Humanoid Transformer Robots With Pivoting Linkage For Stable Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing humanoid robots lack the ability to efficiently transform between configurations, such as standing and sitting, while maintaining stability and mobility, which limits their versatility and payload capacity.
Innovation Solution
A humanoid robot design featuring a mobile base with mecanum wheels and a pedestal linkage that allows the upper body to pivot and rotate, enabling transformation between elevated and lowered configurations, with passive wheels providing stability and a congruent work surface, and integrated energy storage for power support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed humanoid robot structure is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but the robot cannot transform between configurations (standing/sitting) to adapt to different tasks and spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The robot employs a dynamic pedestal linkage mechanism that allows the upper body to pivot between elevated and lowered positions. This dynamic structure enables the robot to transform between standing and sitting configurations, providing adaptability to different task requirements and spatial constraints while maintaining a relatively simple overall architecture.
2Ease of operation
If the upper body is elevated above the mobile base, then the robot has better visibility and reach, but stability decreases and the robot cannot engage with objects at ground level
Solution Approach 1:
The pedestal linkage enables dynamic adjustment of the upper body position between elevated and lowered states. When elevated, the robot achieves enhanced visibility and reach for overhead tasks. When lowered, the robot maintains stability and can engage with objects at ground level, thus resolving the contradiction between visibility and stability through configurable positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot is divided into separable components: a mobile base and an upper body connected by the pedestal linkage. This segmentation allows the upper body to be independently positioned at different heights without compromising the stability of the base, enabling the robot to switch between elevated operational mode and stable ground-level mode as needed.
3Stability of the object's composition
If passive wheels are added to provide stability in sitting configuration, then stability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel system is segmented into two functional groups: active wheels for mobility and passive wheels for stability. The passive wheels are specifically positioned to engage with the ground when the robot is in the sitting configuration, providing additional support points without interfering with the active mobility function, thus achieving stability with minimal added complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes a mobile base comprising a base body with a set of active wheels, an upper body comprising a torso with arms, and a pedestal linkage having a first end coupled to the base body by a first pivotable joint and a second end coupled to the torso by a second pivotable joint, wherein the pedestal linkage is pivotable relative to the base body to transform the robot between an elevated, elongated, or standing configuration and a lowered, contracted, or sitting configuration. In the second configuration, an omniwheel positioned at the base of the torso contacts the ground to improve stability of the system, and the pedestal linkage is received in a slot in the base body to produce a congruous work surface over which the torso may be rotated to face and upon which objects may be placed and manipulated during transport.