Robotic platform
First Claim
1. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising:
- a frame having right and left sides and a front portion;
right and left tracks, each track configured to be coupled to a corresponding side of the frame in parallel with the other track;
a drive pulley coupled to a forward portion of the frame on each side of the vehicle, each drive pulley rotatable about a transverse axis defined generally perpendicular to the sides of the frame, and each drive pulley configured to support and drive one of the corresponding tracks;
a first idler pulley coupled to a rearward portion of the frame on each side of the vehicle, the first idler pulley being the same size as the drive pulley;
right and left elongated, wedge-shaped arms each having a proximal portion tapering to a distal portion, the proximal portion of each arm configured for coupling to a corresponding side of the frame near the front end of the frame;
a second idler pulley coupled to the distal portion of each elongated, wedge-shaped arm, the second idler pulley being smaller than the first idler pulley and the drive pulley;
a right sensor on the right side of the frame between the drive pulley on the right side of the vehicle and the first idler pulley on the right side of the vehicle, the right sensor exposed to and oriented to an environment outside the vehicle by facing a right outside direction extending away from the right track and away from the frame, the right sensor shielded within a right track volume of the right track; and
a left sensor on the left side of the frame between the drive pulley on the left side of the vehicle and the first idler pulley on the left side of the vehicle, the left sensor exposed to and oriented to the environment outside the vehicle by facing a left outside direction extending away from the left track and away from the frame, wherein each of the right and left sensors is shielded from above and below the sensors by the articulated tracked vehicle, the left sensor shielded within a left track volume of the left track;
wherein the right and left tracks are each trained about a respective one of the drive pulleys and a respective one of the second idler pulleys, each track extending on top and bottom sides along respective straight lines extending from a tangent point of the respective drive pulley to a tangent point of the respective second idler pulley, andwherein each wedge-shaped arm has a first side portion substantially opposite a second side portion of the arm, and each track is slidably supported along the first and second side portions of the corresponding wedge-shaped arm.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An articulated tracked vehicle that has a main section, which includes a main frame, and a forward section. The main frame has two sides and a front end, and includes a pair of parallel main tracks. Each main track includes a flexible continuous belt coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame. The forward section includes an elongated arm. One end of the arm is pivotally coupled to the main frame near the forward end of the main frame about a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame. The arm has a length sufficiently long to allow the forward section to extend below the main section in at least some degrees of rotation of the arm, and a length shorter than the length of the main section. The center of mass of the main section is located forward of the rearmost point reached by the end of the arm in its pivoting about the transverse axis. The main section is contained within the volume defined by the main tracks and is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing inverted operation of the robot.
177 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising:
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a frame having right and left sides and a front portion; right and left tracks, each track configured to be coupled to a corresponding side of the frame in parallel with the other track; a drive pulley coupled to a forward portion of the frame on each side of the vehicle, each drive pulley rotatable about a transverse axis defined generally perpendicular to the sides of the frame, and each drive pulley configured to support and drive one of the corresponding tracks; a first idler pulley coupled to a rearward portion of the frame on each side of the vehicle, the first idler pulley being the same size as the drive pulley; right and left elongated, wedge-shaped arms each having a proximal portion tapering to a distal portion, the proximal portion of each arm configured for coupling to a corresponding side of the frame near the front end of the frame; a second idler pulley coupled to the distal portion of each elongated, wedge-shaped arm, the second idler pulley being smaller than the first idler pulley and the drive pulley; a right sensor on the right side of the frame between the drive pulley on the right side of the vehicle and the first idler pulley on the right side of the vehicle, the right sensor exposed to and oriented to an environment outside the vehicle by facing a right outside direction extending away from the right track and away from the frame, the right sensor shielded within a right track volume of the right track; and a left sensor on the left side of the frame between the drive pulley on the left side of the vehicle and the first idler pulley on the left side of the vehicle, the left sensor exposed to and oriented to the environment outside the vehicle by facing a left outside direction extending away from the left track and away from the frame, wherein each of the right and left sensors is shielded from above and below the sensors by the articulated tracked vehicle, the left sensor shielded within a left track volume of the left track; wherein the right and left tracks are each trained about a respective one of the drive pulleys and a respective one of the second idler pulleys, each track extending on top and bottom sides along respective straight lines extending from a tangent point of the respective drive pulley to a tangent point of the respective second idler pulley, and wherein each wedge-shaped arm has a first side portion substantially opposite a second side portion of the arm, and each track is slidably supported along the first and second side portions of the corresponding wedge-shaped arm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A vehicle comprising:
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a frame having right and left sides and a front end; right and left tracks, each track configured to be coupled to a corresponding side of the frame in parallel with the other track; a drive pulley coupled to a forward portion of the frame on each side of the vehicle and being rotatable about a transverse axis defined generally perpendicular to the sides of the frame, each drive pulley configured to support and drive one of the corresponding tracks; a first idler pulley coupled to a rearward portion of the frame on each side of the vehicle, the first idler pulley being the same size as the drive pulley; a right sensor on the right side of the frame between the drive pulley on the right side of the vehicle and the first idler pulley on the right side of the vehicle, the right sensor exposed to and oriented to an environment outside the vehicle by facing a right outside direction extending laterally away from the right track and away from the frame, the right sensor shielded within a right track volume of the right track; and a left sensor on the left side of the frame between the drive pulley on the left side of the vehicle and the first idler pulley on the left side of the vehicle, the left sensor exposed to and oriented to the environment outside the vehicle by facing a left outside direction extending laterally away from the left track and away from the frame, the left sensor shielded within a left track volume of the left track, wherein each of the right and left sensors are shielded from above and below the sensors by the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification