Robot and robot control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899016-B2
Application number	US-201615768311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

An example system includes a vehicle, a robot, and a controller. The vehicle may include an accelerator operator and a steering operator. The robot may include as accelerator actuator configured to operate the accelerator operator, and a steering actuator configured to operate-the steering operator. The controller is configured to: in response to an accelerator command, send a first signal to the accelerator actuator to operate the accelerator operator of the vehicle, and in response to a steering command, send a second, signal to the steering actuator to steer the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot configured to drive a vehicle, the robot comprising:
an accelerator actuator configured to operate an accelerator operator of the vehicle;
an arm configured to steer the vehicle;
an actuator coupled to the arm via a link;
a controller configured to:
in response to an accelerator command, send a first signal to the accelerator actuator to operate the accelerator operator, and
in response to a steering command, send a second signal to the actuator, thereby causing the actuator to apply a particular torque to the link so as to steer the vehicle; and

a memory in communication with the controller and configured to store thereon a travel route for the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to determine the first signal and the second signal based on the travel route.

2. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises:
a handlebar, wherein the arm of the robot is configured to couple to an end of the handlebar.

3. The robot of claim 2 , wherein:
the link, the arm, and a portion of the handlebar form a four-bar mechanism.

4. The robot of claim 3 , wherein:
the arm is a first arm and the link is a first link, and the four-bar mechanism is a first four bar mechanism,
the robot includes a second arm,
the actuator is coupled to the first arm via the first link and is coupled to the second arm via a second link, and
the second link, the second arm, and another portion of the handlebar form a second four-bar mechanism symmetric with respect to the first four-bar mechanism, such that a particular position of the actuator determines an angle of the handlebar.

5. The robot of claim 4 , wherein the first four-bar mechanism and the second four-bar mechanism are arranged such that there is a 1 : 1 ratio between the particular position of the actuator and the angle of the handlebar.

6. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a brake actuator configured to operate a brake operator of the vehicle, wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to a brake command, send a third signal to the brake actuator to operate the brake operator.

7. The robot of claim 6 , wherein the brake actuator comprises a twisted string actuator that comprises an electric motor coupled to a string element comprising a plurality of flexible strands, wherein the third signal actuates the electric motor to cause the string to twist and a length of the string to decrease.

8. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a roll angle sensor, wherein the controller is configured to send the second signal to the actuator based on a difference between a target roll angle determined by the steering command and an actual roll angle detected by the roll angle sensor.

9. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shift actuator configured to operate a gear-shift operator of the vehicle, wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to a shift command, send a third signal to the shift actuator to operate the gear-shift operator.

10. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a clutch actuator configured to operate a clutch operator of the vehicle, wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to a clutch command, send a third signal to the clutch actuator to operate the clutch operator.

11. The robot of claim 10 , wherein the clutch actuator comprises a twisted string actuator that comprises an electric motor coupled to a string element comprising a plurality of flexible strands, wherein the third signal actuates the electric motor to cause the string to twist and a length of the string to decrease.

12. A system comprising:
a vehicle comprising an accelerator operator and a steering operator;
a robot comprising: (i) an accelerator actuator coupled to the accelerator operator of the vehicle and configured to operate the accelerator operator, and (ii) a steering actuator coupled to the steering operator of the vehicle and configured to operate the steering operator;
at least one outrigger coupled to the vehicle or the robot and configured to be in either a undeployed state or a deployed state, wherein in the deployed state, the outrigger is configured to engage a surface when the vehicle is at a predetermined lean angle to laterally stabilize the vehicle;
an outrigger actuator configured to switch the outrigger from the undeployed state to the deployed state;
a controller configured to:
in response to an accelerator command, send a first signal to the accelerator actuator to operate the accelerator operator of the vehicle,
in response to a steering command, send a second signal to the steering actuator to steer the vehicle, and
in response to an outrigger deploy signal, send a third signal to actuate the outrigger actuator so as to switch the outrigger from the undeployed state to the deployed state to laterally stabilize the vehicle; and

a memory in communication with the controller and configured to store thereon a travel route for the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to determine the first signal and the second signal based on the travel route.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the outrigger comprises one or more supporting members and an expansion member, wherein:
proximal ends of the one or more supporting members and the expansion member are rotatably coupled to the vehicle at respective pivots, and
distal ends of the one or more supporting members and the expansion member are coupled to a pad configured to engage the surface when the outrigger is in the deployed state.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the outrigger further comprises:
a biasing member coupled to the expansion member and configured to apply a biasing force on the outrigger to bias the outrigger toward the deployed state;
a holding member that couples the outrigger actuator to one of the one or more supporting members, wherein the holding member is configured to hold the outrigger in the undeployed state against the biasing force of the biasing member, wherein when the outrigger actuator is triggered while the outrigger is in the undeployed state, the holding member is released and the biasing member causes the outrigger to switch from the undeployed state to the deployed state.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the biasing member comprises at least one of a compression linear spring or a torsional spring.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the holding member comprises a wire loop that connects the outrigger actuator to the one of the one or more supporting member.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the expansion member includes a first expansion link and a second expansion link coupled to the first expansion link via a pivot, wherein the biasing member is mounted across the pivot and is configured to apply the biasing force to bias the second expansion link away from the first expansion link, and wherein when the holding member is released, the biasing member pushes the second expansion link away from the first expansion link, thereby causing the outrigger to switch from the undeployed state to the deployed state.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the outrigger actuator comprises a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, wherein the vehicle further comprises: (i) a source of pressurized fluid; (ii) a first valve disposed between the source of pressurized fluid and the cylinder, wherein the first valve blocks a first fluid path between the source and the cylinder; and
(iii) a second valve disposed between the source of pressurized fluid and the cylinder, wherein the second valve blocks

Assignees

• Stanford Res Inst Int
• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Low Thomas
• De Candia Thomas
• Yun Seungkook
• Egan Thomas
• Chavez Bryan
• Kernbaum Alexander
• Shear Riley
• Gerard Leonard
• Morfey Stephen
• Mahoney Richard
• Vincent Regis
• Birkmeyer Paul
• Morita Hiroyuki
• Muramatsu Hirokatsu
• Nishimura Keiji
• Saijou Hiroshi
• Satou Akira
• Uchiyama Toshifumi
• Watanabe Hitoshi
• Watanabe Shirou

Classifications

• B25J9/104 Primary

  with cables, chains or ribbons · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• G06V20/10

  Terrestrial scenes (scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59) · CPC title

• B25J13/08

  by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices · CPC title

• B25J11/008

  Manipulators for service tasks · CPC title