Hazardous materials emergency response mobile robot
First Claim
1. A robot for inserting a key in a keyhole in a doorknob mounted on a door, said robot comprising a platform on which tracks for self-mobility and a first end of a robot arm are attached, and an end effector mounted to a second end of said robot arm, said robot further comprising:
- a key;
tool means, grippable by said end effector, for holding said key while pressing said key against said keyhole, wherein the tool means includes,means allowing rotation up to nearly 90 degrees about a vertical axis in relation to said end effector,means for extending forwardly and adjacent the key for engaging plural points on a surface of the door adjacent the doorknob for centering the key with respect to the keyhole,means for permitting bending of said tool means in at least one of two orthogonal axes; and
,said tracks comprising articulated means for rotating said robot forward about an end of said tracks relative to a center part of said tracks whereby said key travels in an arc of a radius corresponding to a distance between said tracks and said key, wherein said tool means for holding said key deforms so as to allow said key to travel in at least a nearly straight path through said key hole.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A simple or unsophisticated robot incapable of effecting straight-line motion at the end of its arm inserts a key held in its end effector or hand into a door lock with nearly straight-line motion by gently thrusting its back heels downwardly so that it pivots forwardly on its front toes while holding its arm stationary. The relatively slight arc traveled by the robot'"'"'s hand is compensated by a compliant tool with which the robot hand grips the door key. A visible beam is projected through the axis of the hand or gripper on the robot arm end at an angle to the general direction in which the robot thrusts the gripper forward. As the robot hand approaches a target surface, a video camera on the robot wrist watches the beam spot on the target surface fall from a height proportional to the distance between the robot hand and the target surface until the beam spot is nearly aligned with the top of the robot hand. Holes in the front face of the hand are connected through internal passages inside the arm to an on-board chemical sensor. Full rotation of the hand or gripper about the robot arm'"'"'s wrist is made possible by slip rings in the wrist which permit passage of the gases taken in through the nose holes in the front of the hand through the wrist regardless of the rotational orientation of the wrist.
168 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A robot for inserting a key in a keyhole in a doorknob mounted on a door, said robot comprising a platform on which tracks for self-mobility and a first end of a robot arm are attached, and an end effector mounted to a second end of said robot arm, said robot further comprising:
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a key; tool means, grippable by said end effector, for holding said key while pressing said key against said keyhole, wherein the tool means includes, means allowing rotation up to nearly 90 degrees about a vertical axis in relation to said end effector, means for extending forwardly and adjacent the key for engaging plural points on a surface of the door adjacent the doorknob for centering the key with respect to the keyhole, means for permitting bending of said tool means in at least one of two orthogonal axes; and
,said tracks comprising articulated means for rotating said robot forward about an end of said tracks relative to a center part of said tracks whereby said key travels in an arc of a radius corresponding to a distance between said tracks and said key, wherein said tool means for holding said key deforms so as to allow said key to travel in at least a nearly straight path through said key hole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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8. A remotely-controlled mobile robot comprising:
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a robot arm having an end effector at a distal end of said robot arm having an end surface; means for permitting manual control of said robot by an operator; means for displaying an image to said operator; image detector means coupled to said end effector for viewing a scene encompassing said end effector to be displayed on said means for displaying; and means coupled to said end effector for radiating a beam of visible light at an acute angle with respect to a line of sight of said image detector means from a location rearward of said end surface and through a location near said end surface, whereby to illuminate a spot on an exterior target surface facing said end surface at a height relative to said end effector in said image proportional to a displacement between said end surface and said target surface, whereby a velocity of said end surface with respect to said target surface is displayed in said image as a velocity of said beam spot relative to said end effector in a vertical direction.
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14. A method of opening a latched door with a robot having a weighted hook attached to a winch on said robot via a cable, said robot further comprising a movable arm having an end effector, said method comprising:
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grasping and moving said hook with said end effector so as to engage said hook with a door handle of said door; drawing said cable tightly with said winch so as to strain said hook against said door handle; releasing said end effector from said hook and depressing a door latch of said door; drawing said hook in a direction in which said door opens whereby to open said door; withdrawing said end effector from said latch and grasping a weight with said end effector, moving said end effector so as to block said door with said weight and releasing said weight from said end effector; and grasping said cable with said end effector while releasing said winch so as to release tension in said cable from said weighted hook, whereby said weighted hook falls from engagement with said door handle. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification