Ball-balancing robot and drive assembly therefor

US10189342B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Thomas R. Bewley · Village of La Jolla, US
• Jeffrey M. Friesen · Village of La Jolla, US
• Eric Sihite · Pasadena, US
• Daniel Yang · Los Angeles, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 9, 2016
• Grant date: Jan 29, 2019
• Expiry date: Feb 9, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B62K1/00
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A ball-balancing drive assembly includes a ball having a ball surface and a reference axis extending through a centroid of the ball. Three omniwheel assemblies, each having a motor with a motor axle and an omniwheel configured to rotate around the motor axle are mounted on a chassis configured for supporting the three omniwheel assemblies at radially symmetric spacings with the motor axles oriented at an angle relative to the reference axis and the omniwheels oriented in mutually-orthogonal planes. Each omniwheel frictionally contacts the ball surface to convert rotational motion of the motor axle to torque on the ball.