Patent ID: 7556108

Claim:
A robotic platform comprising: right and left side plates rigidly coupled apart to form a main body capable of carrying a payload within a payload volume substantially defined between the right and left side plates; right and left main tracks disposed on corresponding sides of the main body, each main track trained about a corresponding main drive pulley and a corresponding rear idler pulley; right and left front arms pivotally coupled by an articulator axle passing through the main drive pulleys to pivot with respect to the main body, each front arm being mounted on a side of the corresponding main track opposite the main body, and comprising: a front drive pulley concentric with and coupled to rotate in unison with a corresponding main drive pulley; an outer side plate mounted on a side of the corresponding main drive pulley opposite the main body; a front idler pulley rotatably mounted at a distal end of the side plate; and a front arm track trained about the front drive pulley and front idler pulley; right and left track motors respectively driving the right main and front drive pulleys and left main and front drive pulleys, the right and left track motors being differentially driven to provide skid steering; and an articulator drive motor coupled to the articulator axle, the articulator axle rigidly coupling the outer side plates of the front arms, the articulator drive motor rotating the articulator axle and front arms in unison in a continuous 360 degrees between a stowed position, in which the front arms are next to the right and left side plates of the main body and the front arm tracks provide traction with the main tracks in a compact track configuration, and at least one deployed position, in which the front arms are pivoted at an angle with respect to the main tracks.