Hazardous materials sensing robot

• US 20090095096A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Langford, Christopher J., Sarkis, Jennifer R., Tong, Hoi-Yin, Bruck, Kurt, Young, John, Dean, Charles Edwin
• Application Number:
  US11/973,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20090095096A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/866
• 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: G01T 7/00 Details of radiation-measuring instruments

Abstract

A hazardous materials sensing robot includes a robot platform and a universal mounting tray on the robot platform for removably mounting thereon a plurality of sensors each having an output. An electronic interface unit is configured to receive the outputs of the sensors. An operator control unit remotely operates the robot platform. There is a communication link between the robot platform and the operator control unit for transmitting the sensor outputs to the operator control unit.

Claims

1. A hazardous materials sensing robot comprising:

a robot platform;

a universal mounting tray on the robot platform for removably mounting thereon a plurality of sensors each having an output;

an electronic interface unit configured to receive the outputs of the sensors;

an operator control unit for remotely operating the robot platform; and

a communication link between the robot platform and the operator control unit for transmitting the sensor outputs to the operator control unit.

2. The robot of claim 1 in which the universal mounting tray includes quick release mounts facilitating removal of the universal mounting tray from the robot platform.

3. The robot of claim 2 further including an interface bracket for each quick release mount.

4. The robot of claim 1 further including a plurality of sensor brackets for mounting the sensors on the universal mounting tray.

5. The robot of claim 1 in which the universal mounting tray includes a broad flat top surface.

6. The robot of claim 5 in which the electronic interface unit is mounted on one end of the broad flat top surface.

7. The robot of claim 6 further including a sensor mounting tray over the electronic interface unit.

8. The robot of claim 1 in which the electronic interface unit includes one or more processors and software that implements the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems, operating thereon for accepting the outputs of a variety of different sensors.

9. The robot of claim 1 further including sensors mounted on the universal mounting tray including a chemical sensor, a radiation monitor, a gas detector, an explosives detector, and/or a temperature probe.

10. The robot of claim 1 further including a camera aimable at the universal mounting tray for viewing the output of any sensor mounted thereon not connected to the electronic interface unit.

11. The robot of claim 1 further including a personal data assistant connectable to the operator control unit for displaying the output of the sensors.

12. The robot of claim 1 further including a mount on the universal mounting tray for an X-ray source.

13. The robot of claim 12 in which said mount is configured to pitch up and down.

14. The robot of claim 13 in which said mount is motor driven.

15. The robot of claim 14 in which said motor is controllable by the operator control unit.

16. The robot of claim 12 further including a laser mount for aiming the X-ray source.

17. The robot of claim 12 in which the robot platform further includes an articulating arm including a distal holder.

18. The robot of claim 17 in which the holder includes a bracket pivotably attached to a rod.

19. The robot of claim 12 in which the electronic interface unit includes a connection for the X-ray source.

20. The robot of claim 12 in which the operator control unit includes a touch screen display for controlling the X-ray source.

27. The robot of claim 1 in which the electronic interface unit includes one or more processors and software that implements the Joint Architecture Unmanned Systems operating thereon for accepting the outputs of a variety of different sensors.

21. A hazardous materials sensing robot comprising:

a universal mounting tray removably securable to a robot platform via quick release mounts; and

an electronic interface unit configured to receive the outputs of sensors mounted on the universal mounting tray.

22. The robot of claim 21 further including an interface bracket for each quick release mount.

23. The robot of claim 21 further including a plurality of sensor brackets for mounting the sensors on the universal mounting tray.

24. The robot of claim 21 in which the universal mounting tray includes a broad flat top surface.

25. The robot of claim 24 in which the electronic interface unit is mounted on one end of the broad flat top surface.

26. The robot of claim 21 further including a sensor mounting tray over the electronic interface unit.

28. The robot of claim 21 further including sensors mounted on the universal mounting tray including a chemical sensor, a radiation monitor, a gas detector, an explosives detector, and/or a temperature probe.

29. The robot of claim 21 in which the universal mounting tray includes a camera for viewing the output of any sensor mounted thereon not connected to the electronic interface unit.

30. The robot of claim 21 further including a personal data assistant for displaying the output of the sensors.

31. The robot of claim 21 further including a mount on the universal mounting tray for an X-ray source.

32. The robot of claim 31 in which said mount is configured to pitch up and down.

33. The robot of claim 32 in which said mount is motor driven.

34. The robot of claim 31 further including a laser mount for aiming the X-ray source.

35. The robot of claim 31 further including a holder.

36. The robot of claim 35 in which the holder includes a bracket pivotably attached to a rod.

37. The robot of claim 31 in which the electronic interface unit includes a connection for the X-ray source.

38. A hazardous materials sensing robot comprising:

a robot platform including an articulating arm with a distal holder; and

a mount for an X-ray source for emitting X-rays in the direction of the holder.

39. The robot of claim 38 further including a universal mounting tray on the robot platform, the mount located on the universal mounting tray.

40. The robot of claim 39 further including an electronic interface unit on the universal mounting tray, the X-ray source connected to the electronic interface unit.

41. The robot of claim 38 further including an operator control unit for remotely operating the robot platform and the X-ray source.

42. The robot of claim 39 in which said mount is configured to pitch up and down.

43. The robot of claim 38 in which said mount is motor driven.

44. The robot of claim 41 in which said motor is controllable by the operator control unit.

45. The robot of claim 38 further including a laser mount for aiming the X-ray source.

46. The robot of claim 41 in which the operator control unit includes a touch screen display for controlling the X-ray source.

47. A hazardous materials sensing system for a robot, the system comprising:

a universal mounting tray for mounting on a robot platform and for removably mounting thereon a plurality of sensors each having an output; and

an electronic interface unit on the universal mounting tray configured to receive and process the outputs of the sensors.

48. The system of claim 47 further including a second tray over the electronic interface unit.

49. The system of claim 47 further including a third tray releasably fixed over the universal mounting tray.