Mobile Robotic Vehicle
AssigneeiRobot Corporation
InventorPavlo E. Rudakevych
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile robot includes a robot chassis having a forward end, a rearward end and a center of gravity. The robot includes a driven support surface to propel the robot and first articulated arm rotatable about an axis located rearward of the center of gravity of the robot chassis. The arm is pivotable to trail the robot, rotate in a first direction to raise the rearward end of the robot chassis while the driven support surface propels the chassis forward in surmounting an obstacle, and to rotate in a second opposite direction to extend forward beyond the center of gravity of the robot chassis to raise the forward end of the robot chassis and invert the robot endwise.
Claims22
A mobile robot comprising:
- a robot chassis having a forward end, a rearward end and a center of gravity;
- a driven support surface moveably connected to the chassis and configured to propel the robot chassis forward and rearward;
- a first articulated arm rotatable about an axis located rearward of the center of gravity of the robot chassis, wherein the arm is configured to trail the robot, to rotate in a first direction to raise the rearward end of the robot chassis while the driven support surface propels the chassis forward in surmounting an obstacle, and to rotate in a second opposite direction to extend forward beyond the center of gravity of the robot chassis to raise the forward end of the robot chassis and invert the robot endwise.
A method for operating a mobile robotic vehicle having a driven support surface and a first pivoting trailing arm to surmount obstacles including a series of stair risers, comprising:
- driving the support surface to propel the vehicle to contact the riser of a first stair with a forward end of the vehicle;
- driving the support surface to cause the forward end of the vehicle to ascend the riser of the first stair;
- pivoting the first arm to raise a rearward end of the vehicle as the forward end of the robot ascends the riser of the first stair;
- driving the support surface to advance the forward end of the robot over the top of the stair riser;
- and
- pivoting the arm to further raise the rearward end of the vehicle such that the forward end of the vehicle tips downward beyond the top of the riser of the first stair.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.