SMALL UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present teachings relate generally to a small remote vehicle having rotatable flippers and a weight of less than about 10 pounds and that can climb a conventional-sized stairs. The present teachings also relate to a small remote vehicle can be thrown or dropped fifteen feet onto a hard/inelastic surface without incurring structural damage that may impede its mission. The present teachings further relate to a small remote vehicle having a weight of less than about 10 pounds and a power source supporting missions of at least 6 hours.
6 Citations
26 Claims
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1-12. -12. (canceled)
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13. A mobile robot comprising:
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a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, side surfaces, a front surface and a rear surface; a battery housed within the housing and including two or more cylindrical cells, the battery resting on a bottom surface of the housing; a driven support surface movably connected to each side of the housing and configured to propel the housing in at least a forward direction, each driven support surface comprising a flexible track trained about a pair of wheels; a flipper rotatably connected to each side of the housing rearward of the center of gravity of the housing, the flippers being configured to rotate in a first direction to raise the rearward end of the robot and to rotate in a second and opposite direction to raise the forward end of the robot housing, wherein the bottom surface of the housing is contoured to accommodate a shape of the battery cells and is configured to conduct heat away from the battery by providing additional surface area for heat dissipation. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A mobile robot, comprising:
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a housing having a forward end, a rearward end, and a center of gravity; a driven support surface movably connected to each side of the housing and configured to propel the housing in at least a forward direction, each driven support surface comprising a flexible track trained about a pair of wheels, each longitudinal support surface having a front end and a rear end, a longitudinal length from the front end to the rear end; a flipper rotatably connected to each side of the housing rearward of the center of gravity of the housing, the flippers being configured to rotate in a first direction to raise the rearward end of the robot and to rotate in a second and opposite direction to raise the forward end of the robot housing; a flipper motor, to provide a rotational force to rotate the flipper; and a flipper drive gear configured to translate a rotational force from the flipper motor to the flipper via a slip clutch. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A mobile robot system having a weight of less than about 10 pounds, the mobile robot system comprising:
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a mobile robot having rotating flippers and a weight of less than about 5 pounds; an operator control unit configured to communicate with the mobile robot and comprising; a housing; an antenna supported by the housing and configured to transmit to and receive signals from the mobile robot; a display configured to provide information regarding the operation of the mobile robot; and an input device coupled to the display and configured to receive operator input. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification