Robotic platform
First Claim
1. A robotic platform comprising:
- a main body;
right and left main tracks disposed on corresponding sides of the main body, each main track trained about a corresponding main drive pulley and a corresponding rear idler pulley;
right and left front tracks pivotally coupled to a forward portion of the main body, each front track trained about a corresponding front drive pulley and a corresponding front idler pulley, each front drive pulley being concentric with and coupled to rotate in unison with the corresponding main drive pulley, wherein each of the front tracks and the main tracks are compliant tracks that provide a first layer of impact protection to the main body, and wherein each of the drive and idler pulleys are formed from a compliant polymer to provide a second layer of impact protection to the main body;
right and left track motors respectively driving the right main and front drive pulleys and left main and front drive pulleys, the right and left track motors being differentially driven to provide skid steering; and
at least one articulator drive motor coupled to right and left front tracks, the articulator drive motor rotating the right and left front tracks in a continuous 360 degrees between a stowed position, in which the front tracks are disposed along the main body and main tracks and within the height of the main tracks so that the main body is protected by the first and second layers of impact protection, and the front tracks provide traction with the main tracks in a compact track configuration to propel the robotic platform, and at least one deployed position, in which the front tracks are pivoted at an angle with respect to the main tracks;
wherein the robotic platform assumes the stowed position without operator intervention when the robotic platform detects that it is in free fall using a sensor system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An articulated tracked vehicle that has a main section, which includes a main frame, and a forward section. The main frame has two sides and a front end, and includes a pair of parallel main tracks. Each main track includes a flexible continuous belt coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame. The forward section includes an elongated arm. One end of the arm is pivotally coupled to the main frame near the forward end of the main frame about a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame. The arm has a length sufficiently long to allow the forward section to extend below the main section in at least some degrees of rotation of the arm, and a length shorter than the length of the main section. The center of mass of the main section is located forward of the rearmost point reached by the end of the arm in its pivoting about the transverse axis. The main section is contained within the volume defined by the main tracks and is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing inverted operation of the robot.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A robotic platform comprising:
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a main body; right and left main tracks disposed on corresponding sides of the main body, each main track trained about a corresponding main drive pulley and a corresponding rear idler pulley; right and left front tracks pivotally coupled to a forward portion of the main body, each front track trained about a corresponding front drive pulley and a corresponding front idler pulley, each front drive pulley being concentric with and coupled to rotate in unison with the corresponding main drive pulley, wherein each of the front tracks and the main tracks are compliant tracks that provide a first layer of impact protection to the main body, and wherein each of the drive and idler pulleys are formed from a compliant polymer to provide a second layer of impact protection to the main body; right and left track motors respectively driving the right main and front drive pulleys and left main and front drive pulleys, the right and left track motors being differentially driven to provide skid steering; and at least one articulator drive motor coupled to right and left front tracks, the articulator drive motor rotating the right and left front tracks in a continuous 360 degrees between a stowed position, in which the front tracks are disposed along the main body and main tracks and within the height of the main tracks so that the main body is protected by the first and second layers of impact protection, and the front tracks provide traction with the main tracks in a compact track configuration to propel the robotic platform, and at least one deployed position, in which the front tracks are pivoted at an angle with respect to the main tracks; wherein the robotic platform assumes the stowed position without operator intervention when the robotic platform detects that it is in free fall using a sensor system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A robotic platform comprising:
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a main body; right and left main tracks disposed on corresponding sides of the main body, each main track trained about a corresponding main drive pulley and a corresponding rear idler pulley; right and left front tracks pivotally coupled to a forward portion of the main body, each front track trained about a corresponding front drive pulley and a corresponding front idler pulley, each front drive pulley being concentric with and coupled to rotate in unison with the corresponding main drive pulley; right and left track motors respectively driving the right main and front drive pulleys and left main and front drive pulleys, the right and left track motors being differentially driven to provide skid steering; at least one articulator drive motor coupled to right and left front tracks, the articulator drive motor rotating the right and left front tracks in a continuous 360 degrees between a stowed position, in which the front tracks are disposed along the main body and main tracks and within the height of the main tracks, and the front tracks provide fraction with the main tracks in a compact track configuration to propel the robotic platform, and at least one deployed position, in which the front tracks are pivoted at an angle with respect to the main tracks; and a slip clutch coupled between the articulator drive motor and the front tracks, the slip clutch enabling rotation of the front tracks without rotation of the articulator drive motor when a torque between at least one front tracks and the main body, caused by a force acting on the at least one track, exceeds a maximum torque that can be provided by the articulator drive motor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A robotic platform comprising:
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a main body; right and left main tracks disposed on corresponding sides of the main body, each main track trained about a corresponding main drive pulley and a corresponding rear idler pulley; right and left front arms pivotally coupled by an articulator axle passing through a forward portion of the main body to pivot with respect to the main body, each front arm including; an arm plate having proximal and distal ends; a front drive pulley rotatably coupled to the proximal end of the arm plate, the front drive pulley being concentric with and coupled to rotate in unison with the corresponding main drive pulley; a front idler pulley rotatably mounted at the distal end of the arm plate, and a front arm track trained about the front drive pulley and front idler pulley; right and left track motors respectively driving the right main and front drive pulleys and left main and front drive pulleys, the right and left track motors being differentially driven to provide skid steering; and an articulator drive motor coupled to the articulator axle, the articulator axle rigidly coupling the arm plates of the front arms, the articulator drive motor pivoting the articulator axle and front arms in unison among different mobility modes of the robotic platform, including; an extended mobility mode in which the front arms are pivoted, at an angle with respect to the main tracks, forward of the main body and a center of gravity of the robotic platform is located at least 13 inches rearward of a distal end of the front arms and at least 13 inches forward of the rear most point of the main tracks; an inclined mobility mode in which the front arms are pivoted to an angle with respect to the main tracks inclining the main body such that the robotic platform travels on only four points of contact at the extreme ends of the main tracks and front tracks; and an upright mobility mode in which the front arms are pivoted to an angle with respect to the main tracks to balance the main body on the front arms, and in which the robotic platform is able to drive on the front tracks and to pivot in place. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A robotic platform comprising:
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a main body; right and left main tracks disposed on corresponding sides of the main body, each main track trained about a corresponding main drive pulley and a corresponding rear idler pulley; right and left front arms pivotally coupled by an articulator axle passing through a forward portion of the main body to pivot with respect to the main body, each front arm including; an arm plate having proximal and distal ends; a front drive pulley rotatably coupled to the proximal end of the arm plate, the front drive pulley being concentric with and coupled to rotate in unison with the corresponding main drive pulley; a front idler pulley rotatably mounted at the distal end of the arm plate, and a front arm track trained about the front drive pulley and front idler pulley; right and left track motors respectively driving the right main and front drive pulleys and left main and front drive pulleys, the right and left track motors being differentially driven to provide skid steering; an articulator drive motor coupled to the articulator axle, the articulator axle rigidly coupling the arm plates of the front arms, the articulator drive motor pivoting the articulator axle and front arms in unison among different mobility modes of the robotic platform, including; an extended mobility mode in which the front arms are pivoted, at an angle with respect to the main tracks, forward of the main body and a center of gravity of the robotic platform is located at least 13 inches rearward of a distal end of the front arms and at least 13 inches forward of the rear most point of the main tracks; an inclined mobility mode in which the front arms are pivoted to an angle with respect to the main tracks inclining the main body such that the robotic platform travels on four points of contact at the extreme ends of the main tracks and front tracks; and an upright mobility mode in which the front arms are pivoted to an angle with respect to the main tracks to balance the main body on the front arms, and in which the robotic platform is able to drive on the front tracks and to pivot in place; and a slip clutch coupled between the articulator drive motor and the front arms, the slip clutch enabling rotation of the front arms without rotation of the articulator drive motor when a torque between at least one front arm and the main body, caused by a force acting on the at least one arm, exceeds a maximum torque that can be provided by the articulator drive motor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A robotic platform comprising:
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a main body; right and left main tracks disposed on corresponding sides of the main body, each main track trained about a corresponding main drive pulley and a corresponding rear idler pulley; right and left main track supports supporting the corresponding right and left main tracks, each main track support disposed between the corresponding main drive pulley and rear idler pulley; right and left front tracks pivotally coupled to a forward portion of the main body, each front track trained about a corresponding front drive pulley and a corresponding front idler pulley, each front drive pulley being concentric with and coupled to rotate in unison with the corresponding main drive pulley, wherein each of the front tracks and the main tracks are compliant tracks that provide a first layer of impact protection to the main body, and wherein each of the drive and idler pulleys are formed from a compliant polymer to provide a second layer of impact protection to the main body; right and left front track supports supporting the corresponding right and left front tracks, each front track support disposed between the corresponding front drive pulley and front idler pulley; right and left track motors respectively driving the right main and front drive pulleys and left main and front drive pulleys, the right and left track motors being differentially driven to provide skid steering; and an articulator drive motor coupled to right and left front tracks, the articulator drive motor rotating the right and left front tracks between at least one angled position, in which the front arms are pivoted at an angle with respect to the main tracks, a stowed position, in which the front tracks are disposed along the main body and main tracks and within the height of the main tracks so that the main body is protected by the first and second layers of impact protection, and the front tracks provide traction with the main tracks in a compact track configuration to propel the robotic platform, and an extended position, in which the front arms are pivoted to align substantially parallel to the main tracks; wherein the robotic platform assumes the stowed position without operator intervention when the robotic platform detects that it is in free fall using a sensor system. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A robotic platform comprising:
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a main body; right and left main tracks disposed on corresponding sides of the main body, each main track trained about a corresponding main drive pulley and a corresponding rear idler pulley; right and left main track supports supporting the corresponding right and left main tracks, each main track support disposed between the corresponding main drive pulley and rear idler pulley; right and left front tracks pivotally coupled to a forward portion of the main body, each front track trained about a corresponding front drive pulley and a corresponding front idler pulley, each front drive pulley being concentric with and coupled to rotate in unison with the corresponding main drive pulley; right and left front track supports supporting the corresponding right and left front tracks, each front track support disposed between the corresponding front drive pulley and front idler pulley; right and left track motors respectively driving the right main and front drive pulleys and left main and front drive pulleys, the right and left track motors being differentially driven to provide skid steering; an articulator drive motor coupled to right and left front tracks, the articulator drive motor rotating the right and left front tracks between at least one angled position, in which the front arms are pivoted at an angle with respect to the main tracks, a stowed position, in which the front tracks are disposed along the main body and main tracks and within the height of the main tracks, and the front tracks provide traction with the main tracks in a compact track configuration to propel the robotic platform, and an extended position, in which the front arms are pivoted to align substantially parallel to the main tracks; and a slip clutch coupled between the articulator drive motor and the front tracks, the slip clutch enabling rotation of the front tracks without rotation of the articulator drive motor when a torque between at least one front tracks and the main body, caused by a force acting on the at least one track, exceeds a maximum torque that can be provided by the articulator drive motor. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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Specification