Telescoping Legged Robot for Vertical and Irregular Surface Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile robots face limitations in navigating diverse environments due to reliance on wheels, tracks, or suction cups, which are hindered by obstacles, debris, and irregular surfaces, and struggle with vertical or sloped paths and payload support.
Innovation Solution
A robot design featuring a telescoping body with segments that can expand and contract, and legs that extend non-parallel to the body, allowing it to move and stabilize on various surfaces, including vertical orientations, and support end effectors with payloads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wheeled or tracked mobile robots are used, then they can move on horizontal surfaces, but they cannot operate on vertical or highly-sloped paths and are hindered by obstacles, debris, and irregular surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The robot body is divided into multiple telescoping segments that can extend and retract independently. This segmentation allows the robot to navigate through confined spaces and adapt to varying environment sizes while maintaining stable support through distributed leg structures on each segment
Solution Approach 2:
The robot employs dynamically adjustable telescoping legs that can extend and retract to adapt to different surface conditions and orientations. The legs transition from static fixed-length structures to dynamic variable-length members, enabling the robot to maintain stability on vertical, sloped, and irregular surfaces by adjusting leg positioning in real-time
2Adaptability or versatility
If suction cups are used for surface gripping, then the robot can adhere to surfaces, but it requires clean and smooth surfaces which are not available in many real-world environments
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the suction cup adhesion mechanism with a mechanical leg-based support system. Instead of relying on atmospheric pressure and surface smoothness, the robot uses rigid legs that can mechanically support its weight and apply forces to engage with various surface textures, thereby eliminating sensitivity to surface contamination
3Strength
If the robot body is extended to support end effectors with payloads, then payload capacity increases, but stability decreases and the robot may tip over
Solution Approach 1:
The robot body is divided into multiple telescoping segments that can extend and retract independently. This segmentation allows the robot to navigate through confined spaces and adapt to varying environment sizes while maintaining stable support through distributed leg structures on each segment
Solution Approach 2:
The robot employs legs that extend in multiple directions and orientations, utilizing three-dimensional spatial arrangement to distribute support forces. The legs are positioned at various angles and heights, creating a stable support polygon that maintains balance even when the body is extended to carry payloads
4Strength
If the robot body is extended to support end effectors with payloads, then payload capacity increases, but the robot requires more space to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The robot body consists of nested telescoping segments that can be stored in a compact configuration when not in use. The segments slide within each other like nested dolls, allowing the robot to fit into confined spaces during storage or transport, while still extending to full operational length when needed for payload support
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes a body having first and second segments configured to move relative to each other. Each segment has at least two legs. The legs extend non-parallel to the body and are configured to extend outwardly and retract inwardly relative to the body to enable the body to move within an operating environment.