Robotic locomotion method and mobile robot

• US 7,934,575 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Markus Waibel, Peter Duerr
• Original Assignee: Markus Waibel, Peter Duerr
• Inventors: Waibel, Markus, Duerr, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arce, Marlon A
• Application Number:
  US12/339,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20090166102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 180/9.1, 180/8.3, 180/8.1, 180/8.2, 180/8.5, 180/8.6, 180/8.7, 180/218, 180/167, 446/129, 446/133, 446/135, 446/138
• US Class Current: 180/167
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/30 by movement of cleaning members over a surface
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/024 specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 59/10 using trolleys or the like driven along the surface

Abstract

A method for the locomotion of devices on opposite sides of a surface, one or more of which are mobile robots. Devices on opposing sides of the surface are coupled by an attractive force, which helps generate enough friction between said devices and the surface to allow devices to move across the surface.

Claims

1. A mobile robotic system for locomotion on a two-sided surface including:

a robotic mobile device, said device having a locomotion means for locomotion on the surface and a first attraction means;

a second mobile device having a second attraction means;

wherein the first attraction means of the robotic mobile device and the second attraction means of the second mobile device are so arranged as to generate an attractive force between the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device when the robotic device and the second mobile device are in a facing relationship on the opposite sides of the surface, wherein said attractive force generates an opposite reaction force of the surface to the locomotion means, thereby providing friction for the locomotion of the robotic mobile device;

the system further comprising one of attractive force sensor, gravity sensor, friction force sensor, obstacle sensor, temperature sensor, barometric sensor, humidity sensor, surface contamination sensor, light intensity sensor or light polarization sensor, battery level sensor, wherein the behavior of the robotic system depends on the sensor output.

2. The mobile robotic system according to claim 1, wherein the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device are arranged to keep the facing relationship during the locomotion.

3. The mobile robotic system according to claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is a second robotic mobile device operatively arranged to follow the motion of the first robotic mobile device and keep the facing relationship of the first robotic mobile device and the second robotic mobile device during locomotion.

4. The mobile robotic system of claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is a passive device, entrained by the attractive force between the robotic mobile device and second mobile device and operatively arranged to follow the motion of the robotic mobile device and keep the facing relationship of the robotic mobile device and second mobile device during locomotion.

5. The mobile robotic system of claim 1, comprising sensors to determine the value of an external or internal quantity on both sides of the surface, wherein the programmed behavior of the robotic system is a function of sensors'"'"' outputs.

6. The mobile robotic system of claim 1, comprising a data transmission interface allowing the exchange of information between the robotic mobile device on one side of the surface and the second mobile device on the opposite side of the surface.

7. The mobile robotic system of claim 1, further including means for delivering a surface treatment to the surface, or for cleaning the surface, for example a blade, a squeegee, a brush, or a polishing pad.

8. The mobile robotic system of claim 7, comprising means for delivering a surface treatment to both sides of the surface, or for cleaning both sides of the surface.

9. The mobile robotic system of claim 1, equipped with a mechanical or electronic anti-theft, anti-tampering, guarding or surveillance system.

10. The mobile robotic system of claim 1, said attractive force being a contactless range force, in particular a magnetic or electrostatic or electromagnetic force.

11. The mobile robotic system of claim 1, wherein manipulation of said attractive force is used to transfer energy or information between said devices.

12. The mobile robotic system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said devices makes use of potential gravitational energy by positioning itself on the surface.

15. The mobile robotic method according to claim 1, wherein the second mobile device is a second robotic mobile device operatively arranged to follow the motion of the first robotic mobile device and keep the facing relationship of the first robotic mobile device and the second robotic mobile device during locomotion.

27. The mobile robotic system of claim 1,

wherein the robotic mobile device is arranged to be steered.

13. A mobile robotic method for locomotion on a two-sided surface including:

providing a robotic mobile device, said device having a locomotion means for locomotion on the surface and a first attraction means;

providing a second mobile device having a second attraction means;

wherein the first attraction means of the robotic mobile device and the second attraction means of the second mobile device are so arranged as to generate an attractive force between the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device when the robotic device and the second mobile device are in a facing relationship on the opposite sides of the surface, wherein said attractive force generates an opposite reaction force of the surface to the locomotion means, thereby providing friction for the locomotion of the robotic mobile device;

providing one of attractive force sensor, gravity sensor, friction force sensor, obstacle sensor, temperature sensor, barometric sensor, humidity sensor, surface contamination sensor, light intensity sensor or light polarization sensor, battery level sensor, wherein the behavior of the robotic system depends on the sensor output.

14. The mobile robotic method according to claim 13, wherein the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device are arranged to keep the facing relationship during the locomotion.

16. The mobile robotic method of claim 13, wherein the second mobile device is a passive device, entrained by the attractive force between the robotic mobile device and second mobile device and operatively arranged to follow the motion of the robotic mobile device and keep the facing relationship of the robotic mobile device and second mobile device during locomotion.

17. The mobile robotic method of claim 13, further comprising a sensor to determine the value of an external or internal quantity, wherein the programmed behavior of the robotic method is dependent on the sensor output.

18. The mobile robotic method of claim 17, wherein the sensor is one of attractive force sensor, gravity sensor, friction force sensor, obstacle sensor, temperature sensor, barometric sensor, humidity sensor, surface property sensor, light intensity sensor or light polarization sensor, battery level sensor.

19. The mobile robotic method of claim 17, comprising sensors to determine the value of an external or internal quantity on both sides of the surface, wherein the programmed behavior of the robotic method is a function of sensors'"'"' outputs.

20. The mobile robotic method of claim 13, comprising a data transmission interface allowing the exchange of information between the robotic mobile device on one side of the surface and the second mobile device on the opposite side of the surface.

21. The mobile robotic method of claim 13, further including means for delivering a surface treatment to the surface, or for cleaning the surface, for example a blade, a squeegee, a brush, or a polishing pad.

22. The mobile robotic method of claim 21, comprising means for delivering a surface treatment to both sides of the surface, or for cleaning both sides of the surface.

23. The mobile robotic method of claim 13, equipped with a mechanical or electronic anti-theft, anti-tampering, guarding or surveillance method.

24. The mobile robotic method of claim 13, said attractive force being a contactless range force, in particular a magnetic or electrostatic or electromagnetic force.

25. The mobile robotic method of claim 13, wherein manipulation of said attractive force is used to transfer energy or information between said devices.

26. The mobile robotic method of claim 13, wherein at least one of said devices makes use of potential gravitational energy by positioning itself on the surface.

28. A mobile robotic system for locomotion on a two-sided surface including:

a robotic mobile device, said device having a locomotion means for locomotion on the surface and a first attraction means;

a second mobile device having a second attraction means;

wherein the first attraction means of the robotic mobile device and the second attraction means of the second mobile device are so arranged as to generate an attractive force between the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device when the robotic device and the second mobile device are in a facing relationship on the opposite sides of the surface, wherein said attractive force generates an opposite reaction force of the surface to the locomotion means, thereby providing friction for the locomotion of the robotic mobile device, and

a data transmission interface allowing the exchange of information between the robotic mobile device on one side of the surface and the second mobile device on the opposite side of the surface.

29. A mobile robotic system for locomotion on a two-sided surface including:

a robotic mobile device, said device having a locomotion means for locomotion on the surface and a first attraction means;

a second mobile device having a second attraction means;

wherein the first attraction means of the robotic mobile device and the second attraction means of the second mobile device are so arranged as to generate an attractive force between the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device when the robotic device and the second mobile device are in a facing relationship on the opposite sides of the surface, wherein said attractive force generates an opposite reaction force of the surface to the locomotion means, thereby providing friction for the locomotion of the robotic mobile device, and

means for delivering a surface treatment to the surface, or for cleaning the surface, for example a blade, a squeegee, a brush, or a polishing pad.

30. A mobile robotic method for locomotion on a two-sided surface including:

providing a robotic mobile device, said device having a locomotion means for locomotion on the surface and a first attraction means;

providing a second mobile device having a second attraction means;

wherein the first attraction means of the robotic mobile device and the second attraction means of the second mobile device are so arranged as to generate an attractive force between the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device when the robotic device and the second mobile device are in a facing relationship on the opposite sides of the surface, wherein said attractive force generates an opposite reaction force of the surface to the locomotion means, thereby providing friction for the locomotion of the robotic mobile device; and

,

providing a data transmission interface allowing the exchange of information between the robotic mobile device on one side of the surface and the second mobile device on the opposite side of the surface.

31. The robotic method of claim 30, wherein the two-sided surface comprises a vertical or overhanging surface, and further comprising locating the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device on opposing sides of a two-sided vertical or overhanging surface.

32. A mobile robotic method for locomotion on a two-sided surface including:

providing a robotic mobile device, said device having a locomotion means for locomotion on the surface and a first attraction means;

providing a second mobile device having a second attraction means;

wherein the first attraction means of the robotic mobile device and the second attraction means of the second mobile device are so arranged as to generate an attractive force between the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device when the robotic device and the second mobile device are in a facing relationship on the opposite sides of the surface, wherein said attractive force generates an opposite reaction force of the surface to the locomotion means, thereby providing friction for the locomotion of the robotic mobile device; and

providing means for delivering a surface treatment to the surface, or for cleaning the surface, for example a blade, a squeegee, a brush, or a polishing pad.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the two-sided surface comprises a vertical or overhanging surface, and further comprising locating the robotic mobile device and the second mobile device on opposing sides of the vertical or overhanging surface.