Patent ID: 6722284
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A steering mechanism for a track-mounted robot, the steering mechanism comprising:an articulated robot chassis, wherein the chassis is divided into at least a first section and a second section that pivot about at least a first axis; at least one guide component coupled to each of the first section and the second section, wherein each guide component runs along the track; at least one cam follower coupled to each the first section and the second section, wherein each cam follower follows a cam surface of the track; and a first drive component coupled to the first section and a second drive component coupled to the second section, wherein the first drive component and the second drive component move the track-mounted robot along the track; wherein rotation of the first section and the second section causes the guide component to maintain a movement path tangent to the track as the cam followers move along the cam surface of the track.