Patent abstracts

Citation

(2010), "Patent abstracts", Industrial Robot, Vol. 37 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2010.04937dad.003

Patent abstracts

Article Type: Patent abstracts From: Industrial Robot: An International Journal, Volume 37, Issue 4

Title: Flexible movable tiny robot system inside pipeline

Applicant: University of Shanghai Science and Technology (CN)

Patent number: CN101480794 (A)

Publication date: 15 July 2009

Abstract

The invention relates to an inside-pipe flexible mobile micro robot system. A pneumatic moving mechanism of the robot system is formed by the connection of a front supporting unit, a rear supporting unit and a rubber driver; the front supporting unit and the rear supporting unit are hollow cylinders, the end surface of one end of each supporting unit is internally connected with a round ring with a strap; two round rings with straps are, respectively, connected with two ends of the rubber driver; the cylinders are completely and externally covered with airtight plastic film airbags; the front supporting unit and the rear supporting unit are, respectively, connected with an air pipe which is communicated with a ventilation circuit; an air pressure transfer system is formed by the serial connection of a high-pressure pump, a pressure storage tank, a ball valve, a flow control valve, a pressure regulating valve and the pneumatic moving system; three ventilation pipelines are connected in parallel between the flow control valve and the pneumatic moving mechanism; two ventilation pipelines are connected in parallel between the pressure regulating valve and the pneumatic moving mechanism; and each ventilation pipeline is connected in series with a normal-closed two-position two-way electromagnetic valve and a two-position three-way electromagnetic valve, and is, respectively, communicated with three air chambers of the driver and the film airbags of the front supporting unit and the rear supporting unit. The invention can achieve driving in three directions, is safe and flexible, and has accurate control without damaging the inner walls of the pipelines.

Title: Redundant controlled microminiature underwater robot, and method for failure diagnosis and fault tolerant control

Applicant: Harbin Engineering University (CN)

Patent number: CN101462587 (A)

Publication date: 24 June 2009

Abstract

The invention provides a redundant controlled micro underwater robot and a fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control method. A shell has a streamline shape spliced by a lower shell, an upper front shell and an upper back shell; an inclination compass cabin, a depth gauge, a battery tank, a Doppler speed metre, an electronic cabin, horizontal propeller impellers and a turning rise-sink control actuator are arranged inside the shell from the front to the back; and the depth gauge, the battery tank and the Doppler speed metre are arranged in parallel and positioned at the back of the inclination compass cabin together, the turning rise-sink control actuator is positioned in the middle of two horizontal propeller impellers, and the two horizontal propeller impellers and the turning rise-sink control actuator are arranged transversely in parallel and positioned at the tail of the underwater robot together. The robot and the method have the characteristics of high intellectualization degree, strong fault-tolerant capability, good safety, flexile motion, and convenient structural adjustment.

Title: Mini robot for detecting internal failure of power transformer

Applicant: North China Electric Power University (CN)

Patent number: CN101393246 (A)

Publication date: 25 March 2009

Abstract

The invention discloses a micro-robot used for detecting internal faults of a power transformer which belongs to a micro detection device. The robot comprises a body of the micro detection robot and a peripheral data processing system of the micro detection robot, and is characterized in that: four brushless motors are adopted to drive four propellers which are uniformly distributed at four corners; related detection equipment is provided to detect information about abnormal internal conditions of a power transformer; and motions in six degrees of freedom (DoFs) including left, right, up, down, forward and back motions vary as the rotation states of the four impellers changes. Because of accurate grasp of the changes in the posture and speed of the motions in the six DoF, the robot can pass through an oil duct of the transformer smoothly and can communicate information to the outside through electromagnetic wave. The robot can detect local electric discharge and spark discharge, winding deformation at observable positions, etc. In a word, the micro-robot has advantages of simple detection process and obvious detection effect when used for detecting the faults of the transformer.

Title: Wireless resonant magnetic acutation for untethered microrobots

Applicant: ETH Zuerich (CH); Vollmers Karl (CH); Frutiger Dominic (CH); Kratochvil Bradley (CH); Nelson Bradley (CH)

Patent number: WO2009003303 (A2)

Publication date: 8 January 2009

Abstract

The invention concerns a novel magnetic actuator mechanism suitable for use on untethered microrobots. It relies on the interaction of magnetic bodies in an external magnetic field. By an oscillating field, the bodies are driven to oscillatory motion, and the energy stored in the oscillation is harnessed. The untethered wireless microactuator according to the invention comprises a mechanical system with at least two magnetic bodies resiliently connected to one another, wherein the mechanical system is capable of being oscillated, in particular driven to resonance, by an oscillating external magnetic field. The actuation system according to the invention comprises such a microrobot as well as a magnetic field generator with adjustable field direction and oscillation frequency. The actuation method comprises exciting two or more magnetic bodies with an oscillating magnetic field such that they perform mechanical oscillations, and harnessing this energy for propulsion of the device or to fulfil other tasks.

Title: Robotic apparatus

Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)

Patent number: US2009012534 (A1)

Publication date: 8 January 2009

Abstract

A robotic apparatus has eight actuators (M0-M7) and a linkage (LINK 0-LINK 5) that actuates an end effector. Three serial macro freedoms have large ranges of motion and inertias. Four serial micro freedoms have small ranges of motion and inertias. Translation of the end effector in an y direction is actuated by at least one micro joint and at least one macro joint. The apparatus can be part of a master and slave combination, providing force feedback without any explicit force sensors. The slave is controlled with an Inverse Jacobian controller, and the matters with a Jacobian Transpose controller. A slave having more DOFs than the master can be controlled. A removable effector unit actuates its DOFs with cables. Beating heart surgery can be accomplished by commanding the slave to move with a beating heart and cancelling out any such motion in the motions perceived by the master.

Title: Four-foot creeping robot

Applicant: Shenyang University of Technology (CN)

Patent number: CN201120913 (Y)

Publication date: 24 September 2008

Abstract

The utility model relates to a quadruped crawling robot, in particular to a micro-miniaturized crawling robot and mobile robot with extraordinarily high movement stability and good adaptability to the environment which can perform various extreme operations in stead of human beings. The quadruped crawling robot adopts the structure that a single-chip microcomputer (2), a power source (3), a task planning device (4) and motors (13) are installed on a robot body (1), the power source (3) and the task planning device (4) are controlled by the single-chip microcomputer (2), the four motors (13) are controlled by the task planning device (4) and, respectively, control the movements of first arms of a leg (5), a leg (6), a leg (7) and a leg (8), thus ensuring the first arms to rotate within the specified angles; and second arms and third arms controlled by the motors are, respectively, installed on the four legs as well. The static stability of the quadruped crawling robot is good, the dynamic walking can be realized, the development of the industrial robots can be realized on the basis of the quadruped crawling robot, the transportation of small parts can be accomplished, and the quadruped crawling robot can perform operations which cannot be accomplished by the human beings.

Title: Miniature solar robot

Applicant: Qiangerqing Science & Technology (CN)

Patent number: CN201102245 (Y)

Publication date: 20 August 2008

Abstract

A micro solar energy robot includes a robot body, a power plant and a driving device. The robot body consists of two splints which are combined to form a containing space. The external of every splint is equipped with a fixing rod. The power plant includes a solar panel and a deceleration motor. The solar panel is arranged on the robot body and is electrically connected with the deceleration motor. The deceleration motor is combined with the body. The driving device includes a transverse axis gear, two cranks, at least two pulling rods, two main stilts, at least two auxiliary stilts and at least one rotary rod. The transverse axis gear of the driving device is driven by the acceleration motor of the power plant and coupled with the cranks on the two sides. Every crank is equipped with a crank cross bar. Every cross bar is coupled with the relative main stilt and the pulling rod. Every main stilt is equipped with a chute. The chutes slide through the fixing bars on the robot body. And every pulling rod hauls at least one auxiliary stilt for the interlocking. The robot can automatically walk and the mechanical movement can be observed by a user.

Title: System and method for macro-micro distal dexterity enhancement in micro-surgery of the eye

Applicant: Johns Hopkins University (USA); Simaan Nabil (USA); Taylor Russell, H. (USA); Handa James, T. (USA)

Patent number: WO2009140688 (A2)

Publication date: 19 November 2009

Abstract

A system for operating within an interior region of the eye, or other organ, includes a delivery channel having a proximal portion located exterior to the eye and a distal portion positionable within the interior region of the eye, wherein the distal portion of the delivery channel defines an outer diameter that is smaller than or equal to about 18 gauge, and a micro-robot extendable from the distal portion of the delivery channel, wherein the micro-robot is remotely operable to change shape within the interior region of the eye.