US 2021/0200213 A1Published application

Modular robotic vehicle

AssigneeCarla R. Gilett

InventorCARLA R GILLETT

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Abstract

A modular robotic vehicle (MRV) having a modular chassis configured for a vehicle utilizing two-wheel steering, four-wheel steering, six-wheel steering, eight-wheel steering controlled by a semiautonomous system or an autonomous driving system, either system is associated with operating modes which may include a two-wheel steering mode, an all-wheel steering mode, a traverse steering mode, a park mode, or an omni-directional mode utilized for steering sideways, driving diagonally or move crab like. Accordingly, during semiautonomous control a driver of the modular robotic vehicle may utilize smart I/O devices including a smartphone, tablet like devices, or a control panel to select a preferred driving mode. The driver may communicate navigation instructions via smart I/O devices to control steering, speed and placement of the MRV in respect to the operating mode. Accordingly, GPS and a wireless network provides navigation instructions during an autonomous operation involving driving, parking, docking or connecting to another MRV.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A modular robotic vehicle comprising:

one or more modular chassis, said one or more modular chassis including a frame comprising metal brackets said metal bracket constructing:
right and left side sections, or front and rear right and left corners, or a combination of front and rear right and left corners and right and left side sections;
one or more robotic drive wheels arranged on said right and left side sections, or arranged on said front and rear right and left corners, or arranged on said a combination of front and rear right and left corners and right and left side sections of said modular chassis;
wherein each of said one or more robotic drive wheels are configured with a drive wheel array including;
a tire, an axle, a hub, a motor, an electric motor or a geared motor type providing fore and aft propulsion, braking, and a suspension module, an actuated brake, a hanger arm, a housing, a steering controller, a coupling bracket, and wiring contained within said hanger arm, said wiring to be completely hidden from view;
said modular chassis further comprising at least one gyroscope, IMU, accelerometers, actuators and sensors;
one or more encasements to contain one or more battery's;
one or more compartments said one or more compartments for containing various driver interface input and output devices and a control system, said control system associating with one or more of the following:
a semiautonomous system, an autonomous driving system providing processors, memory, algorithms, software, Instruction, a wireless communication system, a drive bi-wire system, a vehicle to vehicle system, GPS, a navigation path planning system, an obstacle avoidance system, a base station, a remote server;
an assortment of cameras, LIDAR, Radar, an acoustic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a contact sensor each providing sensor data based on determining objects in an environment;
a navigation system providing operating modes;
a two-wheel steering mode, an all-wheel steering mode;
a traverse steering mode, a park mode, an omni-directional mode, a vehicle to vehicle docking mode providing docking procedures between two MRVs;
WIFI, Bluetooth, Cloud, internet of things (IoT);
a driver interface, smart I/O devices, a control panel, a smartphone, or said driver interface associated with a joystick throttle;
or steering wheel, throttle pedal, brake pedal for driving a MRV in a semiautonomous state;
a virtual personal assistant (VPA) associating with voice command, infotainment and other driver interface processes.

14 more elements

A modular robotic vehicle comprising:

a modular chassis configured with frame brackets supporting a body and an array of robotic drive wheels which are systematically controlled by a control system of said modular robotic vehicle (humanoid MRV);
said body further comprising a control panel providing a touch screen display with virtual switches for a user to select settings associating with a keyed identifying security system allowing said user to unlock or lock access to said array of robotic drive wheels and/or to access various control system components;
said control panel is integrated with a user interface associated with smart I/O devices which may include;
a smartphone, an iPad, PC, or other smart I/O device providing paired communication;
wherein said humanoid MRV linking with said user's smartphone provided with Bluetooth pairing such that said user can communicate with said humanoid MRV;
said control panel is integrated with a user interface associated to select her or his preferred settings to access smartphone speakers and microphone, and to activate a virtual personal assistant, respectively said virtual personal assistant for providing user voice command;
said user interface and virtual personal assistant associated with navigation programming, to update software;
said humanoid MRV configured with a control system linking battery power to said array of robotic drive wheels and to various subsystem components;
said body configured with one or more compartments providing with hatches;
said one or more compartments for housing battery(s), various subsystem components, a payload, wherein said hatches configured for accessing said various subsystem components or said payload.

7 more elements

A modular robotic vehicle comprising:

a tractor MRV and a fifth wheel MRV arrangement;
said tractor MRV comprising a modular chassis, said modular chassis configured with frame brackets supporting an array of robotic drive wheels which are systematically controlled by a control system, and said fifth wheel MRV comprising a modular chassis, said modular chassis configured with frame brackets supporting an array of robotic drive wheels which are systematically controlled by a control system;
said control system of said tractor MRV and said control system of said fifth wheel MRV are wirelessly linked such that both tractor MRV and fifth wheel MVR collaborate to connect to one another, thus becoming a tractor/fifth wheel MRV configured with an eight-wheel drive arrangement;
each control system of said tractor MRV and said fifth wheel MRV systematically collaborate to control steering and speed, braking and stability of each robotic drive wheel configured in said eight-wheel drive arrangement;
said tractor MVR being manned or unmanned;
each said tractor MRV and said fifth wheel MRV configured with a compartment with hatch for storing one or more consigned payloads;
said tractor MRV when manned is configured with a cab and a compartment, said cab providing seating units, a dashboard for housing a control panel comprising a touch screen display switches for power on/off and control lamps, turns signals, respectively the control panel providing a keyed identifying security system for the driver to unlock or lock access to the robotic drive wheels, engage power ON/OFF, control mirrors accordingly and power on/off any head lamps and control other cab amenities;
wherein said control panel correspondingly linking with said control system of said fifth wheel MRV;
said control panel is integrated with user interface associated with smart I/O devices for accommodating the driver to communicate through user interface;
wherein driver's smartphone or iPad provides a Bluetooth pairing link to the various control system components such that driver can communicate with said tractor MRV to select her or his preferred settings, navigation programming, to update software, to access smartphone speakers and microphone link to a virtual personal assistant accordingly for providing driver voice commands;
said tractor when unmanned configured with a control system linking battery power to various MRV subsystem components and to a compartment providing one or more hatches;
said compartment for housing a payload, said hatched configured for accessing said payload;
said one or more consigned payloads are housed within said tractor's container or one or more consigned payloads are housed within said fifth wheel's container;
each said tractor MRV and said fifth wheel MRV configured with head lamps, tail lights, turn signal lights, one or more sensor system which may include one or more of the following;
cameras, sensors associated with an autonomous driving system, LIDAR, Radar and other related sensor devices;
each said tractor MRV and said fifth wheel MRV configured with cameras and sensors utilized for detecting objects and identify the location of each object and identify object materials, the objects being forklifts, humans or robot MRV and/or other robot types loading or unloading said fifth wheel MRV and/or objects in the surrounding environment;
said tractor MRV driver utilizing driver interface associated with one or more of the following components and I/O devices:
a control panel allowing a driver via said driver interface to select one or more of the following operating modes;
a two-wheel steering mode, a traverse steering mode;
a park mode;
an omni-directional steering mode, and a docking mode, a vehicle to vehicle mode;
each said tractor MRV and said fifth wheel MRV may utilize one or more the of following control system and subsystem processes:
utilizing wireless communication link such as a wireless signal linking to a base station, each providing instructions to engage one or more of said operating modes;
each said tractor MRV and said fifth wheel MRV may utilize a remote network or base station provided for controlling the docking said tractor MRV and said fifth wheel MRV, and for controlling a docking process via docking mode process involving said MRV to couple with another MRV or other vehicle types;
each said tractor MRV and said fifth wheel MRV configured with a plurality of sensors, processors and servers interconnected via the docking mode to assist in automatically connecting the tractor MRV and the fifth wheel MRV to one another and disconnecting the tractor MRV and the fifth wheel MRV from one another, more particularly each capable of driving independently when separated, and each capable of autonomously hitching to other modular robotic vehicles, or other vehicle types.

22 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/873,674Filed 18 Dec 2019
Priority: 22 Oct 2016
Published: 1 Jul 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification42 codes

G05D 1/0088
Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots: characterized by the…
B25J 5/007
Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages: mounted on wheels
B25J 11/0015
Manipulators having means for high-level communication with users, e.g. speech generator, face recognition means: face robots, animated artificial…
B25J 19/02
Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection…

Family

Application15/331,820Continuation in part · filed 22 Oct 2016
Application16/873,674Continuation in part
US 10,625,593 B2Related patent
US 2017/0106738 A1Published application
US 2021/0200213 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.