Robotic vehicle

US8327960B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• iRobot Corporation · US

Inventors

• Adam P. Couture · Brookline, US
• Richard Page · Lake Villa, US
• John P. O'Brien · Columbus, US
• Mikhail Filippov · Boston, US
• Andrew Shein · Winchester, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 2, 2007
• Grant date: Dec 11, 2012
• Expiry date: Aug 1, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S901/01
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A robotic vehicle (10,100,150A,150B150C,160,1000,1000A, includes a chassis (20,106,152,162) having front and rear ends (20A,152A,20B,152B) and supported on right and left driven tracks (34,44,108,165). Right and left elongated flippers (50,60,102,154,164) are disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot. A linkage (70,156,166) connects a payload deck assembly (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806), configured to support a removable functional payload, to the chassis. The linkage has a first end (70A) rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot (71), and a second end (70B) rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot (73). Both of the first and second pivots include independently controllable pivot drivers (72,74) operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots (71,73) to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806) with respect to the chassis (20,106,152,162).