Omnidirectional Floor Stabilizes Tipping Robots
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in stabilizing objects, particularly robots, in upright or vertical orientations while they are stationary or moving, especially in environments where tipping over is a concern, due to the complexity of designing and controlling balance mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizing system incorporating an omnidirectional floor system, such as the HoloTile floor, with a sensor assembly and controller that provides feedback on the object's tilt state, generating control signals to adjust the motion system's movements to keep the object balanced by maintaining contact with the center of gravity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a robot is designed to move freely without being fastened in place, then the robot's mobility and versatility are improved, but the robot's stability and resistance to tipping are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external motion system (omnidirectional floor system) as an intermediary between the robot and the ground. This mediator provides the necessary support and stabilization forces to the robot, allowing the robot to maintain stability while moving freely without being fastened to the floor. The motion system acts as a third element that resolves the conflict between mobility and stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robot is designed with its own drive system for autonomous movement, then the robot's independence and functionality are improved, but the robot's complexity and difficulty of control are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the balance control function from the robot itself and places it in the external motion system. The robot's controller focuses only on high-level navigation and task execution, while the motion system handles the complex low-level balance and stability control. This separation reduces the robot's control complexity while maintaining its independence.
3Reliability
If the robot's center of gravity is lowered to improve stability, then the robot's balance is improved, but the robot's design flexibility and anthropomorphism are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the external motion system to provide counterbalancing forces that compensate for the robot's elevated center of gravity. The motion system generates stabilizing forces that act as artificial counterweights, allowing the robot to maintain balance with a more flexible, anthropomorphic design rather than requiring a low center of gravity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the robot is designed to walk on two legs like a human, then the robot's anthropomorphism and interest factor are improved, but the robot's stability control difficulty and development time are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The external omnidirectional motion system serves as an intermediary that handles the complex stability control for the bipedal robot. This mediator provides the necessary torques and forces to maintain the robot's balance, significantly reducing the control software complexity from the estimated 90% to a much smaller portion, while preserving the robot's anthropomorphic walking capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively stabilizes objects in upright positions by enabling rapid accelerations and high-speed movements, ensuring the object remains balanced and prevents tipping through continuous, small adjustments of the support surface beneath the object's center of gravity.
Implementation Method 1
The motion system is typically chosen to be one that can provide high accelerations in any direction to any object placed on its upper (or contact or support) surface
Implementation Method 2
A sensor assembly with at least one sensor generates sensor data by tracking at least one of three dimensional (3D) position, angular movement, or accelerations for the object
Data Source
AI summary
A system configured for stabilizing or balancing objects in an upright state. The system includes a motion system with an upper support surface for receiving an object that is positionable in a vertical state. The system includes a sensor assembly with at least one sensor generating sensor data by tracking at least one of three dimensional (3D) position and angular movement for the object. The system includes a controller with a stabilizing module to process the sensor data to determine when the object is tipping from the vertical state, and, in response to the tipping away of the object from the vertical state, the stabilizing module generates control signals to modify operations of the motion system to move at least a portion of the upper support surface in contact with a lower contact surface of the object through stabilizing movements, whereby the object remains balanced in the vertical state.