Movable robot without falling over

• US 20060149419A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Hideki, Nakamoto, Hideichi, Sonoura, Takafumi
• Application Number:
  US11/289,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149419A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0091 Shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels

Abstract

A movable robot includes a movement mechanism unit configured to perform driving for moving the movable robot; a body unit continuously connected to the movement mechanism unit in a movable manner in a planar direction between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit; and a shock absorber interposed between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit, for absorbing one of an inertial force and an external force generated by a movement control in the planar direction.

Claims

1. A movable robot comprising:

a movement mechanism unit configured to perform driving for moving the movable robot;

a body unit continuously connected to the movement mechanism unit in a movable manner in a planar direction between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit; and

a shock absorber interposed between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit, for absorbing one of an inertial force and an external force generated by a movement control in the planar direction.

2. The movable robot according to claim 1, further comprising two guides continuously connecting the movement mechanism unit and the body unit and placed in the planer direction, for guiding movement in two orthogonal directions,

wherein the shock absorber includes two absorbers disposed in the respective orthogonal directions between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit, for absorbing one of the inertial force and the external force generated by the movement control in the planar direction.

3. The movable robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a movement quantity detector that detects a movement quantity of the body unit with respect to the movement mechanism unit in the planar direction; and

a drive controller that controls the driving of the movement mechanism unit when a movement quantity of a predetermined value or more is detected.

4. The movable robot according to claim 3, wherein the drive controller controls the stoppage of the driving of the movement mechanism unit when the movement quantity of the predetermined value or more is detected during the movement by the movement mechanism unit.

5. The movable robot according to claim 3, wherein the drive controller controls the driving of the movement mechanism unit, for achieving the movement in a direction in which the movement quantity is detected when the movement quantity of the predetermined value or more is detected during the stoppage of the movement by the movement mechanism unit.

6. The movable robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arm connected to the body unit; and

an arm controller that controls the arm against one of the inertial force and the external force generated by the movement control in the planar direction to keep balance.

7. The movable robot according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorber includes a piston rod having an orifice structure inside thereof to hydraulically absorb the force.

8. The movable robot according to claim 1, further comprising a bumper that absorbs the external force generated when the movable robot collides against an obstruction in the movement direction of the movement mechanism unit.

9. A movable robot comprising:

a movement mechanism unit configured to perform driving for moving a movable robot;

a body unit continuously connected to the movement mechanism unit via a pivot shaft on a plane between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit; and

a shock absorber interposed between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit, for absorbing one of an inertial force and an external force generated by a movement control in swing directions by the pivot shaft.

10. The movable robot according to claim 9, further comprising an intermediate rotation support that continuously connects the movement mechanism unit and the body unit, and has two pivot shafts in two orthogonal directions on the plane,

wherein the shock absorber includes two absorbers interposed between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit, for absorbing one of the inertial force and the external force generated in the swing directions by the pivot shafts disposed in the orthogonal directions.

11. The movable robot according to claim 9, further comprising:

a swing quantity detector that detects a swing quantity of each of the pivot shafts between the movement mechanism unit and the body unit; and

a drive controller that controls the driving of the movement mechanism unit when the swing quantity of a predetermined value or more is detected.

12. The movable robot according to claim 11, wherein the drive controller controls the stoppage of the driving of the movement mechanism unit when the movement quantity of the predetermined value or more is detected during the movement by the movement mechanism unit.

13. The movable robot according to claim 11, wherein the drive controller controls the driving of the movement mechanism unit, for achieving the movement in a direction in which the movement quantity is detected when the movement quantity of the predetermined value or more is detected during the stoppage of the movement by the movement mechanism unit.

14. The movable robot according to claim 9, further comprising:

an arm connected to the body unit; and

an arm controller that controls the arm against one of the inertial force and the external force generated by the movement control in the planar direction to keep balance.

15. The movable robot according to claim 9, wherein the shock absorber includes a piston rod having an orifice structure inside thereof to hydraulically absorb the force.

16. The movable robot according to claim 9, further comprising a bumper that absorbs the external force generated when the movable robot collides against an obstruction in the movement direction of the movement mechanism unit.