Autonomous rolling robot

• US 6,414,457 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Delaware
• Original Assignee: University of Delaware
• Inventors: Agrawal, Sunil K., Bhattacharya, Shourov
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US09/640,027
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 318/587, 318/560-696, 318/139, 446/437, 446/456, 446/439, 446/409, 446/460, 446/458, 446/443, 180/21, 180/22, 180/6.2, 180/6.48, 901/1, 901/44, D21/204, D21/205
• US Class Current: 318/568.12
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00

Abstract

An autonomous rolling robot is in the form of a hollow sphere containing at least two sets of rotors. Each set of rotors includes a rotor mounted on a shaft which is driven by a motor. All of the shafts are radially mounted within the hollow sphere so that an extension of the shafts would intersect at the geometric center of the sphere. The center of mass of the robot is also located at the geometric center of the sphere.

Claims

1. An autonomous rolling robot comprising a hollow sphere having a smooth outer surface and an inner surface and a geometric center, at least one set of a pair of rotors mounted within said sphere to said inner surface, each rotor of each pair having an axis located diametrically opposite the other rotor of its pair, each of said rotors being located at a position other than said geometric center of said sphere, each of said rotors being mounted on a shaft which extends radially toward said geometric center of said sphere with all of said shafts being in a direction which would intersect at said geometric center, and said at least one set of rotors being mounted within said sphere in a balanced manner equally spaced apart from each other.

2. The robot of claim 1 wherein each of said rotors rotates around its radial axis.

3. The robot of claim 2 wherein each set of rotors is provided with a motor, and said shafts of each set being connected by a transmission mechanism whereby each motor simultaneously rotates both shafts of each set.

4. The robot of claim 3 wherein there is a total of two sets of said rotors.

5. The robot of claim 3 wherein there is a total of three sets of said rotors.

6. The robot of claim 3 wherein there is a total of one set of said rotors.

7. The robot of claim 1 wherein each of said rotors is a flat circular disk.

8. The robot of claim 1 wherein the center of mass of said robot lies exactly at said geometric center of said sphere.

9. The robot of claim 8 including a remote transmitter having an actuator for each of said sets of rotors for sending signals to said drive mechanism for each of said sets of rotors.

10. The robot of claim 1 wherein said sphere is formed by two hemispherical half shells, each of said half shells containing a receiver and a motor assembly and a rotor whereby each half shell contains components which have identical components as the other half shell.

11. The robot of claim 1 wherein there are at least two sets of said rotors.

12. An autonomous rolling robot comprising a hollow sphere having a smooth outer surface and an inner surface and a geometric center, an odd number of plural rotors mounted within said sphere to said inner surface, each of said rotors being located at a position other than said geometric center of said sphere, each of said rotors being mounted on a shaft which extends radially toward said geometric center of said sphere with all of said shafts being in a direction which would intersect at said geometric center, and said rotors being mounted within said sphere in a balanced manner equally spaced apart from each other.

13. The robot of claim 12 wherein there are a total of three of said rotors.

14. The robot of claim 12 wherein each of said rotors rotates around its radial axis.

15. The robot of claim 12 wherein each of said rotors is a flat circular disk.

16. The robot of claim 12 wherein the center of mass of said robot lies exactly at said geometric center of said sphere.

17. The robot of claim 12 including a remote transmitter having an actuator for each of said rotors for sending signals to said drive mechanism for each of said rotors.