Compliant solid-state bumper for robot

• US 9,346,426 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Hickey, Stephen A., Pastore, Andrew, Won, Chikyung, Gamble, Roger Dale, Beaulieu, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrow, Jason S
• Application Number:
  US14/643,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20150183389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 293/4, 293/102, 293/117, 901/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0091 Shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

A robot bumper including a bumper body having a forward surface and a top surface angling away from the forward surface. The bumper body conforms to a shape of a received robot chassis. The robot bumper also includes a force absorbing layer disposed on the bumper body, a membrane switch layer comprising a plurality of electrical contacts arranged along the top surface of the bumper body, and a force transmission layer disposed between the force absorbing layer and the membrane switch layer. The force transmission layer includes a plurality of force transmitting elements configured to transmit force to the membrane switch layer.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a robot chassis;

a bumper body disposed on the robot chassis; and

a membrane switch layer disposed on the bumper body and comprising;

a first conductive layer extending along the bumper body in a first direction, the first conductive layer including a plurality of first conductive zones;

a second conductive layer extending along the bumper body in a second direction different from the first direction, the second conductive layer including a plurality of second conductive zones, the plurality of second conductive zones arranged to overlap the plurality of first conductive zones to form a two-directional matrix of overlapping first and second conductive zones configured to allow identification of a location and/or region on the bumper body of a received pressure against the membrane switch layer based on an electrical connection formed between at least one first conductive zone and at least one second conductive zone; and

a separation layer disposed between the first and second conductive layers.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the separation layer comprises a piezoresistive material.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein each conductive zone within a corresponding conductive layer is electrically responsive independently of the other conductive zones within the corresponding conductive layer.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein each conductive zone defines a substantially linear stripe shape, the plurality of first conductive zones forming a first stripe pattern along the first direction and the plurality of second conductive zones forming a second stripe pattern along the second direction.

5. The robot of claim 4, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein one or more conductive zones of one of the conductive layers is configured to receive an electric current.

7. The robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a force absorbing layer; and

a force transmission layer disposed between the force absorbing layer and the membrane switch layer, the force transmission layer comprising a plurality of force transmitting elements configured to transmit force to the membrane switch layer.

8. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a data processing device in communication with the membrane switch layer, the data processing device configured to:

receive one or more signals from the membrane switch layer indicative of the electrical connection formed between the at least one first conductive zone and the at least one second conductive zone in response to the received pressure against the membrane switch layer; and

determine contact data based on the one or more signals, the contact data indicating at least one of a size and/or amount of the received pressure, a location and/or region on the bumper body of the received pressure, or a duration of the received pressure.

9. The robot of claim 8, wherein the data processing device determines the location and/or region of the received pressure on the bumper body by identifying which at least one first conductive zone of the first conductive layer is electrically connected to which at least one second conductive zone of the second conductive layer, each conductive zone having a known location on the membrane switch layer.

10. The robot of claim 9, wherein the data processing device determines the location and/or region of the received pressure on the bumper body by:

identifying one or more pairs of electrically connected first and second conductive zones, wherein each conductive zone defines a substantially linear stripe shape, and the plurality of first conductive zones form a first stripe pattern along the first direction and the plurality of second conductive zones form a second stripe pattern along the second direction; and

mapping an intersection of each identified pair of electrically connected first and second conductive zones to known locations of the conductive zones on the membrane switch layer.

11. The robot of claim 10, wherein the data processing device determines the size and/or amount of the received pressure based on a number of conductive zones of one conductive layer electrically connecting to one or more conductive zones of the other conductive layer.

12. A method comprising:

delivering an electric current to one or more conductive zones of a membrane switch layer, the membrane switch layer disposed on a bumper body and comprising;

a first conductive layer extending along the bumper body in a first direction, the first conductive layer including a plurality of first conductive zones;

a second conductive layer extending along the bumper body in a second direction different from the first direction, the second conductive layer including a plurality of second conductive zones, the plurality of second conductive zones arranged to overlap the plurality of first conductive zones to form a two-directional matrix of overlapping first and second conductive zones; and

a separation layer disposed between the first and second conductive layers; and

detecting an electrical connection between at least one first conductive zone and at least one second conductive zone in response to a received pressure against the membrane switch layer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising identifying a location and/or region of the received pressure on the membrane switch layer by identifying which at least one first conductive zone of the first conductive layer is electrically connected to which at least one second conductive zone of the second conductive layer, each conductive zone having a known location on the membrane switch layer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying one or more pairs of electrically connected first and second conductive zones, wherein each conductive zone defines a substantially linear stripe shape, and the plurality of first conductive zones form a first stripe pattern along the first direction and the plurality of second conductive zones form a second stripe pattern along the second direction; and

mapping an intersection of each identified pair of first and second conductive zones to known locations of the conductive zones on the membrane switch layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a size and/or amount of the received pressure based on a number of conductive zones of one conductive layer electrically connecting to one or more conductive zones of the other conductive layer.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising sequentially and separately delivering an electric current to each conductive zone of the membrane switch layer.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein each conductive zone within a corresponding conductive layer is electrically responsive independently of the other conductive zones within the corresponding conductive layer.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the separation layer comprises a piezoresistive material.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the membrane switch layer further comprises:

a force absorbing layer; and

a force transmission layer disposed between the force absorbing layer and the membrane switch layer, the force transmission layer comprising a plurality of force transmitting elements configured to transmit force to the membrane switch layer.