Suspension Wheel Control for Horizontal Robot Body Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robots struggle to maintain horizontal stability while transporting objects, especially when encountering obstacles, which can lead to objects falling or spilling.
Innovation Solution
A robot design featuring a robot body with a battery, leg units, wheel units, suspension motors, and wheel motors, which allows for simultaneous or sequential control of these components to maintain horizontal attitude by adjusting the angle between links and controlling wheel movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the robot uses a simple traveling structure on flat surfaces, then the device complexity is reduced, but the robot body tilts and shakes when encountering obstacles, causing objects to fall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the leg units movable and adjustable rather than fixed. The leg units can dynamically change their configuration and position to adapt to obstacles, allowing the robot to maintain horizontal stability while traveling over uneven surfaces. The leg units are driven by suspension motors that adjust their length and angle in real-time to compensate for terrain variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot body is segmented into multiple independent modules including the main body, leg units, and suspension mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to move and adjust independently, enabling the leg units to navigate obstacles while the main body remains stable and horizontal for safe object transport.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the robot maintains horizontal stability using active control mechanisms, then the stability of the object's composition is improved, but the use of energy increases due to continuous motor operation
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension motors operate periodically rather than continuously, activating only when terrain variations or obstacles are detected. The control unit monitors the robot's state and triggers motor operation only when needed to maintain horizontality, reducing unnecessary energy consumption during stable travel or stationary periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit uses feedback from sensors to monitor the robot's horizontal state and terrain conditions, activating suspension motors only when deviations from horizontality are detected. This feedback-based control ensures energy is consumed only when corrective action is needed to maintain stability.
3Ease of operation
If the robot travels continuously to respond to user commands, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of time increases due to frequent charging stops
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs preliminary actions by proactively returning to the charging station when battery level reaches a predetermined threshold, before complete power depletion occurs. This prevents operational interruptions and ensures the robot is always ready to respond to user commands without unexpected charging stops.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot autonomously monitors its own battery status and initiates charging trips independently without user intervention. The control unit automatically determines when charging is needed and navigates to the charging station, allowing the robot to service itself and maintain operational readiness.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot capable of maintaining a horizontal attitude, by controlling driving of a motor wheel and/or a suspension wheel according to a tilting direction and degree of a robot body, thereby enabling horizontal control of attitude. The robot may be configured to sequentially or selectively control left and right suspension motors without controlling the same at the same time when the left and right tilt of the robot body is corrected, thereby saving battery power. In addition, since the robot includes a contact detection sensor to detect whether a wheel is in contact with a ground, the robot can easily maintain balance without falling over even when a user lifts the robot and put the same back down.