Magnetic lock for throwable robot
AssigneeReconRobotics, Inc.
InventorsAlex J. Kossett, Andrew Drenner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A two wheeled throwable robot comprises an elongate chassis with two ends, a motor at each end, drive wheels connected to the motors, and a tail extending from the elongate chassis. The throwable robot includes an enable/disable arrangement comprising a pair of magnets generating a magnetic field and a magnetic field sensor positioned in proximity to the pair of magnets. The sensor is activated upon the occurrence of a specific modification of the magnetic field. The throwable robot may include a key member formed of a material to modify the magnetic field to enable the robot.
Claims18
A throwable surveillance robot weighing less than six pounds comprising:
- a pair of axially aligned drive wheels, each wheel having a maximum diameter;
- a body, the body comprising a housing extending between the drive wheels, the housing being disposed within a cylinder defined by the maximum diameters of the drive wheels, the housing defining a housing cavity containing a receiver, a transmitter, and a video camera connected to the transmitter, the housing including a key holding portion defining a key holding slot, the key holding slot having a key member insertion and withdrawal axis;
- a first magnet and a second magnet disposed inside the housing cavity, the magnets providing a magnetic flux field, each magnet being located near the key holding slot;
- a key member conforming to the key holding slot, the key member comprising a material with a relative electromagnetic permeability greater than 500 so that the magnetic flux field produced by the magnets changes when the key member is disposed in the key holding slot, wherein the magnets produce a first, undeformed magnetic field while the key member is disposed in the key holding slot and the magnets produce a second, deformed magnetic field while the key member is not disposed in the key holding slot;
- a magnetic field sensor disposed inside the housing cavity, the magnetic field sensor being positioned between the first magnet and the second magnet, the magnetic field sensor providing a first output signal when the first, undeformed magnetic field is present and a second output signal when the second, deformed magnetic field is present.
A throwable remotely controlled robot comprising:
- a housing defining a housing cavity;
- a pair of magnets disposed inside the housing, the pair of magnets generating a magnetic field;
- an enable/disable sensor disposed inside the housing cavity defined by the housing, the a sensor being positioned in proximity to the pair of magnets, the sensor providing a first output signal when a first, undeformed magnetic field is present and a second output signal when a second, deformed magnetic field is present;
- a key member formed of a material to modify the magnetic field;
A throwable remotely controlled robot with a housing and enable/disable sensor comprising a pair of magnets generating a magnetic field, and a sensor positioned in proximity, the sensor requiring a specific modification of the magnetic field to actuate the sensor, and further comprising a key plate formed of a material to modify the magnetic field to enable the robot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.