LEGGED ROBOT

• US 20130206488A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: HORINOUCHI, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US13/800,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20130206488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/8.6
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/20 with pairs of legs, e.g. horses
• 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: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

The legged robot includes a trunk and a leg connected to the trunk. The trunk includes: a first link and a second link connected with each other via a first revolute joint that is rotatable about a roll axis; a third link connected with the first link via a second revolute joint rotatable about a yaw axis; and a fourth link connected with the second link via a third revolute joint rotatable about a yaw axis. The leg is connected to at least one of the third link and the fourth link.

Claims

1. A legged robot comprising:

a trunk; and

a leg connected to the trunk,

wherein the trunk includes;

a first link and a second link which are connected with each other via a first revolute joint that is rotatable about a roll axis;

a third link which is connected with the first link via a second revolute joint that is rotatable about a yaw axis; and

a fourth link which is connected with the second link via a third revolute joint that is rotatable about a yaw axis, and

the leg is connected to at least one of the third link and the fourth link.

2. The legged robot according to claim 1,

wherein the first link and the second link do not include therein any movable parts.

3. The legged robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a left front leg and a right front leg which are included in the leg that is connected to the third link; and

a left back leg and a right back leg which are included in the leg that is connected to the fourth link,

wherein the legged robot walks on a walking surface using the left front leg, the right front leg, the left back leg, and the right back leg.

4. The legged robot according to claim 3, further comprising

a control unit configured to control driving of the first revolute joint, the second revolute joint, and the third revolute joint to drive.

5. The legged robot according to claim 4,

wherein when the legged robot is standing on the walking surface,

the control unit is configured to

cause the legged robot to sit with the left back leg and the right back leg out to one side, by driving the first revolute joint to move the second link with respect to the first link, and laying the left back leg and the right back leg on the walking surface,

when the legged robot is sitting with the left back leg and the right back leg out to one side, an orientation of the third link about the yaw axis is variable through the drive of the second revolute joint, and

a distance between the walking surface and the fourth link is variable through the drive of the third revolute joint.

6. The legged robot according to claim 4,

wherein when the legged robot is laying the left back leg and the right back leg on the walking surface, and sitting with the left back leg and the right back leg out to one side,

the control unit is configured to

cause the legged robot to lie on one side the trunk laid on the walking surface, by (i) driving the first revolute joint to move the first link with respect to the second link, and (ii) laying the left front leg and the right front leg in a same direction in which the left back leg and the right back leg are laid.

7. The legged robot according to claim 4,

wherein when the legged robot is lying on one side with the trunk laid on the walking surface,

the control unit is configured to

cause the legged robot to lie back and show that a top of the trunk, seen when the legged robot stands on the walking surface, touches on the walking surface by one of:

(i) an inertial force generated by driving the first revolute joint to move the laid left front leg and the laid right front leg away from the walking surface; and

(ii) an inertial force generated by driving the first revolute joint to move the laid left back leg and the laid right back leg away from the walking surface.

8. The legged robot according to claim 4,

wherein when the legged robot is lying back and showing that a top of the trunk, seen when the legged robot stands on the walking surface, touches the walking surface, and

when, seen from a direction perpendicular to the walking surface, a normal direction is (i) a rotation direction of the second revolute joint in which the third link rotates clockwise with respect to the first link, and (ii) a rotation direction of the third revolute joint in which the second link rotates clockwise with respect to the fourth link,

the control unit is configured to:

drive the second revolute joint to alternately rotate in the normal direction and a direction which is opposite the normal direction; and

drive the third revolute joint to rotate in conjunction with the second revolute joint, so that the second revolute joint and the third revolute joint rotate at a same rotation speed in opposite directions.

9. The legged robot according to claim 4,

wherein when the legged robot stands on the walking surface, and

when, seen from a direction perpendicular to the walking surface, a normal direction is (i) a rotation direction of the second revolute joint in which the third link rotates clockwise with respect to the first link, and (ii) a rotation direction of the third revolute joint in which the second link rotates clockwise with respect to the fourth link,

the control unit is configured to

cause the legged robot to walk with both the second revolute joint and the third revolute joint driven in one of the normal direction and a direction which is opposite the normal direction.

10. The legged robot according to claim 4,

wherein the control unit is configured to cause driving units to drive the first revolute joint, the second revolute joint, and the third revolute joint, the driving units each being provided to a corresponding one of the first revolute joint, the second revolute joint, and the third revolute joint,

one of the driving units for driving the second revolute joint is provided to the third link, and

one of the driving units for driving the third revolute joint is provided to the fourth link.

11. The legged robot according to claim 4,

wherein the control unit is configured to cause driving units to drive the first revolute joint, the second revolute joint, and the third revolute joint, the driving units each being provided to a corresponding one of the first revolute joint, the second revolute joint, and the third revolute joint,

one of the driving units for driving the second revolute joint is provided to the first link, and

one of the driving units for driving the third revolute joint is provided to the second link.