Patent ID: 8327960
Filing Date: 2012-12-11
Classification: B25J,B62D,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A mobile robot comprising: a chassis defining at least one chassis volume; first and second sets of right and left driven flippers associated with the chassis, each flipper having a drive wheel and defining a flipper volume adjacent to the drive wheel, the first set of flippers disposed between the second set of flippers and the chassis; motive power elements distributed among the chassis volume and the flipper volumes, the motive power elements comprising a battery assembly, a main drive motor assembly, and a load shifting motor assembly; and a load shifting assembly pivotally attached to the chassis and comprising a load tilting motor and a load shifting motor, the load shifting assembly defining a load shifting volume adjacent the load tilting motor, the motive power elements being distributed among the chassis volume, the load shifting volume, and the flipper volumes, wherein the load shifting assembly comprises a linkage connecting a payload assembly to the chassis, the linkage having a first end rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot, and a second end rotatably connected to the payload assembly at a second pivot, both of the first and second pivots including independently controllable pivot drivers operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload assembly with respect to the chassis, wherein the payload assembly comprises a sensor unit.