Active Docking Mechanism for Modular and Reconfigurable Robots

摘要

A robot has a track assembly having tracks configured to move the robot in a first direction and a wheel assembly having wheels configured to move the robot in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A toggling assembly switches between the track assembly and the wheel assembly. The robot modules can mate with each other. The robot module has an elongated shaft with a head and a narrow neck. The shaft extends outward from the side of the robot module. A mating robot module has a clamping mechanism with opposing clamps which in an opened position receive the shaft. In a closed position, the clamps define an opening which matches and engages the cross-section of the neck of the elongated shaft. The clamping mechanism has a drive mode to drive the module, a clamping mode for docking, and neutral mode for alignment prior to clamping.

主权项

1. A vehicle module for engaging an elongated shaft extending from a mating vehicle module, the elongated shaft having a neck with a cross-section which is non-uniform, the vehicle module comprising:
a clamping mechanism having opposing clamps which in an opened position receive the shaft and in a closed position define an opening matching the cross-section of the neck of the elongated shaft; and, a mechanism connected to said clamping mechanism configured to move the clamps between the opened position and the closed position, whereby the clamps engage the neck of the elongated shaft in the closed position so that the shaft is fixed with respect to the clamping mechanism.