Robotic Vehicle with Dynamic Range Actuators
First Claim
1. A robotic vehicle comprising:
- a chassis having front and rear ends;
an electric power source supported by the chassis; and
multiple drive assemblies supporting the chassis, each drive assembly comprising;
a track trained about a corresponding drive wheel; and
a drive control module comprising;
a drive control housing;
a drive motor carried by the drive control housing and operable to drive the track; and
a drive motor controller in communication with the drive motor and comprising;
a signal processor; and
an amplifier commutator in communication with the drive motor and the signal processor and capable of delivering both amplified and reduced power to the drive motor from the power source.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic vehicle including a chassis having front and rear ends, an electric power source supported by the chassis, and multiple drive assemblies supporting the chassis. Each drive assembly including a track trained about a corresponding drive wheel and a drive control module. The drive control module including a drive control housing, a drive motor carried by the drive control housing and operable to drive the track, and a drive motor controller in communication with the drive motor. The drive motor controller including a signal processor and an amplifier commutator in communication with the drive motor and the signal processor and is capable of delivering both amplified and reduced power to the drive motor from the power source. In one instance, the drive control module is separately and independently removable from a receptacle of the chassis as a complete unit.
-
Citations
34 Claims
-
1. A robotic vehicle comprising:
-
a chassis having front and rear ends; an electric power source supported by the chassis; and multiple drive assemblies supporting the chassis, each drive assembly comprising; a track trained about a corresponding drive wheel; and a drive control module comprising; a drive control housing; a drive motor carried by the drive control housing and operable to drive the track; and a drive motor controller in communication with the drive motor and comprising; a signal processor; and an amplifier commutator in communication with the drive motor and the signal processor and capable of delivering both amplified and reduced power to the drive motor from the power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A robotic vehicle comprising:
-
a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven drive tracks, each drive 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 flipper track; a flipper actuator module supported by the chassis and operable to rotate the flippers; at least one drive module supported by the chassis and operably connected to drive at least one of the drive and flipper tracks; a payload deck configured to support a 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, the first and second pivots including respective linkage actuator modules operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots to control orientation of the payload deck with respect to the chassis; wherein the track drive modules and actuator modules each comprise; a module housing; a motor supported by the module housing; and a motor controller supported by the module housing and in communication with the motor; wherein the linkage actuator modules are each separately and independently removable as complete units; and wherein the track drive modules and the flipper actuator module are each separately and independently removable from respective receptacles of the chassis as complete units. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A method of controlling a robotic vehicle, the method comprising:
-
providing a robotic vehicle comprising; a chassis having front and rear ends; at least one electric power source supported by the chassis; and a drive assembly supporting the chassis and driven by a drive control module, the drive control module comprising; a drive control housing; a drive motor carried by the drive control housing and operable to drive the drive assembly; and a drive motor controller in communication with the drive motor and comprising; a signal processor; and an amplifier commutator in communication with the drive motor and the signal processor; and providing a robot controller with a power management control logic that recognizes a power source type and monitors an available power level, the robot controller communicating drive commands to the signal processors of each drive control module based on the power source type and the available power level. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
Specification