Detachable Robotic Eye Cartridge for Easy Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Humanoid robots with complex eye mechanisms are difficult to maintain and repair due to their intricate designs, which hinders their commercial adoption.
Innovation Solution
A modular robotic head with a detachable eye cartridge that employs magnetic connections and spring-loaded electrical contacts, along with actuators and linkages to rotate a mechanical eyeball and eyelid, allowing for easy maintenance without full disassembly, and includes image sensors for video feed capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the eye mechanism is integrated into the robotic head as a fixed complex assembly, then the robot can achieve human-like facial expressions and movements, but the robot becomes difficult to maintain and repair
Solution Approach 1:
The eye mechanism is segmented into a separate detachable eye cartridge that can be removed from the robotic head without disassembling the entire head assembly. This allows the complex eye mechanism to be maintained as a modular unit, improving ease of repair while preserving the human-like facial expression capability through the complete eye cartridge assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The eye cartridge is extracted as a separate removable component from the robotic head. The eye cartridge includes all necessary actuators, linkages, and image sensors, allowing it to be taken out for maintenance or replacement independently, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining complex functionality and enabling easy repair
2Ease of repair
If the eye cartridge uses a detachable modular design, then maintenance becomes easier, but the connection reliability between the eye cartridge and robotic head may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical connection between the eye cartridge and robotic head is replaced with a magnetic connection system. Magnets embedded in both the cartridge and head provide automatic alignment and secure attachment, ensuring connection reliability while maintaining the benefits of a detachable modular design for easy maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
Spring-loaded electrical contacts serve as an intermediary mechanism between the eye cartridge and robotic head. These contacts ensure reliable electrical connection for power and data transmission while accommodating the detachable nature of the modular design, thus maintaining both ease of repair and connection stability
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
Facilitates efficient and cost-effective maintenance of the complex eye mechanism, enhancing the reliability and practicality of humanoid robots by allowing for simplified replacement and repair of the eye cartridge.
Implementation Method 1
The eye cartridge connects into at least one socket of the robotic head, and employs a magnetic connection
Implementation Method 2
The eye cartridge connects into at least one socket of the robotic head, and employs a magnetic connection and spring-loaded electrical contacts
Data Source
AI summary
A detachable mechanical eye cartridge includes a plurality of links, a plurality of couplers, a plurality of electronic connection points, and at least one mechanical eye that can be rotatably actuated in at least two rotational degrees of freedom. The detachable mechanical eye cartridge may include actuators for actuating the eye, eyelid structures, an actuator for actuating the eyelid structures, and imaging sensors within the mechanical eye. The detachable mechanical eye cartridge may include one or two mechanical eyes and related structures and may include a set of magnetic couplers that couple to magnets on a robotic head frame to which the detachable mechanical eye cartridge may couple. The detachable mechanical eye cartridge may also have a set of mechanically coupled linkages for controlling the pitch of each mechanical eye with minimal backlash.