Michael C Comstock

US Patent:

20180154933, Jun 7, 2018

Filed:

Nov 21, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/819270

Inventors:

- Raleigh NC, US
Miguel Douglas Chavez - Raleigh NC, US
Michael Reilly Comstock - Raleigh NC, US
Thomas Anthony Connor - Apex NC, US
Evan Patrick Elezaj - Apex NC, US
Nathan Michael Kearney - Raleigh NC, US
Oliver Dacey McCann - Cary NC, US
Alyssa Mary Nicholas - Raleigh NC, US
Austin Carlyle Inman Reiss - Raleigh NC, US
Jon Ryan Riley - Cary NC, US
Samuel John Hazinski - Chapel Hill NC, US
Katharine Miranda Priu - Raleigh NC, US

International Classification:

B62D 11/00
B60K 1/02
B62D 11/04
G05D 1/02
B62D 61/10

Abstract:

A robotic vehicle is provided with a novel wheel design and a virtual differential transmission. The novel wheels are generally rounded with scallops along the outer periphery permitting secure engagement of irregular terrain structures, such as the rungs of an inclined ladder. The virtual differential transmission employs rotational sensors in independently driven wheels to maintain information on the relative rotational position of left- and right-side wheels. When necessary, the relative rotational position information is used to selectively drive the left- or right-side wheel until the scallops in a left-side wheel are horizontally aligned with the scallops in a right-side wheel. Thus, the virtual differential transmission can realign the scallops in left- and right-side wheels to facilitate their mutual engagement with a terrain structure, such as a ladder rung.