Autonomous surface crawling robot

An apparatus for crawling over a surface, the apparatus comprising:

• a chassis with a symmetrical design comprising a plurality of tracked wheel platforms on one pair of opposite sides of the chassis, a plurality of battery powered motors mounted on the chassis;
• each tracked wheel platform from the plurality of tracked wheel platforms comprises a plurality of wheels functioning as a drive-slave wheel assembly, operated by the plurality of battery powered motors, to provide grip to, and movement of the apparatus along the surface;
• a drive wheel among the plurality of wheels connected to a plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies through a continuous loop mechanism, wherein the drive wheel transfers motion from the plurality of battery powered motors to the continuous loop mechanism to drive the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies in a closed path;
• and
• a closed loop flexible cam profile and a closed loop flexible guide rail serving as a dual flexible cam profile assembly, wherein the dual flexible cam profile assembly is configured to a) define movement path of the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies, and b) periodically create, and release vacuum to control operation of mechanical actuation of the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies, wherein
• a) the closed loop flexible guide rail defines the movement path of each of a plurality of cylinders of the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies driven by the continuous loop mechanism,
• b) the closed loop flexible cam profile defines an inward-outward position of each of a plurality of pistons of the plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies,
• c) each of the closed loop flexible guide rail and the closed loop flexible cam profile comprises a pair of spring assemblies, along with a pair of flexible spring extension assemblies, each on vertically opposite side of each of the pair of spring assemblies, which enables to synchronously contract or stretch each of the closed loop flexible guide rail and the closed loop flexible cam profile providing flexibility to retain surface contact when a curved surface is encountered,
• d) a spring load in each of the plurality of pistons is configured to retain the vacuum when dents are encountered on the surface, and
• e) a plurality of roller bearings in the closed loop flexible guide rail and the closed cam profile to transfer load for the mechanical actuation.