Ambulatory robot and method for controlling the same

• US 7,561,941 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2004
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Woong, Lee, Suk-han
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behncke; Christine M
• Application Number:
  US10/763,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/253, 700/62, 700/256, 318/568.12, 318/568.18, 318/568.17, 180/8.5, 180/8.2, 180/8.3, 180/11.204, 701/23, 901/20
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence

Abstract

An ambulatory robot including a lower body part having two or more legs and an upper body part installed on an upper end of the lower body part and capable of performing positional displacement by moving the lower body part, includes slope-detection means for sensing a slope of a floor, rotating means installed on a bottom surface of each of the two or more legs, and control means for controlling a motion of the ambulatory robot using the lower and upper body parts, wherein the control means controls a speed of revolution of the rotating means based on the slope of the floor, and controls the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by any of running, walking and sliding, depending on the controlled speed of revolution.

Claims

1. An ambulatory robot including a lower body part having two or more legs and an upper body part installed on an upper end of the lower body part and capable of performing positional displacement by moving the lower body part, the ambulatory robot comprising:

slope-detection means for sensing a slope of a floor, the slope of the floor being defined only directly under the two or more legs of the ambulatory robot;

rotating means installed on a bottom surface of each of the two or more legs; and

control means for controlling a motion of the ambulatory robot using the lower and upper body parts,

wherein the control means controls a speed of revolution of the rotating means and a speed of motion of the two or more legs of the ambulatory robot based on the slope of the floor, the control means being configured to vary the speed of motion of the two or more legs between at least three different values based on the slope of the floor, and

wherein the control means controls the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by any of running, walking and sliding, depending on the controlled speed of revolution and on the speed of motion of the two or more legs.

2. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

decelerating means for slowing the speed of revolution of the rotating means, wherein the control means controls the decelerating means thereby controlling the speed of revolution of the rotating means.

3. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control means controls the decelerating means so that the speed of revolution slows to zero when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detection means is greater than a first preset angle.

4. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control means controls the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by walking when the speed of revolution equals zero.

5. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control means controls the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by sliding when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detection means is less than the first preset angle but not less than a second preset angle.

6. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rotating means comprises two or more wheels.

7. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slope-detection means is in the two or more legs of the ambulatory robot, the slope of the floor being determined by positioning a first leg of the ambulatory robot with a slope detection means on the floor, and the control means being configured to control the speed of motion of a second leg of the ambulatory robot based on the slope of the floor.

8. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means is configured to control speed of running of the ambulatory robot by controlling the speed of revolution of the rotating means and the speed of motion of the two or more legs of the ambulatory robot based on the slope of the floor.

9. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means is configured to control the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by walking when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detection means is greater than a first preset angle, by sliding when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detection means is less than the first preset angle but not less than a second preset angle, and by running when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detection means is less than the second preset angle.

10. A method for controlling an ambulatory robot, the ambulatory robot including a lower body part having two or more legs and an upper body part installed on an upper end of the lower body part and performing positional displacement by moving the lower body part, the method comprising:

sensing a slope of a floor;

controlling a speed of revolution of a rotating means that is installed on a bottom surface of each of the two or more legs based on the slope of the floor; and

controlling a motion of the ambulatory robot using the upper and lower body parts so that the positional displacement of the robot is performed by any of running, walking or sliding, depending on the controlled speed of revolution with respect to the slope of the floor, so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by walking when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detector is greater than a first preset angle, by sliding when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detector is less than the first preset angle but not less than a second preset angle, and by running when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detector is less than the second preset angle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein controlling the speed of revolution comprises:

slowing the speed of revolution of the rotating means while the rotating means is rotating.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein controlling the speed of revolution comprises:

slowing the speed of revolution so that the speed of revolution slows to zero when the slope of the floor sensed in the step of sensing the slope is greater than a first preset angle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein controlling the speed of revolution controls the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by walking when the speed of revolution equals zero.

14. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 10, wherein controlling a motion of the ambulatory robot using the upper and lower body parts so that the positional displacement of the robot is performed by sliding includes maintaining a constant center of gravity of the ambulatory robot when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detector is less than the first preset angle but not less than a second preset angle, maintaining a constant center of gravity of the ambulatory robot including controlling a decelerator so the speed of revolution of the rotating means does not increase.

15. An ambulatory robot including a lower body part having two or more legs and an upper body part installed on an upper end of the lower body part and capable of performing positional displacement by moving the lower body part, the ambulatory robot comprising:

a slope-detector for sensing a slope of a floor;

a rotator on a bottom surface of each of the two or more legs;

a decelerator adjacent to the rotator and configured to slow a speed of revolution of the rotator;

a controller for controlling a motion of the ambulatory robot using the lower and upper body parts, wherein the controller controls a speed of revolution of the rotator via the decelerator based on the slope of the floor, and controls the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by any of running, walking and sliding, depending on the controlled speed of revolution,

wherein the controller is configured to control the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by walking when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detector is greater than a first preset angle, by sliding when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detector is less than the first preset angle but not less than a second preset angle, and by running when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detector is less than the second preset angle.

16. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 15, wherein the controller controls the decelerator so that the speed of revolution slows to zero when the slope of the floor sensed by the slope-detector is greater than a first preset angle.

17. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 16, wherein the controller controls the motion of the ambulatory robot so that the positional displacement of the ambulatory robot is performed by walking when the speed of revolution equals zero.

18. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 16, wherein the rotator comprises two or more wheels.

19. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 18, wherein a plurality of decelerators is positioned on opposite sides of each wheel.

20. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 15, wherein the slope-detector is in a foot of an ambulatory robot.

21. The ambulatory robot as claimed in claim 20, wherein the slope-detector includes a liquid storage space in the foot.