Electricity: motive power systems – Positional servo systems – Program- or pattern-controlled systems
Patent
1994-07-14
1996-11-19
Cabeca, John W.
Electricity: motive power systems
Positional servo systems
Program- or pattern-controlled systems
31856816, 318577, 36442402, B25J 500
Patent
active
055766056
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a robot having a size of about one cubic centimeter and adapted for wireless control, and a holding case for accommodating the robot which is capable of charging, etc., during the period of accommodation.
In the past, the wireless control of a robot has been effected by a control which is called as a radio control and a control system utilizing radio waves has been used. Also, the directional control has been effected by superposing control signals on the radio waves to steer the robot. On the other hand, it has been the practice to use a directional antenna or to concurrently utilize visual sensors or the like to direct the robot in the desired direction in a self-control manner. The running part includes wheels to reduce the running resistance. Also, its charging terminals are composed of rigid contacts which are formed in the recess of a frame member.
However, since the previously mentioned robot control system utilizes the radio waves, each of the transmitting side and the receiving side requires many electric elements and a mechanism for steering purposes is required thereby making the system unsuited for miniaturing purposes. Also, in order to realize for example a system which causes the robot to autonomously move in a direction in which the radio waves are transmitted, the previously mentioned antenna or sensors must be additionally provided and in this respect the system is not suited for the purposes of miniaturization. Moreover, where the parts other than the driving parts are supported by the wheels, it is impossible to go over the large irregularities if the wheels are small, whereas the miniaturization is difficult if the wheels are large. The reduction of the charging terminals in size is impossible from the standpoint of the handling and this becomes an obstacle for the miniaturization.
In view of these circumstances, the present inventor has developed a micro robot movable by sensing light and has filed an international application as PCT/JP92/01415. This micro robot is as small as about one cubic centimeter in size and very high in sophistication and it is found that not only its handling requires circumspection but also there are rooms for improvement with respect to the operationaltry and moving performance of the micro robot.
Then, it is the usual practice so that generally a plastic container or the like is used for the packaging of a small and precision article and the article proper, its various components (where the components permit to be individually disassembled), its accessories, etc., are snugly accommodated. In other words, only the holding pockets for the components, accessories, etc., are suitably arranged.
The micro robot developed by the inventor is of a charging type and additionally it requires remote control devices for robot operating purposes. In addition, in view of the nature of the micro robot, it is necessary that its holding case is small and compact and moreover its removal, handling, etc., are easy. Also, to simply accommodate the required articles for the micro robot is rather inconvenient and troublesome from the operation standpoint of the robot.
The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances and it is an object of the present invention to provide a micro robot which is improved in operationality and moving performance, small in size and adapted for wireless control.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a compact holding case of about pocketable size which has not only the function of accommodating such articles as mentioned previously but also various functions to permit for example the charging during the period of accommodation in view of the previously mentioned special characteristics of the micro robot.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a micro robot includes at least two sensors whose detection areas partly overlap each other, at least one pair of drive units adapted to be driven independently of each other and having driving points which are apart from eac
REFERENCES:
patent: 4119900 (1978-10-01), Kremnitz
patent: 4905151 (1990-02-01), Weiman et al.
patent: 5304809 (1994-04-01), Sasaki et al.
Cabeca John W.
Seiko Epson Corporation
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