Patent ID: 8111500

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a body; and at least one electroadhesive device mechanically coupled to the body and configured to detachably adhere to a surface of a foreign substrate, the at least one electroadhesive device including: a deformable surface adapted to interface with the surface of the foreign substrate, wherein at least a portion of the deformable surface deforms when said at least one electroadhesive device adheres to the substrate, a first electrode configured to apply a first voltage at a first location of the deformable surface, a second electrode configured to apply a second voltage at a second location of the deformable surface, wherein the difference in voltage between the first voltage and second voltage includes an electrostatic adhesion voltage that produces an electrostatic force between the at least one electroadhesive device and the foreign substrate that is suitable to maintain a current position of the at least one electroadhesive device relative to the foreign substrate, and an insulation material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and configured to substantially maintain the electrostatic adhesion voltage difference between the first electrode and the second electrode.