Gunshot detection stabilized turret robot

• US 20090281660A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Murray, James, Rufo, Michael, Schmidt, Mads, Mangolds, Arnis
• Granted Patent: US 9,366,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/24 Turret gun mountings feeding, loading or guiding ammunition F41A9/00; mechanical elevating or traversing systems for turret guns F41A27/18
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/147 based on detection of a firing weapon
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/06 Guntraps devices specially adapted for the protection against criminal attack in airplanes B64D45/0015; burglar traps or the like, on safes E05G5/02; identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves, or intruders G08B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/00 Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/005 Unmanned ground vehicles, i.e. robotic, remote controlled or autonomous, mobile platforms carrying equipment for performing a military or police role, e.g. weapon systems or reconnaissance sensors F41H11/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile, remotely controlled robot comprising a robot drive subsystem for maneuvering the robot, a turret on the robot, a turret drive for moving the turret, a noise detection subsystem for detecting the probable origin of a noise, a robot position and movement sensor subsystem, a turret position sensor subsystem, and one or more processors, responsive to the noise detection subsystem, the robot position and movement sensor subsystem. The turret position sensor subsystem is configured to control the turret drive to orient the turret to aim a device mounted thereto at the origin of the noise and to maintain said aim as the robot moves.

Claims

1. A mobile, remotely controlled robot comprising:

a robot drive subsystem for maneuvering the robot;

a turret on the robot;

a turret drive for moving the turret;

a noise detection subsystem for detecting the probable origin of a noise;

a robot position and movement sensor subsystem;

a turret position sensor subsystem; and

one or more processors, responsive to the noise detection subsystem, the robot position and movement sensor subsystem, and the turret position sensor subsystem, configured to control the turret drive to orient the turret to aim a device mounted thereto at the origin of the noise and to maintain said aim as the robot moves.

2. The robot of claim 1 in which the noise detection subsystem includes a gunshot detection subsystem configured to detect the origin of a gunshot and to provide the coordinates of the origin to the one or more processors.

3. The robot of claim 1 further including an initiation subsystem for activating a device mounted to the turret and the one or more processors are configured to provide an output to the initiation subsystem to activate the device upon receiving a signal from the detection subsystem.

4. The robot of claim 1 in which the device mounted to the turret includes a source of illumination.

5. The robot of claim 4 in which the source of illumination is a lamp.

6. The robot of claim 4 in which the source of illumination is a laser.

7. The robot of claim 1 in which the device mounted to the turret includes a weapon.

8. The robot of claim 7 further including a weapon fire control subsystem for firing the weapon.

9. The robot of claim 1 further including an operator control unit for remotely controlling the robot.

10. The robot of claim 1 in which the one or more processors include:

a central processing unit responsive to the noise detection subsystem, the robot position and movement sensor subsystem, and the turret position sensor subsystem, configured to calculate the movement of the turret required to keep the device aimed at the origin of the noise, and

a turret drive controller responsive to the central processing unit and configured to control the turret drive.

11. The robot of claim 10 in which the turret drive controller is also responsive to the robot position and movement sensor subsystem and is configured to control the turret drive between updates provided by the calculation processor.

12. The robot of claim 1 in which the robot position and movement sensor subsystem includes a GPS receiver and motion sensors.

13. The robot of claim 1 in which the turret drive includes motors for rotating and elevating the turret.

15. The robot of claim 1 in which the processing electronics includes one or more of a GPS receiver, a rate gyro, a fiber optic gyro, a 3-axis gyro, a single axis gyro, a motion controller, and an orientation sensor.

16. The robot of claim 9 further including a directional communication subsystem for providing communication between at least two robots.

14. The robot of claim 14 in which the turret position sensor subsystem includes encoders.

17. A mobile, remotely controlled gunshot detection stabilized turret robot comprising:

a robot drive subsystem for maneuvering the robot;

a turret on the robot;

a turret drive for moving the turret;

a gunshot detection subsystem for detecting the origin of a gunshot and determining the coordinates thereof;

a robot position and movement sensor subsystem;

a turret position sensor subsystem; and

one or more processors, responsive to the gunshot detection subsystem, the robot position and movement sensor subsystem, and the turret position sensor subsystem, configured to control the turret drive to orient the turret to aim a device mounted thereto at the origin of the noise and to maintain said aim as the robot moves.