Modular mobile robot

• US 9,770,825 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: China Superrobotics Limited
• Original Assignee: Engineering Services Inc.
• Inventors: Goldenberg, Andrew A., Lin, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/671,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20150306764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/002 Manipulators for defensive or military tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/08 characterised by modular constructions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/244 Moulded in one piece, with either smooth surfaces or surfaces having projections, e.g. incorporating reinforcing elements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/26 Ground engaging parts or elements tracks specially adapted for amphibious vehicles B60F3/0015
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/31 Gripping jaw

Abstract

A mobile robot system includes a plurality of mobile robots. Each robot has a predetermined size of large, medium, small or back-packable. The mobile robot includes a chassis, drive system components, power components, a main processor, a communication system and a power and data distribution system. The chassis has a predetermined size of large, medium, small or back-packable. Drive system components are operably attached to the chassis and power components are operably connected to the drive system components and the power and data distribution system. The main processor, the communication system and the power and data distribution system are all operably connected together and operably connected to the traction components and the power components. The main processor, the communication system, and the power and data distribution system are all configured for use with the predetermined size of the chassis and at least one other size.

Claims

1. A mobile robot fleet including a plurality of different sized mobile robots each mobile robot is for use with a control unit and the mobile robot fleet comprising:

at least one interchangeable power and data distribution system;

each of the plurality of different sized mobile robots having;

a chassis having a predetermined size that is one of large robot, medium robot, small robot and back-packable robot and the large robot chassis is up to 139 by 66 cm, the medium robot chassis is up to 98 by 50 cm, the small robot chassis is up to 71 by 54 cm and the pack-packable robot chassis is up to 60 by 35 cm;

drive system components operably attached to the chassis and having a predetermined size that is configured for use with the predetermined size of the chassis, the drive system components being configured for use with the interchangeable power and data distribution system;

power components having a predetermined size and being configured for use with the drive system components and being configured for use with the interchangeable power and data distributions system;

a main processor operably connected to the drive system components, the power and data distribution system and the power components; and

a communication system operably connected to the drive system components, the power components and the main processor, the communication system is for communicating with the control unit; and

wherein the interchangeable power and data distribution system is configured for use with at least two sizes of the chassis such that it is interchangeable therebetween.

2. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the main processor, the communication system and the power and data distribution system are interchangeably useable in the large, medium, small and back-packable robots.

3. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the drive system components include drive traction modules operably connected to drive transmission modules.

4. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 3 wherein the drive system components further include flipper modules operably connected to flipper transmission modules.

5. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 3 wherein the traction modules are one of long track traction modules, short track traction modules, or wheel traction modules.

6. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 1 further including a core module and the main processor and communication system are part of the core module.

7. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 6 further including a head module and the power and data distribution system is part of the head module.

8. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 7 wherein the core module and the head module are each interchangeably useable in the large, medium, small and the back-packable robots.

9. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 7 further includes one of a large gripper arm module, a small gripper arm module and a tooling arm.

10. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 8 further includes a PTZ arm module.

11. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 10 further including a camera and the camera is interchangeably attachable to the PTZ arm module, the large gripper arm module and the small gripper arm module.

12. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 9 further including a turret attachable to one of the large gripper arm and the small gripper arm.

13. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 10 further including a turret attachable to the PTZ arm module.

14. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 1 further including weaponry that is interchangeably useable in the large, medium, small and back-packable robots.

15. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the control unit is interchangeably useable in the large, medium, small and back-packable robots.

16. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the power component is interchangeable useable with predetermined sized chassis smaller than the predetermined size chassis of the compatible power component.

17. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the control unit is one of an operator controlled unit and an autonomously controlled unit.

18. The mobile robot fleet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the large robot weighs without payload up to generally 250 kg;

the medium robot weighs without payload up to generally 125 kg;

the small robot weighs without payload of up to generally 60 kg; and

the back-packable robot weighs without payload of up to generally 15 kg.