Climbing robot

US5257669A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• James J. Kerley · Greenbelt, US
• Wayne D. Eklund · Edgewood, US
• Edward L. May · Baltimore, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 10, 1992
• Grant date: Nov 2, 1993
• Expiry date: Feb 10, 2012

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B25J5/00
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A mobile robot for traversing any surface consisting of a number of interconnected segments, each interconnected segment having a first "U" frame member, a second "U" frame member, a compliant joint between the first "U" frame member and the second "U" frame member, a number of linear actuators between the two frame members acting to provide relative displacement between the frame members, a foot attached to the second "U" frame member for adherence of the segment to the surface, an inter-segment attachment attached to the first "U" frame member for interconnecting the segments, a power source connected to the linear actuators, and a computer/controller for independently controlling each linear actuator in each interconnected segment such that the mobile robot moves in a caterpillar like fashion.