# US 12,113,459 B2 · Self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot

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- Number: US 12,113,459 B2
- Document ID: US12113459B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/778,834
- Filed: 2021-07-08
- Published: 2023-02-02
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-09
- Assignees: Soochow University
- Applicants: Soochow University
- Inventors: Tao Chen; Junchen Fu; Zhiying Huang; Kejian Ni; Xiandong Tian; Yuxiang Tian; Lining Sun
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113459B2

## CPC

- H02N 1/04: Friction generators
- B25J 19/02: Sensing devices
- B62D 57/02: with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members
- G01C 23/00: Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

The present application discloses a self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot, which belongs to the technical field of robot attitude sensing. The design feature is structure of the spheroidal robot, comprises: a spheroidal object (1) and 26 electrode groups (2); the spheroidal object (1) includes 18 regular octagonal surfaces, 8 regular hexagonal surfaces and 24 quadrilateral surfaces; the electrode group (2) is arranged on each regular octagonal surface and each regular hexagonal surface; the electrode group (2) includes a first outer layer semicircular ring electrode (2-1), a second outer layer semicircular ring electrode (2-2) and an inner ring electrode (2-3). The present invention aims to provide a self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot to sense the posture of the spheroidal robot.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot, characterized in that, the self-powered sensing device comprises: a spheroidal object and 26 electrode groups;
the spheroidal object includes 18 regular octagonal surfaces, 8 regular hexagonal surfaces and 24 quadrilateral surfaces;
the electrode group is arranged on each regular octagonal surface and each regular hexagonal surface;
the electrode group includes a first outer layer semicircular ring electrode, a second outer layer semicircular ring electrode and an inner ring electrode;
the electrode group is selected from one, two or three of three electrodes with different feature signal types;
the electrodes with different feature signal types includes: the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode;
the electrode codes of the first outer layer semicircular ring electrode, the inner ring electrode and the second outer layer semicircular ring electrode are represented by x, y and z, respectively;
x represents the electrode type of the first outer layer semicircular ring electrode, y represents the electrode type of the inner ring electrode, and z represents the electrode type of the second outer layer semicircular ring electrode;
1 indicates the choice of the first electrode, 0 indicates the choice of the third electrode, and −1 indicates the choice of the second electrode; and
the electrode codes of the 26 electrode groups are not repeated.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, the structure of the first electrode includes: a metallic triboelectric electrode layer Al, an air gap, a triboelectric layer PTFE and an insulating layer PI arranged in sequence; wherein, the metallic triboelectric electrode Al is connected with the spheroidal object; when in operation, the air gap disappears and the metallic triboelectric electrode layer Al contacts with the triboelectric layer PTFE; when not in operation, the air gap is formed and the two triboelectric layers are separated.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, the structure of the second electrode includes: a metallic triboelectric electrode layer Al, an air gap, cotton and an insulating layer PI arranged in sequence; wherein, the metallic triboelectric electrode Al is connected with the spheroidal object; when in operation, the air gap disappears and the metallic triboelectric electrode layer Al contacts with the cotton; when not in operation, the air gap is formed and the metallic triboelectric electrode layer Al is separated from the cotton.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot as described in claim 3, characterized in that, the third electrode is provided with featureless signal type.

### Claim 5

A self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot, characterized in that, the self-powered sensing device comprises: a spheroidal object and 26 electrode groups;
the spheroidal object includes 18 regular octagonal surfaces, 8 regular hexagonal surfaces and 24 quadrilateral surfaces;
the electrode group is arranged on each regular octagonal surface and each regular hexagonal surface;
the electrode group includes a first outer layer semicircular ring electrode, a second outer layer semicircular ring electrode and an inner ring electrode;
the electrode codes of the first outer layer semicircular ring electrode, the inner ring electrode and the second outer layer semicircular ring electrode are represented by x, y and z, respectively;
x represents the electrode type of the first outer layer semicircular ring electrode, y represents the electrode type of the inner ring electrode, and z represents the electrode type of the second outer layer semicircular ring electrode;
1 indicates the choice of the first electrode, 0 indicates the choice of the third electrode, and −1 indicates the choice of the second electrode;
the electrode codes of the 26 electrode groups of the spheroidal object are as follows:
0,0,1;
0,0,−1;
0,1,0;
0,1,1;
0,1,−1;
0,−1,0;
0,−1,1;
0,−1,−1;
1,0,0;
1,0,1;
1,0,−1;
1,1,0;
1,1,1;
1,1,−1;
1,−1,0;
1,−1,1;
1,−1,−1;
−1,0,0;
−1,0,1;
−1,0,−1;
−1,1,0;
−1,1,1;
−1,1,−1;
−1,−1,0;
−1,−1,1;
−1,−1,−1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The self-powered sensing method and sensing device for spheroidal robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, the three electrodes in each of the electrode group have their own corresponding bus.