MOBILE ROBOT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110266076A1
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Morey, Christopher Lynn, Rudakevych, Pavlo, Gossage, Garran M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/9.32
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/06 with tracks without ground wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Mobile robot systems and methods are provided. At least one tracked mobile robot has a first end comprising a first pair of wheels, a second end comprising a second pair of wheels, an articulated arm coaxial with the first pair of wheels, and a driven support surface surrounding the first pair of wheels and the second pair of wheels. The at least one mobile robot surmounts obstacles and performs additional maneuvers alone and in combination with at least one other mobile robot.

Claims

1. A stair climbing method for a tracked mobile robot having a first end comprising a first pair of wheels, a second end comprising a second pair of wheels, a center of gravity between the first end and the second end, at least one articulated arm coaxial with the first pair of wheels such that the first pair of wheels and the articulated arm can rotate freely relative to each other, and a driven support surface surrounding the first pair of wheels and the second pair of wheels, the method comprising:

driving the support surface to propel the robot along a ground surface until the first end contacts a riser of an obstacle;

rotating the at least one articulated arm in a first direction to contact the ground surface to lift the second end over the center of gravity to contact an upper portion of the riser;

driving the support surface to propel the second end of the robot up and over the obstacle riser until the center of gravity of the robot surmounts the obstacle; and

rotating the at least one articulated arm in a second direction to trail the robot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein driving the support surface to propel the second end of the robot up and over the obstacle riser comprises continuing to rotate the at least one articulated arm in the first direction to lift the first end of the robot above the ground surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the at least one articulated arm in a second direction comprises rotating the at least one articulated arm in a second direction to clear the surmounted obstacle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot substantially fits within a bounding volume approximately 7 inches long by 5 inches wide by 2 inches tall.

5. A method for balancing a tracked mobile robot having a first end comprising a first pair of wheels surrounded by a track, an articulated arm coaxial with the first pair of wheels such that the first pair of wheels and the articulated arm can rotate freely relative to each other, a second end comprising a second pair of wheels surrounded by the track, a center of gravity between the first end and the second end, and a sensor to determine the relative orientation of the first end and the second end, the method comprising:

rotating the articulated arm in a first direction to contact the ground to raise the second end substantially above the center of gravity;

balancing the robot with only a portion of the track surrounding the first pair of wheels in contact with the ground while maintaining the second end substantially above the center of gravity according to data from the sensor;

rotating the articulated arm in a second direction to disengage the arm from the ground; and

driving the track to move the robot using only the portion of the track surrounding the first pair of wheels in contact with the ground while maintaining the second end substantially above the center of gravity according to data received from the sensor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein rotating the articulated arm further comprises:

rotating the articulated arm in a second direction to disengage the arm from the ground and to move the articulated arm to a stowed position.

7. The robot of claim 5, wherein when the second end is maintained substantially above the center of gravity, the robot is rotatable about an axial line extending from the first end to the second end.

8. The robot of claim 7, wherein the robot is rotatable about the axial line within a sweep volume defined by the track.

9. A mobile robot system, comprising:

a first robotic vehicle comprising

a first end comprising a first pair of wheels, a second end comprising a second pair of wheels, and a first driven support surface surrounding the first and second pair of wheels to propel the first vehicle in the direction of the first and second ends of the first vehicle;

a second robotic vehicle comprising

a first end oriented toward the second end of the first vehicle and comprising a third pair of wheels, a second end oriented away from the first vehicle and comprising a fourth pair of wheels, and a second driven support surface surrounding the third and fourth pair of wheels to propel the second vehicle in the direction of the first and second ends of the second vehicle; and

a connecting member rotatably connected to the second end of the first vehicle to be coaxial with the second pair of wheels and rotatably connected to the first end of the second vehicle to be coaxial with the third pair of wheels, the connecting member being rotatable about the axis of the second pair of wheels by the first vehicle and rotatable about the axis of the third pair of wheels by the second vehicle such that the connecting member and each pair of wheels can rotate freely relative to each other.

10. The mobile robot system of claim 9, wherein the first and second driven support surfaces are configured to drive the first and second vehicles to raise the second end of the first vehicle and the first end of the second vehicle while the connecting member maintains a separation between the second end of the first vehicle and the first end of the second vehicle.

11. The mobile robot system of claim 9, wherein when the second end of the first vehicle and the first end of the second vehicle are raised, the first and second driven supports propel the robot system to rotate within a sweep volume defined by the first and second driven support surfaces.

12. A method for operating a mobile robot system to surmount an obstacle, the mobile robot system comprising a first vehicle having a first end comprising a first pair of wheels, a second end comprising a second pair of wheels, and a first driven support surface surrounding the first and second pairs of wheels, a second vehicle having a first end oriented toward the second end of the first vehicle and comprising a third pair of wheels, a second end oriented away from the first vehicle and comprising a fourth pair of wheels, and a second driven support surface surrounding the third and fourth pairs of wheels, and a connecting member rotatably connected to the first vehicle coaxial with the second pair of wheels and to the second vehicle coaxial with the third pair of wheels such that the connecting member and each pair of wheels can rotate freely relative to each other, the method comprising:

driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces to move the first vehicle and the second vehicle toward the obstacle until the first vehicle contacts the obstacle;

driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces to propel the first vehicle to ascend the obstacle;

rotating the connecting member in at least one of a first direction by the first vehicle and a second direction by the second vehicle while the first vehicle ascends the obstacle;

driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces and rotating the connecting member by at least one of the second vehicle in a third direction opposite to the second direction and by the first vehicle in a fourth direction opposite to the first direction while the first vehicle surmounts the obstacle to raise the first end of the second vehicle by the connecting member;

driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces when the first vehicle surmounts the obstacle until the connecting member contacts the obstacle at a point of contact;

driving the second support surface while maintaining the orientation of the connecting member relative to the first and second vehicles to rotate the connecting member about the point of contact until the second support surface contacts the obstacle;

rotating the connecting member by at least one of the first vehicle in the first direction and the second vehicle in the third direction until the first support surface engages the obstacle;

driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces and rotating the connecting member by the first vehicle in the first direction until the second vehicle begins to surmount the obstacle; and

driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces and rotating the connecting member by at least one of the first vehicle in a fourth direction opposite to the first direction and by the second vehicle in the second direction when the second vehicle surmounts the obstacle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces to move the first vehicle and the second vehicle toward the obstacle until first vehicle contacts obstacle comprises:

rotating the connecting member by the first vehicle in the first direction to raise the first end of the first vehicle and driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces to move the first vehicle and the second vehicle toward the obstacle until first vehicle contacts obstacle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein driving the second support surface while maintaining the orientation of the connecting member relative to the first and second vehicles to rotate the connecting member about the point of contact until second support surface contacts the obstacle comprises:

driving the second support surface while maintaining the orientation of the connecting member relative to the first and second vehicles to rotate the connecting member about the point of contact until the first support surface disengages from the obstacle and the second support surface contacts the obstacle.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein rotating the connecting member by at least one of the first vehicle in the first direction and the second vehicle in the third direction until the first support surface engages the obstacle comprises:

rotating the connecting member by at least one of the first vehicle in the first direction and the second vehicle in the third direction until the first support surface engages the obstacle and the second support surface disengages from the obstacle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces and rotating the connecting member by the first vehicle in the first direction until the second vehicle begins to surmount the obstacle comprises:

driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces and rotating the connecting member by at least one of the first vehicle in the first direction and the second vehicle in the third direction until the second support surface engages the obstacle, and

driving at least one of the first and second support surfaces until the second vehicle begins to surmount the obstacle.

17. A mobile robot system, comprising:

a plurality of robotic vehicles comprising a first end having a first pair of wheels, a second end having a second pair of wheels, and a driven support surface movably connected to each robotic vehicle and surrounding the first and second pairs of wheels of a robotic vehicle to propel the robotic vehicle in the direction of the first and second ends; and

a plurality of connecting members rotatably connected to the first end of each robotic vehicle coaxial with the first pair of wheels and to the second end of another of the robotic vehicles coaxial with the second pair of wheels of the another of the robotic vehicles to connect the first end of each of the plurality of vehicles to the second end of an adjacent one of the plurality of vehicles, and which is rotatable about the axis of the first pair of wheels and the axis of the second pair of wheels by the robotic vehicle to which it is connected such that the connecting member and each pair of wheels can rotate freely relative to each other.

18. The robot system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of robots define an upper group and a lower group, and the plurality of connecting members are rotatable to raise and lower the upper group relative to the lower group.

19. The robot system of claim 18, wherein the driven support surfaces are driven to propel the vehicles toward the forward ends of the lower group to surmount an obstacle.

20. The robot system of claim 19, wherein the driven support surfaces propel the vehicles toward the forward ends of the lower group to surmount an obstacle by rolling the robot system over an obstacle when the robot system contacts the obstacle.

21. A remote vehicle weighing less than bout 2 pounds and facilitating research and development applications such as software development, the remote vehicle comprising:

a chassis comprising a forward end, a rearward end, and a driven support surface movably connected to the chassis and configured to propel the chassis forward and rearward;

a research and development platform disposed on the chassis, configured to support a processor, and comprising

at least one payload bay configured to support at least one payload,

at least one power/data connector configured provide a data connection and a power supply to the at least one payload and the processor, and

a plurality of heat dissipation elements disposed on the research and development platform and configured to dissipate heat from the at least one payload and the processor, the plurality of heat dissipating elements comprising aluminum heat dissipation fins.

22. The remote vehicle of claim 21, wherein the remote vehicle fits within a bounding volume approximately 7 inches long by 5 inches wide by 2 inches tall.