Mobile Robot
First Claim
1. A mobile robot comprising:
- a robot body;
a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface, the drive system having a forward drive direction;
a controller in communication with the drive system;
an actuator moving a portion of the robot body through a volume of space adjacent the mobile robot; and
a sensor pod in communication with the controller, the sensor pod comprising;
a collar rotatably supported by the robot body and having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a vertical axis of rotation with respect to the floor surface;
a volumetric point cloud sensor housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an observation axis extending through the curved wall, the volumetric point cloud sensor capturing three dimensional volumetric point clouds representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space; and
a collar actuator rotating the collar and the volumetric point cloud sensor together about the collar axis;
wherein all rotating portions of the volumetric point cloud sensor extend a lesser distance from the collar axis than an outermost point of the collar.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile robot including a robot body, a drive system supporting the robot body, and a controller in communication with the drive system. The robot also includes an actuator moving a portion of the robot body through a volume of space adjacent the mobile robot and a sensor pod in communication with the controller. The sensor pod includes a collar rotatably supported and having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a vertical axis. The sensor pod also includes a volumetric point cloud sensor housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an observation axis extending through the curved wall. A collar actuator rotates the collar and the volumetric point cloud sensor together about the collar axis.
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Citations
77 Claims
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1. A mobile robot comprising:
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a robot body; a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface, the drive system having a forward drive direction; a controller in communication with the drive system; an actuator moving a portion of the robot body through a volume of space adjacent the mobile robot; and a sensor pod in communication with the controller, the sensor pod comprising; a collar rotatably supported by the robot body and having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a vertical axis of rotation with respect to the floor surface; a volumetric point cloud sensor housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an observation axis extending through the curved wall, the volumetric point cloud sensor capturing three dimensional volumetric point clouds representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space; and a collar actuator rotating the collar and the volumetric point cloud sensor together about the collar axis; wherein all rotating portions of the volumetric point cloud sensor extend a lesser distance from the collar axis than an outermost point of the collar. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A mobile robot comprising:
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a robot body; a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface, the drive system having a forward drive direction; a controller in communication with the drive system; an actuator moving a portion of the robot body through a volume of space adjacent the robot; and a sensor pod in communication with the controller, the sensor pod comprising; a collar rotatably supported by the robot body and having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a vertical axis of rotation with respect to the floor surface; an infrared range sensor housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an observation axis extending through the curved wall, and infrared range sensor generating range value data representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space; a presence sensor observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an axis parallel to the observation axis extending through the curved wall, the presence sensor generating presence value data representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space; and a collar actuator rotating the collar, the infrared range sensor, and the presence sensor about the collar axis of rotation; wherein all rotating portions of the infrared range sensor and the presence sensor extend a lesser distance from the collar axis of rotation than an outermost point of the collar. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A sensor pod comprising:
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a collar having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a collar axis; a first volumetric point cloud sensor housed by the collar and observing a volume of space adjacent the sensor pod from within the collar along a first observation axis extending through the curved wall, the first volumetric point cloud sensor capturing three dimensional volumetric point clouds representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space; and a second volumetric point cloud sensor housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the sensor pod from within the collar along a second observation axis extending through the curved wall, the second observation axis different from the first observation axis, the second volumetric point cloud sensor capturing three dimensional volumetric point clouds representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A sensor pod comprising:
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a first interface; a second interface spaced from the first interface; a collar rotatably supported between the first and second interfaces, the collar having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a collar axis; a volumetric point cloud sensor housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an observation axis extending through the curved wall, the volumetric point cloud sensor capturing three dimensional volumetric point clouds representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space; a collar actuator rotating the collar and the volumetric point cloud sensor together about the collar axis with respect to the first and second interfaces; and a channel extending through the collar from the first interface to the second interface. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A sensor pod comprising:
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a first interface; a second interface spaced from the first interface; a collar rotatably supported between the first and second interfaces, the collar having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a collar axis; a volumetric point cloud sensor housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an observation axis extending through the curved wall, the volumetric point cloud sensor capturing three dimensional volumetric point clouds representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space; a collar actuator rotating the collar and the volumetric point cloud sensor together about the collar axis with respect to the first and second interfaces; and a cable carrier disposed adjacent the collar and connected to one of the interfaces, the cable carrier routing at least one cable to the rotatable collar. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A mobile robot comprising:
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a drive system having a forward drive direction; a controller in communication with the drive system; a first interface; a second interface spaced from the first interface; a collar rotatably supported between the first and second interfaces, the collar having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a collar axis; a volumetric point cloud imaging device housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an observation axis extending through the curved wall, the volumetric point cloud imaging device capturing three dimensional volumetric point clouds representative of obstacles within the observed volume of space; a collar actuator rotating the collar and the volumetric point cloud imaging device together about the collar axis with respect to the first and second interfaces; and a dead zone sensor having a detection field arranged to detect an object in a volume of space undetectable by the volumetric point cloud imaging device; wherein the controller receives point cloud signals from the imaging device and detection signals from the dead zone sensor and issues drive commands to the drive system based at least in part on the received point cloud and detection signals. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A mobile robot comprising:
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a drive system configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface, the drive system having a forward drive direction; a controller in communication with the drive system; a torso body defining a curved forward face supported above the drive system; and an array of sensors disposed on the curved forward face of the torso body, the array of sensors comprising first, second, and third sensors in communication with the controller, the first sensor arranged to aim downward and away from the robot body, the second sensor arranged to aim away from the robot body substantially parallel with the floor surface, and the third sensor arranged to aim upward and away from the robot body. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A mobile robot comprising:
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a robot body; a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot over a floor surface, the drive system having a forward drive direction; a controller in communication with the drive system; and first, second, and third imaging devices disposed on the robot body and in communication with the controller, the first imaging sensor arranged to aim downward and away from the robot body, the second imaging sensor arranged to aim away from the robot body substantially parallel with the floor surface, and the third imaging sensor arranged to aim upward and away from the robot body. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A method of operating a mobile robot, the method comprising:
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maneuvering the robot across a floor surface in a forward drive direction; receiving image data from first, second, and third imaging devices disposed on the robot and directed along the forward drive direction, the first imaging sensor arranged to aim downward and away from the robot, the second imaging sensor arranged to aim away from the robot body substantially parallel with the floor surface, and the third imaging sensor arranged to aim upward and away from the robot; and maneuvering the robot across the floor surface based on the received image data. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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Specification