US 11,951,617 B2
Robotic arm cooperating with an off-road capable base vehicle
Charles Zhou, Alameda, CA (US); William Paul Mazzetti, Jr., San Francisco, CA (US); Halston Ryan Rowe, Escondido, CA (US); and David Scott Lincoln, San Clemente, CA (US)
Assigned to Rosendin Electric, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Rosendin Electric, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/206,468.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/044,939, filed on Jun. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/992,468, filed on Mar. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0206003 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. B25J 5/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 13/00 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01); B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B25J 19/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 5/005 (2013.01) [B25J 9/162 (2013.01); B25J 9/1664 (2013.01); B25J 9/1679 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B25J 13/006 (2013.01); B25J 13/087 (2013.01); B25J 15/0616 (2013.01); B25J 19/0054 (2013.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01); G05D 1/0231 (2013.01); G05D 2201/0216 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
an autonomous solar module installation platform for solar module installation onto a solar tracker, where the autonomous solar module installation platform includes at least an off-road capable base vehicle with a robotic arm mounted on the off-road capable base vehicle for the solar module installation onto the solar tracker;
where the off-road capable base vehicle and the robotic arm are configured to communicate with each other and to cooperate their movements to proceed to the solar tracker and align with the solar tracker in order for the robotic arm to pick up and lift the solar module during an installation of the solar module onto the solar tracker; and
wherein the off-road capable base vehicle is further configured to self-level at least the robotic arm relative to the solar tracker, accounting for a terrain, using a leveling mechanism consisting of any of i) screw actuators, ii) hydraulic cylinders, iii) airbags, iv) pneumatic actuators, and v) any combination of these, at multiple corners of a deck of the off-road capable base vehicle, where the leveling mechanism is configured to cooperate with a level sensor in order to level the robotic arm relative to the solar tracker.