APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING TETHERED ELECTRICAL POWER TO AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a robot arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the robot arm being configured to move in response to one or more electrical signals;
an electrical power cord extending through the robot arm from the proximal end to the distal end, the electrical power cord having a first end and a second end, and further having an electrical plug at the first end thereof;
a motor-driven cable reel configured to dispense and retract the electrical power cord so as to control a length thereof;
at least one alternating current (AC) motor connected to the second end of the electrical power cord and configured to receive AC power from the electrical power cord and to operate in response to the AC power;
an end effector disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, wherein the end effector is configured to selectively grasp and release the electrical plug; and
at least one sensor disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to produce sensor data for controlling the robot arm to dock the electrical plug into an electrical receptacle.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus includes a robot arm, an electrical power cord, a motor-driven cable reel, an end effector, and at least one sensor. The robot arm has a proximal end and a distal end, and is configured to move in response to one or more electrical signals. The electrical power cord extends through the robot arm from the proximal end to the distal end and has an electrical plug at an end thereof. The motor-driven cable reel dispenses and retracts the electrical power cord so as to control a length thereof. The end effector is disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, and is configured to selectively grasp and release the electrical plug. The sensor is disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, and is configured to produce sensor data for controlling the robot arm to dock the electrical plug into an electrical receptacle.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a robot arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the robot arm being configured to move in response to one or more electrical signals; an electrical power cord extending through the robot arm from the proximal end to the distal end, the electrical power cord having a first end and a second end, and further having an electrical plug at the first end thereof; a motor-driven cable reel configured to dispense and retract the electrical power cord so as to control a length thereof; at least one alternating current (AC) motor connected to the second end of the electrical power cord and configured to receive AC power from the electrical power cord and to operate in response to the AC power; an end effector disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, wherein the end effector is configured to selectively grasp and release the electrical plug; and at least one sensor disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to produce sensor data for controlling the robot arm to dock the electrical plug into an electrical receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method of operating a mobile robot configured to dispense an electrical power cord having an electrical plug at an end thereof, the method comprising:
-
while the electrical plug is connected to an electrical receptacle, controlling the mobile robot to move about; and while the electrical plug is connected to an electrical receptacle and the mobile robot moves about, controlling a length of the electrical power cord and a rate of dispensing the electrical power cord using a navigation plan stored as navigation instructions in one or more memory devices of the mobile robot, the navigation instructions being configured to cause one or more processors of the mobile robot to actuate one or more motors of the mobile robot which move the mobile robot with respect to some fixed point in relation to the electrical receptacle during a discrete computing event interval. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a robot arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the robot arm being configured to move in response to one or more electrical signals; an electrical power cord extending through the robot arm from the proximal end to the distal end, the electrical power cord having a first end and a second end, and further having an electrical plug at a first end thereof; a motor-driven cable reel configured to dispense and retract the electrical power cord so as to control a length thereof as at least one of; (1) the robot arm moves, and (2) a mobile robot to which the robot arm is attached moves while the electrical plug is plugged into an electrical receptacle; an end effector disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, wherein the end effector is configured to selectively grasp and release the electrical plug; and at least one sensor disposed at the distal end of the robot arm, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to produce sensor data for controlling the robot arm to dock the electrical plug into the electrical receptacle.
-
Specification