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Small unmanned ground vehicle

  • US 9,522,595 B2
  • Filed: 12/31/2011
  • Issued: 12/20/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A mobile robot system comprising:

  • a mobile robot including;

    a housing;

    driven tracks disposed on the housing;

    right and left flippers disposed on corresponding right and left sides of the housing, each of the flippers rotatable with respect to the housing, the flippers and the tracks arranged to allow the robot to climb stairs; and

    an antenna disposed on a top surface of the housing and extending upward away from the top surface, the top surface of the housing being lower than a height of the tracks with respect to a supporting ground surface of the robot, forming a gap volume between the top surface of the housing and the tracks, the antenna having a vertical height with respect to the supporting ground surface greater than a vertical height of an envelope of rotation of the flippers and being sized to fit within the gap volume between the top surface of the housing and the tracks, the antenna being flexible along at least a majority of a length of the antenna, the antenna being movable between a stowed state and a deployed state, the antenna folded and positioned in the gap volume during the stowed state, the antenna erect and extending out of the gap volume during the deployed state; and

    an operator control unit configured to remotely control the mobile robot, the operator control unit including a strap and a buckle attached to a back surface of the operator control unit and configured to receive the strap, the strap and the buckle operable to secure the operator control unit to an operator so that the back surface accommodates an operator'"'"'s forearm, the operator control unit including a front surface opposite the back surface, the front surface including a display and a stowable control unit antenna, the stowable control unit antenna being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position;

    wherein a combined weight of the flippers and the antenna is sufficient to move a center-of-gravity of the robot far enough to tilt the housing with respect to the supporting ground surface; and

    wherein a total weight of the robot is less than about five pounds.

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