Robotic vehicle

• US 8,256,542 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Couture, Adam P., Page, Richard, O'Brien, John P., Filippov, Mikhail
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): POTTER, WESLEY A
• Application Number:
  US12/134,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20090314554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 180/8.2, 180/8.7, 180/9.32, 180/9.5, 180/7.1, 901/1, 901/48
• US Class Current: 180/9.32
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/2054 Load carrying floors for commercial vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/065 Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/0655 Articulated endless track vehicles steering specially adapted for trailers B62D13/00; articulated buses B62D47/025; tractor-trailer combinations or road trains comprising a uni-axle unit and a uni-axle trailer B62D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00

Abstract

A mobile robot includes a chassis defining at least one chassis volume and first and second sets of right and left driven flippers associated with the chassis. Each flipper has a drive wheel and defines a flipper volume adjacent to the drive wheel. The first set of flippers is disposed between the second set of flippers and the chassis. Motive power elements are distributed among the chassis volume and the flipper volumes. The motive power elements include a battery assembly, a main drive motor assembly, and a load shifting motor assembly.

Claims

1. A mobile robot comprising:

a chassis defining at least one chassis volume;

first and second sets of right and left driven flippers associated with the chassis, each flipper having a drive wheel and defining a flipper volume adjacent to the drive wheel, the first set of flippers disposed between the second set of flippers and the chassis; and

motive power elements distributed among the chassis volume and the flipper volumes, the motive power elements comprising a battery assembly, a main drive motor assembly, and a load shifting motor assembly,

wherein the first set of flippers are rigidly coupled to the chassis, and the second set of flippers are rotatable 360 degrees about a pivot axis near a forward end of the chassis, the first and second sets of flippers having a drive axis common with the pivot axis.

2. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein each flipper comprises a driven track, each track trained about the corresponding drive wheel and defining the flipper volume within an envelope defined by the track.

3. The mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising a load shifting assembly pivotally attached to the chassis and comprising a load tilting motor, the load shifting assembly defining a load shifting volume adjacent the load tilting motor, the motive power elements being distributed among the chassis volume, the load shifting volume, and the flipper volumes, and wherein the main drive motor assembly comprises a main drive motor and a main drive motor amplifier, and wherein the chassis comprises a cast unitary chassis, wherein the chassis defines first and second chassis volumes each adjacent a flipper volume defined by the first set of flippers with a connecting passageway defined between the first and second chassis volumes, the load shifting assembly comprises a cast unitary linkage defining a passageway therethrough that connects the chassis volumes to the load shifting volume, and wherein the main drive motor amplifier is sealed in at least one flipper volume and at least one chassis volume and delivers power to the main drive motor disposed in at least one chassis volume, wherein the battery assembly and the load tilting motor are sealed in load shifting volume, the battery assembly tilts together with the load shifting assembly, and the battery delivers power through the linkage passageway to the main drive motor amplifier.

4. The mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising a load shifting assembly pivotally attached to the chassis and comprising a load tilting motor, wherein the load shifting assembly comprises a linkage connecting a payload assembly to the chassis, and wherein the payload assembly comprises a sensor unit.

5. The mobile robot of claim 1, further comprising a load shifting assembly pivotally attached to the chassis and comprising a load tilting motor, wherein the load shifting assembly comprises a linkage connecting a payload assembly to the chassis, and wherein the payload assembly comprises a modular deck assembly configured to support a removable payload.

6. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of the robot remains within an envelope of rotation of the second set of flippers.

7. A mobile robot comprising:

a chassis;

a skid steer drive disposed on the chassis and comprising a drive wheel; and

a load shifting assembly rotatably coupled to the chassis and comprising a load tilting motor and a load shifting motor, the chassis defining a through space configured to receive the load shifting assembly;

wherein the skid steer drive defines a first volume adjacent the drive wheel, the load shifting assembly defines a second volume adjacent the load tilting motor, and the chassis defines a third volume adjacent the drive wheel; and

wherein a main drive motor amplifier and a load shifting motor amplifier are disposed in the first volume, a battery assembly is disposed in the second volume, and a main drive motor and the load shifting motor are disposed in the third volume.

8. A mobile robot comprising:

a chassis;

a skid steer drive disposed on the chassis and comprising a drive wheel; and

a load shifting assembly rotatably coupled to the chassis and comprising a load tilting motor, the chassis defining a through space configured to receive the load shifting assembly;

wherein the skid steer drive defines a first volume adjacent the drive wheel, the load shifting assembly defines a second volume, and the chassis defines a third volume adjacent the drive wheel; and

wherein a main drive motor amplifier is disposed in the first volume, a battery assembly and the load tilting motor are disposed in the second volume so that the battery assembly tilts together with the load shifting assembly, and a main drive motor is disposed in the third volume.

9. An environmentally sealed mobile robot comprising:

a skid steer drive defining a first volume;

a cast unitary load shifting assembly defining a second volume;

a cast unitary chassis defining a third volume adjacent the skid steer drive, a fourth volume adjacent the first volume, and a passageway internally connecting the third volume and the fourth volume;

a sealed hollow linkage connecting the second volume and the third volume;

a main drive motor amplifier sealed in the first volume and fourth volume; and

a battery assembly and the load tilting motor sealed in second volume;

wherein the main drive motor amplifier delivers power through the passageway to a main drive motor disposed in the third volume; and

wherein the battery assembly and the load tilting motor tilt together with the load shifting assembly, the battery assembly delivering power through the sealed hollow linkage to the main drive motor amplifier and main drive motor.

10. A mobile robot comprising:

a tracked drive having a drive wheel and defining a first volume within an envelope of the tracked drive;

a load shifting assembly defining a second volume; and

a chassis defining a third volume adjacent the drive wheel, the first volume extending into the chassis;

wherein the first volume houses a motor amplifier that sinks heat into the chassis, the second volume houses a battery assembly and load tilting motor assembly that sink heat into the load shifting assembly, and the third volume houses drive motors that sink heat into the chassis.