SELF-PROPELLED ROBOTIC PALLET VEHICLE

• US 20140309809A1
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratom, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stratom, Inc.
• Inventors: DIXON, CORY, AMBROSIO, DAN, VAN LIERE, KEVIN
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/003 Devices for retaining pallets or freight containers securing freight containers on vehicles B60P7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0248 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure provide a robotic pallet system that provides the ability to move palletized cargo without requiring the use of additional material handling equipment such as forklifts and K-loaders, for example. In some aspects, an integrated system may be used to interact with and control a number of robotic pallets. Such an integrated system may be used to deliver palletized cargo without additional equipment through self-propelled pallets, thereby reducing the number of personnel required to load palletized cargo by reducing the size of the team required to position the pallet inside of the aircraft and removing the need for a k-loader operator.

Claims

1. A robotic pallet apparatus, comprising:

a pallet housing;

at least one drive wheel penetrating the housing;

a motor coupled with the at least one drive wheel;

an power source coupled with the motor; and

a controller coupled with the power source and the motor and configured to control the motor and drive wheel to self-propel the pallet apparatus to move to a determined location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one drive wheel comprises two or more drive wheels, and the controller is further configured to adjust a speed of the drive wheels independently to change a direction of locomotion of the pallet apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless receiver coupled with the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to receive communications via the wireless receiver and control movement of the pallet apparatus responsive to the received communications.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a positioning and environmental awareness module coupled with the controller, the positioning and environmental awareness module providing information to the controller related to a position of the pallet apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the positioning and environmental awareness module comprises one or more of a camera, a positioning module, or a ranging module.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the camera provides imaging data to the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to control movement of the pallet apparatus responsive to the imaging data.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the positioning module comprises a global positioning system (GPS) module.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the ranging module comprises one or more infrared sensors configured output range information related to one or more objects within a field of view of the infrared sensors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one drive wheel comprises a dual wheel pendulum axle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to move palletized cargo on to or off of a cargo aircraft autonomously.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising one or more load sensors configured to output a weight of a palletized cargo located on the pallet apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a center-of-gravity (CG) of the palletized cargo

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate with one or more other controllers of one or more other robotic pallet apparatuses and, in conjunction with one or more of the other controllers, determine a load configuration for an aircraft.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pallet apparatus complies with a 463L cargo handling specification.