Floor reaction detector of legged mobile robot

• US 20040238240A1
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gomi, Hiroshi, Hirose, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0091 Shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence

Abstract

In a legged mobile robot having at least a body and a plurality of legs each connected to the body through a first joint and a foot each connected to a distal end of each of the legs through a second joint, a floor reaction force detector is installed between the second joint and a contact end of the foot. More specifically, an upper portion of the floor reaction force detector is connected at a location near the second joint, and the contact end of the foot or thereabout is constituted by a spring mechanism that is lower in rigidity than a member constituting the second joint or thereabout such that a lower portion of the floor reaction force detector is connected to the contact end through the spring mechanism. With this, it becomes possible to provide the floor reaction force detector that can improve detection accuracy of the floor reaction force and prevent the performance of control from being degraded, while enabling to maintain a stable posture during standing and to decrease the impact at foot landing.

Claims

1-10. -10. (Cancelled).

11. A floor reaction force detector of a legged mobile robot having at least a body and a plurality of legs each connected to the body through a first joint, for detecting the floor reaction force acting from a floor surface through a contact end of each foot connected to a distal end of each of the legs through a second joint, wherein the improvement comprises:

the floor reaction force detector is installed between the second joint and the contact end of the foot, and one end of the floor reaction force detector is connected at a location near the second joint, and the contact end of the foot or thereabout is constituted by a member that is lower in rigidity than a member constituting the second joint or thereabout, such that other end of the floor reaction force detector is connected to the member having the lower rigidity.

12. A detector according to claim 11, wherein the member having the lower rigidity comprises a spring mechanism, and the floor reaction force detector is connected to the contact end of the foot through the spring mechanism.

13. A detector according to claim 12, wherein the spring mechanism includes at least two of elastic members, and the floor reaction force detector is installed between the at least two of elastic members.

14. A detector according to claim 13, wherein the at least two of elastic members are arranged in such a manner that they have a predetermined positional relationship with each other in a direction in which the robot advances, and the floor reaction force detector is installed between the elastic members are arranged to have the predetermined positional relationship with each other.

15. A detector according to claim 13, wherein the at least two of elastic members are arranged in such a manner that they have a predetermined positional relationship with each other in a direction that orthogonally intersects the direction in which the robot advances and a direction of gravity, and the floor reaction force detector is installed between the elastic members arranged to have the predetermined positional relationship with each other.

16. A detector according to claim 12, wherein the spring mechanism includes n (n≧

3) numbers of elastic members, and the floor reaction force detector is installed at a center of gravity of n-sided polygon whose vertexes are formed by the elastic members, when viewed from a sole of the foot.

17. A detector according to claim 13, wherein one of the elastic members located at a position rearwards from the floor reaction force detector in a direction in which the robot advances, is made higher in rigidity than that located at a position forwards from the floor reaction force detector in that direction.

18. A detector according to claim 14, wherein one of the elastic members located at a position rearwards from the floor reaction force detector in a direction in which the robot advances, is made higher in rigidity than that located at a position forwards from the floor reaction force detector in that direction.

19. A detector according to claim 16, wherein one of the elastic members located at a position rearwards from the floor reaction force detector in a direction in which the robot advances, is made higher in rigidity than that located at a position forwards from the floor reaction force detector in that direction.

20. A detector according to claim 13, wherein one of the elastic members located at a position outer than the floor reaction force detector in a direction which orthogonally intersects the direction in which the robot advances and a direction of gravity, is made higher in rigidity than that located at a position inner than the floor reaction force detector in that direction.

21. A detector according to claim 15, wherein one of the elastic members located at a position outer than the floor reaction force detector in a direction which orthogonally intersects the direction in which the robot advances and a direction of gravity, is made higher in rigidity than that located at a position inner than the floor reaction force detector in that direction.

22. A detector according to claim 16, wherein one of the elastic members located at a position outer than the floor reaction force detector in a direction which orthogonally intersects the direction in which the robot advances and a direction of gravity, is made higher in rigidity than that located at a position inner than the floor reaction force detector in that direction.

23. A detector according to claim 11, wherein an insulator is disposed around the floor reaction force detector.