Communications spooler for a mobile robot
AssigneeiRobot Corporation
InventorsRobert Todd Pack, Tyson Sawyer, Chikyung Won, Grinnell More
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cable handling system mounted to a mobile robot to dispense and retrieve cable at zero tension includes a cable reel drive and a downstream tension roller drive that includes an idler. As a cable passes through the tension roller drive, position along the length of the cable and/or the cable speed is monitored accurately by a sensor attached to the idler. A system controller in communication with the sensor controls the cable reel drive and the tension roller drive for dispensing and retrieving cable downstream of the tension roller drive.
Claims6
A method for controlling a cable handling system for a mobile robotic platform, the method comprising:
- providing at least one of an idle mode, a track mode, a track reverse mode, a track-in mode, and a track-out mode;
- providing an error mode, wherein the error mode comprises holding a cable reel and a cable roller motionless and sending an error signal when the slack in a cable between the cable reel and the cable roller exceeds a predetermined threshold;
- selecting at least one mode;
- and
- controlling the cable handling system in accordance therewith.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.