TERRAIN TRAVERSING DEVICE HAVING A WHEEL WITH MICROHOOKS

• US 20130062134A1
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: PARNESS, Aaron, MCKENZIE, Clifford F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,789,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/218
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 15/025 with non-cylindrical shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/721 Use under adverse external conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 9/12 in the form of sleeves or rings concentric with the wheel axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/46 Arctic-/Extraterrestric explorers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/47 Climbing vehicles, e.g. facade climbing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/48 Stair-climbing vehicles
• 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

Abstract

A terrain traversing device includes an annular rotor element with a plurality of co-planar microspine hooks arranged on the periphery of the annular rotor element. Each microspine hook has an independently flexible suspension configuration that permits the microspine hook to initially engage an irregularity in a terrain surface at a preset initial engagement angle and subsequently engage the irregularity with a continuously varying engagement angle when the annular rotor element is rotated for urging the terrain traversing device to traverse a terrain surface.

Claims

1. A terrain traversing device, comprising:

a first microspine wheel assembly comprising a circular planar rotor with a plurality of microspine hooks arranged on a circumferential edge of said circular planar rotor, each individual microspine hook mounted on an independently flexible suspension that accommodates a variable engagement angle between said individual microspine hook and an irregularity on a terrain surface when the circular planar rotor is rotated in one of a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain.

2. The terrain traversing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first axle; and

wherein the first microspine wheel assembly is mounted on the first axle whereby the circular planar rotor of the first microspine wheel assembly is rotatable in the one of a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain.

3. The terrain traversing device of claim 2, further comprising:

a second axle; and

a second microspine wheel assembly,

wherein the second microspine wheel assembly is mounted on the second axle whereby the circular planar rotor of the second microspine wheel assembly is rotatable in the one of a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain.

4. The terrain traversing device of claim 3, further comprising:

a cylindrical housing;

a first motor housed in the cylindrical housing, the first motor coupled to the first axle for rotating the first axle; and

a second motor housed in the cylindrical housing, the second motor coupled to the second axle for rotating the second axle independent of the first axle.

5. The terrain traversing device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of microspine hooks in the first and the second microspine wheel assemblies operate to permit the terrain traversing device to transition from traversing a horizontal surface to traversing a vertical surface with no manual intervention.

6. The terrain traversing device of claim 4, further comprising:

a tail assembly, the tail assembly connected to the cylindrical housing, the tail assembly configured to provide stability to the terrain traversing device when the terrain traversing device transitions between a horizontal surface and a vertical surface.

7. The terrain traversing device of claim 3, wherein the first axle is the same as the second axle.

8. The terrain traversing device of claim 3, further comprising:

a second microspine wheel assembly that is substantially similar to the first microspine wheel assembly, the first and the second microspine wheel assemblies mounted adjacent to each other on the first axle with the respective circular planar rotors substantially parallel to each other.

9. The terrain traversing device of claim 8, further comprising:

a third and fourth microspine wheel assemblies, each substantially similar to the first microspine wheel assembly, the third and the fourth microspine wheel assemblies mounted adjacent to each other on the second axle with the respective circular planar rotors substantially parallel to each other.

10. The terrain traversing device of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of microspine hooks in the first, second, third and fourth microspine wheel assemblies operate individually to provide a plurality of engagement angles that permit the terrain traversing device to transition from traversing a horizontal surface to traversing a vertical surface with no manual intervention.

11. The terrain traversing device of claim 10, wherein the vertical surface has a 90 degree slope with reference to the horizontal surface.

12. The terrain traversing device of claim 11, wherein the terrain traversing device is configured to traverse the vertical surface at a rate of about 25 cm/second.

13. A terrain traversing device, comprising:

a first microspine wheel assembly comprising a circular planar rotor with a plurality of microspine hook assemblies arranged on a circumferential edge of said circular planar rotor, the plurality of microspine hook assemblies comprising a first microspine hook assembly having a first independently flexible suspension configuration supporting a first microspine hook, the first independently flexible suspension configured to permit the first microspine hook to initially engage an irregularity in a terrain surface with a parallel orientation between the terrain surface and the first microspine hook assembly and subsequently engage the irregularity with a continuously varying engagement angle between the first microspine hook and the terrain surface when said circular planar rotor is rotated in one of a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse a terrain surface.

14. The terrain traversing device of claim 13, wherein said first independently flexible suspension configuration comprises:

a flexible loop element attached to a proximal end of said first microspine hook assembly; and

a stretchable element attached to a distal end of said first microspine hook assembly.

15. The terrain traversing device of claim 14, wherein said first microspine hook has a hooked end arranged to point at a tangential angle to the circumference of said circular planar rotor.

16. A terrain traversing device, comprising:

a first annular rotor element with a plurality of co-planar microspine hooks arranged on a periphery of said annular rotor element, each microspine hook having an independently flexible suspension configuration that permits each microspine hook to initially engage an irregularity in a terrain surface at a preset initial engagement angle and subsequently engage the irregularity with a continuously varying engagement angle when said annular rotor element is rotated for urging the terrain traversing device to traverse a terrain surface.

17. The terrain traversing device of claim 16, wherein said plurality of co-planar microspine hooks is part of a unitary mount that is attachable to said first annular rotor element in one of a) a flexibly removable arrangement or b) a rigidly mountable arrangement.

18. The terrain traversing device of claim 17, wherein said unitary mount is formed in substantial part using polyurethane material, and wherein each of said plurality of co-planar microspine hooks comprises a metal.

19. The terrain traversing device of claim 17, wherein said unitary mount is formed in substantial part by using an elastomeric material, and wherein each of said plurality of co-planar microspine hooks comprises a metal.

20. The terrain traversing device of claim 16, wherein said independently flexible suspension configuration comprises:

a flexible loop element attached to a proximal end of a respective microspine hook among the plurality of co-planar microspine hooks; and

a stretchable element attached to a distal end of said respective microspine hook.

21. The terrain traversing device of claim 20, wherein said preset initial engagement angle corresponds to a parallel orientation between the terrain surface and a hook assembly that houses an individual microspine hook.

22. The terrain traversing device of claim 21, wherein said continuously varying engagement angle comprises a first contributory angle between each individual microspine hook and the terrain surface, and a second contributory angle between said flexible loop element and the terrain surface.

23. The terrain traversing device of claim 22, wherein said first contributory angle is desirably continuously variable from about 0 degrees to about 30 degrees, and said second contributory angle is desirably continuously variable from about 0 degrees to about 15 degrees thereby providing a maximum limit of about 45 degrees to said continuously varying engagement angle.

24. A terrain traversing device, comprising:

a cylindrical housing;

a first motor housed in the cylindrical housing and coupled to a proximal end of a first axle;

a first annular rotor element coupled to a distal end of said first axle, said first annular rotor element having a first set of co-planar microspine hooks arranged on a periphery of said first annular rotor element, each microspine hook arranged to engage upon contact with irregularities in a terrain surface when said first axle is rotated for urging the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain surface;

a second motor housed in the cylindrical housing and coupled to a proximal end of a second axle; and

a second annular rotor element coupled to a distal end of said second axle, said second annular rotor element having a second set of co-planar microspine hooks arranged on the periphery of said second annular rotor element, each microspine hook arranged to engage upon contact with irregularities in the terrain surface when said second axle is rotated for urging the terrain traversing device to traverse a terrain surface.

25. The terrain traversing device of claim 24, further comprising:

a first array of rotor elements comprising at least one additional annular rotor element that is substantially similar to the first annular rotor element, the at least one additional annular rotor element mounted adjacent to the first annular rotor element; and

a second array of rotor elements comprising at least one another additional annular rotor element that is substantially similar to the second annular rotor element, the at least one another additional annular rotor element mounted adjacent to the second annular rotor element.

26. The terrain traversing device of claim 24, further comprising:

a tail assembly, the tail assembly connected to the cylindrical housing between the first and the second array of rotor elements, the tail assembly configured to provide stability to the terrain traversing device when the terrain traversing device transitions from one of;

a) a horizontal surface to a vertical surface, or b) the vertical surface to the horizontal surface.

27. A rotary microspine device comprising:

a circular planar rotor with a plurality of microspine hooks arranged on a circumferential edge of said circular planar rotor, each individual microspine hook mounted on an independently flexible suspension that accommodates a variable engagement angle between said individual microspine hook and an irregularity on a traversal surface when the circular planar rotor is rotated.

28. The rotary microspine of claim 27, wherein the circular planar rotor is rotated in one of a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction.

29. The rotary microspine of claim 27, wherein a diameter of the circular planar rotor is determined independent of a dimension of a traversal object.

30. The rotary microspine of claim 29, wherein the traversal object is one of a curb or a step and said dimension is a height of the curb or the step.

31. The rotary microspine of claim 30, wherein the diameter of the circular planar rotor is less than 75% of at least one of the height of the curb or the height of the step.

32. The rotary microspine of claim 27, wherein the independently flexible suspension comprises:

a flexible loop element attached to a proximal end of a respective microspine hook among a plurality of co-planar microspine hooks; and

a stretchable element attached to a distal end of said respective microspine hook.

33. The rotary microspine of claim 32, wherein the flexible loop element is configured as a c-shaped flexible joint.

34. The rotary microspine of claim 33, wherein the c-shaped flexible joint comprises an elastomer.

35. The rotary microspine of claim 32, wherein the flexible loop element comprises a spring.