Navigating robot with reference line plotter

• US 5,453,931 A
• Filed: 10/25/1994
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James R. Watts Jr
• Original Assignee: James R. Watts Jr
• Inventors: Watts, James R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/328,357
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.02, 364/424.01, 364/551.01, 364/551.02, 364/559, 364/560, 364/561, 318/580, 318/587, 180/167, 180/168, 180/169, 180/8.1, 180/8.2, 180/7.3, 180/8.5, 180/8.6, 395/80, 395/85, 395/86, 395/88
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

A mobile robot for and a method of producing accurate physical lay-out and reference lines or performing work on a plane surface through cartesian coordinates or angle and distance systems is provided. The mobile robot has an on-board computer, a navigation system, and an emissions system. The robot is provided with a drive, for receipt of a floppy, or an internal drive, that can be programmed by an interested party directly or from a remote location by a plug-in. The program is loaded with locations that require treatment, work or equipment positioning. The robot locates and treats the coordinates with emission means, such as an ink jet type marking system, for workmen or for directly performing work at the coordinates.

Claims

1. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface comprising:

a propulsion system for propelling said mobile robot;

a navigation means for use in determining the path of travel of said mobile robot;

an on-board emitting means for treating said surface;

a computer program means for use with said navigation means system and the position of said robot and for controlling and operating emissions from said emitting means.

2. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

said emitting means include plural emitting outlets;

said emitting means include plural different color supplies for said plural emitting outlets.

3. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

said navigation means includes a lifting means for raising said robot from said surface while said propulsion system is shifted from one direction of travel into another direction of travel to preclude inadvertent slippage and assure sharp, accurate direction changes.

4. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

adjustable legs support said robot on said surface to provide a leveling means and to stabilize said robot during movement.

5. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

contact switch means are mounted on said robot;

said contact switch means prevent movement of said robot if obstacles are encountered or said robot attempts to travel over an edge;

said contact switch means includes spring-loaded surface probes held in compression by contact with said surface.

6. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 4 wherein:

a level indicating means is provided on said robot;

said adjustable legs permit said robot to be adjusted with respect to said surface until said level indicating means indicate said robot to be level with respect to the Earth'"'"'s center of attraction.

7. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 4 wherein:

said propulsion means includes a surface engaging means and a surface engaging means support;

a pressure sensor means on said surface engaging means support for indicating the pressure between said surface and said surface engaging means.

8. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

said robot propulsion system is rotatable relative to said robot navigation means;

said navigation means includes an alinement instrument means;

a sensor means is provided on said propulsion system to indicate when said propulsion system and said alinement instrument means of said navigation means are rotated into alinement.

9. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

said robot is provided with a computer;

said robot is provided with a keyboard and a floppy disk drive and a keyboard socket means for input to said computer program means that feeds data to said computer to control the path said robot is to travel in.

10. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

said navigation means includes a theodolite that is able to position said robot at a desired starting point by using known distant points as a reference.

11. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

said robot is provided with a computer;

an inclinometer is provided on said robot for indicating information on the slope of said surface said robot is traveling over;

a communication means is provided between said inclinometer and said computer so that said information on said slope of said surface is provided to said computer to convert the actual distance traveled by said robot to the horizontal distance traveled by said robot.

12. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 11 wherein:

said emitting means include plural emitting outlets;

said emitting means include plural different color ink supplies for said plural emitting outlets;

said navigation means includes a lifting means for raising said robot above said surface while said propulsion system is shifted from one direction of travel into another direction of travel to preclude slippage and provide sharp angular turns;

contact switches are provided on said robot to prevent movement of said robot if obstacles are encountered or said robot attempts to travel over an edge;

said robot propulsion system is rotatable with respect to said robot navigation means;

an alinement instrument means is included as a part of said navigation means;

a sensor means is provided on said propulsion system to indicate when said propulsion system and said alinement instrument means of said navigation means are rotated into alinement;

a level indicating means is provided for indicating when said robot is level with respect to the Earth'"'"'s center of attraction;

adjustable legs are provided for supporting said robot;

said adjustable legs permit said robot to be adjusted with respect to said surface until said level indicating means indicates said robot to be level with the Earth'"'"'s center of attraction.

13. A self propelled mobile robot equipped for treating a surface as described in claim 1 wherein:

an optical plumb is provided with said navigation means for locating said robot over a starting point for the path said robot is to travel.

14. The process of performing work on a surface using a robot by:

providing a self-propelled robot with a propulsion system for moving said robot and a navigation means for controlling said propulsion system and an emitting means for performing work on said surface;

providing said navigation means with a computer and a computer program;

feeding lay-out information into said computer program;

using said computer program to command said computer to control said robot propulsion system to move and position said robot and to control emissions from said emitting means to perform said work on said surface.

15. The process of performing work on a surface using a robot as contained in claim 14 further including:

providing said robot with an inclinometer;

using said inclinometer to determine the slope of said surface said robot is traveling over;

communicating information on said slope of said surface determined by said inclinometer to said computer;

using said computer program to correct said robot'"'"'s movements over said surface for errors caused by said slope of said surface so that said work is performed only with respect to the horizontal travel of said robot.

16. The process of performing work on a surface using a robot as contained in claim 14 further including:

providing said robot with a theodolite;

positioning said robot at a starting point for performing said work by using said theodolite to determine said starting point from known distant reference points.

17. The process of performing work on a surface using a robot as contained in claim 14 further including:

providing said robot with adjustable legs and a level indicating means;

providing said emitting means with a mounting means;

using said level indicating means and said adjustable legs to position said robot'"'"'s emitting means mounting means level with the earth'"'"'s center of attraction.

18. The process of performing work on a surface using a robot as contained in claim 14 further including:

providing a lifting means for raising and lowering said robot;

changing said propulsion system'"'"'s direction of travel by using said lifting means to raise said robot'"'"'s propulsion system off of said surface while changing said propulsion system'"'"'s direction of travel to avoid slippage and provide for sharp turns.

19. The process of performing work on a surface using a robot as contained in claim 18 further including:

providing said robot with an orientation sensor means for indicating the position of said navigation means with respect to said propulsion system;

using said orientation sensor means to aline said navigation means with said propulsion system;

communicating said alinement of said navigation means and said propulsion means to said computer;

lowering said robot to said surface with said lifting means before using said propulsion system to propel said robot.

20. The process of navigating a self-propelled robot over a surface by:

providing a self-propelled robot having a navigation means and a propulsion system;

providing said robot with means for raising said robot above said surface and lowering said robot onto said surface;

changing the direction said robot is traveling in by raising said robot above said surface and orienting said robot propulsion means from one direction of travel into a new direction of travel while said robot is raised above said surface;

lowering said robot onto said surface before propelling said robot in said new direction of travel.

21. The process of navigating a self-propelled robot over a surface as in claim 20 by further:

providing a rotary positioning table for orienting said propulsion system;

rotating said rotary positioning table to change said direction of travel of said robot propulsion system from said one direction of travel into said new direction of travel.

22. The process of navigating a self-propelled robot over a surface as in claim 20 by further:

moving said robot from one point to another using feed forward commands from said navigation means to said propulsion system, and encoder feed back commands from said propulsion system to said navigation system to avoid unwanted meandering from a direct path and to check the distance traveled.

23. The process of navigating a self-propelled robot over a surface as in claim 20 by further:

moving said robot from one point of interest to another;

recording the coordinates of each said point of interest in said computer;

retracing the movement of said robot between said recorded points of interest using said recorded coordinates.

24. The process of navigating a self-propelled robot over a surface as in claim 20 by further:

including in said propulsion system a surface engaging means and a surface engaging means support;

providing said surface engaging means support with a pressure sensor means;

adjusting the pressure between said surface and said surface engaging means using said pressure sensor means to indicate said pressure.