Modular robotic platform

A track-tensioning assembly for pivoting an endless track assembly including a driving wheel about the driving wheel;

• said endless track assembly including, in addition to the driving wheel, a drive system for driving the driving wheel, a driven wheel, and an endless track for coupling the driven wheel to the driving wheel for rotation in unison;
• the track-tensioning assembly comprising:
• a support frame having a ring portion and being mounted within the endless track between said driving wheel and said driven wheel;
• said driving wheel being rotatably received in said a ring portion of said support frame;
• a driving mechanism for pivoting said support frame about said driving wheel, including an inner toothed gear secured to said support frame, a motor, having a driving shaft, mounted to the driving wheel via a mounting plate for driving said inner toothed gear, and a speed-reduction gear set for transmitting the rotational movement of said driving shaft of said motor to said inner-toothed gear.

A robotic platform comprising:

• a body;
• a locomotion assembly mounted to said body for moving said body;
• said locomotion assembly including at least one locomotion member for displacement of said body and a steering assembly including a steering mechanism for steering said body;
• said at least one locomotion member including a drive assembly and a locomotion controller coupled to said drive assembly;
• said steering assembly including a steering controller coupled to said steering mechanism;
• an environment recognition module mounted to the platform for gathering environment data indicative of the environment surrounding the robotic platform;
• said environment recognition module including a sensor and a recognition module controller coupled to said sensor;
• an energizing module including a power supply controller and an energizing system connected to said locomotion assembly and said environment recognition module for energizing said locomotion assembly and said environment recognition module;
• and
• a communication data bus interconnecting said at least one locomotion controller, said steering controller and said environment recognition module controller for communicating status data therebetween;
• whereby, in operation, said locomotion controller, steering controller, recognition module controller, and power supply controller exchanging status data about said drive assembly, said steering assembly, said environment recognition module, and said energizing system via said communication data bus, and using said status data to control said drive assembly, said steering assembly, said environment recognition module, and said energizing system respectively.

A method for controlling the modules of a robotic platform, each module including a system and a controller for the system, and each system including at least one sensor and one actuator, the method comprising:

• coupling the modules through a communication data bus;
• providing a central controller coupled to the modules via the communication data bus;
• upon one of the modules sending a first data frame over said communication data bus, each said first data frame being characterized by the hardware address of the module to which the data frame is intended;
• i) each of the modules filtering said first data frame to identify data frames intended thereto using said hardware address of the module to which said first data frame is intended;
• ii) said central controller verifying whether the module to which said first data frame is intended to is activated or not;
• iii) if said module to which said first data frame is intended to is activated then said module to which the data frame is intended to a) reading its at least one sensor, b) processing said command or query according to said reading, c) commanding its at least one actuator according to said processing, and d) transmitting a second data frame via said communication bus to the modules indicative of the command/query;
• and
• iv) transmitting a second data frame indicative of the status of at least said module to which said first data frame is intended to.