Multimodal agile robots

• US 20080230285A1
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Summers, Sean, Zhang, David, Moore, Joseph, Schmidt-Wetekam, Christopher, Ramirez, Mark, Dimatteo, Jeremiah, Bewley, Thomas R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,083,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/8.4
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/00 Stabilising vehicle bodies without controlling suspension arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/06 with only three wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/12 with variable number of ground engaging wheels, e.g. with some wheels arranged higher than others, or with retractable wheels for manoeuvring purposes only B60S

Abstract

Examples and implementations of various robotic mechanisms, apparatus, systems and techniques including multimodal robotic devices and systems

Claims

7-1. A method of operating the robot as in claim 1, comprising:

independently controlling the rotation of first and second pitch-axis reaction drive wheels to propel and steer the robot as a rover, either in a horizontal configuration (on three wheels) or an upright configuration (on two wheels), and further, using the torque of the two pitch axis wheel to transition between the horizontal and upright configurations.

11. A robot, comprising:

a robot frame;

an elongated rigid beam movably engaged to the robot frame as a hopping leg;

first and second pitch-axis reaction drive wheels engaged to the robot frame on two opposite sides to spin around a first rotation axis, wherein the first and second pitch-axis reaction drive wheels are positioned to stabilize the robot and to drive and move the robot, and wherein the first and second pitch-axis reaction drive wheels are independently powered, controlled and operated;

a roll-axis reaction drive wheel engaged to the robot frame to spin around a second rotation axis that is perpendicular to the first rotation axis around which the first and second pitch-axis reaction drive wheels spin and operable to balance the robot; and

a spring-loaded hopping propulsion device amounted to the hopping leg and the robot frame to comprise a linkage structure that engages the hopping leg to the robot frame and a hopping propulsion motor that causes a motion of the hopping leg relative to the robot frame.

12. The robot as in claim 11, wherein each of the first and second pitch-axis reaction drive wheels and the roll-axis reaction drive wheel is configured to comprise a drive motor and a portable power supply that energizes the drive motor to power the respective wheel.

13. The robot as in claim 12, wherein the portable power supply comprises at least one battery.

14. The robot as in claim 12, wherein the linkage structure of the spring-located hopping propulsion device comprises four linked bars.

15. The robot as in claim 12, further comprising:

a motion sensing module mounted to the robot frame and operable to detect a motion and orientation of the robot.

16. The robot as in claim 15, wherein the motion sensing module comprises at least one accelerometer and one gyroscope.

17. The robot as in claim 16, wherein the motion sensing module comprises:

three accelerometers for measurements along three orthogonal directions; and

three gyroscopes for measurements along three orthogonal directions.