Robotic Platform

• US 20080143063A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Won, Chikyung
• Granted Patent: US 9,573,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/5.22
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0025 handling explosives, bombs or hazardous objects
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• 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 55/0655 Articulated endless track vehicles steering specially adapted for trailers B62D13/00; articulated buses B62D47/025; tractor-trailer combinations or road trains comprising a uni-axle unit and a uni-axle trailer B62D53/02
• 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 55/12 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of driving sprockets
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/14 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers
• 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: Y10S 180/901 Devices for traversing vertical surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 280/901 Adaptation of nonspecialized vehicles to semitrailer tractors

Abstract

An articulated tracked vehicle that has a main section, which includes a main frame, and a forward section. The main frame has two sides and a front end, and includes a pair of parallel main tracks. Each main track includes a flexible continuous belt coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame. The forward section includes an elongated arm. One end of the arm is pivotally coupled to the main frame near the forward end of the main frame about a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame. The arm has a length sufficiently long to allow the forward section to extend below the main section in at least some degrees of rotation of the arm, and a length shorter than the length of the main section. The center of mass of the main section is located forward of the rearmost point reached by the end of the arm in its pivoting about the transverse axis. The main section is contained within the volume defined by the main tracks and is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing inverted operation of the robot.

Claims

1. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising:

a main section comprising a main frame having two sides and a front end, and comprising a pair of parallel main tracks, each track being coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame;

a forward section comprising a pair of elongated arms each having a proximal end and a distal end, proximal ends of the arms being pivotally coupled to the main frame near the front end of the main frame allowing rotation of the arms around a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame, the forward section comprising a pair of forward tracks, one of the forward tracks being coupled to each of the arms;

on each side of the vehicle, a pair of drive pulleys for supporting and driving each of the main and forward tracks, respectively, the drive pulleys being coaxial with the transverse axis of rotation of the arms, and joined so that the main and forward tracks are driven together;

a mast that is extendible relative to the main section and the forward section; and

a sensor mounted on the mast;

wherein the articulated tracked vehicle is configured to operate in a first orientation in which a bottom of the articulated tracked vehicle contacts a surface and in a second orientation in which a top of the articulated tracked vehicle contacts the surface.

2. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 1, wherein the main section comprises a pair of drive motors, each drive motor being coupled to main and forward drive pulleys on a corresponding side of the vehicle.

3. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mast is extendible so that at least a portion of the mast is above or below the main section and the forward section.

4. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 3, wherein the mast is retractable relative to the main section.

5. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 4, wherein the mast is rotatable relative to the main section.

6. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a camera.

7. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a manipulator mechanism, the manipulator mechanism being mounted on the mast.

8. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an articulator motor;

wherein the arms are rigidly coupled and are rotatable together by the articulator motor, the articulator motor providing sufficient torque between the main frame and the arms to raise an end of the main section to support the vehicle using the front section.

9. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 8, further comprising:

a harmonic drive coupled between the articulator motor and the arms, the harmonic drive providing a torque to the arms that is greater than the torque provided by the articulator motor.

10. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 1, wherein the main section is contained within a volume defined by the main tracks and is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing the mobile robot to operate in the first orientation in which the bottom of the mobile robot contacts the surface and in the second orientation in which the top of the mobile robot contacts the surface.

11. The articulated track vehicle of claim 1, wherein the main section is contained within a volume defined by the main tracks.

12. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 1, wherein the main section is contained within a volume defined by the main tracks and is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing the mobile robot to operate in the first orientation in which the bottom of the mobile robot contacts the surface and in the second orientation in which the top of the mobile robot contacts the surface.

13. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising:

a main section comprising a main frame having two sides and a front end, and comprising a pair of parallel main tracks, each track being coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame;

a forward section comprising a pair of elongated arms each having a proximal end and a distal end, proximal ends of the arms being pivotally coupled to the main frame near the front end of the main frame allowing rotation of the arms around a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame, the forward section comprising a pair of forward tracks, one of the forward tracks being coupled to each of the arms;

on each side of the vehicle, a pair of drive pulleys for supporting and driving each of the main and forward tracks, respectively, the drive pulleys being coaxial with the transverse axis of rotation of the arms, and joined so that the main and forward tracks are driven together;

a mast that is extendible relative to the main section and the forward section;

a sensor mounted on the mast;

a flexible continuous belt attached to each of the parallel main tracks; and

a plurality of compliant longitudinal track supports coupled between the main frame and the flexible continuous belts, each longitudinal track support having a series of open slots forming a series of rib sections between upper and lower edges of a support.

14. A mobile robot comprising:

a main section comprising main tracks that are substantially parallel;

a forward section comprising an elongated arm, the elongated arm being pivotally coupled to the main section to permit rotation of the elongated arm relative to the main section, the forward section comprising a forward track, the forward track being coupled to the elongated arm;

a mast that is extendible relative to the main section and the forward section; and

a sensor mounted on the mast;

wherein the mobile robot is configured to operate in a first orientation in which a bottom of the mobile robot contacts a surface and in a second orientation in which a top of the mobile robot contacts the surface.

15. The mobile robot of claim 14, wherein the main section comprises a pair of drive motors, each drive motor being coupled to main and forward drive pulleys on a corresponding side of the vehicle.

16. The mobile robot of claim 14, wherein the mast is extendible so that at least a portion of the mast is above or below the main section and the forward section.

17. The mobile robot of claim 16, wherein the mast is retractable relative to the main section.

18. The mobile robot of claim 16, wherein the mast is rotatable relative to the main section.

19. The mobile robot of claim 16, wherein the sensor comprises a camera.

20. The mobile robot of claim 14, further comprising a manipulator mechanism, the manipulator mechanism being mounted on the mast.

21. A mobile robot comprising:

a main section comprising a mechanical mechanism to effect forward and/or reverse motion, the mechanical mechanism comprising a pulley, an axle, and a track;

an arm that is coupled to the main section, wherein coupling between the arm and the main section allows the arm to pivot relative to the main section;

a communication system comprising electronics for transmitting information between the mobile robot and an external system;

a mast that is mounted on the main section, the mast being movable relative to the main section so that at least a portion of the mast extends beyond the main section and the forward section; and

a sensor mounted on the mast, the sensor providing information to the communication system for transmission to the external system;

wherein the mobile robot is configured to operate in a first orientation in which a bottom of the mobile robot contacts a surface and in a second orientation in which a top of the mobile robot contacts the surface.

22. The mobile robot of claim 21, wherein the mast is at least one of retractable and rotatable relative to the main section.

23. The mobile robot of claim 21, wherein the sensor comprises an apparatus that is capable of capturing images.

24. The mobile robot of claim 21, wherein the main section is contained within a volume defined by the main tracks and is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing the mobile robot to operate in the first orientation in which the bottom of the mobile robot contacts the surface and in the second orientation in which the top of the mobile robot contacts the surface.

25. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising:

a main section comprising a main frame having two sides and a front end, and comprising a pair of parallel main tracks, each track being coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame;

a forward section comprising a pair of elongated arms each having a proximal end and a distal end, proximal ends of the arms being pivotally coupled to the main frame near the front end of the main frame allowing rotation of the arms around a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame, the forward section comprising a pair of forward tracks, one of the forward tracks being coupled to each of the arms;

on each side of the vehicle, a pair of drive pulleys for supporting and driving each of the main and forward tracks, respectively, the drive pulleys being coaxial with the transverse axis of rotation of the arms, and joined so that the main and forward tracks are driven together;

a mast that is extendible relative to the main section and the forward section; and

a sensor mounted on the mast;

wherein the main section is contained within a volume defined by the main tracks, and wherein the articulated track vehicle is configured to operate in different orientations.