Robot systems providing bump detection and robots incorporating the same

• US 10,754,349 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2018
• Issued: 08/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Zapolsky, Samuel, O'Donnell, Catherine, Yao, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/993,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20190369632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 700245, 700258
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• 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

Abstract

A robot is provided. The robot includes a main body, one or more wheels coupled to the main body, one or more elastic members coupled to the main body, a disc coupled to the one or more elastic members, and one or more sensors. The disc is configured to move relative to the main body in response to a force exerted against the disc. The one or more sensors may detect a dislocation of the disc relative to the main body in response to the force exerted against the disc.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a main body;

one or more wheels coupled to the main body;

one or more elastic members coupled to the main body

a disc coupled to the one or more elastic members and configured to move relative to the main body in response to a force exerted against the disc; and

one or more sensors for detecting a dislocation of the disc relative to the main body in response to the force exerted against the disc.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the disc includes one or more openings configured to receive the one or more wheels.

3. The robot of claim 1, further comprising an assistant wheel, wherein the disc includes an additional opening configured to receive the assistant wheel.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the one or more elastic members are springs.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more potentiometers configured to generate a signal in response to the dislocation of the disc.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include two potentiometers separated by an offset.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more strain gauges configured to generate a signal in response to the dislocation of the disc.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein the main body includes one or more posts mechanically coupled to the disc, and

the one or more elastic members are connected between the one or more posts and the disc.

9. The robot of claim 8, wherein:

each of the one or more posts is disposed within one or more holes of the disc,

each of the one or more posts includes an upper stopper and a lower stopper,

the upper stopper is placed over a top surface of the disc, and

the lower stopper is placed under a bottom surface of the disc.

10. The robot of claim 9, wherein:

a diameter of upper stopper is greater than a diameter of each of the one or more holes,

a diameter of lower stopper is greater than a diameter of each of the one or more holes, and

a diameter of each of the one or more posts is smaller than a diameter of each of the one or more holes.

11. A robot system comprising:

a main body;

one or more electric motors;

one or more elastic members coupled to the main body;

a disc coupled to the one or more elastic members and configured to move relative to the main body in response to a force exerted against the disc;

one or more sensors for detecting a dislocation of the disc relative to the main body in response to an external force exerted against the disc; and

a controller comprising;

one or more processors;

one or more memory modules; and

machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to;

receive a signal indicating the dislocation from the one or more sensors; and

control an operation of the one or more electric motors based on the signal indicating the dislocation.

12. The robot system of claim 11, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to determine a direction of the force exerted against the disc based on the signal indicating the dislocation.

13. The robot system of claim 12, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to control a rotation direction of the one or more electric motors based on the direction of the force.

14. The robot system of claim 11, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to stop the operation of the one or more electric motors based on the signal indicating the dislocation.

15. The robot system of claim 11, further comprising a network interface hardware configured to transmit the signal indicating the dislocation to a remote computing device via a network.

16. The robot system of claim 11, further comprising one or more wheels mechanically coupled to the one or more electric motors, wherein the disc includes one or more openings configured to receive the one or more wheels.

17. The robot system of claim 11, wherein the one or more elastic members are springs.

18. The robot system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more potentiometers configured to generate a signal in response to the dislocation of the disc.

19. The robot system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors include two potentiometers separated by an offset.

20. The robot system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more strain gauges configured to generate a signal in response to the dislocation of the disc.