Takashi Yamamoto - Tokyo, JP Martin de Lasa - Cambridge MA Shervin Talebinejad - Cambridge MA Darrin Jewell - Cambridge MA Robert Playter - Cambridge MA Marc Raibert - Cambridge MA
Assignee:
Sony Corporation - Tokyo Boston Dynamics Inc - Cambridge MA
A robot apparatus that is able to perform jumping. In a leg structure of the robot apparatus, connecting bars and pivots to constitute a four-point link mechanism. A rod is inserted into an opening formed in the distal end of a leg part. A coil spring as an elastic member is provided between one end of the rod and the distal end of the leg part. A bar member is connected and secured to a preset point of a connecting member as a knee joint. The coil spring is extended/contracted by the stretching/contraction of the connecting member. By the operation of the four-point link mechanism, the trajectory of the distal end of the leg part is linear. The coil spring is mounted at a position such that the distance between a driving shaft and the distal end of the bar member has a substantially linear relationship with respect to the force virtually operating between a driving shaft and the distal end of the bar member.
- Waltham MA, US John Aaron Saunders - Arlington MA, US Steven D. Potter - Bedford MA, US Vadim Chernyak - Waltham MA, US Shervin Talebinejad - Waltham MA, US
Assignee:
Boston Dynamics, Inc. - Waltham MA
International Classification:
B25J 9/16 B25J 5/00 B25J 9/00 B25J 15/06
Abstract:
A method of operating a robot includes driving a robot to approach a reach point, extending a manipulator arm forward of the reach point, and maintaining a drive wheel and a center of mass of the robot rearward of the reach point by moving a counter-balance body relative to an inverted pendulum body while extending the manipulator arm forward of the reach point. The robot includes the inverted pendulum body, the counter-balance body deposed on the inverted pendulum body, the manipulator arm connected to the inverted pendulum body, at least one leg having a first end prismatically coupled to the inverted pendulum body, and the drive wheel rotatably coupled to a second end of the at least one leg.
A method of maneuvering a robot includes driving the robot across a surface and turning the robot by shifting a center of mass of the robot toward a turn direction, thereby leaning the robot into the turning direction. The robot includes an inverted pendulum body, a counter-balance body disposed on the inverted pendulum body and configured to move relative to the inverted pendulum body, at least one leg prismatically coupled to the inverted pendulum body, and a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the at least one leg. The inverted pendulum body has first and second end portions and defines a forward drive direction. The method also includes turning the robot by at least one of moving the counter-balance body relative to the inverted pendulum body or altering a height of the at least one leg with respect to the surface.