Advice needed in building robot

Hi

I wonder if anyone has any ideas or advice about building a
pole-climbing robot. I'm doing some research for my MSc and have very
little experience in robot building. The requirements are listed below:


Essential Objectives
Device must be capable of ascending and descending a standard 12 m
octagonal lamp post five times from a start position of 1.70 m above
ground level.
Device must carry a miniature digital camera (18gm approx and around
2cm cubed) capable of wireless communication.
Device should have the capability to carry alternative loads of varying
dimensions and mass.
Device must be self contained and capable of semi-autonomous operation
or remote control operation.
Device must have excellent stability to enable quality recording of
visual images of the structure.
Must have capability to record visuals around a 360 degree panorama.
Must be able to manoeuvre around the structure in order to record
visuals of the full construction.
Device must be easy to transport (maximum 2 kg)
Desirable Objectives

Device should be capable of fully autonomous operation.
Device should be easy to use for an un-skilled operator.
Device should be flexible in design to allow functioning on pole
structures of alternative terrain, dimension and cross-section.
Device should be aerodynamic and visually appealing.

I have been researching a good deal about past projects along this
vein, however would greatly appreciate any details you may have about
similar projects and would be grateful if anyone could give any
opinions and advice on designs I am coming up with.  At the moment I am
still toying with design concepts for rubber wheeled systems, for
rubber tracked systems, for utilising magnets (as most but not all of
the pole surfaces it will be used on will be metal), or otherwise using
the grasping climbing motion.  There is only so much that can be got
out of books, so any help would be very welcome.

Regards,

Jane Cheung
MSc Design Engineering
Middlesex University
UK.