ENERGY EFFICIENT ROBOTIC SYSTEM

• US 20080290743A1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kalik, Steven F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/37
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/06 other than of endless-walk type
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1892 Generators with parts oscillating or vibrating about an axis

Abstract

An energy efficient biped robotic system with passive-dynamic locomotion includes a body having a frame. An energy recapture mechanism is suspended within the frame. The energy recapture mechanism includes a load, a mechanical energy storage mechanism that interconnects the load and the frame, and a guide means secured to the load and the frame. A mechanical energy input mechanism interconnects the load with an electric energy generating mechanism. An output means transfers the generated electric energy to an energy storage device. The robot also includes a leg connected to the body portion. The cyclical movement of the leg during passive-dynamic locomotion is transferred to the load through the mechanical energy storage mechanism, and the resulting oscillatory movement of the load is transferred by the mechanical energy input mechanism to the electric energy generating mechanism. The generated electric energy is transferred to the energy storage device for use by the robotic system.

Claims

1. An energy efficient biped robotic system with passive-dynamic locomotion comprising:

a body portion, wherein the body portion includes a frame;

an energy recapture mechanism suspended within said frame, wherein said energy recapture mechanism includes a load, a mechanical energy storage mechanism interconnecting said load and said frame, a guide means secured to said load for guiding movement of said load with respect to said frame, a mechanical energy input mechanism interconnecting said load with an electric energy generating mechanism for generating electric energy from a mechanical motion of the load, and an output means for transferring the generated electric energy to an energy storage device;

a leg connected to said body portion, wherein a cyclical movement of said leg during passive-dynamic locomotion is transferred to said load through the mechanical energy storage mechanism, and an oscillatory movement of said load resulting from the cyclical movement of said leg is transferred by said mechanical energy input mechanism as a mechanical energy input to said electric energy generating mechanism to generate electric energy, and the generated electric energy is transferred to said energy storage device for use by the robotic system.

2. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said robotic system includes an arm operatively connected to said body portion.

3. The robotic system as set forth in claim 2 wherein said arm swings in counter opposition to said leg during locomotion.

4. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frame includes a front frame section and a rear frame section, each having an upper frame member, a lower frame member, a side frame member interconnecting said upper frame member and said lower frame member, and cross members interconnecting the front frame section with the rear frame section.

5. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said oscillatory motion is vertically oriented.

6. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said energy recapture mechanism is horizontally oriented, and the oscillatory motion is horizontally oriented.

7. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said energy recapture mechanism captures rotational motion, and the oscillatory motion drives the energy generating mechanism rotationally.

8. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said load and said energy storage device are a battery.

9. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising two legs, wherein each leg includes two leg members interconnected by a knee actuator, and a lower end of said second leg member is interconnected to a foot by an ankle actuator.

10. The robotic system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the spring loading of the load during locomotion generates a periodic upward movement that alternately unweights each of the legs to increase walking efficiency.

11. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mechanical energy storage mechanism is selectively tunable.

12. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide means is a vertically oriented rod extending between said upper frame member and said lower frame member, and said load moves with respect to said guide means.

13. The robotic system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electric energy generating means is a generator, and a toothed beam interconnects said load with a pinion gear operatively connected to said generator.

14. An energy efficient biped robotic system with passive-dynamic locomotion comprising:

a body portion, wherein the body portion includes a frame;

an energy recapture mechanism suspended within said frame, wherein said energy recapture mechanism includes an energy storage device, a spring interconnecting said energy storage device and said frame, a guide means secured to said energy storage device for guiding movement of said energy storage device with respect to said frame, a mechanical energy input mechanism interconnecting said energy storage device with an electric energy generating mechanism for generating electric energy from a mechanical motion of the energy storage device, and an output means for transferring the generated electric energy to said energy storage device;

a pair of legs connected to said body portion, wherein a cyclical movement of said legs during passive-dynamic locomotion is transferred to said energy storage device through the spring, and an oscillatory movement of said energy storage device resulting from the cyclical movement of said leg is transferred by said mechanical energy input mechanism as a mechanical energy input to said electric energy generating means to generate electric energy, and the electric energy is transferred to said energy storage device for use by the robotic system.

15. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 further comprising an arm operatively connected to said body portion, wherein said arm swings in counter opposition to said legs during locomotion.

16. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said frame includes a front frame section and a rear frame section, each having an upper frame member, a lower frame member, a side frame member interconnecting said upper frame member and said lower frame member, and cross members interconnecting the front frame section with the rear frame section.

17. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said oscillatory motion is vertically oriented.

18. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said energy recapture mechanism is horizontally oriented and the oscillatory motion is horizontally oriented.

19. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said energy recapture mechanism captures rotational motion, and the oscillatory motion drives the energy generating mechanism rotationally.

20. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said legs includes two leg members interconnected by a knee actuator, and a lower end of said second leg member is interconnected to a foot by an ankle actuator.

21. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said energy storage device is a battery.

22. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the spring loading of said energy storage device during locomotion generates a periodic upward movement that alternately unweights each of the legs to increase walking efficiency.

23. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said spring is selectively tunable.

24. The robotic system as set forth in claim 23 wherein said spring is adaptively updated in real time.

25. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said guide means is a vertically oriented rod extending between said upper frame member and said lower frame member, and said load moves with respect to said rod.

26. The robotic system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said mechanical energy input mechanism is a toothed beam, and said electric energy generating means is a generator, and said toothed beam interconnects said energy storage device with a pinion gear operatively connected to said generator.

27. An energy efficient biped robotic system with passive-dynamic locomotion comprising:

a body portion, wherein the body portion includes a frame having a front frame member and a rear frame member, each having an upper frame member, a lower frame member, a side frame member interconnecting said upper frame member and said lower frame member, and cross members interconnecting the front frame member with the rear frame member;

an arm operatively connected to said body portion;

an energy recapture mechanism suspended between said upper frame member and said lower frame member, wherein said energy recapture mechanism includes an energy storage device, at least one upper spring disposed between said energy storage device and said upper frame member, and at least one lower spring disposed between said energy storage device and said lower frame member, a guide means secured to said energy storage device for guiding movement of said energy storage device with respect to said frame, a mechanical energy input mechanism interconnecting said energy storage device with an electric energy generating mechanism for generating electric energy from a mechanical motion of the load, and an output means for transferring the generated electric energy to said energy storage device;

a pair of legs connected to said body portion, wherein a cyclical movement of said legs during passive-dynamic locomotion is transferred to said energy storage device through the springs, and the oscillatory movement of said energy storage device resulting from the cyclical movement of said leg is transferred by said mechanical energy input mechanism as a mechanical energy input to said electric energy generating means to generate electric energy, and the electric energy is transferred to said energy storage device for use by the robotic system.

28. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said arm swings in counter opposition to said legs during locomotion.

29. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said oscillatory motion is vertically oriented.

30. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said oscillatory motion is horizontally oriented.

31. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said energy recapture mechanism captures rotational motion, and the oscillatory motion drives the energy generating mechanism rotationally.

32. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said guide means is a vertically oriented rod extending between said upper frame member and said lower frame member, and said load moves with respect to said rod.

33. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said mechanical energy input mechanism is a toothed beam, and said energy generating means is a generator, and said toothed beam interconnects said energy storage device with a pinion gear operatively connected to said generator.

34. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein the spring loading of said energy storage device during locomotion generates a periodic upward movement that alternately unweights each of the legs to increase walking efficiency.

35. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said energy storage device is a battery.

36. The robotic system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said spring is selectively tunable.

37. The robotic system as set forth in claim 36 wherein said spring is adaptively updated in real time.