BALLISTIC ROBOT SYSTEM WITH SPIN AND OTHER CONTROLLED MOTION OF ROBOT DURING FLIGHT

Number: 20190329414
Published: 2019-10-31
Filed: 2018-04-27
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: DOHI; ANTHONY PAUL, CHRISTENSEN; STEVEN NIELS, SETRAKIAN; MARK SOX, CHRISTENSEN; DAVID LOYAL, IMAHARA; GRANT MASARU, POPE; MORGAN T., WATSON; SCOTT FRAZIER, NIEMEYER; GÜNTER D.
CPC: B25J9/06; B25J9/144; B25J13/088; B25J9/1682; B25J11/0035; G05D1/105; B25J9/1664; B25J9/1694
Verdict: High Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Ballistic robot system with spin/controlled flight motion (droid).

Abstract

Systems and corresponding control methods providing a ballistic robot that flies on a trajectory after being released (e.g., in non-powered flight as a ballistic body) from a launch mechanism. The ballistic robot is adapted to control its position and/or inflight movements by processing data from onboard and offboard sensors and by issuing well-timed control signals to one or more onboard actuators to achieve an inflight controlled motion. The actuators may move an appendage such as an arm or leg of the robot or may alter the configuration of one or more body links (e.g., to change from an untucked configuration to a tucked configuration), while other embodiments may trigger a drive mechanism of an inertia moving assembly to change/move the moment of inertia of the flying body. Inflight controlled movements are performed to achieve a desired or target pose and orientation of the robot during flight and upon landing.

Background

BACKGROUND1. Field of the Description

The present description relates, in general, to robots (or animatronic devices, as these terms may be used interchangeably herein) and robotic motion control technology, and, more particularly, to robots and robot control methods adapted to control spin and other movements of the robot during non-powered flight such as during travel as a projectile or ballistic body along a trajectory or on a travel path established, at least in part, by a launching mechanism. The movements of the robot during flight may be selected to provide a landing with a desired or target orientation and/or pose upon a landing surface (e.g., a surface of a catching assembly that may include a pad, a net, or the like).2. Relevant Background

Robots or actuated animatronic devices are typically ground based. These ground-based robots often are fixed in a single position or are mobile with wheels or tracks to roll on a surface or legs to walk about a space. To date, there has been very little to no effort to provide robots that can fly through a space with desired movements such as movements that simulate spinning, rotation, flipping, and other actions of a flying superhero, of an acrobatic character, or the like. In-flight movements for a flying robot have recently come into demand to provide unique and surprising entertainment to audiences in settings where it may difficult to utilize live performers.

To date, most efforts at controlling a robot's mo

Claims

1. A ballistic robot system comprising: a robot comprising a controller, onboard sensors, a body supporting the controller and onboard sensors, and at least one component that is configured for actuation by the controller; a catching system with a landing surface; and a launch mechanism spaced apart from the landing surface a lateral distance, wherein the launch mechanism operates to first support the robot during a pre-launch process stage during which energy is provided to the body of the robot and to second launch the body of the robot as a ballistic body with a trajectory defining a flight path intersecting the landing surface, wherein the controller processes data collected by the onboard sensors while flying on the flight path and, in response, generates a control signal to cause the actuation of the at least one component to cause the body to perform a predefined controlled motion prior to impact with the landing surface. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined controlled motion is adapted and timed during the flying on the flight path to cause the body to have a predefined pose, a predefined orientation, or a predefined landing angle upon impact with the landing surface. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing of the data collected by the controller includes calculating an angular velocity and remaining time prior to the impact with the landing surface. 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one component is configured for moving the body between a tucked configuration and an untucked configuration and wherein the predefined controlled motion is a movement from the tucked configuration to the untucked configuration prior to the impact with the landing surface. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the onboard sensors comprise an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and at least one rangefinder and wherein the controller processes the data collected by the onboard sensors to determine a current angular velocity and a current height of the body while on the flight path. 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising an offboard sensor communicating collected data to the controller for processing to determine a current position of the body on the flight path, wherein the current position is used in determining a timing of triggering the control signal and wherein the offboard sensor includes at least one of a motion capture system, a floodlight providing polarized light received by a first photosensor on or in the body, and a laser providing a beam or plane of light received by a second photosensor on or in the body. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component comprises an inertia moving assembly operating in response to the control signal to move the moment of inertia of the body. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component comprises an actuator and a positionable appendage or link of the body and wherein the predefined controlled motion comprises moving the appendage or the link to modify spin of the body about at least one axis. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the launch mechanism comprises a pendulum assembly with an elongate pendulum member, wherein the body of the robot is detachably coupled with an end of the elongate pendulum member, and wherein the pendulum assembly is gravity based or is powered to reach a predefined velocity when the launch is initiated. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller operates during the pre-launch process stage to generate a second control signal to cause the actuation of the at least one component to cause the body to move with a second predefined controlled motion prior to the launch of the body on the trajectory. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second control signal is generated by the controller at a predefined time after initial movement of the elongate pendulum member in the pre-launch process stage and wherein the second predefined controlled motion is adapted to cause the body to spin in a predefined manner about at least one axis on the flight path. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one component is configured for moving the body between a tucked configuration and an untucked configuration and wherein the second predefined controlled motion is a movement from the untucked configuration to the tucked configuration prior to the launch from the launch mechanism. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component comprises an actuatable element for modifying aerodynamic characteristics of one or more external surfaces of the body of the robot to initiate the predefined controlled motion. 14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an in-flight booster system positioned between the launch mechanism and the catching system and operating to add or remove energy to the body of the robot while the robot is flying on the flight path and before impact with the landing surface, whereby the trajectory is modified for the robot. 15. A ballistic robot system comprising: a robot comprising a body, a controller mounted on the body, onboard sensors provided on the body including an IMU and at least one rangefinder, and a component configured for actuation in response to a control signal by the controller; a catching system with a landing surface; and a launch mechanism launching the body of the robot on a trajectory defining a flight path to land upon the landing surface, wherein the controller processes data collected by the onboard sensors while flying on the flight path and, in response, generates a control signal to cause the actuation of the component causing an appendage, a link, or an internal weight to move from a first position to a second position, whereby the body moves on the flight path with a predefined controlled motion prior to impacting the landing surface, wherein the predefined controlled motion is adapted and timed during the flying on the flight path to cause the body to have a predefined pose, a predefined orientation, or a predefined landing angle upon impact with the landing surface, and wherein the processing of the data collected by the controller includes calculating an angular velocity and remaining time prior to the impact with the landing surface. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one component is configured for moving the body between a tucked configuration and an untucked configuration and wherein the predefined controlled motion is a movement from the tucked configuration to the untucked configuration prior to the impact with the landing surface. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the onboard sensors comprise an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and at least one rangefinder, wherein the controller processes the data collected by the onboard sensors to determine a current angular velocity and a current height of the body while on the flight path, wherein the system further comprises an offboard sensor communicating collected data to the controller for processing to determine a current position of the body on the flight path, wherein the current position is used in determining a timing of triggering the control signal, and wherein the offboard sensor includes at least one of a motion capture system, a floodlight providing polarized light received by a first photosensor on or in the body, and a laser providing a beam or plane of light received by a second photosensor on or in the body. 18. A ballistic robot system comprising: a robot comprising a controller, onboard sensors, and at least one component that is configured for actuation by the controller; and a launch mechanism operating first to support the robot during a pre-launch process stage during which energy is imparted to the robot and second to launch the body of the robot on a trajectory defining a flight path, wherein the controller processes data collected by the onboard sensors while flying on the flight path and, in response, generates a control signal to cause the actuation of the at least one component to cause the body to perform a predefined controlled motion prior to impact with the landing surface, wherein the launch mechanism comprises a pendulum assembly with an elongate pendulum member, wherein the body of the robot is detachably coupled with an end of the elongate pendulum member, wherein the controller operates during the pre-launch process stage to generate a second control signal to cause the actuation of the at least one component to cause the body to move with a second predefined controlled motion prior to the launch of the body on the trajectory, and wherein the second predefined controlled motion is adapted to cause the body to spin in a predefined manner about at least one axis on the flight path. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the predefined controlled motion is adapted and timed during the flying on the flight path to cause the body to have a predefined pose, a predefined orientation, or a predefined landing angle upon impact with the landing surface. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one component is configured for moving the body between a tucked configuration and an untucked configuration and wherein the predefined controlled motion is a movement from the tucked configuration to the untucked configuration prior to the impact with the landing surface. 21. The system of claim 18, wherein the onboard sensors comprise an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and at least one rangefinder and wherein the controller processes the data collected by the onboard sensors to determine a current angular velocity and a current height of the body while on the flight path. 22. The system of claim 21, further comprising an offboard sensor communicating collected data to the controller for processing to determine a current position of the body on the flight path, wherein the current position is used in determining a timing of triggering the control signal and wherein the offboard sensor includes at least one of a motion capture system, a floodlight providing polarized light received by a first photosensor on or in the body, and a laser providing a beam or plane of light received by a second photosensor on or in the body. 23. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one component comprises an inertia moving assembly operating in response to the control signal to move the moment of inertia of the body. 24. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one component comprises an actuator and a repositionable appendage or link of the body and wherein the predefined controlled motion comprises moving the appendage or the link to modify spin of the body about at least one axis. 25. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one component is configured for moving the body between a tucked configuration and an untucked configuration and wherein the second predefined controlled motion is a movement from the untucked configuration to the tucked configuration prior to the launch from the launch mechanism.