Terrain navigation apparatus for a legged animal traversing terrain
First Claim
1. Terrain navigation apparatus for a legged animal traversing terrain includinga first system for determining position, velocity and heading of the legged animal incorporating sensing means for sensing inertial motion in six degrees of freedom operable to provide signals indicative of a first velocity, a first heading and a first position of the legged animal, contact means for establishing, in a velocity profile describing motion of either foot of the legged animal, a period where the velocity should be zero, which period corresponds to full or partial contact of the respective foot with surrounding terrain, and error-estimating means for receiving as input signals the velocity profile during the period and for providing as output signals estimates of errors associated with the sensing means output signals, which errors operatively interact with the output signals of the first system to effect terrain navigation of the legged animal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Terrain navigation apparatus (1) for a legged animal (2) traversing terrain (3) including a first system (4) for determining position, velocity and heading of the legged animal incorporating sensing means for sensing inertial motion in six degrees of freedom operable to provide signals indicative of a first velocity (5a), a first heading (7a) and a first position (9a) of the legged animal (2), contact means (11) for establishing, in a velocity profile describing motion of either foot of the legged animal, a period where the velocity should be zero (17), which period corresponds to full or partial contact of the respective foot (13a, 13b) with surrounding terrain (3), and error-estimating means (15) for receiving as input signals the velocity profile during the period and for providing as output signals estimates of errors (19) associated with the sensing means output signals, which errors operatively interact with the output signals of the first system to effect terrain navigation of the legged animal (2).
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Terrain navigation apparatus for a legged animal traversing terrain including
a first system for determining position, velocity and heading of the legged animal incorporating sensing means for sensing inertial motion in six degrees of freedom operable to provide signals indicative of a first velocity, a first heading and a first position of the legged animal, contact means for establishing, in a velocity profile describing motion of either foot of the legged animal, a period where the velocity should be zero, which period corresponds to full or partial contact of the respective foot with surrounding terrain, and error-estimating means for receiving as input signals the velocity profile during the period and for providing as output signals estimates of errors associated with the sensing means output signals, which errors operatively interact with the output signals of the first system to effect terrain navigation of the legged animal.
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21. Terrain navigation apparatus for a legged animal traversing terrain including
an inertial measurement unit for determining position, velocity and heading of the legged animal by sensing inertial motion in six degrees of freedom operable to provide signals indicative of a first velocity, a first heading and a first position of the legged animal, a ground contact switch for establishing, in a velocity profile describing motion of either foot of the legged animal, a period where the velocity should be zero, which period corresponds to full or partial contact of the respective foot with surrounding terrain, and a Kalman filter error-estimator receiving as input signals the velocity profile during the period and for providing as output signals estimates of errors associated with the inertial measurement unit output signals, which errors operatively interact with the output signals of the inertial measurement unit to effect terrain navigation of the legged animal.
Specification