US 12,602,062 B2 · Reducing resistance to movement of devices that include casters

Abstract

Planning driving sequences of mobile robots and other devices. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an instruction for movement of a device along a supporting surface. The device includes at least one drive wheel and at least one caster that is rotatable about a generally vertical axis. During motion, the caster is configured to reorient so that an swivel joint of the caster to the device leads a wheel of the caster. The method also includes planning a drive instruction for the device to implement the instruction for movement based on an orientation or expected orientation of the at least one caster upon beginning of the movement. The drive instruction is tailored to the drive wheel and the caster of the device and configured to limit reorientation of the caster during motion in accordance with the drive instruction.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving an instruction for movement of a device along a supporting surface, the device comprising at least one drive wheel and at least one caster, the at least one caster comprising an undriven wheel, the at least one caster being rotatable about a generally vertical axis associated with a swivel joint, where, during motion, the at least one caster is configured to reorient so that the swivel joint leads the undriven wheel;
and
planning drive instructions for the device to implement the instruction for movement of the device based on an orientation or an expected orientation of the at least one caster upon beginning of the movement, wherein the drive instructions are tailored to the at least one drive wheel and the at least one caster, and wherein the drive instructions are configured to instruct the device to move in a first direction and, when a predefined threshold is crossed, to instruct the device to move in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

A mobile robot comprising:

a chassis;
a drive wheel mounted to the chassis;
a motor coupled to drive the drive wheel;
a caster mounted to the chassis at a swivel joint, the caster comprising an undriven wheel, wherein the caster is configured to rotate about a generally vertical axis so that, during motion, the caster reorients so that the swivel joint leads the undriven wheel;
a transducer configured to measure a resistance to movement of the mobile robot along a supporting surface;
and
a digital data processing system programmed to implement a drive planner, wherein the drive planner is configured to plan a plurality of drive instructions for the mobile robot to move along the supporting surface, wherein the digital data processing system is configured to instruct the device based on the plurality of drive instructions to move in a first direction and, when a predefined threshold is crossed, to instruct the device to move in a second direction that is different from the first direction, the predefined threshold being based on the resistance to movement of the mobile robot.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reducing resistance to movement of devices that include casters

Life of this patent

Reducing resistance to movement of devices that include casters

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20