@article{dabek2026magnetic,
  title = {Magnetic Climbing Robots for Industrial Inspection: Adhesion, Locomotion, and Surface Adaptation},
  author = {Eliza DABEK and Mariusz GIERGIEL and Tomasz BURATOWSKI and Bartlomiej BONARand Piotr MALKA},
  year = 2026,
  url = {https://ibimapublishing.com/articles/CIBIMA/2026/540288/},
  journal = {Communications of the IBIMA},
  volume = 2026,
  pages = 12,
  doi = doi.org/10.5171/2026.540288,
  abstract = {Magnetic climbing robots allow for inspection, maintenance, and cleaning of ferromagnetic structures where manual access is hazardous, costly, or impractical. Existing studies emphasize different aspects of robot design, making it difficult to identify common relationships between adhesion strategy, locomotion architecture, and surface geometry. This paper reviews magnetic climbing robot designs reported between 2020 and 2025, focusing on their adhesion strategies, locomotion architectures, and adaptation to different surface geometries. The reviewed systems include magnetic modules mounted in the chassis, magnetic wheels and tracks, legged platforms with magnetic feet, and crawling mechanisms. They are compared with respect to adhesion arrangement, drive principle, adaptation to planar and curved surfaces, and the ability to negotiate welds, corners, and transitions between planes. Among the reviewed systems, wheeled platforms are the most common, combining continuous motion with relatively simple mechanical construction. Tracked, legged, crawling, and articulated platforms can provide greater adaptability to complex surface geometries but usually require more complex mechanical structures or control. The reviewed designs reveal several common engineering challenges, including maintaining sufficient adhesion without restricting mobility, enabling controlled detachment, preserving contact on surfaces with varying curvature, and negotiating surface transitions without loss of stability. Overall, the review highlights the main design considerations that link adhesion, mobility, and surface adaptation when selecting a magnetic climbing architecture for industrial inspection.},
  keywords = {magnetic adhesion; climbing robot; magnetic wheels; magnetic tracks; industrial inspection; literature review},
  note = Article ID: 540288
}