US 10,704,570 B2Granted

Hydraulic pressure variation in a legged robot

AssigneeBoston Dynamics, Inc.

InventorsZachary John Jackowski, Alex Yu Khripin, Alfred Anthony Rizzi

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An example robot includes movable members, a hydraulic system including at least (i) hydraulic actuators configured to operate the movable members, and (ii) a source of hydraulic fluid, and a controller. The controller may be configured to: determine a task to be performed by the robot, where the task includes a plurality of phases; cause hydraulic fluid having a first pressure level to flow from the source to the hydraulic actuators for the robot to perform a first phase of the plurality of phases of the task; based on a second phase of the task, determine a second pressure level for the hydraulic fluid; and adjust, based on the second pressure level, operation of the hydraulic system before the robot begins the second phase of the task.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

commanding, by a controller of a robot, the robot to perform a task, the robot comprising at least one movable member and a hydraulic system, the hydraulic system comprising at least one hydraulic actuator configured to operate the at least one movable member and a source of hydraulic fluid;
determining, by the controller, an anticipated cyclic variation in hydraulic pressure required by the at least one hydraulic actuator over a period of time to perform the task;
determining, by the controller, an anticipated pressure level envelope based on the anticipated cyclic variation in hydraulic pressure required by the at least one hydraulic actuator over the period of time to perform the task;
and
instructing, by the controller, the hydraulic system to cause hydraulic fluid having the anticipated pressure level envelope to flow from the source to the at least one hydraulic actuator over the period of time for the robot to perform the task.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/176,500Filed 31 Oct 2018 · continuation
Priority: 25 Sep 2015
Published: US 2019/0063468 A128 Feb 2019
Granted: 7 Jul 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

F15B 11/20
With two or more servomotors: controlling several interacting or sequentially-operating members
B25J 9/144
Fluid: linear actuators
B62D 57/032
With ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members: with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or…
F15B 1/024
Installations or systems with accumulators: used as a supplementary power source, e.g. to store energy in idle periods to balance pump load

Family

Application14/865,223Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Sep 2015
Application15/493,462Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Apr 2017
US 9,662,787 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 30 May 2017
US 2019/0063468 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Feb 2019
US 10,145,392 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2017/0218981 A1Published application
US 10,704,570 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.