Abstract
This research investigates the peel force of electrostatic adhesion, or electroadhesion, based on the Kendall model. In the other adhesive materials such as adhesive tapes, the adhesive energy density is decided only by the property of the bonding interface, and its value can only be acquired by experiments. In the electrostatic adhesion, however, because the adhesive energy is generated by electric field, it can be calculated as electric energy and controlled by changing the voltage or the layout of the electrodes. Due to the absence of interface bond in electrostatic adhesion, the adhesive energy density does not change with the peel velocity, while other types of adhesion such as adhesive tapes do. As for electrostatic crawler-type climbing robots, the paper discusses solutions to strengthen the peel torque of the robot. The paper shows that the pretension force has an optimal value for maximum peel torque.
