Differential drive robotic platform and assembly

A robot comprising:

• a chassis having oppositely disposed top and bottom sides, left and right sides, and a fore end and an aft end;
• left and right driven wheel assemblies disposed proximate the aft end of the chassis, each of the left and right driven wheel assemblies comprising:
• a caster wheel mounted to an axle for rotation about a drive axis and steering about a steering axis,
• a drive shaft extending along the steering axis from a first drive shaft end to a second drive shaft end;
• a motor coupled to the second drive shaft end;
• and
• a bevel gear coupling the first drive shaft end to the axle such that rotation of the drive shaft about the steering axis controls rotation of the caster wheel about the drive axis to drive the robot in a substantially horizontal direction;
• and
• a controller configured to control the left and right drive motors independently of one another.

A method of assembling a robotic platform, comprising:

• arranging a drive assembly on a chassis, the drive assembly comprising:
• a left drive motor and a left drive belt that is controlled by the left drive motor, and
• a right drive motor and a right drive belt that is controlled by the right drive motor;
• assembling left and right driven wheel assemblies, wherein assembling the driven wheel assemblies comprises:
• mounting a caster wheel to an axle for rotation about a drive axis and steering about a substantially vertical steering axis, and
• coupling a first end of a drive shaft to the axle with a bevel gear, wherein the drive shaft extends along the steering axis from the first end of the drive shaft to a second end of the drive shaft;
• mounting the left driven wheel assemblies to a left side of the chassis;
• mounting the right driven wheel assemblies to a right side of the chassis;
• wrapping the left drive belt around the drive shaft of the left driven wheel assembly such that the left drive belt controls rotation of the drive shaft about its steering axis;
• wrapping the right drive belt around the drive shaft of the right driven wheel assembly, such that the right drive belt controls rotation of the drive shaft about its steering axis;
• electrically coupling a controller to the left and right drive motors to control the left and right drive motors independently from one another and provide differential power;
• and
• wherein for each of the left and right driven wheel assemblies, the bevel gear couples its respective first drive shaft end to the axle, such that rotation of the drive shaft about the steering axis controls rotation of the caster wheel about the drive axis to drive the robotic platform in a substantially horizontal direction.