Patent · US Expired

Robotic platform

US6263989A · kind A · utility

255Cited by
16References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 26, 1999
Grant dateJul 24, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 26, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S280/901
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An articulated tracked vehicle that has a main section, which includes a main frame, and a forward section. The main frame has two sides and a front end, and includes a pair of parallel main tracks. Each main track includes a flexible continuous belt coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame. The forward section includes an elongated arm. One end of the arm is pivotally coupled to the main frame near the forward end of the main frame about a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame. The arm has a length sufficiently long to allow the forward section to extend below the main section in at least some degrees of rotation of the arm, and a length shorter than the length of the main section. The center of mass of the main section is located forward of the rearmost point reached by the end of the arm in its pivoting about the transverse axis. The main section is contained within the volume defined by the main tracks and is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing inverted operation of the robot.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.