US 10,800,049 B2 · Maneuvering mobile robots

Abstract

A method of maneuvering a robot includes driving the robot across a surface and turning the robot by shifting a center of mass of the robot toward a turn direction, thereby leaning the robot into the turning direction. The robot includes an inverted pendulum body, a counter-balance body disposed on the inverted pendulum body and configured to move relative to the inverted pendulum body, at least one leg prismatically coupled to the inverted pendulum body, and a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the at least one leg. The inverted pendulum body has first and second end portions and defines a forward drive direction. The method also includes turning the robot by at least one of moving the counter-balance body relative to the inverted pendulum body or altering a height of the at least one leg with respect to the surface.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of maneuvering a robot, the method comprising:

driving the robot across a surface, the robot comprising:
an inverted pendulum body having first and second end portions and defining a forward drive direction;
a counter-balance body disposed on the inverted pendulum body and configured to move about a lateral axis relative to the inverted pendulum body;
at least one leg having first and second ends, the first end of the at least one leg prismatically coupled to the second end portion of the inverted pendulum body;
and
a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the second end of the at least one leg;
and
turning the robot by shifting a center of mass of the robot toward a turning direction, thereby leaning the robot into the turning direction, by at least one of:
moving the counter-balance body relative to the inverted pendulum body;
or
altering a height of the at least one leg with respect to the surface.

8 more elements

A robot comprising:

an inverted pendulum body having first and second end portions;
a counter-balance body disposed on the inverted pendulum body and configured to move about a lateral axis relative to the inverted pendulum body;
at least one leg having first and second ends, the first end of the at least one leg prismatically coupled to the second end portion of the inverted pendulum body, the at least one leg having a variable length between the first and second ends;
a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the second end of the at least one leg;
and
a controller in communication with the counter-balance body, the at least one leg, and the drive wheel, the controller configured to perform operations comprising:
driving, by the drive wheel, the robot across a surface;
and
turning the robot by shifting a center of mass of the robot toward a turning direction, thereby leaning the robot into the turning direction, by at least one of:
moving the counter-balance body relative to the inverted pendulum body;
or
altering the length of the at least one leg.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Maneuvering mobile robots

Life of this patent

Maneuvering mobile robots

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22