Obstacle traversing mobile robot
AssigneeStarship Technologies Oü
InventorsIvo Liivik, Märt Liivik, Tiit Liivik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a mobile robot adapted to traverse vertical obstacles. The robot comprises a frame and at least one wheel positioned in a front section of the robot, at least two middle wheels and at least two rear wheels. The at least one middle wheel and at least one rear wheel are connected by a tilting lever that is arranged on each of the opposing sides of or to the frame, forming a pair of wheels. Each tilting lever can be turned around a lever bearing located between the respective axial centers of rotation of each pair of wheels.
Claims20
A mobile robot comprising:
- (a) a frame and at least one front wheel, at least two middle wheels and at least two rear wheels,
- (b) wherein at least one middle wheel and at least one rear wheel are connected by a tilting lever arranged on each of opposing sides of or to the frame, forming a pair of wheels;
- and
- (c) wherein each tilting lever can be turned around a lever bearing located between respective axial centers of rotation of each pair of wheels, and
- further comprising at least one sensor constructed and adapted to sense at least one of:
- (i) an absolute angular position of the tilting lever, and/or (ii) a relative angular position of the tilting lever,
- wherein the at least one sensor adapted to sense the relative angular position of the tilting lever is calibrated at a beginning of operation, by calibrating the at least one sensor at an extreme position of the lever.
A mobile robot comprising:
- (a) a frame and at least one front wheel, at least two middle wheels and at least two rear wheels,
- (b) wherein at least one middle wheel and at least one rear wheel are connected by a tilting lever arranged on each of opposing sides of or to the frame, forming a pair of wheels;
- and
- (c) wherein each tilting lever can be turned around a lever bearing located between respective axial centers of rotation of each pair of wheels,
- wherein the wheels have the same radius and wherein a maximum distance d between the at least one front wheel and the at least one middle wheel or between the at least one middle wheel and the at least one rear wheel measured from a rear-most facing point of the at least one middle wheel is defined by:
- d
- =
- 6
-
-
- r
- 2
- -
- 3
-
-
- h
- ·
- r
- 2
-
- (
- h
- -
- r
- )
- ,
- where d is the said maximum distance, r is the radius of the wheels and h is the maximum traversable height of an obstacle.
A climbing method of a mobile robot, said robot comprising a frame with at least one front wheel, at least two middle wheels and at least two rear wheels, wherein at least one middle wheel and at least one rear wheel are connected by a tilting lever that is arranged on each of opposing sides of or to the frame, forming a pair of wheels,
- said method comprising:
- (a) turning the tilting lever around a lever bearing located between respective axial centers of rotation of each pair of wheels when traversing an obstacle;
- (b) engaging at least one lever turn motor once the tilting lever reaches a certain tilting angle;
- (c) exerting a downward force on the middle wheels with a mechanism driven by the at least one lever turn motor so as to provide a counteracting vertical force on one or more front wheels and increase traction of the middle wheels, and to facilitate climbing of the front wheels;
- (d) ceasing exerting the downward force on the one or more middle wheels after the front wheels have reached a top of the obstacle;
- and
- (e) completing climbing of the obstacle through forward momentum of the robot generated by actuating the middle and/or back wheels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.