ROBOTIC TRANSPORTATION DEVICES AND SYSTEMS

• US 20120029697A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Institute of Technology, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Illinois Institute of Technology, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ota, Yasuhiro, Ryumae, Masaru, Sato, Keiichi, Sano, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/16 Touchpads
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/22 for automatically guiding movable devices, e.g. stretchers or wheelchairs in a hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/80 for connecting a trolley to a device, e.g. bed or column table
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/047 by a modular detachable drive system
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/08 Apparatus for transporting beds
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1048 having auxiliary drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/90 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0006 Bumpers; Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0079 Towing by connecting to another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 23/48 Manually-movable jib cranes for use in workshops
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided

Abstract

A robotic transportation device may include a device body, two docking arms, and a controller module. The device body may include at least one motorized wheel, and the two docking arms may include an adjustable wheel locking device. The two docking arms may extend horizontally from the device body and may be adjustable along first and second directions. The adjustable wheel locking devices comprise two adjustable wheel stops extending laterally from the docking arm. The controller module may cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously approach a target device, detect a device type, and adjust a position of the two docking arms and the two wheel stops in accordance with the device type. The controller module may move each adjustable wheel locking device under a target wheel of the target device to lock and lift the target wheels, and cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously transport the target device.

Claims

1. A robotic transportation device comprising:

a device body comprising at least one motorized wheel coupled to a drive motor;

two docking arms, each docking arm comprising a support wheel and an adjustable wheel locking device, wherein;

the two docking arms extend horizontally from the device body and are adjustable along at least two directions;

the adjustable wheel locking devices comprise two wheel stops that extend laterally from the docking arm and are adjustable along a direction parallel with the two docking arms;

a controller module comprising a processor and a computer readable memory having executable instructions, wherein the executable instructions, when read and executed by the processor, causes the controller module to;

provide a drive signal to the at least one motorized wheel to cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously approach a target device;

detect a device type of the target device;

adjust a position of the two docking arms and the two wheel stops of each adjustable wheel locking device in accordance with the detected device type;

move each adjustable wheel locking device under target wheels of the target device to lock and lift the target wheels; and

provide a drive signal to the at least one motorized wheel to cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously transport the target device to a desired location.

2. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a docking arm actuator mechanically coupled to the two docking arms and a wheel stop actuator mechanically coupled to each adjustable wheel locking device, wherein the executable instructions, when read and executed by the processor, causes the controller module to:

determine a position of the target wheels in accordance with the detected device type and provide a drive signal to the docking arm actuator to adjust the position of the two docking arms such that the adjustable wheel locking devices are aligned with the target wheels;

determine a size of the target wheels in accordance with the detected device type and provides a wheel stop control signal to the wheel stop actuator to adjust a distance between the two wheel stops of each adjustable wheel locking device such that the distance corresponds the size of the target wheels; and

provide a drive signal to the docking arms to lift the target wheels.

3. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a radio frequency receiver electrically coupled to the controller module for receiving an identification signal from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the target device, wherein the detected device type is based at least in part on a received identification signal.

4. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a camera device electrically coupled to the controller module for generating a digital image of the target device, wherein the controller module compares the digital image of the target device generated by the camera device with registered device data associated with a plurality of registered device types to determine the detected device type from the plurality of registered device types.

5. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the executable instructions, when read and executed by the processor, causes the controller module to determine a dimension of the robotic transportation device coupled with the target device.

6. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive signal provided to the at least one motorized wheel to cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously transport the target device to the desired location is based at least in part on a position of the robotic transportation device and navigation data.

7. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a substantially vertical docking bracket comprising an engagement connector, wherein the docking bracket is associated with the device body and the engagement connector is configured to mate with a target device engagement connector associated with the target device.

8. A robotic transportation device comprising:

a device body comprising at least one motorized wheel coupled to a drive motor;

two docking arms, each docking arm comprising a support wheel and an adjustable wheel locking device, wherein the two docking arms extend horizontally from the device body and are adjustable along at least two directions;

a wireless communications device that detects a location of the robotic transportation device, provides proximity data corresponding to the location of the robotic transportation device, and wirelessly receives navigational data, wherein the navigational data is based at least in part on facility floorplans;

a device detection module that obtains device data corresponding to a target device; and

a controller module comprising a processor and a computer readable memory having executable instructions, wherein the controller module is electrically coupled to the wireless communications device and the device detection module, and wherein the executable instructions, when read and executed by the processor, causes the controller module to;

receive the proximity data and the navigational data from the wireless communications device;

receive a first and second destination input signal;

provide a drive signal to the at least one motorized wheel to cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously travel to a first destination associated with the first destination input signal such that the target device autonomously approaches the target device, the drive signal based at least in part on a navigation route calculated from the proximity data and the navigational data;

receive the device data from the device detection module and determines a device type of the target device;

control docking arms to engage the adjustable wheel locking devices with target wheels of the target device; and

provide a drive signal to the at least one motorized wheel to cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously travel to a second destination associated with the second destination input signal, the drive signal based at least in part on the navigation route calculated from the proximity data and the navigational data.

9. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the device detection module comprises a radio frequency receiver that receives an identification signal from a radio frequency identification tag associated with the target device; and

the device data is based at least in part on the received identification signal.

10. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 8 wherein:

the device detection module comprises a camera device that generates a digital image of the target device;

the device data is based at least in part on the digital image; and

the executable instructions, when read and executed by the processor, causes the controller module to compare the digital image of the target device generated by the camera device with registered device data associated a plurality of registered device types to determine the detected device type from the plurality of registered device types.

11. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the executable instructions, when read and executed by the processor, causes the controller module to determine a dimension of the robotic transportation device coupled with the target device, and the navigation route is further based at least in part on the dimension.

12. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the adjustable wheel locking devices comprise two wheel stops that extend laterally from the docking arm and are adjustable along a direction parallel with the two docking arms;

the robotic transportation device further comprises a docking arm actuator mechanically coupled to the two docking arms and a wheel stop actuator mechanically coupled to each adjustable wheel locking device, and

the executable instructions, when read and executed by the processor, causes the controller module to;

determine a position of target wheels of the target device in accordance with the detected device type and provides a drive signal to the docking arm actuator to adjust the position of the two docking arms such that the adjustable wheel locking devices are aligned with the target wheels;

determine a size of the target wheels in accordance with the detected device type and provides a wheel stop control signal to the wheel stop actuator to adjust a distance between the two wheel stops of each adjustable wheel locking device such that the distance corresponds the size of the target wheels; and

provide a drive signal to the docking arms to lift the target wheels.

13. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 8 further comprising an infrared detector for receiving an infrared light guide signal associated with the target device, wherein the infrared light guide signal is indicative of a position of the target device and the controller module provides a drive signal to the at least one motorized wheel based at least in part on the received infrared light guide signal to autonomously approach the target device.

14. The robotic transportation device as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a substantially vertical docking bracket comprising an engagement connector, wherein the docking bracket is associated with the device body and the engagement connector is configured to mate with a target device engagement connector associated with the target device.

15. A robotic transportation system comprising:

a wireless communications network;

a central server communicatively coupled to the wireless communications network, wherein the central server provides navigation data over the wireless communications network;

a radio frequency identification tag configured to emit an identification signal, wherein the radio frequency identification tag is coupled to a target device; and

a robotic transportation device comprising;

a device body comprising at least one motorized wheel coupled to a drive motor;

two docking arms, each docking arm comprising a support wheel and an adjustable wheel locking device, wherein the two docking arms extend horizontally from the device body and are adjustable along at least two directions;

a wireless communications device communicatively coupled to the wireless communications network, wherein the wireless communications device provides proximity data corresponding to a location of the robotic transportation device, and wirelessly receives navigational data over the wireless communications network emitted by the central server;

a controller module electrically coupled to the wireless communications device, wherein the controller module;

receives the proximity data and the navigational data from the wireless communications device;

determines the location of the robotic transportation device from the proximity data;

detects a device type of the target device;

provides a drive signal to the at least one motorized wheel to cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously approach the target device, the drive signal based at least in part on the proximity data and the navigational data;

controls docking arms in accordance with the device type to engage the adjustable wheel locking devices with the target wheels of the target device; and

provides a drive signal to the at least one motorized wheel to cause the robotic transportation device to autonomously tow the target device to a desired location, the drive signal based at least in part on the proximity data and the navigational data.

16. The robotic transportation system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the robotic transportation device further comprises a radio frequency receiver electrically coupled to the controller module for receiving the identification signal from the radio frequency identification tag associated with the target device, and the detected device type is based at least in part on a received identification signal.

17. The robotic transportation system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the robotic transportation device further comprises a camera device electrically coupled to the controller module for generating a digital image of the target device, and the controller module compares the digital image of the target device generated by the camera device with registered device data associated with a plurality of registered device types to determine the detected device type from the plurality of registered device types.

18. The robotic transportation system as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a plurality of local position tags configured to be positioned throughout a facility, wherein:

each local position tag emits a location signal detected by the wireless communications device; and

the drive signal is further based on the received location signals such that the robotic transportation device navigates through the facility.

19. The robotic transportation system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the robotic transportation device further comprises an infrared detector for receiving an infrared light guide signal associated with the target device, the infrared light guide signal is indicative of a position of the target device, and the controller module provides a drive signal to the at least one motorized wheel based at least in part on the received infrared light guide signal such that the robotic transportation device autonomously approaches the target device.

20. The robotic transportation system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the controller module determines a dimension of the robotic transportation device coupled with the target device.