Independent pan of coaxial robotic arm and perception housing
AssigneeX Development LLC
InventorChristopher Morey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robotic device may include a spine defining a yaw axis. The robotic device may also include an arm joint rotatably connected to the spine at a first position along the yaw axis and configured to rotate about the yaw axis. The robotic device may further include an actuator including a ring that defines a bore. The spine may be fixedly connected to the ring at a second position along the yaw axis and may extend through the bore. The actuator may be connected to the arm joint and configured to rotate the arm joint about the yaw axis without rotating the spine.
Claims20
A robotic device comprising:
- a spine defining a yaw axis;
- an arm joint rotatably connected to the spine at a first position along the yaw axis and configured to rotate about the yaw axis;
- and
- an actuator comprising:
- a motor;
- a gear train connecting the motor to an output gear;
- a hub defining a bore, comprising one or more gears, and fixedly connected to the arm joint, wherein the spine extends through the bore;
- a housing concentric with, rotatably coupled to, and surrounding the hub, wherein the housing is fixedly and non-rotatably connected to the spine at a second position along the yaw axis;
- and
- an annular plate fixedly and non-rotatably connected to the housing and connecting the gear train to the housing such that the output gear meshes with the one or more gears of the hub to rotate the arm joint about the yaw axis without rotating the spine.
An actuator comprising:
- a motor;
- a gear train connecting the motor to an output gear;
- a hub defining a bore and comprising a ring gear disposed around a portion thereof, wherein the hub is fixedly connectable to a joint, and wherein the bore provides clearance for extension therethrough of a spine having a yaw axis around which the joint is configured to rotate;
- a housing concentric with, rotatably coupled to, and surrounding the hub, wherein the housing is fixedly and non-rotatably connectable to the spine;
- and
- an annular plate fixedly and non-rotatably connected to the housing and connecting the gear train to the housing such that the output gear meshes with the ring gear to rotate the hub relative to the housing.
A method comprising:
- causing an actuator connected to an arm joint of a robotic device to rotate the arm joint about a yaw axis of a spine of the robotic device, wherein the arm joint is rotatably connected to the spine at a first position along the yaw axis, wherein the actuator comprises (i) a motor, (ii) a gear train connecting the motor to an output gear, (iii) a hub defining a bore, comprising one or more gears, and fixedly connected to the arm joint, (iv) a housing concentric with, rotatably coupled to, and surrounding the hub, and (v) an annular plate fixedly and non- rotatably connected to the housing and connecting the gear train to the housing such that the output gear meshes with the one or more gears of the hub to rotate the arm joint about the yaw axis wherein the spine is fixedly and non-rotatably connected to the housing at a second position along the yaw axis and extends through the bore, and wherein, while the actuator rotates the arm joint about the yaw axis, the spine is maintained at a constant rotational position with respect to a base to which a first end of the spine is connected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.