Appliance stabilized by a gyroscope, in particular a two-legged robot

Abstract

Appliance such as a two-legged robot made up of a system giving ground support and an upper body ( 30 ), equipped with a gyroscopic rotor wheel ( 31 ) which acts as a fulcrum to balance the appliance when positioned in reverse pendulum. A satisfactory equilibrium is guaranteed, thereby releasing from this function the command system in charge of robot locomotion or pathway.

1 . Appliance made up of at least one supporting leg ( 13 ,  33 ) and an upper body ( 11 ,  30 ) connected to the supporting leg, and configured in reverse pendulum relative to gravity, in which the upper body comprises a gyroscopic rotor wheel ( 2 ,  3 ) rotating about a rotor axle ( 4 ) and housed in a casing ( 1 ), characterised in that the casing is connected to the upper body by a mechanical connection which permits rotational movements about two non-parallel axes, the appliance comprises sensors ( 18 ,  19 ) for the measurement of an off-balance effect produced by gravity on the appliance, means to balance the appliance by exerting opposing forces, using the support of the gyroscopic rotor wheel via actuators ( 16 ,  17 ), and an associated command system able to take advantage of the actuators and sensors of the appliance to give it equilibrium.  
     
     
         2 . Appliance according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the mechanical connection which permits rotational movements about two non-parallel axes is made by a Cardan suspension, that is to by suspending the casing ( 1 ) from an inner suspension ring ( 9 ) by means of an inner rotating suspension axle ( 10 ) perpendicular to rotor axle ( 4 ), and by suspending the inner ring from an outer suspension ring ( 11 ) by means of an outer rotating suspension axle ( 12 ) perpendicular to rotor axle ( 4 ).  
     
     
         3 . Appliance according to  claim 1 , characterised in that it is a mobile, two-legged, walking robot, comprising two supporting legs ( 33 ) jointed with the upper body ( 30 ) and made up of two sections ( 35 ,  36 ) jointed together and able to be in equilibrium at any time, even when its centre of gravity is off-centre from a base delimited by the feet ( 38 ) supporting the legs.  
     
     
         4 . Appliance according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the off-balance effect produced by gravity on the appliance is measured by means of gyrometers ( 18 ,  19 ) to measure tilt velocity, or tilt meters, and in that the command system ( 45 ) is sensitive to the measurements of these gyrometers or tilt meters and causes opposing moments dependent on tilt velocity to be applied via actuators ( 16 ,  17 ).  
     
     
         5 . Appliance according to  claim 4 , characterised in that the command system comprises means for calculating the time average of moments of tilt, connected to servo-control means ( 20 ,  21 ) for the actuators, calculating the opposing moments to have applied by the actuators such that the moments of tilt have a zero time average.  
     
     
         6 . Appliance according to  claim 1 , characterised in that it comprises means ( 47 ,  48 ) with which it is possible to measure the orientation of the casing of the rotor wheel relative to the upper body or to a connecting section ( 32 ) of the appliance.  
     
     
         7 . Appliance according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the command system uses information from the measurement means ( 47 ,  48 ), on the orientation of rotor axle ( 4 ) of the rotor wheel relative to the upper body of the appliance, to maintain the appliance within its operating conditions.  
     
     
         8 . Appliance according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the command system, in charge of managing equilibrium, is also able to co-operate with one or more command systems ( 50 ,  53 ), in charge of commanding travel movements of the appliance.  
     
     
         9 . Appliance according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the gyroscopic rotor wheel ( 2 ,  3 ) is a sole source of energy for the appliance, and in that it is driven by a reversible motor ( 7 ,  8 ) able to operate as an electricity generator.  
     
     
         10 . Appliance according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the gyroscopic rotor wheel ( 2 ,  3 ) is housed in a vacuumed casing ( 1 ), and in that the rotor axle ( 4 ) is supported by bearings having no contact ( 5 ,  6 ).