, we designed, built, and tested a system around our analysis and found that the gripper did not work and the system was unable to carry any load.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Buchman, Michael Rafael."],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Karl Iagnemma."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013","date_published":"2013","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:22Z","subjects":["Mechanical Engineering."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83685","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Karl Iagnemma."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Buchman, Michael Rafael."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-01-09T19:44:47Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-01-09T19:44:47Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Mechanical Engineering."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83685"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (page 31)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The goal of this thesis is to build a wall climbing system that utilizes the viscosity property of ferrofluids. Ferrofluid viscosity is varies based on the magnetic field applied to it and this property enables ferrofluids to be used as an adhesive. This would allow a human, with a specially designed climbing gripper, to climb up walls by varying the magnetic field on the ferrofluid that sits between the gripping surface and the wall. While this concept sounds feasible, it is completely untested. The goal of this study was to create theoretical models of how a gripper would work, and then build a climbing gripper using the data from the models. We found that it is theoretically possible to build a ferrofluid climbing system that would allow a human to climb a wall. We then used finite element analysis to optimize a permanent magnet array. Finally, we designed, built, and tested a system around our analysis and found that the gripper did not work and the system was unable to carry any load."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.B."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Using a ferro-fluid pad to climb walls"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Karl Iagnemma."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:creator":["Buchman, Michael Rafael."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-01-09T19:44:47Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-01-09T19:44:47Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013"],"dc:description":["Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (page 31)."],"dc:description.abstract":["The goal of this thesis is to build a wall climbing system that utilizes the viscosity property of ferrofluids. Ferrofluid viscosity is varies based on the magnetic field applied to it and this property enables ferrofluids to be used as an adhesive. This would allow a human, with a specially designed climbing gripper, to climb up walls by varying the magnetic field on the ferrofluid that sits between the gripping surface and the wall. While this concept sounds feasible, it is completely untested. The goal of this study was to create theoretical models of how a gripper would work, and then build a climbing gripper using the data from the models. We found that it is theoretically possible to build a ferrofluid climbing system that would allow a human to climb a wall. We then used finite element analysis to optimize a permanent magnet array. Finally, we designed, built, and tested a system around our analysis and found that the gripper did not work and the system was unable to carry any load."],"dc:description.degree":["S.B."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83685"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:title":["Using a ferro-fluid pad to climb walls"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:22Z"}