APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A MOBILE PLATFORM

• US 20150217975A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amir Khajepour
• Original Assignee: Amir Khajepour
• Inventors: KHAJEPOUR, Amir, MNDEZ, Sergio Torres
• Granted Patent: US 10,941,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0078 actuated by cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/04 mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 21/00 Cable cranes, i.e. comprising hoisting devices running on aerial cable-ways rope or cable drives for trolleys, combinations of such drives with hoisting gear B66C11/16; railway systems B61B; rope or cable winding mechanisms B66D1/00

Abstract

A system and apparatus for controlling a mobile platform via cables is disclosed. Each of the set of cables are connected at one end to the platform at a second end to a cable controlling mechanism, the cable controlling mechanism including a motor to control a length and tension of the cable. At least two of the cables form a constraint, such as a kinematic constraint to the apparatus in order to limit the movement of the platform in certain degrees of freedom.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling movement of a platform comprising:

a platform;

a set of cable controlling mechanisms; and

a set of cables extending from the platform, each of the set of cables being attached at a first end to the platform and at a second end to one of the set of cable controlling mechanisms;

wherein the set of cables provide a constraint to assist in control of the platform.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the constraint comprises at least two of the set of cables forming a kinematic constraint.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the kinematic constraint is at least of two of the set of cables forming a parallelogram.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the set of cable controlling mechanisms comprises:

at least one tool for receiving the second end of at least one cable of the set of cables; and

a single rotary motor for controlling tension and slack in the at least one cable connected to the tool.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the tool comprises:

a pulley system for guiding the at least one cable; and

a drum for collecting or releasing the at least one cable based on rotation of the rotary motor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the pulley system comprises a mechanical spool system.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least two of the set of cables are connected to a same cable controlling mechanism.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the same cable controlling mechanism comprises:

a number of tools equal to a number of the at least two of the set of cables; and

a single rotary motor for controlling the tools in the same cable controlling mechanism.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least two of the set of cables are connected to different ones of the set of cable controlling mechanisms.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the different ones of the set of cable controlling mechanisms are controlled by a single rotary motor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a central processing unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the central processing unit determines how a length of each of the set of cables is controlled based on a desired position of the platform.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the central processing unit determines how a tension of each of the set of cables is controlled based on a desired position of the platform and allowable tensions in the cables.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the set of cable controlling mechanisms is at least equal to the number of degrees of freedom of the platform.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein a number of the set of cable controlling mechanisms equal to the number of degrees of freedom of the platform are used for controlling lengths of the set of cables.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a remainder of the set of cable controlling mechanisms are used to apply tension to the set of cables.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the tension applied to the cables is calculated to increase stiffness or natural frequency of the platform.