ROBOTS WITH ROBUST BIPEDAL LOCOMOTION SUPPORTED WITH NON-CONVENTIONAL PHYSICS

Number: 20210114203
Published: 2021-04-22
Filed: 2019-10-17
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: CHRISTENSEN; DAVID LOYAL, NIEMEYER; GÜNTER D., POPE; MORGAN T., ESTRADA; MATTHEW A., PELOQUIN; RICHARD-ALEXANDRE
CPC: B25J9/1602; B62D57/032; B25J19/02; B25J19/0008; B25J9/0006; B25J11/003
Verdict: High Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Bipedal legged robot locomotion (BDX-droid-class hardware).

Abstract

A robot system with a robot configured for locomotion about a space using ground reaction force (GRF) to provide a first level of balancing. The robot system includes force generators located on or in the robot's body or offboard in the space that act to generate balancing forces to provide a second level of balancing for the robot using non-conventional physics. For example, clamping of a robot's feet to a support surface may be provided whenever the feet are in contact with the support surface using electromagnets in the feet and a layer of ferrous material on the support surface or using mechanical coupling techniques to temporarily anchor the foot to the support surface. In other examples, a balance controller may process output of balance sensors and respond by generating control signals to operate force generators onboard the robot such as electric fans or inertial reaction wheels.

Background

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Description

The present description relates, in general, to locomotion of bipedal robots (or, more generally, “robotic devices” or “robot systems”) and control methods for bipedal robots to provide balance during locomotion. More particularly, the description relates to robots and robot systems that are configured to rely upon non-conventional physics to achieve robust locomotion (e.g., locomotion with balance retention) rather than using ground reaction forces as common in conventional bipedal robots. 2. Relevant Background

The use of bipedal robots configured for locomotion is rapidly expanding to numerous diverse applications and environments. In many cases, bipedal robots have been designed to navigate in all terrains such as over surface that varies from planar to sloped and from smooth to irregular (e.g., rocky or one with obstacles). For example, bipedal robots are presently being designed to take the place of humans to perform work or activities in spaces that would be hazardous for humans, e.g., emergency responders, soldiers, and the like. As a result, these bipedal robots are being designed to have robust locomotion regardless of the terrain through control of ground reaction forces (e.g., conventional physics).

Bipedal locomotion, which may include walking and running, is one of the hardest challenges facing engineers in the robotics industry. While the issue of bipedal locomotion is of great interest to a host of ac

Claims

1. A robot system for providing balance assistance to robots, comprising: a robot with a body positioned in a space; a sensor assembly sensing an angular orientation of the body of the robot or movement of the body relative to vertical; a balance controller generating control signals when the angular orientation or the movement of the body exceed a predefined threshold value for retention of balance for the robot in the space; and a balance force generation assembly operating in response to the control signals to apply a balancing force upon the body of the robot to modify the angular orientation or resist the movement of the body relative to vertical. || 8. A robot system for providing balance assistance to robots, comprising: a robot with a body positioned in a space; and a balance force generation assembly operating to apply a balancing force upon the body of the robot to resist tipping or falling of the robot, wherein the balancing force is a force that replaces or is additive of any ground reaction forces provided for balancing the robot during locomotion of the robot in the space. || 16. A system for retaining balance of a bipedal robot, comprising: a robot configured for bipedal locomotion in a travel space with balancing provided with components providing ground reaction force (GRF)-based control; and a non-conventional physics force generation assembly in the travel space operating at least periodically during the bipedal locomotion of the robot to apply a balancing force upon the robot to improve the balancing of the robot achieved solely with the GRF-based control.