Patent ID: 7155307

Claim:
A robotic apparatus for traversing a workpiece surface, said apparatus comprising: (a) a base, said base having a bottom side and an upper side; (b) a plurality of vacuum cups, each of said vacuum cups comprising (1) a foot, said foot having a low friction wear surface coating, (2) a sidewall comprising one or more resilient accordion pleats ( 34 ); (3) an outlet port, said outlet port having an inlet portion (4) a fluid limiting valve, said fluid limiting valve located in fluid communication with and adapted to at least partially close said outlet port when said vacuum cup experiences loss of vacuum; (c) at least three points of support for said base, said at least three points of support for said base, spacing said base apart from yet located close to the workpiece surface being traversed, so as to limit compression of said vacuum cups between said bottom side of said base and the surface being traversed, and (1) providing at least two contact points having driving traction relative to said workpiece surface being traversed; (2) providing at least one pivotable contact point adapted to allow said robotic device to turn along a direction of travel.