Mobile robot and front end tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845122-B2
Application number	US-201514833521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Dec 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

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

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile robot having a plurality of kinds of different moving forms, the mobile robot comprising:
a body unit configured to include (i) front face and a back face which oppose each other, the front face and the back face being disposed in a thickness direction, (ii) a first body frame and a second body frame which are disposed in a length direction, and (iii) two body-side drive shafts provided between the first body frame and the second body frame;
four limb units respectively disposed at a left-side face of the first body frame, a right-side face of the first body frame, a left-side face of the second body frame, and a right-side face of the second body frame, the left-side face of the first body frame and the right-side face of the first body frame being disposed in a width direction, and the left-side face of the second body frame and the right-side face of the second body frame being disposed in the width direction; and
a front end tool configured to be provided on a front end side of at least one of the four limb units, wherein
each of the four limb units includes a base end joint module, an intermediate joint module, and a front end joint module in order from a base end side of the limb unit,

the base end joint module and the front end joint module each includes two limb-side drive shafts and a holding frame,
each of the two limb-side drive shafts includes a pitch shaft configured to rotate the limb unit relative to the body unit and a roll shaft configured to rotate a front end part of the limb unit relative to a base end part of the limb unit,
the intermediate joint module includes three limb-side drive shafts and a holding frame, and
each of the three limb-side drive shafts includes two yaw shafts configured to rotate the front end part of the limb unit relative to the base end part of the limb unit in a direction to which the limb unit extends, a pitch shaft disposed between the two yaw shafts configured to rotate the limb unit so as to fold the front end part of the limb unit relative to the base end part of the limb unit in a direction to which the limb unit extends.

2. The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first body frame and the second body frame includes a plurality of wheels which are respectively provided on the front side and the back side.

3. The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the four limb units 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.

4. The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the front end tool is removable from the at least one of the four limb units.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

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

9. The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the front end tool includes:
a connection part connected to the at least one of the four limb units;
a toe part provided on one side across the connection part; and
a heel part provided on the other side across the connection part, and

a part of the toe part which is grounded at the time of standing on tiptoe and moving is a curved surface.

Assignees

• Misubishi Heavy Ind Ltd
• Univ Waseda
• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd
• Waseda Univerity

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

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• B25J9/08

  characterised by modular constructions · 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

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• Y10S901/30

  End effector · CPC title