5 Degress of freedom mobile robot

• US 20040138547A1
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Laby, Keith Phillip, Southard, Jonathan, Wang, Yulun, Jordan, Charles S., Cuevas, James, Medus, Mike, Butner, Steven Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/372 Details of monitor hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels

Abstract

A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot with at least five degrees of freedom and a teleconferencing function. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform provides three degrees of freedom to allow the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient. The robot also has mechanisms to provide at least two degrees of freedom for the camera.

Claims

1. A robot, comprising:

a housing;

a platform that is attached to said housing and has three degrees of freedom;

a camera coupled to said housing;

a monitor coupled to said housing;

a first device that moves said camera in a fourth degree of freedom; and

,

a second device that moves said camera in a fifth degree of freedom.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein said first device moves said monitor.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein said second device moves said monitor.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein said platform is a holonomic platform.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein said camera pivots about a pivot axis.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein said camera spins about a spin axis.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein the pivot axis intersects the spin axis.

8. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

9. The robot of claim 1, wherein said first and second devices each include an electric motor.

10. A robot, comprising:

a housing;

a platform that is attached to said housing and has three degrees of freedom;

a camera coupled to said housing;

a monitor coupled to said housing;

first movement means for moving said camera in a fourth degree of freedom; and

,

second movement means for moving said camera in a fifth degree of freedom.

11. The robot of claim 10, wherein said first movement means moves said monitor.

12. The robot of claim 10, wherein said second movement means moves said monitor.

13. The robot of claim 10, wherein said platform is a holonomic platform.

14. The robot of claim 10, wherein said camera pivots about a pivot axis.

15. The robot of claim 10, wherein said camera spins about a spin axis.

16. The robot of claim 10, wherein the pivot axis intersects the spin axis.

17. The robot of claim 10, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

18. The robot of claim 10, wherein said first and second movement means each include an electric motor.

19. A robot, comprising:

a housing;

a platform that is attached to said housing and has three degrees of freedom;

a camera coupled to said housing so that said camera can pivot about a pivot axis and spin about a spin axis;

a monitor coupled to said housing;

a first actuator coupled to said housing and said camera; and

,

a second actuator coupled to said housing and said camera.

20. The robot of claim 19, wherein said first actuator is an electric motor.

21. The robot of claim 19, wherein said second actuator is an electric motor.

22. The robot of claim 19, wherein said platform is a holonomic platform.

23. The robot of claim 19, wherein the pivot axis intersects the spin axis.

24. The robot of claim 19, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

25. The robot of claim 19, wherein said first and second actuators are coupled to said monitor.

26. A method for operating a robot, comprising:

moving a robot along a surface in three degrees of freedom, the robot having a camera and a monitor;

moving the camera of the robot in a fourth degree of freedom; and

,

moving the camera in a fifth degree of freedom of the robot.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the fourth degree of freedom is pivoting the camera about a pivot axis and the fifth degree of freedom is spinning the camera about a spin axis.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the monitor moves in the fourth and fifth, degrees of freedom.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising wirelessly transmitting instructions to the robot.

30. A robotic system, comprising:

a remote station; and

,

a robot coupled to said remote station, said robot including a platform that has three degrees of freedom and a camera and a monitor, said camera can move in a fourth degree of freedom and a fifth degree of freedom.

31. The robot system of claim 30, wherein said remote station includes a computer.

32. The robot system of claim 31, wherein said remote station includes an input device.

33. The robot system of claim 30, wherein said robot includes a wireless transceiver.

34. The robot system of claim 33, further comprising a base station coupled to said wireless transceiver and said remote station.

35. The robot system of claim 30, wherein said monitor moves in the fourth and fifth degrees of freedom.

36. A robot head, comprising:

a housing;

a camera coupled to said housing so that said camera can pivot about a pivot axis and spin about a spin axis;

a monitor coupled to said housing;

a first actuator coupled to said housing and said camera; and

,

a second actuator coupled to said housing and said camera.

37. The robot head of claim 36, wherein said first actuator is an electric motor.

38. The robot head of claim 36, wherein said second actuator is an electric motor.

39. The robot head of claim 36, wherein the pivot axis intersects the spin axis.

40. The robot head of claim 36, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

41. The robot head of claim 36, wherein said monitor pivots about the pivot axis and spins about the spin axis.

42. A robot head, comprising:

a housing;

a camera coupled to said housing;

a monitor coupled to said housing;

first movement means for pivoting said camera about a pivot axis; and

,

second movement means for spinning said camera about a spin axis.

43. The robot head of claim 42, wherein said first movement means pivots said monitor.

44. The robot head of claim 42, wherein said second movement means spins said monitor.

45. The robot head of claim 42, wherein the pivot axis intersects the spin axis.

46. The robot head of claim 42, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing.

47. The robot head of claim 42, wherein said first and second movements means include an electric motor.

48. A method for operating a robot head, comprising:

pivoting a camera of a robot head about a pivot axis, the robot head also having a monitor; and

,

spinning the camera of the robot head about a spin axis.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising pivoting and spinning the monitor.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising wirelessly transmitting instructions to the robot.

51. A robotic system, comprising:

a remote station; and

,

a robot head coupled to said remote station, said robot head including a camera and a monitor, said camera can pivot about a pivot axis and spin about a spin axis.

52. The robot system of claim 51, wherein said remote station includes a computer.

53. The robot system of claim 52, wherein said remote station includes an input device.

54. The robot system of claim 51, wherein said robot head includes a wireless transceiver.

55. The robot system of claim 54, further comprising a base station coupled to said wireless transceiver and said remote station.

56. The robot system of claim 51, wherein said monitor pivots about the pivot axis and spins about the spin axis.