US 12,263,582 B2
Gyroscopically stabilised legged robot
Pauline Edith Iyan Pounds, St Lucia (AU)
Assigned to THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND, Queensland (AU)
Appl. No. 17/299,213
Filed by The University of Queensland, St Lucia (AU)
PCT Filed Dec. 3, 2019, PCT No. PCT/AU2019/051316
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 2, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/113262, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 11, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018904591 (AU), filed on Dec. 3, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0379774 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. B25J 19/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01); B62D 37/06 (2006.01); B62D 57/02 (2006.01); B62D 57/032 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 19/0008 (2013.01) [B25J 9/162 (2013.01); B25J 13/089 (2013.01); B62D 37/06 (2013.01); B62D 57/022 (2013.01); B62D 57/032 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gyroscopically stabilised legged robot including:
a) a body;
b) a number of legs coupled to the body and configured for providing legged locomotion of the robot across a surface in use;
c) an orientation sensor for detecting an angular orientation of the body;
d) a control moment gyroscope mounted on the robot, the control moment gyroscope including:
i) a rotor that spins around a rotor spin axis in use; and
ii) a tilting mechanism for supporting the rotor relative to the robot, the tilting mechanism being configured to rotate the rotor spin axis about two gyroscope rotation axes to thereby generate respective gyroscopic reaction torques; and
e) a gyroscope controller configured to control operation of the tilting mechanism based at least in part on the detected angular orientation of the body, such that gyroscopic reaction torques are generated to at least partially stabilise the angular orientation of the body during the legged locomotion of the robot, wherein the legged locomotion of the robot involves different leg stances including some unstable leg stances in which bias moments are induced about at least one of a pitch axis and a roll axis of the body, wherein the gyroscopic reaction torques are generated to at least partially counteract the bias moments, and wherein the gyroscope controller is further configured to:
i) obtain an indication of a current leg stance; and
ii) control operation of the tilting mechanism in accordance with the current leg stance.