Mobile platform

• US 8,307,923 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Taiwan University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Taiwan University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Lin, Pei-Chun, Shen, Shuan-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS, TASHIANA R
• Application Number:
  US12/719,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20110100733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 180/8.3, 180/8.1, 180/8.2, 180/8.6, 180/8.5, 180/199, 901/1, 901/8, 901/14
• US Class Current: 180/8.3
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/022 consisting of members having both rotational and walking movements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/024 specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02

Abstract

A mobile platform including a body, hybrid leg-wheels and driving mechanisms is provided. The hybrid leg-wheels are disposed around the body for carrying the body moving on a working surface. The driving mechanisms are disposed between the corresponding hybrid leg-wheels and the body. Each driving mechanism includes a driving axle connecting the corresponding hybrid leg-wheels and the body. Each driving mechanism provides the corresponding hybrid leg-wheel a rotational degree of freedom and a translational degree of freedom, wherein the rotational degree of freedom and the translational degree of freedom are driven independently. The rotational degree of freedom allows the hybrid leg-wheels rotating along an axis of the driving axle, and the translational degree of freedom allows the hybrid leg-wheels translating relative to the driving axle, wherein the rotational direction is substantially perpendicular to the translational direction.

Claims

1. A mobile platform, comprising:

a body;

a plurality of hybrid leg-wheels, disposed around the body for carrying the body moving on a working surface; and

a plurality of driving mechanisms, disposed between the corresponding hybrid leg-wheels and the body, wherein each driving mechanism includes a driving axle connecting the corresponding hybrid leg-wheels and the body, each driving mechanism provides the corresponding hybrid leg-wheel a rotational degree of freedom and a translational degree of freedom, the rotational degree of freedom and the translational degree of freedom are driven independently, the rotational degree of freedom allows the hybrid leg-wheels rotating along an axis of the driving axle, the translational degree of freedom allows the hybrid leg-wheels translating relative to the driving axle, and the direction of the axis is substantially perpendicular to the translational direction.

2. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 1, wherein each driving mechanism comprises:

a first driver, disposed on the body; and

a transmission module, connected between the first driver and the corresponding hybrid leg-wheel, wherein the first driver drives the hybrid leg-wheel to rotate by the transmission module.

3. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first driver is located beside the driving axle, and each transmission module comprises:

an active wheel, disposed at an output terminal of the corresponding first driver;

a passive wheel, provided with a through hole, the passive wheel connecting the corresponding hybrid leg-wheel to drive the hybrid leg-wheel rotating; and

a transmission unit, connecting the active wheel and the passive wheel.

4. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transmission unit comprises a belt, a chain, a gear or a wire rope.

5. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 2, wherein each driving mechanism further comprises:

a sleeve, connected to the transmission module and disposed around the driving axle, wherein the transmission module drives the sleeve rotating relative to the driving axle; and

a coupler, coupled to the corresponding hybrid leg-wheel and the sleeve, wherein the sleeve drives the hybrid leg-wheel rotating synchronously through the coupler, and the hybrid leg-wheel has the translational degree of freedom relative to the coupler.

6. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an interfacial component disposed between each coupler and the corresponding hybrid leg-wheel.

7. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 6, wherein the interfacial component comprises a plurality of bearings respectively disposed on the couplers and leaned against the corresponding hybrid leg-wheels.

8. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bearings comprise ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, needle roller bearings or sliding bearings.

9. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 1, wherein each driving mechanism further comprises:

a second driver, disposed on the body and connected to the driving axle to drive the driving axle rotating; and

a transforming module, coupled between the corresponding hybrid leg-wheel and the driving axle for transforming the rotation of the driving axle into a linear translation of the hybrid leg-wheel relative to the driving axle.

10. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 9, wherein each transforming module comprises:

a gear, connected to a terminal of the driving axle; and

a rack, disposed on the hybrid leg-wheel and engaged with the gear.

11. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 1, wherein each hybrid leg-wheel comprises:

a rim segment; and

a spoke, connected between the rim segment and the corresponding driving mechanism, wherein the rotational degree of freedom allows the spoke rotating along the axis of the driving axle, and the translational degree of freedom allows the spoke translating relative to the driving axle.

12. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 11, wherein an extending direction of each spoke is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the driving axle.

13. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 11, wherein each rim segment comprises a first segment and a second segment, configured in switching the rim segment to a wheel profile by expanding the first segment and the second segment to be coplanar or switching the rim segment to a leg profile by retracting the first segment and the second segment with each other.

14. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first segment and the second segment are respectively a semicircular segment, whereby the rim segment becomes a full circular rim as the wheel profile, while the rim segment becomes a semicircular rim as the leg profile.

15. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 13, wherein two ends of the first segment are respectively pivoted to the two ends of the second segment, and when the rim segment transforms between the leg profile and the wheel profile, the second segment rotates relative to the first segment along an axis passing through the two pivots.

16. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second segment is slidably coupled to the first segment, and when the rim segment transforms between the leg profile and the wheel profile, the second segment slides relative to the first segment along the outline of the first segment.

17. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first segment and the second segment are expanded to form a rim having a closed profile, and two ends of the spoke are respectively located at an edge of the rim and a center of the rim.

18. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first segment is fixed on the spoke, and each hybrid leg-wheel further comprises an actuator disposed on the spoke and connected to the second segment to drive the second segment moving relative to the first segment.

19. The mobile platform as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of steering mechanisms, respectively disposed between the driving mechanisms and the body for adjusting an included angle between each hybrid leg-wheel and the corresponding driving axle.