Abstract: A vacuum adsorber includes a base (4); an adsorption member (3) attached to the base and made from an elastic material so as to have a vacuum cavity (2) with an opening (3a) on a side opposite to the base; a slider (5) having a friction face (7) and a periphery sliding along a side wall of the vacuum cavity; a spring member (15) provided within the vacuum cavity for biasing the slider toward the opening; a vacuum tube (6) for connecting the vacuum cavity to a vacuum source; and a through-hole (8) provided on the friction face for allowing fluids to enter the vacuum cavity.

Abstract: A robot traveling on wall face is capable of advancing or retreating on the wall face in a stable manner with a quick change-over of its traveling direction with the help of a plurality of movable adsorption discs designed for a close contact with the wall face, and a pair of fixed adsorption rods, while commencing to be moved by drive motors. The adsorption force by these movable adsorption discs is constantly so large that no worry of dropping the robot from the wall surface is needed. The frictional resistance of each frictional surface promotes contact between the robot and the wall face. Thereby, the robot works on the wall in a safe manner, instead of human workers.