Remotely controlled packable robot

• US 10,414,039 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Meeker, David C., Mason, Timothy J., Kirouac, Andrew, Wasserman, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US15/704,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20180079070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/002 Manipulators for defensive or military tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/02 extensible
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0009 Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases
• 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 55/075 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 57/024 specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02

Abstract

A remotely controlled packable robot features a chassis with a top surface and a bottom surface, a pair of main tracks for maneuvering the chassis, and an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis and the main tracks. A robot arm is foldable from a stored position in the open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis. A camera assembly may be foldable from a stowed position in the open channel underneath the robot chassis next to the robot arm to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

Claims

1. A remotely controlled packable robot comprising:

a chassis with a top surface and a bottom surface;

a pair of main tracks for maneuvering the chassis;

an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis the main tracks;

a robot arm foldable from a stored position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis; and

a camera assembly foldable from a stowed position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis next to said robot arm to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis; and

a foldable base member for the robot arm located on one end of the chassis and a foldable base member for the camera assembly located on an opposite end of the chassis.

2. The robot of claim 1 in which the foldable base member for the robot arm includes a member hinged to the chassis.

3. The robot of claim 2 further including a latch mechanism for releasably retaining the foldable base member in the deployed position.

4. The robot of claim 2 in which the chassis includes a U-shaped cut-out therein and the foldable base member resides in the cut-out.

5. The robot of claim 1 further including a latch mechanism for releasably retaining the foldable base member for the camera in the deployed position.

6. The robot of claim 1 further including rotatable tracked flipper arms for maneuvering the chassis.

7. The robot of claim 6 further including an integrated drive assembly for each main track and flipper pair including:

a motor in a housing for rotating the flipper, and

a stator and rotor disposed about the housing for driving the main track and the flipper track.

8. The robot of claim 7 further including a slip clutch attached to a flipper arm and driven by said motor via a gear train.

9. The robot of claim 7 in which the stator is affixed about the housing and includes teeth with windings thereabout.

10. The robot of claim 7 in which the rotor rotates about the housing and includes magnets therein.

11. The robot of claim 10 in which the rotor includes exterior teeth driving a main track.

12. The robot of claim 10 further including a sprocket attached to the rotor driving a flipper track.

13. The robot of claim 1 further including a skid plate for each main track.

14. A remotely controlled packable robot comprising:

a chassis with a top surface and a bottom surface;

right and left main tracks for maneuvering the chassis;

right and left tracked rotatable flipper arms for maneuvering the chassis;

an integrated drive assembly for each main track and flipper pair including;

a motor in a housing for rotating the flipper, and

a stator and rotor disposed about the housing for driving the main track and the flipper track;

an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis and the main tracks;

a robot arm foldable from a stored position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis; and

a camera assembly foldable from a stowed position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis next to said robot arm to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

15. The robot of claim 14 including a foldable base member for the robot arm located on one end of the chassis and a foldable base member for the camera assembly located on an opposite end of the chassis.

16. The robot of claim 15 in which the foldable base member for the robot arm includes a member hinged to the chassis.

17. The robot of claim 16 further including a latch mechanism for releasably retaining the foldable base member in the deployed position.

18. The robot of claim 16 in which the chassis includes a U-shaped cut-out therein and the foldable base member resides in the cut-out.

19. The robot of claim 15 further including a latch mechanism for releasably retaining the foldable base member for the camera in the deployed position.

20. The robot of claim 14 further including a slip clutch attached to a flipper arm and driven by said motor via a gear train.

21. The robot of claim 14 in which the stator is affixed about the housing and includes teeth with windings thereabout.

22. The robot of claim 14 in which the rotor rotates about the housing and includes magnets therein.

23. The robot of claim 22 in which the rotor includes exterior teeth driving a main track.

24. The robot of claim 21 further including a sprocket attached to the rotor driving a flipper track.

25. A remotely controlled packable robot comprising:

a chassis with a top surface and a bottom surface;

a pair of main tracks for maneuvering the chassis;

an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis and the main tracks;

a member hinged to the chassis; and

a robot arm coupled to the member and foldable from a stored position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

26. The robot of claim 25 further including a camera assembly foldable from a stowed position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis next to said robot arm to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

27. A remotely controlled packable robot comprising:

a chassis with a top surface and a bottom surface;

a pair of main tracks for maneuvering the chassis;

an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis and the main tracks;

a member hinged to the chassis; and

a camera assembly coupled to the member and foldable from a stowed position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

28. The robot of claim 27 further including a robot arm foldable from a stored position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis next to the camera assembly to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

29. A remotely controlled packable robot comprising:

a chassis with a top surface and a bottom surface;

a pair of main tracks for maneuvering the chassis;

an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis and the main tracks;

a first pivotable base member for a robot arm located on one end of the chassis and a second pivotable base member for a camera assembly located on an opposite end of the chassis;

a robot arm mounted to the first pivotable base member and foldable from a stored position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis; and

a camera assembly mounted to the second pivotable base member and foldable from a stowed position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis next to said robot arm to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.