Micro robot
First Claim
Patent Images
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,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 having 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, said microrobot further comprising at least two wheels driven by said driving means, said control portion generating drive pulses for said driving means that are shifted in time with respect to each other.
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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.
205 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A micro robot comprising;
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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, 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 having 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, said microrobot further comprising at least two wheels driven by said driving means, said control portion generating drive pulses for said driving means that are shifted in time with respect to each other. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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2. A micro robot comprising;
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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 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, 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 having 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, wherein said work driving means includes a micropump which is driven to discharge a fluid.
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3. A micro robot comprising:
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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 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 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, wherein said work driving means includes a hand mechanism and a driving means for driving said hand mechanism.
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4. A micro robot attached to an end portion of an endoscope, comprising:
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a photovoltaic element for receiving light through optical fibers and for supplying a power source voltage; a micro pump for discharging a fluid; and a control portion for analyzing a control signal superimposed on the light obtained through said optical fibers to thereby drive said micro pump.
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5. A micro robot comprising:
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a robot body including a driving means having a built-in motor for driving a fin to rotate; an arm adapted to open outward so as to engage with a pipe inner wall; a contactlessly chargeable power source portion for supplying a power source voltage to said sensor, said driving means and said control portion; and a control portion which stops the driving of said motor and opens said arm so as to stop within a fluid, when the voltage of said power source portion becomes a value not higher than a predetermined reference voltage value; whereby when said fin is rotated by a flow of said fluid during stoppage, an induced voltage is generated in a winding of said motor so that said power source portion is charged by said induced voltage after rectified. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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8. A micro robot comprising:
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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 contactlessly chargeable power source portion for supplying a power source voltage to said sensors, said driving means and said control portion; said control portion and said contactlessly chargeable 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 contactlessly chargeable power source portion. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification