Micro robot

• US 5,554,914 A
• Filed: 06/07/1993
• Issued: 09/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/070,399
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 318/16, 318/560-646, 340/60, 340/18 LD, 340/854.6, 340/855.8, 340/636, 378/60, 378/870.28, 333/249, 333/21 R, 333/21 A, 104/138
• US Class Current: 318/568.11
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use

Abstract

A micro robot having a size of about 1 cm³ and capable of wireless control. This robot includes at least two sensors (12, 14) having detection regions thereof overlapping partially with each other, at least a pair of independently operated driving units (30, 28) having driving points spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction, control units (40, 58, 60, 62) for controlling the driving units on the basis of the outputs of the sensors, and a rechargeable power supply portion (16) for supplying a power supply voltage to the sensors, the driving units and the control units. The control units and the power supply units are disposed between the driving units.

Claims

1. A micro robot comprising:

at least two sensors having respective detection regions partly overlapping each other;

at least one pair of driving means, being driven independently of each other and having driven points separated from each other, each driven point defining a vertical axis extending therefrom in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement;

a control portion which is composed in a form of a thin plate, for controlling said driving means on the basis of outputs of said sensors;

a chargeable power source portion for supplying a power source voltage to said sensors, said driving means and said control portion; and

wherein said control portion and said power source portion being arranged in parallel between said pair of driving means, said driving means including an electromagnetic stepping motor, said electromagnetic stepping motor comprising;

a magnetic rotor, an exciting coil winding wound on a magnetic core, a tabular stator having a circular hole to house said magnetic rotor, a pair of recesses, each being smaller than said magnetic rotor opening into the inside wall of said circular hole at diametrically opposed sites about the center of said circular hole and at a biased angle from a direction of a magnetic flux excited in said circular hole, and a pair of concave portions disposed outside said circular hole;

said exciting coil winding being arranged between both ends of said tabular stator, said micro robot further having a center of gravity positioned in approximate alignment with a plane including the vertical axis of said driven points of said pair of driving means and below the highest height among the height of said driving means, said control portion and said power source portion.

2. A micro robot according to claim 1, wherein said micro robot is supported by three points including said two driven points which are driven relative to a running ground by said pair of driving means, and one sliding point which slidably contacts with said running ground.

3. A micro robot according to claim 2, wherein a line segment connecting said two driven points interlinks with the direction of gravity of said micro robot at its center of gravity depending on inclination of said running ground, and the position of said sliding point varies between the front and back of the interlinkage.

4. A micro robot according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible protrusion which projects from a body and which is conductive with said power source portion.

5. A micro robot according to claim 1, wherein each of said driving means includes a motor constituted by a stepping motor.

6. A micro robot according to claim 1, wherein said control portion carries out accelerating control on said driving means at the time of starting driving of said driving means, and wherein said control portion makes the driving condition of one of said driving means coincide with that of the other driving means when the driving of said one driving means is started while said other driving means is being driven.

7. A micro robot according to claim 6, further comprising an obstacle sensor for detecting an obstacle so that when said obstacle sensor detects an obstacle said control portion reversely drives at least one of said driving means for a predetermined period of time and then returns said at least one driving means to its normal operation.

8. A micro robot according to claim 1, wherein said control portion detects presence or absence of rotation of a motor included in each of said driving means on the basis of an induced voltage in a winding of said motor.

9. A micro robot according to claim 1, wherein said control portion drives said driving means while accelerating, and wherein said control portion performs driving with driving pulses the width of which is widened at the time of starting while narrowed at the time of high speed.

10. A micro robot according to claim 1, wherein said control portion makes the respective timings of supplying driving pulses to said driving means coincident with other.

11. A micro robot comprising:

at least two direction control sensors having respective detection regions partly overlapping each other;

at least one pair of driving means being driven independently of each other and having driven points separated from each other, each driven point defining a vertical axis extending therefrom in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement;

a work control sensor which receives a work instruction contactlessly from an operation side;

a work driving means;

a control portion for controlling said driving means on the basis of outputs of said direction control sensors and for controlling said work driving means on the basis of an output of said work control sensor; and

a chargeable power source portion, which is composed in a form of a thin plate, for supplying a power source voltage to said direction control sensors, said driving means, said work control sensor, said work driving means, and said control portion;

wherein

said control portion and said power source portion being arranged in parallel between said pair of driving means, said driving means including an electromagnetic stepping motor, said electromagnetic stepping motor comprising;

a magnetic rotor, an exciting coil winding wound on a magnetic core, a tabular stator having a circular hole housing said magnetic rotor, a pair of recesses, each being smaller than said magnetic rotor opening into the inside wall of said circular hole at diametrically opposed sites about the center of said circular hole and at a biased angle from a direction of a magnetic flux excited in said circular hole, and a pair of concave portions disposed outside said circular hole;

said exciting coil winding being arranged between both ends of said tabular stator, said micro robot further having a center of gravity positioned in approximate alignment with a plane including the vertical axis of said driven points of said pair of driving means and below the highest height among the height of said driving means, said control portion and said power source portion.