WHEELED MOVING ROBOT

• US 20070132419A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sonoura, Takafumi, Hashimoto, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,397,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/568.120
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels

Abstract

A wheeled moving robot including a main body; wheels provided at least at opposite sides of the main body and configured to move the main body; an actuator configured to generate torque which rotates the wheels; a detector configured to detect whether the main body moves when the wheels rotates by the actuator; and a compensation unit configured to perform an auxiliary movement which pushes an auxiliary wheel in front or rear of the main body toward a floor based as a detection result of the detector.

Claims

1. A wheeled moving robot comprising:

a main body;

wheels provided at least at opposite sides of the main body and configured to move the main body;

an actuator configured to generate torque which rotates the wheels;

a detector configured to detect whether the main body moves when the wheels rotates by the actuator; and

a compensation unit configured to perform an auxiliary movement which pushes an auxiliary wheel in front or rear of the main body towards a floor based as a detection result of the detector.

2. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to control the torque of the actuator and the auxiliary movement of the compensation unit according to the detection result of the detector.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein:

the detector is configured to detect whether the main body moves based on a detection of rotation or a rotational speed of the wheels.

4. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the compensation unit comprises:

an electromagnetic solenoid configured to push the auxiliary wheel towards the floor when excited, and return the auxiliary wheel when unexcited.

5. The robot according to claim 2, wherein:

the controller is configured to increase the torque of the actuator until the detector detects a movement of the main body.

6. The robot according to claim 5, wherein:

the controller is configured to perform the auxiliary movement of the compensation unit, when the controller increases the torque of the actuator to a maximum and the detector fails to detect a movement of the main body.

7. The robot according to claim 6, wherein:

the controller is configured to perform the auxiliary movement two or more times, when the detector fails to detect a movement of the main body.

8. A wheeled moving robot comprising:

a main body;

main wheels provided at least at opposite sides of the main body and configured to move the main body;

an actuator configured to generate torque which rotates the wheels;

a detector configured to detect whether the main body moves when the wheels rotates by the actuator;

an auxiliary drive unit including at least one auxiliary wheel; and

a controller configured to actuate the auxiliary drive unit to push the auxiliary wheel in towards a floor based as a detection result of the detector.

9. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the auxiliary unit comprises:

a pair of auxiliary wheels associated with respective of the main wheels and disposed behind respective of the main wheels.

10. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the at least one auxiliary wheel has a smaller diameter than that of the main wheels.

11. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the auxiliary drive unit comprises:

a solenoid actuated by the controller and coupled to the at least one auxiliary wheel.