US 12,281,678 B2
Tethered payload motion control and cable robot using magnetorheological actuators
David Rancourt, Grand-Mere (CA); Alexis Lussier Desbiens, Sherbrooke (CA); Jean-Sebastien Plante, Sherbrooke (CA); and Pascal Larose, Sherbrooke (CA)
Assigned to SOCIETE DE COMMERCIALISATION DES PRODUITS DE LA RECHERCHE APPLIQUEE SOCPRA SCIENCES ET GENIE S.E.C., Sherbrooke (CA); and EXONETIK INC., Sherbrooke (CA)
Appl. No. 16/642,495
Filed by SOCIETE DE COMMERCIALISATION DES PRODUITS DE LA RECHERCHE APPLIQUÉE SOCPRA SCIENCES ET GENIE S.E.C., Sherbrooke (CA); and EXONETIK INC., Sherbrooke (CA)
PCT Filed Aug. 29, 2018, PCT No. PCT/CA2018/051044
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 27, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/041038, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 7, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/579,532, filed on Oct. 31, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/551,592, filed on Aug. 29, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0182310 A1, Jun. 11, 2020
Int. Cl. F16D 37/02 (2006.01); B64D 1/22 (2006.01); B66C 13/08 (2006.01); B66D 1/14 (2006.01); B66F 19/00 (2006.01); F16D 48/06 (2006.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 101/64 (2023.01); B64U 101/67 (2023.01); F16D 37/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16D 37/02 (2013.01) [B64D 1/22 (2013.01); B66C 13/085 (2013.01); B66D 1/14 (2013.01); B66F 19/00 (2013.01); F16D 48/06 (2013.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 2101/64 (2023.01); B64U 2101/67 (2023.01); F16D 2037/004 (2013.01); F16D 2500/10475 (2013.01); F16D 2500/3027 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling a tension of a tensioning member between an object and a load tethered to the object comprising:
a fixed tether cable connected between the object and the load;
at least one tensioning set being in parallel to the fixed tether cable and having
at least one magnetorheological (MR) fluid actuator unit including at least one torque source and at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus coupled to the at least one torque source to receive torque from the at least one torque source, the MR fluid clutch apparatus containing a MR fluid and having an electromagnet being controllable to vary an apparent viscosity of the MR fluid to transmit a variable amount of torque via an output of the MR fluid actuator unit, and
a tensioning member being connected to the output so as to be pulled by the output upon actuation of the magnetorheological fluid clutch apparatus, a free end of the tensioning member adapted to exert a pulling action when being pulled by the output;
at least one sensor for providing information indicative of a relation between the object and the load tethered to the object; and
a controller for controlling the at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus in exerting the pulling action based on said information, the controller configured for adjusting a strength of a magnetic field generated by the electromagnet based on said information.