Robotic Vehicle
First Claim
1. A robotic vehicle comprising:
- a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven tracks, each track trained about a corresponding front wheel rotatable about a front wheel axis;
right and left elongated flippers disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot about the front wheel axis of the chassis, each flipper having a driven track about its perimeter;
a payload deck configured to support a removable payload; and
a linkage connecting the payload deck to the chassis, the linkage having a first end rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot, and a second end rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot, both of the first and second pivots including independently controllable pivot drivers operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck with respect to the chassis.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic vehicle is disclosed, which is characterized by high mobility, adaptability, and the capability of being remotely controlled in hazardous environments. The robotic vehicle includes a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven tracks. Right and left elongated flippers are disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot. A linkage connects a payload deck, configured to support a removable functional payload, to the chassis. The linkage has a first end rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot, and a second end rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot. Both of the first and second pivots include independently controllable pivot drivers operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck with respect to the chassis.
130 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A robotic vehicle comprising:
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a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven tracks, each track trained about a corresponding front wheel rotatable about a front wheel axis;
right and left elongated flippers disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot about the front wheel axis of the chassis, each flipper having a driven track about its perimeter;
a payload deck configured to support a removable payload; and
a linkage connecting the payload deck to the chassis, the linkage having a first end rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot, and a second end rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot, both of the first and second pivots including independently controllable pivot drivers operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck with respect to the chassis. - View Dependent Claims (6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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2-5. -5. (canceled)
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7. (canceled)
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10-11. -11. (canceled)
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19-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A method of climbing a step with a robotic vehicle, the method comprising:
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providing a robotic vehicle comprising;
a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven tracks, each track trained about a corresponding front wheel rotatable about a front wheel axis;
right and left elongated flippers disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot about the front wheel axis of the chassis, each flipper having a driven track about its perimeter;
a payload deck configured to support a removable payload; and
a linkage connecting the payload deck to the chassis, the linkage having a first end rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot, and a second end rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot, both of the first and second pivots including independently controllable pivot drivers operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck with respect to the chassis;
pivoting the first and second flippers upward to engage the edge of the step;
positioning the center of gravity of the payload deck above the front end of the chassis;
pivoting the first and second flippers downward on the edge of the step to engage the top of the step and driving the vehicle forward;
moving the deck with respect to the chassis by rotating both the first and second pivots to position a center of gravity of the payload deck beyond the front end of the chassis; and
driving the vehicle forward to pull the chassis over the edge of the step.
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22-28. -28. (canceled)
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29. A robotic vehicle comprising:
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a chassis supporting a skid steered drive and having a leading end, a trailing end, and a center of gravity therebetween;
a set of driven flippers, each flipper having a pivot end, a distal end, and a center of gravity therebetween, and each flipper being pivotable about a first pivot axis common with a drive axis at the leading end of the chassis;
a linkage having a pivot end, a distal end, and a center of gravity therebetween, and pivotable about a second pivot axis substantially at the leading end of the chassis; and
a deck having a mid pivot point, a leading end, and a trailing end, and a center of gravity therebetween, and pivotable about a third pivot axis substantially at a distal end of the linkage. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. (canceled)
Specification