US 12,582,366 B2 · Robotic transfer device and related method

Abstract

A robotic transfer device is an unmanned vehicle carrying an articulated body that can load, unload, and transport a payload. The configuration of the articulated body is such that one of the degrees of freedom is along a vertical axis so that it can lift a payload from the bottom. At the tip, the articulated body has a roller bed which can be moved up or down with or without a payload. When the rollers rotate about their own axes, the payload moves linearly along the direction of motion perpendicular to the axis of rotation. This phenomenon helps transporting the payload from one robotic transfer device to another. If a patient bed is detachable from the frame, then the robotic transfer device can lift the bed along with the patient. A robotic transfer device and a method of transferring patient from one robotic transfer device to another are disclosed.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A robotic transfer device for transferring a payload, the robotic transfer device comprising:

at least one rolling bed;
and
an articulated body coupled to the rolling bed, the articulated body having a fixed base and one or more actuators that collectively move the rolling bed from a first pose to another pose wherein each pose includes both position and orientation in three-dimensional space,
the one or more actuators, when activated manually or autonomously, collectively translate the rolling bed relative to the fixed base along first, second and third axes and rotate the rolling bed about the third axis relative to the fixed base,
the one or more actuators include a first actuator that translates the rolling bed along the first axis independently, a second actuator that translates the rolling bed along the second axis independently, a third actuator that translates the rolling bed along the third axis, also known as yaw axis, independently, and a fourth actuator that rotates the rolling bed about the same third axis independently, all the said translations and rotation are relative to the fixed base.

2 more elements

An autonomous robotic transfer device for transferring a payload by an unmanned vehicle, the autonomous robotic transfer device comprising:

an unmanned vehicle having one or more actuators that collectively move the unmanned vehicle autonomously relative to a fixed point in a three-dimensional space;
at least one rolling bed;
an articulated body coupled to the rolling bed and mountable to the unmanned vehicle, the articulated body having one or more actuators that collectively move the rolling bed relative to the unmanned vehicle,
the one or more actuators, when activated manually or autonomously, collectively translate the rolling bed relative to the unmanned vehicle along first, second and third axes and rotate the rolling bed about the third axis relative to the unmanned vehicle,
the one or more actuators of the unmanned vehicle includes a first actuator that translates the unmanned vehicle along a longitudinal axis, also known as roll axis, and a second actuator that translates the unmanned vehicle along the same longitudinal axis or roll axis as the first actuator;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more actuators to send control signals that direct the one or more actuators to translate and rotate the rolling bed.

4 more elements

A method of robotically transferring a payload, the method comprises:

moving a first autonomous robotic transfer device under the payload wherein:
the first autonomous robotic transfer device comprising:
a first unmanned vehicle having a first set of one or more actuators that collectively move the first unmanned vehicle autonomously relative to a fixed point in a three-dimensional space;
at least one rolling bed;
an articulated body coupled to the rolling bed and mountable to the first unmanned vehicle, the articulated body having a second set of one or more actuators that collectively move the rolling bed relative to the first unmanned vehicle,
the second set of one or more actuators, when activated manually or autonomously, collectively translates the rolling bed relative to the first unmanned vehicle along first, second and third axes and rotate the rolling bed about the third axis relative to the first unmanned vehicle,
the second set of one or more actuators include a first actuator that translates the rolling bed along the first axis independently, a second actuator that translates the rolling bed along the second axis independently, a third actuator that translates the rolling bed along the third axis, also known as yaw axis, independently, and a fourth actuator that rotates the rolling bed about the same third axis independently all the said translations and rotation are relative to the fixed base;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to the first set of one or more actuators as well as the second set of one or more actuators to send control signals that direct the first set of one or more actuators as well as the second set of one or more actuators to translate and rotate the rolling bed;
lifting the payload by the first autonomous robotic transfer device;
moving a second autonomous robotic transfer device near the payload wherein:
the second autonomous robotic transfer device comprising:
a second unmanned vehicle having a first set of one or more actuators that collectively move the second unmanned vehicle autonomously relative to a fixed point in a three-dimensional space;
at least one rolling bed;
an articulated body coupled to the rolling bed and mountable to the second unmanned vehicle, the articulated body having a second set of one or more actuators that collectively move the rolling bed relative to the second unmanned vehicle,
the second set of one or more actuators, when activated manually or autonomously, collectively translates the rolling bed relative to the second unmanned vehicle along first, second and third axes and rotate the rolling bed about the third axis relative to the second unmanned vehicle,
the second set of one or more actuators include a first actuator that translates the rolling bed along the first axis independently, a second actuator that translates the rolling bed along the second axis independently, a third actuator that translates the rolling bed along the third axis, also known as yaw axis, independently, and a fourth actuator that rotates the rolling bed about the same third axis independently, all the said translations and rotation are relative to the fixed base;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to the first set of one or more actuators as well as the second set of one or more actuators to send control signals that direct the first set of one or more actuators as well as the second set of one or more actuators to translate and rotate the rolling bed;
and
transferring the payload from the first autonomous robotic transfer device to the second autonomous robotic transfer device.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Robotic transfer device and related method

Life of this patent

Robotic transfer device and related method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18