Unmanned ground vehicle track systems
First Claim
1. An unmanned ground vehicle comprising:
- a frame having right and left sides;
right and left track assemblies, each track assembly being coupled to a corresponding side of the frame in parallel with the other track assembly, each track assembly comprising;
a drive pulley coupled to the corresponding side of the frame; and
a track comprising a continuous flexible belt supported by the drive pulley, wherein the track comprises an interior surface engaged with the drive pulley and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, and wherein the exterior surface of the track comprises a plurality of flexible bristles; and
one or more drive motors configured to drive the drive pulleys of the right and left track assemblies;
wherein each track has a track width in a lateral direction extending between the right and left sides, and wherein, for each track, the exterior surface of the track comprises a plurality of rows of flexible bristles each extending across the track width in the lateral direction, and wherein, for each row of flexible bristles, a height of the flexible bristles tapers from a center of the row to left and right edges of the row.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This specification describes unmanned ground vehicle track systems. In some examples, an unmanned ground vehicle includes a frame having right and left sides and right and left track assemblies, each track assembly being coupled to a corresponding side of the frame in parallel with the other track assembly. Each track assembly includes a drive pulley coupled to the corresponding side of the frame and a track including a continuous flexible belt supported by the drive pulley. The track includes an interior surface engaged with the drive pulley and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, and the exterior surface of the track includes a plurality of flexible bristles. The unmanned ground vehicle includes one or more drive motors configured to drive the drive pulleys of the right and left track assemblies.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An unmanned ground vehicle comprising:
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a frame having right and left sides; right and left track assemblies, each track assembly being coupled to a corresponding side of the frame in parallel with the other track assembly, each track assembly comprising; a drive pulley coupled to the corresponding side of the frame; and a track comprising a continuous flexible belt supported by the drive pulley, wherein the track comprises an interior surface engaged with the drive pulley and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, and wherein the exterior surface of the track comprises a plurality of flexible bristles; and one or more drive motors configured to drive the drive pulleys of the right and left track assemblies; wherein each track has a track width in a lateral direction extending between the right and left sides, and wherein, for each track, the exterior surface of the track comprises a plurality of rows of flexible bristles each extending across the track width in the lateral direction, and wherein, for each row of flexible bristles, a height of the flexible bristles tapers from a center of the row to left and right edges of the row. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An unmanned ground vehicle comprising:
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a frame having right and left sides; right and left track assemblies, each track assembly being coupled to a corresponding side of the frame in parallel with the other track assembly, each track assembly comprising; a drive pulley coupled to the corresponding side of the frame; and a track comprising a continuous flexible belt supported by the drive pulley, wherein the track comprises an interior surface engaged with the drive pulley and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, and wherein the exterior surface of the track comprises a plurality of flexible vanes; and one or more drive motors configured to drive the drive pulleys of the right and left track assemblies; wherein each track has a track width in a lateral direction extending between the right and left sides, and wherein, for each track, the flexible vanes on the track extend away from the exterior surface of the track and each comprise an exterior edge opposite the exterior surface of the track; wherein, for each track, each flexible vane extends from a left edge of the track to a right edge of the track in the lateral direction; and wherein, for each flexible vane of each track, the exterior edge opposite the exterior surface of the track is undulated and follows a pattern that rises to right and left peaks from the right and left edges of the track. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An unmanned ground vehicle comprising:
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a frame having right and left sides; right and left track assemblies, each track assembly being coupled to a corresponding side of the frame in parallel with the other track assembly, each track assembly comprising; a drive pulley coupled to the corresponding side of the frame; and a track comprising a continuous flexible belt supported by the drive pulley, wherein the track comprises an interior surface engaged with the drive pulley and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, and wherein the exterior surface of the track comprises a plurality of flexible vanes; and one or more drive motors configured to drive the drive pulleys of the right and left track assemblies; wherein each track has a track width in a lateral direction extending between the right and left sides, and wherein, for each track, the flexible vanes on the track extend away from the exterior surface of the track and each comprise an exterior edge opposite the exterior surface of the track, and wherein, for each track, each flexible vane extends from a left edge of the track to a right edge of the track in the lateral direction; wherein, for each flexible vane of each track, the flexible vane tapers from a base of the flexible vane to a tip of the flexible vane on the exterior edge, and wherein a ratio between a height of the flexible vane to a thickness of the flexible vane in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the lateral direction is between 20;
1 and 8;
1.
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23. A method for controlling an unmanned ground vehicle to surmount an obstacle, the method comprising:
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approaching, by a controller sending control signals to one or more drive motors, the obstacle, wherein the unmanned ground vehicle comprises right and left track assemblies, each track assembly comprising a drive pulley driven by one of the one or more drive motors and a track comprising a continuous flexible belt supported by the drive pulley, wherein the track comprises an interior surface engaged with the drive pulley and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, and wherein the exterior surface of the track comprises a plurality of flexible bristles or vanes, wherein each track has a track width in a lateral direction extending between right and left sides of the unmanned ground vehicle, and wherein, for each track, the exterior surface of the track comprises a plurality of rows of flexible bristles each extending across the track width in the lateral direction, and wherein, for each row of flexible bristles, a height of the flexible bristles tapers from a center of the row to left and right edges of the row; and contacting, by the controller sending the control signals to the one or more drive motors and one or more flipper drive motors, the obstacle, wherein the unmanned ground vehicle comprises right and left flippers, each of the right and left flippers comprising a driven flipper track trained about a flipper drive pulley driven by the one or more flipper drive motors; and surmounting the obstacle by driving the one or more drive motors or the one or more flipper drive motors or both to generate traction between the obstacle and a subset of the plurality of flexible bristles or the plurality of flexible vanes.
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Specification