Mobile Robotic Vehicle

• US 20100139995A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Rudakevych, Pavlo E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,926,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/9.320
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/06 with tracks without ground wheels
• 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: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A mobile robot includes a robot chassis having a forward end, a rearward end and a center of gravity. The robot includes a driven support surface to propel the robot and first articulated arm rotatable about an axis located rearward of the center of gravity of the robot chassis. The arm is pivotable to trail the robot, rotate in a first direction to raise the rearward end of the robot chassis while the driven support surface propels the chassis forward in surmounting an obstacle, and to rotate in a second opposite direction to extend forward beyond the center of gravity of the robot chassis to raise the forward end of the robot chassis and invert the robot endwise.

Claims

1. A mobile robot comprising:

a robot chassis having a forward end, a rearward end and a center of gravity;

a driven support surface moveably connected to the chassis and configured to propel the robot chassis forward and rearward;

a first articulated arm rotatable about an axis located rearward of the center of gravity of the robot chassis, wherein the arm is configured to trail the robot, to rotate in a first direction to raise the rearward end of the robot chassis while the driven support surface propels the chassis forward in surmounting an obstacle, and to rotate in a second opposite direction to extend forward beyond the center of gravity of the robot chassis to raise the forward end of the robot chassis and invert the robot endwise.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the driven support surface includes a flexible track trained about a pair of wheels.

3. The robot of claim 2, wherein the axis of the arm is coaxial with an axis of a one of the wheels.

4. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a second articulated arm rotatable about the axis with the first articulated arm.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the first and second arms are located outward of the driven support surface and are continuously rotatable in either direction.

6. The robot of claim 1, where in the first arm is located substantially along a central longitudinal axis of the robot chassis.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein the first arm is continuously rotatable to provide a swimming-type propulsion.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein the first arm is configured to rotate at a predetermined rate as a function of an angle of incline of the robot chassis.

9. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a radio transceiver and wherein the first arm is rotatable to raise the robot chassis to elevate the transceiver.

10. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a cliff detector at the forward end and a proximity sensor on a side of the robot.

11. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a slip clutch between the first arm and a first arm drive motor.

12. The robot of claim 1, wherein the vehicle substantially fits within a bounding volume approximately 7 inches long, 5 inches wide and 2 inches tall.

13. A method for operating a mobile robotic vehicle having a driven support surface and a first pivoting trailing arm to surmount obstacles including a series of stair risers, comprising:

driving the support surface to propel the vehicle to contact the riser of a first stair with a forward end of the vehicle;

driving the support surface to cause the forward end of the vehicle to ascend the riser of the first stair;

pivoting the first arm to raise a rearward end of the vehicle as the forward end of the robot ascends the riser of the first stair;

driving the support surface to advance the forward end of the robot over the top of the stair riser; and

pivoting the arm to further raise the rearward end of the vehicle such that the forward end of the vehicle tips downward beyond the top of the riser of the first stair.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising repeating the driving and pivoting to surmount a second stair.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising pivoting the arm to raise the forward end of the vehicle to assist in ascending the stair riser.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising pivoting the arm to flip the robot endwise.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein raising the forward end of the vehicle raises a radio transceiver on the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising supporting the vehicle in a first substantially horizontal orientation on an underlying surface and pivoting the arm to contact the underlying surface to raise the forward end of the vehicle past a stable point, and allowing the vehicle to topple over to a second orientation inverted with respect to the first orientation.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein pivoting the first arm and driving the support surface are performed simultaneously.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein pivoting the first arm and driving the support surface are performed substantially asynchronously.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the support surface propels the vehicle to a predetermined angle of incline before the first arm is initially pivoted to raise the rearward end of the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the first arm is pivoted at a predetermined rate for a predetermined period upon detection of a predetermined angle of incline of the vehicle.