Drive and stabilizaton system for amphibious robotic ball

• US 9,428,019 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GuardBot Inc.
• Original Assignee: GuardBot Inc.
• Inventors: Muhlrad, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Boehler, Anne Marie
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARCE, MARLON ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US14/326,688
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 180/7.1, 180/10, 180/21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0007 Arrangement of propulsion or steering means on amphibious vehicles marine propulsion or steering B63H
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern

Abstract

A ball robot formed from a spherical shell includes a main axle, first and second pendulums pivotally coupled to the main axle, and a drive mechanism for the first and the second pendulums. The drive mechanism drives the first and second pendulums together in a first rotational direction to move the ball robot forward and backward and in opposing directions to cause the ball robot to turn right or left. In an alternative embodiment, a flywheel is used to provide forward and backward movement and a pendulums is used to cause the ball robot to turn right or left.

Claims

1. A ball robot, comprising:

a spherical shell;

a main axle within the spherical shell;

a flywheel and associated flywheel drive motor within the spherical shell, the flywheel drive motor configured to rotate the flywheel in a first direction to cause the ball robot to move forward and to rotate the flywheel in a second direction opposite the first direction to cause the ball robot to move backward;

a pendulum pivotally coupled to the main axle; and

a drive mechanism for driving the pendulum comprising a drive motor configured to move the pendulum in a third direction perpendicular from the first and second directions to cause the ball robot to turn towards the third direction, and to move the pendulum in a fourth direction opposite the third direction to cause the ball robot to turn towards the fourth direction.