Robot and method for traversing vertical obstacles

• US 10,239,378 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2018
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starship Technologies Ou (Starship Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starship Technologies Ou (Starship Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liivik, Ivo, Liivik, Mart, Liivik, Tiit
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Karen
• Application Number:
  US15/912,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20180194411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/019 characterised by the type of sensor or the arrangement thereof B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/02 Trucks; Load vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/07 Off-road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/20 Toys
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/954 Wheelbase
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/21 Traction, slip, skid or slide control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 5/00 Resilient suspensions for a set of tandem wheels or axles having interrelated movements
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 5/01 the set being characterised by having more than two successive axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/00 Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects ambulances or other vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00; hearses A61G21/00; fire-fighting land vehicles A62C27/00; refuse-collecting vehicles B65F3/00, B65F7/00; snow-removing vehicles E01H; armoured or armed vehicles F41H7/00; self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles F41H11/16
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/10 with more than four wheels tractors of the low ground pressure type B62D49/002
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robot has a robot body on a frame structure, the robot body having at least one enclosed space to hold at least one delivery item. At least one sensing device detects objects along a direction of motion of said robot. The robot has six wheels, where at least two wheels on a side of the frame are connected to each other. The axis of rotation of each wheel is substantially fixed with respect to the robot during forward, rearward, and turning motion of the robot. During transition, via a substantially vertical obstacle, from a first substantially horizontally surface to a second substantially horizontally surface higher than the first substantially horizontally surface, one of the connected wheels causes an upward or a downward force to be applied to the other connected wheel.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

(A) a robot body on a frame structure, said robot body having at least one enclosed space;

(B) at least one sensing device constructed and adapted to detect objects along a direction of motion of said robot; and

(C) six wheel mechanisms, comprising;

(C)(1) on a left side of said frame structure;

(i) a left front wheel mechanism including a left front wheel,

(ii) a left rear wheel mechanism including a left rear wheel, and

(iii) a left middle wheel mechanism including a left middle wheel and positioned between the left front wheel and the left rear wheel, and,

(C)(2) on a right side of said frame structure;

(iv) a right front wheel mechanism including a right front wheel,

(v) a right rear wheel mechanism including a right rear wheel, and

(vi) a right middle wheel mechanism including a right middle wheel, positioned between the right front wheel and the right rear wheel, wherein

at least two of the wheel mechanisms on a side of the frame structure are connected to each other, wherein,

(x) when said robot is standing on or moving along a substantially horizontal surface,

(i) the wheels are substantially horizontally aligned with respect to the substantially horizontal surface, and

(ii) a weight of said robot is borne, at least in part, by at least one of said left front wheel and said right front wheel, and wherein,

(y) during a transition, via at least one substantially vertical obstacle, from a first surface to a second surface higher than said first surface,

(a) the left middle wheel and the right middle wheel are transiently displaced towards or away from the robot body, and

(b) said weight of said robot is borne, at least in part, by at least one of said left front wheel and said right front wheel, and wherein

(z) each wheel has an axis of rotation, each said axis of rotation remaining substantially fixed with respect to the robot during forward, rearward, and turning motion of said robot,

wherein, during said transition from said first surface to said second surface, at least one of the left middle wheel and the right middle wheel is lifted,

wherein at least two of the wheels are driven by individual axles.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein each of the wheels is driven by an individual axle.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein at least two of the wheels are individually driven.

4. The robot of claim 3, wherein the six wheels are each individually driven.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the wheels are driven by multiple motors.

6. The robot of claim 5, wherein at least some of the multiple motors are located on axles.

7. The robot of claim 6, wherein at least some of the multiple motors are located in at least some of the wheels.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein at least two of said six wheels are attached to corresponding piston devices.

9. The robot of claim 8, wherein each of said six wheels is attached to a corresponding piston device.

10. The robot of claim 9, wherein at least one of said piston devices is constructed and adapted to drive at least one attached wheel in a vertical direction with respect to the ground.

11. The robot of claim 1, wherein the enclosed space is constructed and adapted to hold at least one delivery item.

12. The robot of claim 1 having a center of mass located between the middle of the robot and the front end of the robot.

13. The robot of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wheel mechanisms comprises a motor-driven device adapted to apply at least one of a downward force and an upward force through a corresponding at least one wheel, to facilitate traversal of said at least one substantially vertical obstacle by said robot.

14. The robot of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensing device comprises one or more of:

a Lidar sensor and a camera system.

15. The robot of claim 1, wherein an upward force or a downward force applied to the other connected wheel mechanism causes vertical movement of a rotational center of a wheel associated with the other connected wheel mechanism.

22. The robot of claim 1, wherein, during said transition, one of the connected wheel mechanisms causes an upward or downward force to be applied to the other connected wheel mechanism.

16. A robot comprising:

(A) a robot body on a frame structure, said robot body having at least one enclosed space constructed and adapted to hold at least one delivery item;

(B) at least one sensing device to detect objects along a direction of motion of said robot, wherein said at least one sensing device comprises one or more of;

(i) a Lidar sensor; and

(ii) a camera system; and

(C) six wheels including;

(i) two front wheels comprising;

a first front wheel on a first side of said frame structure and a second front wheel on a second side of the frame structure,

(ii) two rear wheels comprising;

a first rear wheel on the first side of the frame structure and a second rear wheel on a second side of the frame structure,

(iii) two middle wheels comprising;

a first middle wheel, on the first side of the frame structure and between the first front wheel and the first rear wheel, and a second middle wheel, on the second side of the frame structure and between the second front wheel and the second rear wheel,

wherein said first front wheel is on a first front axle, said first middle wheel is on a first middle axle, and said first rear wheel is on a first rear axle, and wherein

at least two wheels on the first side of the frame structure are connected to each other, and wherein

at least two of said wheels are attached to corresponding piston devices, and wherein

the wheels are driven by multiple motors, and wherein

each wheel has an axis of rotation, said axis of rotation remaining substantially fixed with respect to the robot during forward, rearward, and turning motion of said robot, and wherein,

when said robot is standing on or moving along a substantially horizontal surface, a weight of said robot body is borne, at least in part, by at least one of said front wheels, and wherein

during a transition, via a substantially vertical obstacle, from a first substantially horizontal surface to a second substantially horizontal surface higher than said first substantially horizontal surface,

(a) at least one of the middle wheels is transiently displaced towards or away from the robot body; and

(b) when said front wheels are on said second substantially horizontal surface and said middle wheels are on said first substantially horizontal surface, said weight of said robot body is borne, at least in part, by at least one of said front wheels and at least one of said rear wheels,

wherein, during said transition from said first substantially horizontal surface to said second substantially horizontal surface, an upward force or a downward force causes a rotational center of the first middle wheel to be raised, and

wherein at least two of the wheels are driven by individual axles.

17. The robot of claim 16, wherein least two wheels on the first side of the frame structure that are connected to each other are directly connected.

23. The robot of claim 16, wherein, during said transition, one of the connected wheels causes an upward force or a downward force to be applied to the other connected wheel.

31. The robot of claim 16, wherein the six wheels are each individually driven.

32. The robot of claim 16, further comprising:

during said transition, at least one of a downward force and an upward force is applied to at least one of said wheels by actuating a motor-driven device.

33. The robot of claim 16, wherein, during said transition from said first substantially horizontal surface to said second substantially horizontal surface, an upward force or a downward force causes a rotational center of at least one of the two middle wheels to be raised.

18. A method of operating a robot having:

(A) a robot body on a frame structure, said robot body having at least one enclosed space;

(B) at least one sensing device constructed and adapted to detect objects along a direction of motion of said robot; and

(C) six wheel mechanisms, comprising;

(C)(1) on a left side of said frame structure;

(i) a left front wheel mechanism including a left front wheel, (ii) a left rear wheel mechanism including a left rear wheel, and (iii) a left middle wheel mechanism including a left middle wheel and positioned between the left front wheel and the left rear wheel, and (C)(2) on a right side of said frame structure;

(iv) a right front wheel mechanism including a right front wheel, (v) a right rear wheel mechanism including a right rear wheel, and (vi) a right middle wheel mechanism including a right middle wheel, positioned between the right front wheel and the right rear wheel, wherein at least two of the wheel mechanisms on a side of the frame structure are connected to each other, wherein at least two of the wheels are driven by individual axles,

the method comprising;

(a) moving said robot in a forward direction along a first substantially horizontal surface;

(b) in response to said robot encountering a substantially vertical obstacle between said first substantially horizontal surface and a second substantially horizontal surface higher than said first substantially horizontal surface, traversing said substantially vertical obstacle, wherein, during transition, via said obstacle, from said first substantially horizontal surface to said second substantially horizontal surface, (i) the left middle wheel and the right middle wheel are transiently displaced towards or away from the robot body, and (ii) a weight of said robot is borne, at least in part, by one or more of;

said left front wheel and said right front wheel; and

(c) during the traversing of the substantially vertical obstacle, causing at least one of said left middle wheel and said right middle wheel to be lifted,

wherein each wheel has an axis of rotation, each said axis of rotation remaining substantially fixed with respect to the robot during forward, rearward, and turning motion of said robot.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, when said robot is standing on or moving along a substantially horizontal surface, the wheels are substantially horizontally aligned with respect to the substantially horizontal surface.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

(d) turning said robot to change a direction of forward movement of said robot,

wherein, during said turning, the axis of rotation of each wheel remains substantially fixed with respect to the robot.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the connected wheel mechanisms further comprises a motor-driven device, and wherein the method further comprises:

during the traversing of the substantially vertical obstacle, applying at least one of a downward force and an upward force to at least one wheel by actuating the motor-driven device.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein, during said transition, one of the connected wheel mechanisms causes a force to be applied to the other connected wheel mechanism.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein the six wheels are each individually driven.

25. A robot comprising:

(A) a robot body on a frame structure, said robot body having at least one enclosed space constructed and adapted to hold at least one delivery item, said robot body having a weight;

(B) at least one electronic sensing device to detect objects along a direction of motion of said robot; and

(C) six wheels including;

(i) two front wheels consisting of a left front wheel on a left side of said frame structure and a right front wheel on a right side of said frame structure,

(ii) two rear wheels consisting of a left rear wheel on the left side of said frame structure and a right rear wheel on the right side of said frame structure,

(iii) two middle wheels consisting of;

a left middle wheel, on the left side of the frame structure and between the left front wheel and the left rear wheel, and a right middle wheel, on the right side of the frame structure and between the right front wheel and the right rear wheel, wherein

each of said six wheels has an axis of rotation that remains substantially fixed with respect to the robot during forward, rearward, and turning motion of said robot, and wherein,

during a transition, via a vertical obstacle, from a first horizontal surface to a second horizontal surface higher than said first horizontal surface,

(I) at least one of the middle wheels is transiently displaced towards or away from the robot body; and

(II) while (a) the front wheels are on the second horizontal surface, and (b) the middle wheels are not on the second horizontal surface, the weight of said robot body is borne, at least in part, by at least one of the front wheels,

wherein, while (x) the front wheels are on the second horizontal surface, and (y) the middle wheels are not on the second horizontal surface, the weight of said robot body is borne, at least in part, by the front wheels and the rear wheels,

wherein at least two of the wheels are driven by individual axles.

26. The robot of claim 25, wherein at least two of said six wheels are attached to corresponding piston devices.

27. The robot of claim 26, wherein at least one of said piston devices is constructed and adapted to drive at least one attached wheel in a vertical direction with respect to the ground.

28. The robot of claim 25, having a center of mass located between the middle of the robot and the front end of the robot.

29. The robot of claim 25, further comprising:

during traversing of said vertical obstacle, applying at least one of a downward force and an upward force to at least one of said wheels by actuating a motor-driven device.

30. The robot of claim 25, wherein, during said transition from said first horizontal surface to said second horizontal surface, an upward force or a downward force causes a rotational center of at least one of the two middle wheels to be raised.

35. The robot of claim 25, wherein the six wheels are each individually driven.