US 11,376,940 B2 · Highly mobile robot for remote inspection

Abstract

A robotic vehicle can include a plurality of motors coupled to a plurality of gearboxes, each gearbox of the plurality of gearboxes configured to be rotated, a plurality of nested driveshafts coupled to the plurality of gearboxes and including at least a first driveshaft and a second driveshaft, and a plurality of appendages operably coupled to the plurality of gearboxes. A particular appendage of the plurality of appendages can be configured to be rotated in response to a rotational motion of the first driveshaft. The robotic vehicle can include a plurality of wheels coupled to the plurality of appendages and configured to rotate about a plurality of wheel axles. Each wheel of the plurality of wheels can be configured to cause the robotic vehicle to be transported across a contacting surface in response to the rotational motion of the second driveshaft.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A robotic vehicle comprising:

a main body comprising a plurality of motors operably coupled to a plurality of gearboxes, each gearbox of the plurality of gearboxes configured to be rotated;
a plurality of nested driveshafts operably coupled to the plurality of gearboxes, each nested driveshaft of the plurality of nested driveshafts comprising a first driveshaft and a second driveshaft;
a plurality of appendages operably coupled to the plurality of gearboxes, the plurality of appendages configured to be rotated in response to a rotational motion of the first driveshaft;
and
a plurality of wheels operably coupled to the plurality of appendages and configured to rotate about a plurality of wheel axles, each wheel of the plurality of wheels configured to cause the robotic vehicle to be transported across a contacting surface in response to the rotational motion of the second driveshaft when in contact with the contacting surface.

2 more elements

A drive control system for a robotic vehicle, wherein the drive control system comprises:

a first motor operably coupled to a first gear in a first gearbox, the first gear operably coupled to an outer driveshaft operably coupled to a second gearbox, the first motor configured to cause controlled rotation of the second gearbox with respect to the first gearbox;
a second motor operably coupled to a second gear in the first gearbox, the second gear operably coupled to a middle driveshaft nested within the outer driveshaft and operably coupled to a third gear in the second gearbox and an appendage operably coupled to and extending from the second gearbox, the second motor configured to rotate the appendage with respect to the second gearbox;
a third motor operably coupled to a fourth gear in the first gearbox, the fourth gear operably coupled to an inner driveshaft nested within the middle driveshaft and coupled to a fifth gear in the second gearbox and a plurality of wheels operably coupled to the appendage, the third motor configured to rotate one or more wheels about one or more wheel axles.

A robotic vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body configured to support and house components of the robotic vehicle;
a first gearbox disposed at a first corner of the vehicle body;
an outer driveshaft operably coupled to a first gear in the first gearbox at a proximal end and to a second gearbox at a distal end, the second gearbox configured to be rotated about a center point;
a first motor operably coupled to the first gear and configured to cause controlled rotation of the second gearbox;
a middle driveshaft operably coupled to a second gear in the first gearbox at a proximal end and a third gear in the second gearbox at a distal end;
a conveying attachment comprising a proximal end operably coupled to the third gear, a proximal region distal to the proximal end and configured to rotatably engage a first wheel axle, a distal region distal to the proximal region and configured to rotatably engage a second wheel axle, and a distal end, the conveying attachment configured to be rotated about the second gearbox;
a second motor operably coupled to the second gear and configured to cause controlled rotation of the conveying attachment;
an inner driveshaft operably coupled to a fourth gear in the first gearbox at a proximal end and a fifth gear in the second gearbox at a distal end;
a first wheel coupled to the conveying attachment at the first wheel axle and a second wheel coupled to the conveying attachment at the second wheel axle, the first wheel and the second wheel operably coupled to the fifth gear such that rotation of the fifth gear causes the first wheel to rotate about the first wheel axle and the second wheel to rotate about the second wheel axle;
a third motor operably coupled to the fourth gear and configured to cause controlled rotation of the plurality of wheels about the plurality of wheel axles.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Highly mobile robot for remote inspection

Life of this patent

Highly mobile robot for remote inspection

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20