Abstract: An input motion acquiring unit acquires a motion trajectory of an object from an image recognizing unit. A dynamic modelling processor models a plurality of robot motion patterns stored in a robot motion pattern storage unit in a dynamic system form, and stores the modelled robot motion patterns into a robot-motion-pattern-model storage unit. A motion converting unit linearly transforms the plurality of robot motion dynamic models stored in the robot-motion-pattern-model storage unit into prediction motion trajectories. A motion comparing unit compares the input motion trajectory acquired by the motion acquiring unit with the prediction motion trajectories transformed by the motion converting unit. A robot motion selecting unit selects a robot motion pattern having the highest similarity from the robot motion pattern storage unit.

Abstract: In a legged mobile robot (10) having a motor (42) that rotates the ankle joint (26R (26L)) about a right-and-left axis of the robot (26RY (26LY)) and a speed reducer (58) that reduces speed of an output of the motor, wherein the motor is disposed at a same position as the knee joint (22R (22L)) or at the thigh link (16R (16L)) such that the speed reducer is disposed at the shank link. With this, it becomes possible to reduce the weight of the distal end of the leg (12R (12L)) can be reduced, whereby enabling to reduce the inertial force generated in the leg during movement or locomotion of the robot.

Abstract: A predetermined action sequence is generated by using basic motion units which include time-sequential motion of each joint and compound motion units in which basic motion units are combined. Motion natterns of a robot including walking are classified into motion units, each motion unit servins as a unit of motion, and one or more motion units are combined to generate various complex motions. Dynamic motion units are defined on the basis of basic dynamic attitudes, and a desired action sequence can be generated by using the dynamic motion units. This is a basic control method necessary for a robot to autonomously perform a continuous motion, a series of continuous motions, or motions which are chanaed in real-time by commands.

Abstract: A bipedal robot of the present invention has a trunk consisting of an upper trunk and a lower trunk which are rotatable around a rotation axis relative to one another. The upper trunk has shoulders on the right and left sides. An arm is provided at each shoulder. A pair of right and left legs is attached to lower ends of the lower trunk. A storage battery is mounted to the back of the upper trunk, positioned within a shoulder width. The storage battery is positioned below the top of a head mounted on the upper trunk. When the robot walks a narrow passage or corridor having a width slightly larger than the width thereof, for example, this arrangement prevents the storage battery from interfering with the passage or the like.

Abstract: The stability of attitude of a robot can be recovered by an ambulation control apparatus and an ambulation control method if it is lost in the course of a gesture for which the upper limbs take a major role. The apparatus and the method obtain the pattern of movement of the entire body for walking by deriving the pattern of movement of the loins from an arbitrarily selected pattern of movement of the feet, the trajectory of the ZMP, the pattern of movement of the trunk and that of the upper limbs. Therefore, a robot can determine the gait of the lower limbs so as to realize a stable walk regardless if the robot is standing upright or walking. Particularly, if the robot is made to gesture, using the upper body half including the upper limbs and the trunk while standing upright, it can determine the gait of the lower limbs so as to make a stable walk in response to such a gait of the upper body half.

Abstract: In a mobile robot, the actuator characteristics are dynamically or statically controlled, during motions of an entire robot body in the course of falldown or descent, to realize stable highly efficient motions. In each stage of the falldown motions, the characteristics of each joint site taking part in controlling the stable area are set so that the low range gain is low, the quantity of phase lead is large and the viscous resistance of the motor is large, in such a manner that these joint sites may be positioned to high accuracy in a controller manner to increase orientation stability. This assures the positioning accuracy of the joints as main component for controlling the quantity ?S/?t as a reference in controlling the falldown motions of the robot body to increase the motion stability.

Abstract: When the sole of the foot of one of the leg sections of the robot leaves or touch the floor, the angular velocity of the joint angle ? of each of the joints of the leg section of the robot becomes infinitely large and excessive loads are applied to the respective joints if the leg section is stretched out or the robot takes some other peculiar attitude. Therefore, when the sole of the foot section of a leg section leaves or touches the floor, the constraining conditions are defined for the foot section relative to the floor surface that the foot section touches according to the degree of operability of the leg section in order to reduce the loads that are applied to the respective joints of the leg section. Additionally, the attitude of the foot section is determined so as to minimize or reduce the potential energy attributable to a minute quantity of positional changes of the joints of the leg section.

Abstract: A device of controlling an operation of a robot apparatus having at least a plurality of movable units includes a driver driving the movable units, a determiner determining states of the movable units or a state of the robot apparatus, a plurality of abnormal state detectors detecting abnormal states and performing overcoming operations on the abnormal states on the basis of the determination results determined by the determiner, and an abnormal state controller causing the abnormal state detections and the overcoming operations to be concurrently performed by the plurality of abnormal state detectors.

Abstract: The movement analysis becomes easy and the control of all the movement systems is realized better through the initialization of the multiple coordinate systems. The fundamental body portion 6 is coupled to a foot portion 5 through a first joint portion 7, a first link 3, a second joint portion 8, a second link 4, and a third joint portion 9. The rigidity of the first link 3 is lower than that of the fundamental body portion 6, and the rigidity of the second link 4 is lower than that of the second link 4. It is possible to position the second link 4 and the foot portion 5 in a high precision to a mechanical origin which is predetermined to the fundamental body portion, for the reason of the rigidity relation. Handle portions 13 are coupled in two positions to the fundamental body portion 6. When the whole posture is initialized based on the mechanical origin, the center of gravity G of the whole robot is located between two vertical planes containing the two positions.

Abstract: An input motion acquiring unit acquires a motion trajectory of an object from an image recognizing unit. A dynamic modeling processor models a plurality of robot motion patterns stored in a robot motion pattern storage unit in a dynamic system form, and stores the modeled robot motion patterns into a robot-motion-pattern-model storage unit. A motion converting unit linearly transforms the plurality of robot motion dynamic models stored in the robot-motion-pattern-model storage unit into prediction motion trajectories. A motion comparing unit compares the input motion trajectory acquired by the motion acquiring unit with the prediction motion trajectories transformed by the motion converting unit. A robot motion selecting unit selects a robot motion pattern having the highest similarity from the robot motion pattern storage unit. The present invention is applicable to a robot apparatus.

Abstract: A vehicle that is propelled by as few as one actuator through a compliant drive train can move quickly on relatively smooth terrain and can climb obstacles. The body of the vehicle may consist of a single segment or multiple segments connected by articulating joints. The driving appendages can take different forms including legs or specialized legs with multiple spokes attached to a rotating hub. The driving appendages can be propelled by as few as one actuator. The driving appendages are each serially connected to their actuator(s) by a compliant device. The compliant devices permit relative motion between driving appendages that share the same actuator. A springably biased compliant device maintains nominal-desired phasing among driving appendages until one of them is forcibly perturbed. The phasing of the driving appendages, or gait, adapts to the terrain. Mechanical stops limit the excursion of the compliant device such that a new desirable leg phasing is reached for climbing large obstacles.

Abstract: An assist device that applies an auxiliary driving force to a joint in parallel with a driving force of a joint actuator between a thigh portion and a crus portion, which are a pair of link members of a leg. The assist device generates the auxiliary driving force by use of spring device, such as a solid spring or an air spring. A member supporting a rod member connected to the spring device is provided with a device for transmitting a bending and stretching motion of the leg at the joint (a relative displacement motion between the thigh portion and the crus portion) to the spring device to generate an elastic force of the spring device, and for discontinuing the transmission of the bending and stretching motion to the spring device. This transmitting device is controlled in accordance with a gait of a robot. Thus, a burden on the joint actuator is reduced where necessary and favorable utilization efficiency of energy can be stably ensured.

Abstract: A predetermined action sequence is generated by using basic motion units which include time-sequential motion of each joint and compound motion units in which basic motion units are combined. Motion patterns of a robot including walking are classified into motion units, each motion unit serving as a unit of motion, and one or more motion units are combined to generate various complex motions. Dynamic motion units are defined on the basis of basic dynamic attitudes, and a desired action sequence can be generated by using the dynamic motion units. This is a basic control method necessary for a robot to autonomously perform a continuous motion, a series of continuous motions, or motions which are changed in real-time by commands.

Abstract: A biped walking humanoid robot is disclosed having an arrangement whereby shocks acting on various parts of the robot when it falls can be relieved and its state of fall can then be detected.

Abstract: A legged mobile robot controls the posture of the body thereof in a stable manner using a ZMP stability determination criterion with a relatively long sampling period. The legged mobile robot has a stable ZMP region which is a supporting polygon formed of the ground contact point of a sole of a movable leg and a walking surface, and a ZMP behavior space in which a momentum of the robot body is generated so that the ZMP shifts to the approximate center of the stable ZMP region. In the ZMP behavior space, the momentum of the robot shifts in a positive direction or in a negative direction. In the negative direction, a space distortion shifts the ZMP to the periphery of the stable region, and in the positive direction, a space distortion shifts the ZMP to the center of the stable region.

Abstract: A legged robot, wherein an electric motor 88 for driving a joint 10R connecting a body and each leg 2R is disposed on the leg side and is disposed with an offset from the rotation axis of the joint. Further, a motor attachment member 86 for housing the electric motor 88 is perforated with an opening part at a location facing the body. By this, attachment/detachment of the leg of the robot is made easy to improve its ease of maintenance. Further, the power transmission means for transmitting drive force from the drive source to the joint connecting the body and the leg can be readily accessed. In addition, the leg can be rotated to a desired angle to facilitate swing operation and the like.

Abstract: A legged mobile robot possesses degrees of freedom which are provided at roll, pitch, and yaw axes at a trunk. By using these degrees of freedom which are provided at the trunk, the robot can smoothly get up from any fallen-down posture. In addition, by reducing the required torque and load on movable portions other than the trunk, and by spreading/averaging out the load between each of the movable portions, concentration of a load on a particular member is prevented from occurring. As a result, the robot is operated more reliably, and energy is used with greater efficiency during a getting-up operation. The robot independently, reliably, and smoothly gets up from various fallen-down postures such as a lying-on-the-face posture, a lying-on-the-back posture, and a lying sideways posture.

Abstract: A legged mobile robot is adaptively controlled in its attitude against variable external forces to continue the operation without inversion. When the legged mobile robot kicks an object having a certain mass, such as a ball, the robot is to be prevented from being fallen down by the reactive force from the object. Even if the mass or the repulsion coefficient of the object kicked is unknown, the operation of kicking the object at a sufficiently low speed is carried out at the outset to predict the reactive force produced on actual kicking in order to predict the reactive force produced on actual kicking. The result is that the stability in attitude can be maintained on kicking at an arbitrary speed. The legged mobile robot is able to take part as one of the players in athletic games, such as soccer games, in which each player performs his or her role as the or she is subjected to an external force.

Abstract: Apparatus for printing, scanning engraving or cutting a flat horizontal surface, particularly when the surface is of non-standard dimensions or is supplied in an non-standard manner. The apparatus is suitable for following outside electromechanically commanded instruction and contains an instrument for printing, scanning, engraving or cutting in a stepwise manner by being accurately raised and lowered to the surface and a component for treating the surface.

Abstract: A legged mobile robot having having at least a plurality of movable legs. This robot includes, in addition to a road surface touching sensor for confirming the ground touching state between the foot part and the road surface, a relative movement measurement sensor for measuring the relative movement between the foot part and the road surface. The robot has its operation controlled on the basis of the amount of relative movement between the foot part and the road surface, so that, when an offset is produced between the intended or scheduled trajectory and the actual trajectory, the operation may be controlled adaptively to execute the robot operation.

Abstract: A toy horse (100, 200) is disclosed as including a body (102, 202) for carrying a user, four legs (104a, 104b, 104c, 104d, 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d) mounted for movement relative to the body (102, 202), and motors (106a, 106b, 206) operatively associated with a number of gears (108a, 108b, 108c, 108d, 208a, 208b, 208c, 208d) each associated with a respective leg (104a, 104b, 104c, 104d, 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d) which is movable by the respective gears (108a, 108b, 108c, 108d, 208a, 208b, 208c, 208d) to exhibit walking movement. Each leg (204a, 204b, 204c, 204d) is provided with a respective wheel (230a, 230b, 230c, 230d), drivenable by a respective motor (232a, 232b, 232c, 2332d), and the motors (232a, 232b) driving the wheels (230a, 230b) of the right legs (204a, 204b) are operable independently from the motors (232c, 232d) driving wheels (230c, 230d) of the left legs (204c, 204d).

Abstract: A biped walking humanoid robot is disclosed having an arrangement whereby shocks acting on various parts of the robot when it falls can be relieved and its state of fall can then be detected.

Abstract: An apparatus that is capable of achieving self-synchronized walking and turning includes a first motor that is attached to the apparatus that is in communication with a first limb and a second motor, independent from the first motor, that is attached to the apparatus and is in communication with a second limb. Initially, the lateral phase differential is set at 180 degrees and is maintained by a dampening mechanism that is interposed between the two limbs, or other movable members mechanically linked thereto, making sure that apparatus walks in a straight line. Regulators may forcibly upset this balance by speeding up one of the motors, thereby overcoming the force exerted by the damper mechanism, causing one limb to move faster than the other limb. This results in the apparatus turning in a prescribed radius.

Abstract: Learning-type motion control is performed using a hierarchical recurrent neural network. A motion pattern provided through human teaching work is automatically time-serially segmented with the hierarchical recurrent neural network, and the motion control of a machine body is carried out with a combination of the segmented data, whereby various motion patterns can be produced. With the time-serial segmentation, local time-serial patterns and an overall pattern as a combination of the local time-serial patterns are produced. For those motion patterns, indices for static stability and dynamic stability of the machine body, e.g., ZMP stability criteria, are satisfied and hence control stability is ensured.

Abstract: An articulated bending mechanism is formed by connecting links which rotatably support a plurality of gears including input-side gears and output-side gears by engaging the gears. Each link rotatably supports an odd number of gears by engaging the gears, and an output-end gear rotates in the same direction as an input-end gear. The output-side gear of one link and the input-side gear of an adjacent link are used in common, and the rotating shaft of the common gear provides a degree of freedom provided at a joint of the articulated bending mechanism. Such an articulated bending mechanism can be formed with a small size and at a low cost, and can be used to imitate the way a living being shows its feelings and emotions.

Abstract: A personal transportation apparatus has a frame defining a surface for supporting a load, and a plurality of air-cushion cells mounted to the frame and depending from a lower side thereof, the air-cushion cells each having a changeable height to accommodate variations in an underlying terrain during a translation of the frame over the terrain. A pressure source is mounted to the frame and is operatively connected to the air-cushion cells for supplying air under pressure to the cells, thereby generating an air-cushion support for the frame. An elevation mechanism is mounted to the frame for lifting the frame from one step to a next higher step of a stairway so that the frame ascends the stairway from a lowermost step to an uppermost step of the stairway.

Abstract: External state detection device detects an environmental state indicating whether there is an obstacle, external light, or a pheromone signal. On the basis of the detection result, sensor identification unit determining device determines an identifying unit that matches the environmental state. In response to determination of the sensor identifying unit, action units defining actions such as “move forward” or “move backward” related to the sensor identifying unit in an instruction unit are sequentially selected. Action unit execution device executes the action defined by the selected action unit for a preassigned execution time by rotating left and right leg driving wheels in a driving mode including a combination of “forward rotation”, reverse rotation”, and “stop”. Thus, there is provided an insect robot for simulating behavior in a vivid and realistic manner.

Abstract: A radio controlled robotic toy having a main body chassis with at least two middle legs and at least two corner legs attached to the chassis, the legs being interconnected and driven by a linkage drive arm which is, in turn, operated by a radio-controlled electric motor which has computer electronics and software to control and cause movement of the legs for propelling the toy forward and backward. A six-legged walking animatronic robot toy is one of the preferred embodiments, including a moving head with jaw pincers, six moving legs, which yields a versatile, durable, speedy robot toy.

Abstract: A legged mobile robot is adaptively controlled in its attitude against variable external forces to continue the operation without inversion. When the legged mobile robot kicks an object having a certain mass, such as a ball, the robot is to be prevented from being fallen down by the reactive force from the object. Even if the mass or the repulsion coefficient of the object kicked is unknown, the operation of kicking the object at a sufficiently low speed is carried out at the outset to predict the reactive force produced on actual kicking in order to predict the reactive force produced on actual kicking. The result is that the stability in attitude can be maintained on kicking at an arbitrary speed. The legged mobile robot is able to take part as one of the players in athletic games, such as soccer games, in which each player performs his or her role as the or she is subjected to an external force.

Abstract: In a biped mobile robot having at least a body and two leg links connected to the body, a parallel linkage is provided between the body and the two leg links such that each of the two leg links are movable relative to the body in a direction of the gravity axis. More specifically, the parallel linkage is composed of upper and lower links and right and left links each connected to the upper and lower links, and the body is connected to the upper and lower links through first and second fulcrums, while the two leg links are each connected to the right and left links. An actuator is provided at the second fulcrum to move the two leg links relative to the body in the gravity axis. Moreover, the body is connected to the parallel linkage through a joint such that the body is movable relative to the two leg links around the gravity axis.

Abstract: A universal traversing assembly for legs of cranes or the like comprises: a platform provided with a series of driving wheels and supporting wheels which are aligned and are adapted to roll on a long underlying rail for the traversing motion of the leg; a box-like tunnel which rests on the ground, is open in an upward region, and has a portion of the rail fixed to its base; at least one pair of idler wheels, which are freely mounted on the platform, are mutually coaxial and are arranged below a pair of upper guides which are fixed on the tunnel at the upper opening; a rack which is fixed to the side of the rail portion and is adapted to mesh with pinions which are rigidly coupled and coaxial with respect to the driving wheels; at least one motorization unit which is rigidly coupled to the platform and is coupled to at least one of the driving wheels and pinions; at least one stabilizer which comprises at least one ground resting foot which has an adequate surface, can slide vertically and is adapted to move f

Abstract: Programmable material is a collection of substantially cubic shaped bricks called monomers that move relative to each other under computer control to sculpt engineering structures (5) and mechanisms (6) (walking machine) illustrated in the figure. The monomers have features to lock to other monomers and slide relative to other monomers without separating. The monomers are fault tolerant against damage; functional monomers move faulty monomers and replace them with functioning clones. Movement of monomers is broken down systematically into streamers, gateways, highways and reservoir methods to obtain individual monomer movement paths required to synthesise a structure. Specialised monomers can carry tools which together with synthesis of custom structures create custom machines.

Abstract: A micro robot includes first and second masses, each having a first contact surface having a first frictional coefficient and a second contact surface having a second frictional coefficient and formed to be inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the first contact surface, the first and second contact surfaces being formed at the lower portion of the mass corresponding to a surface of a target object, and an actuator provided between the first and second masses for periodically changing the distance between the first and second masses and enabling the first and second contact surfaces of the first and second masses to selectively contact the surface of the target object in synchronization with a periodic change in distance between the first and second masses.

Abstract: An apparatus for traversing obstacles having an elongated, round, flexible body that includes a plurality of articulating propulsion members. This plurality of propulsion members cooperate in a worm-like or alternating tripod gait to provide forward propulsion wherever a propulsion member is in contact with any feature of the environment, regardless of how many or which ones of the plurality of propulsion members make contact with such environmental feature.

Abstract: A mechanical walker comprises six legs extending from a sphere, the legs organized in a X-Y-Z axial configuration. The sphere and legs support a bearing member. A shell holds the sphere and legs to the bearing member. Movement is accomplished by applying downward force to one of three high legs to walk it over two anchor legs moving the device in the horizontal inclination of the selected high leg. The invention is capable of horizontal movement in six directions offset from each other by sixty degrees. Preferably downward force is applied to the selected high leg using a retractable actuating rod. Slots in the shell, and a groove and prominences in a bottom portion of the actuating rod, prevent the high leg from drifting horizontally. At least three mechanical walkers can support a platform or other conveyance means.

Abstract: A mobile robot comprising a body and at least six compliant legs each having only one actuator. The compliant legs are mounted to the body for movement relative thereto in a single degree of freedom. A controller is operably coupled to the actuator of each compliant leg, the controller selectively actuates the actuators to drive the compliant legs in an alternating tripod gait.

Abstract: A human assisted walking robot formed by a motor, a cargo bin, a pair of legs mounted to the carrier; and a stabilizing support mounted at its proximal end to the carrier and having a wheel rotatably mounted to the distal end. The motor drives the first and second leg members resulting in a walking motion. Each leg is formed by a thigh link and a shank link. A four-bar linkage is coupled between the motor and the thigh and shank of each leg so that rotational motion generated by the motor produces a walking motion by the legs.

Abstract: In a biped walking robot having a body and two articulated legs each connected to the body through a hip joint and having a knee joint and an ankle joint, connected by a shank link, a knee pad is mounted on the shank link as a landing/shock absorbing means at a position adjacent to the knee joint which is brought into contact with the floor when coming into knee-first contact with the floor such that the knee joint is to be positioned at a location forward of the center of gravity of the robot in a direction of robot advance, while absorbing impact occurring from the contact with the floor. With this, the robot can be easily stood up from an attitude with its knee joint regions in contact with the floor. Moreover, when coming into knee-first contact with the floor, it can absorb the impact of the contact to protect the knee joint regions and the floor from damage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a walking device adapted to simulate a gait of a legged animal. The walking device includes a frame, a leg, an upper and lower rocking arms, a connecting rod and a crank all of which are axially interconnected together. The rocker arms and crank are axially mounted to the frame in a triangular spatial relationship. The cranking link is axially mounted to the frame in cooperative association with a suitable power source and operatively linked to a connecting rod which serves to transmit power from the crank to the interconnected linkages of the walking device. The leg has a hip joint at one leg end axially connected to the upper rocker arm, a foot attached to an opposite leg end and a knee joint axially connected to the connecting rod which is axially connected at an opposite connection rod end to a crank rod of the crank. The lower rocker arm at an end opposite from its axial frame mount is axially connected to a centrally disposed elbow linkage of the connecting rod.

Abstract: A mobile robot comprising a body and at least six compliant legs each having only one actuator. The compliant legs are mounted to the body for movement relative thereto in a single degree of freedom. A controller is operably coupled to the actuator of each compliant leg, the controller selectively actuates the actuators to drive the compliant legs in an alternating tripod gait.

Abstract: A gyroscopic motion device constructed for relative motion over an external support structure. The device includes a frame structure configured to support a pair of spaced apart gyroscopes. The device also includes a substructure operatively interposed the pair of gyroscopes which initiates a precessing effect, which results in a change in the angular disposition of the axes of rotation of the gyroscopes to cause the device to move relative to the external support structure.

Abstract: In a legged mobile robot, in particular in a biped robot, the feet position and/or posture is determined in such a manner that compensating moment of total floor reaction force about a desired total floor reaction force central point is determined, based upon the detected posture inclination of the robot, and is distributed to each of the feet such that each foot rotates respectively by predetermined angles about the desired total foot floor reaction force central point and a desired foot floor reaction force central point, in order to control the actual total floor reaction force and the actual foot floor reaction force acting on the robot properly such that it walks on a floor having not only a slope extending over a relatively long distance, but also existing locally. With this, it becomes possible to control the floor reaction force acting on the robot easily and properly, without causing any interference to occur.

Abstract: A simply-designed, multi-purpose transport module with which heavy loads can be moved over the ground has the following features: a frame, on which the load is laid, is positioned on the floor. A support is positioned on the floor. The ground loading pressure of the frame, on an increase of the ground pressure loading of the support, and the ground pressure loading of the support, on an increase of the ground pressure loading of the frame, can be reduced to below the unloaded weight through an actuator of the frame or of the support. The frame and the support have a first pair of inclined paths through which the frame can be supported on the support and the frame is displaceable horizontally with respect to the support on achieving a sufficient reduction of its ground pressure loading.

Abstract: An actuator particularly for accomplishing the swinging motion of a swinging arm comprises two cylinders using a pressurized medium, the piston rods of the cylinders being connected to a structure rotatable in relation to the swinging arm for the purpose of rotating the swinging arm around a rotation axis by the effect of movements of the pistons of the cylinders. The actuator comprises two control valves, of which one control valve is arranged to guide the pressurized medium either to both cylinders while they are coupled in parallel, or solely to one cylinder where its piston rod chamber and piston chamber are coupled together. This results in a movement of the piston outwards, because the pressure is directed to the whole work area of the piston on the side of the piston chamber and on the side of the piston rod chamber only to the work area which is the difference between the cross-sectional areas of the piston and the piston rod.