Physical modeling system for constructing and controlling articulated forms with motorized joints

• US 20060100739A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Ishii, Hiroshi, Raffle, Hayes Solos, Parkes, Amanda Jane
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/08 characterised by modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1617 Cellular, reconfigurable manipulator, e.g. cebot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40302 Dynamically reconfigurable robot, adapt structure to tasks, cellular robot, cebot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40304 Modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45007 Toy

Abstract

A “construction set” consisting of active and passive parts connected by joints that can be manipulated to form an movable articulated assembly representing things like animals and skeletons. Each active part includes a position sensor for acquiring and storing position data specifying a sequence of positions assumed by the active part as the assembly is reshaped, and a controllable drive motor for moving the active part relative to a connected part in accordance with the position data.

Claims

1. A trainable modular robot comprising:

one or more active modules and one or more passive modules, each of said active and each of said passive modules consisting of a body member and one or more fixed fasteners for rigidly attaching said body member of to the body member of one or more other modules to form a rigid articulated structure,

each of said active modules further comprising, in combination,

a movable fastener for movably attaching said body member a further module not included in said rigid articulated structure to form a combined structure that can be manually reshaped,

a position sensor for acquiring and storing position data specifying a sequence of positions assumed by further module as said combined structure is manually reshaped, and

a controllable drive motor coupled to said movable fastener for moving said further module relative to said rigid articulated structure in accordance with said position data.

2. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fixed fasteners are positioned on each of said the body members such that said rigid articulated structure conforms to a cubic or tetrahedral crystal geometry.

3. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said passive modules used to form said rigid articulated structure is selected from a collection of passive modules of different shapes including straight, T-shaped. L-shaped or a tetrahedronal elbow shape bent an angle of 108 degrees.

4. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 3 wherein said each of said differently shaped passive modules in said selection exists in two different sizes.

5. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 4 wherein said two different sizes are proportioned in the scale ratio of 2 to 3 based on the Fibonacci relationship.

6. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said passive modules includes a fixed fastener located centrally on said body member for rigidly attaching said body member to another module that extends outwardly from said body member.

7. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fixed fasteners are positioned on each of said the body members such that any two modules attached to a given module are aligned with one another at an angle of either 180, 108, or 90 degrees to form linear, heptagonal, or cubic structures respectively.

8. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 7 wherein said each of said differently shaped passive modules in said selection exists in two different sizes.

9. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 8 wherein said two different sizes are proportioned in the scale ratio of 2 to 3 based on the Fibonacci relationship.

10. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 9 wherein each of said passive modules includes a fixed fastener located centrally on said body member for rigidly attaching said body member to another module that extends outwardly from said body member.

11. A trainable modular robot as set forth in claim 1 wherein each given active module includes a peer-to-peer communications interface for accepting commands from another of said active modules, including one or more commands establishing a recording time interval during the position sensor in said given module acquires and stores said position data, and one or more further commands establishing a playback interval during which said controllable drive motor in said given module moves said further module in accordance with said position data.

12. A construction set comprising components that can be connected together by fixed and movable joints to form an articulated assembly that moves,

each of said fixed joints comprising means for attaching two components together to form a rigid structure, and

each of said movable joints comprising, in combination:

a position sensor for detecting and storing sequential position data that specifies the relative movement of the two components connected by said movable joint during a recording interval,

a controllable drive for moving said two components relative to one another during a playback interval subsequent to said recording interval to replicate said the relative movement of said two components as specified by said sequential position data,

manually adjustable control means for modifying the operation of said controllable drive to vary the motion of said two components during said playback interval, and

a peer-to-peer communications interface for exchanging command signals and sequential position data with other movable joints in said construction set.

13. A construction set as set forth in claim 12 wherein said means for adjusting the operation of said controllable drive varies the amplitude of the relative movement of said two components.

14. A construction set as set forth in claim 12 wherein said means for adjusting the operation of said controllable drive varies the speed of the relative movement of said two components.

15. A construction set as set forth in claim 12 wherein said means for adjusting the operation of said controllable drive varies the timing of said playback interval relative to the playback interval of other movable joints in said construction set.

16. A construction set as set forth in claim 12 wherein one of said movable joints transmits a start recording command to other movable joints via said peer-to-peer communications interface to initiate said recording interval for a plurality of said movable joints at substantially the same time.

17. A construction set as set forth in claim 12 wherein one of said movable joints transmits a start playback command to other movable joints via said peer-to-peer communications interface to initiate said playback interval for a plurality of said movable joints at substantially the same time.

18. A construction set as set forth in claim 17 wherein one of said movable joints transmits a start recording command to other movable joints via said peer-to-peer communications interface to initiate said recording interval for a plurality of said movable joints at substantially the same time.

19. A construction set as set forth in claim 12 wherein one of said movable joints transmits sequential position data command to other movable joints via said peer-to-peer communications interface whereby a plurality of said movable joints are conditioned to move in similar ways.

20. A construction set as set forth in claim 19 wherein said plurality of said movable joints are conditioned to move in similar ways but at different times.

21. A construction set as set forth in claim 19 wherein said plurality of said movable joints are conditioned to move in similar ways but at different speeds.

22. A construction set as set forth in claim 19 wherein said plurality of said movable joints are conditioned to move in similar ways but by different amplitudes.

23. Apparatus capable of programmed movement comprising, in combination,

a plurality of substantially rigid sections connected together by movable motor-driven joints to form an articulated structure that may be manually manipulated to assume different shapes,

a position sensor for producing motion specification data indicative of the recorded motion of a first of said joints during a motion recording interval, and

means for controlling all of said joints in said articulated structure to move in accordance with said motion specification data to simulate said recorded motion of said first of said joints for all of said joints.

24. Apparatus capable of programmed movement as set forth in claim 23 wherein said means for controlling all of said joints includes means for controlling said joints to move at different times.

25. Apparatus capable of programmed movement as set forth in claim 23 wherein said means for controlling all of said joints includes means for controlling said joints to move at different speeds.

26. Apparatus capable of programmed movement as set forth in claim 23 wherein said means for controlling all of said joints includes means for controlling said joints to move by different amounts.

27. Apparatus capable of programmed movement as set forth in claim 23 wherein at least some of said rigid sections consist of a plurality of parts connected together by fixed fasteners.

28. Apparatus capable of programmed movement as set forth in claim 27 wherein each of said parts is selected from an available collection of parts of different shapes including straight, T-shaped. L-shaped or elbow-shapes bent an angle of 108 degrees for forming sections having cubic or tetrahedronal crystal structures.