Patent ID: 9592603
Date: 2017-03-14
CPC Classifications: B25J,G05B,G05D

Claim:
1. A reconfigurable robotic system, comprising: a plurality of digital servo modules, wherein each of the plurality of digital servo module includes a servomotor including a servo position sensor; a plurality of elemental building blocks, wherein the plurality of elemental building blocks are connected to the plurality of digital servo modules to construct a robotic figure having position-controlled joints, wherein the plurality of elemental building blocks are combinable with the plurality of digital servo modules to construct robotic figures of varying configurations; a central controller, the central controller having at least one communication channel including an output port providing power, ground and a data signal; wherein each of the plurality of digital servo modules includes an input port and an output port, the digital servo module input port having power, ground and data signal pins, the digital servo module output port having power, ground and data signal pins, the digital servo module input data signal pin being electrically discrete from the digital servo module output data signal pin; wherein the input port of a given digital servo module of said plurality of digital servo modules is connected to the output port of the central controller, and the remaining digital servo modules of said plurality of servo modules are interconnected in sequence such that the input port of each of the remaining digital servo modules is connected to the output port of a next adiacent digital servo module in the sequence when the next adjacent servo module is present; and wherein the central controller and the plurality of digital servo modules are programmed to execute a communication protocol in which the central controller discovers the plurality of digital servo modules, and wherein the plurality of digital servo modules are configured to transmit data along the channel in a serial manner prior to discovery and configured to transmit data along the channel in a quasi-parallel manner after discovery, wherein, in the serial configuration, the given digital servo module will receive and process a data packet transmitted by the central controller without sending the data packet downstream to the next adjacent digital servo module when the next adjacent digital servo module is present, and wherein, in the quasi-parallel configuration, the given digital servo module places its data signal I/O ports in a follow through mode such that upon receiving a data stream corresponding to the data packet of the central controller, the given digital servo module sends the data stream downstream to the next adjacent digital servo module when the next adjacent digital servo module is present.