Mobile robot and front end tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185405-A1
Application number	US-201514833521-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Dec 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile robot 1 having a plurality of kinds of moving forms includes a body unit 11 having a front face and a back face, four limb units 12 having a plurality of limb-side drive shafts, and front end tools 13 provided on a front end side of the limb units 12 . A base end side of the limb unit 12 is connected to the body unit 11 . The four limb units 12 are the same units. The body unit 11 and the four limb units 12 are movable by switching a front face side and a back face side so that a moving operation of the front face side and a moving operation of the back face side are symmetrical across the center of a thickness direction of the body unit 11.

First claim

1 . A mobile robot having a plurality of kinds of different moving forms, comprising:
a body unit configured to include a front face and a back face; a plurality of limb units configured to include a base end side to be connected to the body unit and include a plurality of drive shafts; and a front end tool configured to be provided on a front end side of the limb unit, wherein when it is assumed that a direction to which the front face and the back face of the body unit face be a thickness direction, a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction be a length direction, a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and the length direction be a width direction, end surfaces on both end sides in the length direction be a top surface and a bottom surface, and end surfaces on both end sides in the width direction be a left side face and a right side face, the plurality of limb units is the same unit, and the body unit and the plurality of limb units are movable by switching the front face side and the back face side so that a moving operation on the front face side and a moving operation on the back face side are symmetrical across the center in the thickness direction of the body unit.

2 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the body unit and the plurality of limb units are movable by switching the top surface side and the bottom surface side so that a moving operation on the top surface side and a moving operation on the bottom surface side are symmetrical across the center in the length direction of the body unit.

3 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
at least two limb units of the plurality of limb units are respectively attached to the left side face and the right side face of the body unit, and when it is assumed that a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the length direction of the body unit be a roll direction, a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the width direction of the body unit be a pitch direction, and a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the thickness direction of the body unit be a yaw direction, at least two drive shafts provided on the base end side are the drive shaft in the roll direction and the drive shaft in the pitch direction in a state where the limb unit is stretched in the thickness direction of the body unit.

4 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
when it is assumed that a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the length direction of the body unit be a roll direction, a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the width direction of the body unit be a pitch direction, and a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the thickness direction of the body unit be a yaw direction, at least two drive shafts provided on a front end side are the drive shaft in the roll direction and the drive shaft in the pitch direction in a state where the limb unit is stretched in the thickness direction of the body unit.

5 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
at least two limb units of the plurality of limb units are respectively attached to the left side face and the right side face of the body unit, when it is assumed that a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the length direction of the body unit be a roll direction, a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the width direction of the body unit be a pitch direction, and a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the thickness direction of the body unit be a yaw direction, in a state where the limb unit is stretched in the thickness direction of the body unit, at least two drive shafts provided on a base end side are the drive shaft in the roll direction and the drive shaft in the pitch direction, and at least two drive shafts provided on a front end side are the drive shaft in the roll direction and the drive shaft in the pitch direction, and at least three drive shafts respectively provided between the two drive shafts provided on the base end side and the two drive shafts provided on the front end side are two drive shafts in the yaw direction and the drive shaft in the pitch direction.

6 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
when it is assumed that a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the length direction of the body unit be a roll direction, a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the width direction of the body unit be a pitch direction, and a direction rotating around an axis direction which is the thickness direction of the body unit be a yaw direction, the body unit includes at least one of the drive shaft in the pitch direction and the drive shaft in the roll direction.

7 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the body unit includes wheels which are respectively provided on the front face side and the back face side.

8 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the limb unit is formed by coupling a plurality of joint modules including one or more drive shafts.

9 . The mobile robot according to claim 8 , wherein
the kinds of the plurality of joint modules of the limb unit are different from each other, and the plurality of drive shafts respectively provided in the plurality of joint modules is the same.

10 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the limb unit includes
a first drive shaft which is a predetermined drive shaft of the plurality of drive shafts,
a second drive shaft, which is inclined by a predetermined angle relative to the first drive shaft, of the plurality of drive shafts, and
a holding frame which holds the second drive shaft therein and has the first drive shaft attached outside the holding frame,
the holding frame includes a recessed part formed in an outer surface of the holding frame by being recessed inward, and a part of the first drive shaft is stored in the recessed part, and the first drive shaft is attached to the holding frame.

11 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the front end tool is removable to the limb unit.

12 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
a part to be grounded is formed to be a flat surface in the front end tool, and a locking groove which is locked to a bar-shaped member extending in the horizontal direction and a hook groove which is hooked to the bar-shaped member are formed side by side on the flat surface.

13 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
a part to be grounded is formed to be a flat surface in the front end tool, and a holding unit which holds an object is provided on a part opposite to the flat surface.

14 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
a part to be grounded is formed to be a flat surface in the front end tool, and the limb unit is connected to a part opposite to the flat surface, a locking groove which is locked to a bar-shaped member and a hook groove which is hooked to the bar-shaped member are formed in parallel on the flat surface, a part on the flat surface on the side of the hook groove is formed to be branched into two parts on both sides of a space, and a holding unit which holds an object is provided to be stored in the space.

15 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the front end tool includes an image pickup device.

16 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the front end tool includes
a connection part connected to the limb unit,
a toe part provided on one side across the connection part, and
a heel part provided on the other side across th

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd
• Univ Waseda

Inventors

• Takanishi Atsuo
• Hashimoto Kenji
• Uryu Kazuhiro
• Teramachi Tomotaka
• Matsuzawa Takashi
• Koizumi Ayanori
• Hamamoto Shinya
• Otani Takuya
• Kishi Tatsuhiro
• Tami Tomohiro
• Yamada Hiroyuki
• Shiotani Shigetoshi
• Kinouchi Yusuke
• Fujishima Yasuo

Classifications

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• B62D57/032 Primary

  with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid (B62D57/024 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• B25J9/08

  characterised by modular constructions · CPC title

• Y10S901/28

  Joint · CPC title