WO2014066422A2

WO2014066422A2 - Self-deploying support member, and methods and apparatus using same

Info

Publication number: WO2014066422A2
Application number: PCT/US2013/066232
Authority: WO
Inventors: JR. Harry Benjamin BROWN
Original assignee: Bossa Nova Robotics Ip, Inc.
Priority date: 2012-10-22
Filing date: 2013-10-22
Publication date: 2014-05-01
Also published as: WO2014066422A3

Abstract

A deployable support member assembly includes a housing and a resilient support member. The housing has a hollow interior and an opening to access the hollow interior. The resilient support member is movable between a first position disposed in the hollow interior and a second position extending from the hollow interior. The support member deformed by the housing when in the first position such that a spring force generated by the deformation of the support member urges the support member out of the housing.

Description

SELF-DEPLOYING SUPPORT MEMBER, AND METHODS AND

APPARATUS USING SAME

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field

[0001] Embodiments of this invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for a self-extraction mechanism, and more specifically relate to method and apparatus for deploying a support member for a movable object, such as a mobile robot.

Description of the Background Art

[0002] Objects are often supported on members to either elevate an upper body of the object or prevent the object from falling over (e.g., tipping). Some objects, which are moveable, may use wheels instead of fixed members to reduce the surface friction between the object and the surface upon which the object may travel. The stability of the object may become compromised as the numbers of supports or wheels are reduced. In some instances, such as an object movable on wheels, the stability of the object may also be dependent on inertia forces generated by the movement of the object or through outside forces acting upon the object.

[0003] Some movable objects operate and move on a single spherical ball. For example, U.S. Patent No. 7,847,504 describes a mobile robot that maneuvers atop a single, spherical wheel. Dynamic balancing techniques enable a computer to calculate the forces needed to be applied to the spherical wheel to maintain the robot upright as it maneuvers or remains in place on the single spherical ball. When a mobile robot such as, e.g., that described in U.S. Patent No. 7,847,504 becomes unstable and thus at risk of falling over (e.g., because it is tilting too far in one direction or because it has lost power), then it is desirable to use one or more members to stabilize the object. The entire contents of U.S. Patent No. 7,847,504 are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0004] In many applications, the quantity and type of support members utilized on an object may be based on functionality as well as aesthetics. Generally, the greater number of support members the object has, the more stable the object is. However, a large number of support members often come with tradeoffs that may not be suitable for the purpose or design of the supported object. For example, a large number of support members may be unsightly and reduce maneuverability while increasing the costs and complexity of the supported object. To compensate for the lack of stability of the object, an operator may add a temporary support to the object when needed. For example, a bicyclist may utilize a kickstand to temporarily prevent a bicycle from tipping.

[0005] However, there are many instances where an operator cannot intervene and provide support to the object when needed. For instance, objects placed outside the control of an operator may lose stability for a variety of reasons. The object may be jarred unexpectedly by another object, or the object may stop moving and lose stability when out of reach of the operator. The loss of stability may cause the object to fall or become damaged, or worse, injure someone in close proximity to the falling object.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for an improved method and/or apparatus for deploying a support member for increasing stability of an object.

SUMMARY

[0007] This section summarizes some aspects and embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated that not all aspects or embodiments of the invention are summarized here and that this summary is not intended to limit the scope of the application or the inventions in any way.

[0008] Embodiments of the invention include a deployable support member assembly and method for its use. The deployable support member may be utilized to increase the stability of an object to which the support member assembly is attached. In some embodiments, a deployable support member assembly includes a housing and a resilient support member. The housing has a hollow interior and an opening to access the hollow interior. The resilient support member is movable between a first position disposed in the hollow interior and a second position extending from the hollow interior. The support member, deformed by the housing when in the first position, generates a spring force that urges the support member out of the housing.

[0009] In some other exemplary embodiments, an object having an improvement is provided. The improvement includes a deployable support member assembly that may be extended from the body to increase the stability of the object. The support member is movably disposed in a housing coupled to the object. The support member, deformed by the housing when retracted into the housing, generates a spring force by the deformation of the support member that may be urge the support member out of the housing.

[0010] In yet some other exemplary embodiments, a method for increasing the stability of an object is provided. The method includes releasing a support member disposed in a housing coupled to the object, the member member prior to release having a spring force caused by deformation of the member member by the housing, the spring force urging the support member out of the housing; and contacting a surface on which the object rests with the member member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the embodiments herein are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.

[0012] Figure 1A-1 D are front views of objects having an exemplary deployable support member assembly, according to one embodiments herein;

[0013] Figure 2 depicts a plan view of the exemplary support member assembly depicted in Figures 1A-1 D;

[0014] Figure 3 is a side view of an exemplary movement mechanism of the support member assembly depicted in Figure 2;

[0015] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary clutch assembly for the retraction and deployment mechanism depicted in Figure 3; [0016] Figures 5A - 5D illustrates retraction of an exemplary support member depicted in Figure 2;

[0017] Figures 5E - 5H illustrate deployment of the exemplary support member depicted in Figure 2; and

[0018] Figures 6 is a flow chart describing operation of aspects of deployment of an exemplary support member according to embodiments hereof.

[0019] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

[0020] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Embodiments of the invention provide a support member assembly that includes a deployable support member and a housing, wherein the support member is sufficiently rigid to prevent an object to which the support member assembly is attached from tipping under normal circumstances. The support member is a spring form, having an intrinsic spring force that may be generated by the deformation of the support member. The housing is shaped to cause the support member to deform when inserted into the housing, thereby creating a spring force having a force vector that biases the support member to deploy from the housing when the support member is released. The support member has enough bending resistance to provide a structural support that can prevent tipping of an object to which the support member assembly is attached when the support member is deployed.

[0022] In some exemplary embodiments, a movement mechanism may be utilized to pull the support member into the housing. The support member may be maintained in the housing by locking the movement mechanism. The movement mechanism may be configured to allow the support member to rapidly deploy, or to control the rate of support member deployment.

[0023] In some exemplary embodiments, the movement mechanism may be unlocked to allow the potential energy stored in the deformed support member to drive the support member out of the housing. The deployment speed of the support member may be configurable and related to the bending force and the friction between the support member and the housing and/or the rate of release of the movement mechanism. One or both the retraction and deployment of the support member may require modest external power to control the speed of retraction and deployment. In some embodiments, the retraction of the support member into the housing may be slow while deployment of the support member may be fast.

[0024] Figure 1A - 1 D depict exemplary embodiments of objects 100 which may benefit from a self-deployable support member 120 housed in support member assembly 1 10. Figure 1A shows an object with the support members retracted, and Figure 1 B shows the same object with the support members deployed. Similarly, Figure 1 C shows another object 100' with its support members retracted, and Figure 1 D shows that same object 100' with its support members deployed.

[0025] The object 100 may include an upper body 160 and a trunk 162. The upper body 160 may have one or more support member assemblies 1 10 attached thereto. The trunk 162 may have one or more wheels 164 coupled thereto for moving the object 100 across a surface 180 (such as a floor) on which the object 100 is disposed. The object 100 may alternately have one or more members, such as a pedestal, which contacts the surface 180 and support members the upper body 160. In some exemplary embodiments the object 100 may be a robot having one or more wheels 122 contacting the surface 180 for moving the robot. In alternate embodiments, the object 100 may be a fixed freestanding piece of equipment that is subject to possible tipping when an external force is exerted thereon. The support member assemblies 1 10 may provide stability when needed to the object 100, while retracting to an unobtrusive position when not needed.

[0026] The one or more wheels 164 that may be utilized to propel the object 100 may include a single spherical wheel, a plurality of wheels, caterpillar tracks, or other rotating or non-rotating drive system for moving the object 100 across the surface 180. For example, a single spherical wheel 164 may be utilized to propel the object 100' across the surface 180 was shown in Figures 1 C-1 D. An example of a single spherical wheel 164, which can propel an object 100', such as a robot, is described in U.S. Patent No. 7,847,504 (described above and incorporated herein by reference).

[0027] It should be appreciated that, in normal or usual operation, of the movable objects 100' (e.g., the uni-ball robots described in U.S. Patent No. 7,847,504) each support member 120 is maintained in its retracted position, as shown in Figure 1 D. It should further be appreciated that the support members 120 associated with and attached to an object 100', preferably deploy when the object 100' becomes, or may become, unstable and therefore at risk of falling over. As will be explained, an object 100' may become or may be at risk of becoming unstable for a number of reasons, including, e.g., that the object 100' has lost power (either intentionally or otherwise) or that the object 100' has reached a potentially unstable position from which it cannot recover. Preferably, once the object 100' is able to maintain stability without the support members 120, the support members 120 may be retracted.

[0028] A controller 166 may be coupled to the object 100 for controlling the operation of the one or more support member assemblies 1 10. The controller

166 may be coupled to one or more sensors 167, a power source 172 and optionally manual switch 170. The manual switch 170 may optionally release the support member assemblies 1 10 bypassing the sensors 167. The power source 172 provides power for operating the controller 166 and the sensors 167. A decision to deploy the support members 120 may be based on input from one or more sensors 167 associated with the object 100. These sensors

167 may be located within the controller 166 or external thereto. [0029] The sensors 167 may include one or more internal tilt sensors, one or more gyroscopes, one or more accelerometers, one or more low power or power loss sensors, or other sensors, which may provide a metric suitable for determining that the object 100 may be or become or is at risk of becoming unstable (and is therefore at risk all falling over).

[0030] The controller 166 preferably uses at least some information provided by the sensors 167 to determine whether it is necessary to deploy the support members 120 or whether it is acceptable to retract them. The controller 166 may deploy the support members 120 based, e.g., on a deviation of the spatial orientation of the object 100 from an acceptable spatial orientation. For example, the sensors 167 may determine when the object 100 is oriented outside an acceptable angle from vertical. In other embodiments, the sensor 167 and controller 166 may monitor at least one aspect of the object 100, and based on the at least one aspect, causie one or more support members 120 to at least partially deploy from the housing 1 12. For example, the sensor 167 and controller 166 may determine that the support members 120 need to be deployed because of low battery power or power failure; loss of traction with the ground (i.e., slipping), or collision, the objects pitch angle, pitch rate, roll angle, roll rate, yaw rate, etc. Criteria such as the various angles and rates may be detected using known sensors and techniques. Collision may be detected, e.g., using impact or contact sensors positioned around or on the object 100. Slippage may be detected, e.g. by determining or measuring a difference between ball (wheel 164) rotation and expected rotation. Slippage may occur, for example, when the object 100 is moving on a wet surface 180 and causes liquid to come into contact with the driving mechanisms. The sensor 167 and controller 166 may also use behavior of the object (e.g., back and forth rocking behavior) that is not explained or expected in order to determine whether or not to deploy the support members 120. In addition, in some cases, the support members 120 may be deployed when the object 100, although stable, determines that the object 100 is lost or in an unknown location or is unable to determine where to move or what to do next.

[0031] The sensors 167 may also determine if the vertical orientation of the object has returned within the acceptable angle, in which event the support member 120 may be retracted back into the housing 1 12. The support member 120 may also be retracted into the housing 1 12 based on behavioral criteria of the object 100 or information regarding the environment surrounding the object 100. For example, the controller 166 may determine on a behavioral basis it is time to retract the support member 120 into the housing 1 12 due to switching the power on, a wake up command, another object moving away from a close proxity to the object 100, among other criteria.

[0032] It should be appreciated that conditions listed here for deploying (or retracting) the support members 120 are given only by way of example and are not intended to be limiting. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate and understand, upon reading this description, that different and/or other conditions may be used to determine whether or not to deploy or retract the support members 120. It should also be appreciated that combinations of these and other conditions may be used to determine whether or not to deploy or retract the support members 120 and such combinations are contemplated herein. For example, the sensors 167 and controller 166 may use a combination of velocity and tilt, or pitch and roll angle (alone or in combination with other measured information) in order to determine whether not to deploy or retract the support members 120.

[0033] In another mode of operation, the support members 120 may extend from the housing 1 12 in a partially deployed state. In a partially deployed state, the support members 120 may be released to the fully deployed state more rapidly. In a partially deployed state, the support members 120 also provide additional stability to the object 100 should the object 100 incline more than a predetermined angle as allowed by the amount that the support members 120 extend from the housing 1 12. The support members 120 may be moved between the retracted, partially deployed and fully deployed states by the controller 166 based on behavioral criteria of the object 100 or information regarding the environment surrounding the object 100, amoung other criteria.

[0034] In yet another mode of operation, the support member 120 may freely exit the housing 1 12 as a projectile. In this manner, the support member 120 may be utilized to impact another object to apply a force thereto. In such a mode of operation, the support member 120 may be manually inserted into the housing 1 12 as one or both of the movement mechanism 1 14 and retraction cable 1 16 are not necessarily required.

[0035] The controller 166 may have a connection 168 utilized to communicate with the support member assembly 1 10 in order to control support member 120 deployment and retraction. The connection 168 may be hardwired or wireless. In some exemplary embodiments, the controller 166 determines the vertical orientation of the object 100 using one or more tilt sensors 167 and sends a signal to one or more of the support member assemblies 1 10 for triggering the operation of the support member assembly 1 10, as further discussed below.

[0036] The support member assembly 1 10 includes a housing 1 12 and a support member 120. The housing 1 12 may be secured to the object 100 in some known manner. The housing 1 12 has a hollow interior 192 having an opening 126 at a first end.

[0037] A movement mechanism 1 14 may be disposed at a second end of the housing 1 12 opposite the opening 126. The movement mechanism 1 14 is attached to the support member 120 by a retraction cable 1 16. In some exemplary embodiments, the movement mechanism 1 14 is operable to retract the support member 120 into the housing 1 12 through the opening 126. In some other exemplary embodiments, the movement mechanism 1 14 is operable to freely release the retraction cable 1 16 and thereby release the support member 120, thus allowing the support member 120 to rapidly self deploy through the opening 126. Although the support member 120 preferably self deploys (as described herein), in some embodiments, the movement mechanism 1 14 may controllably releases the retraction cable 1 16 so that the support member 120 deploys at a speed controlled by operation of the movement mechanism 1 14. The movement mechanism 1 14 may be powered by the power source 172. In some exemplarly embodiments, wherein the opening 126 of the housing 1 12 may be oriented downward, the support member 120 deployed from therein may act as a support leg for the object 100, In other exemplarly embodiments, wherein the opening 126 of the housing 1 12 may be oriented to a side, the support member 120 deployed from therein may act as a support arm for the object 100,

[0038] The support member 120 includes a member body 124 formed from a resilient material. The member body 124 has a shape or profile that elastically deforms when the member body 124 is inserted into the housing 1 12. Thus, the normal or default shape of the member body 124 is substantially the shape or profile it has when fully deployed, and the shape or profile that the member body 124 has while it is in the housing 1 12 is an elastically deformed shape or profile. The member body 124 is formed from a material that will quickly attempt to regain its normal shape or profile when unconstrained and when not being held in a deformed shape or profile. It should be appreciated that the release of the member body 124 (when the movement mechanism 1 14 releases the retraction cable 1 16) allows the support member 120 to attempt to escape the constraints of the housing 1 12 and thereby allows the member body 124 to attempt to regain its normal shape or profile. In the depicted embodiment, the default shape of the member body 124 is curved. However, it is contemplated the default shape of the member body 124 may have other geometric forms, including linear, which are deformed when retracted into the housing such that the spring force is generated which would propel the member body out of the housing when released.

[0039] One or more wheels 122 may optionally be attached to the member body 124. The wheels 122 may operate to reduce friction between the support member 120 and the housing 1 12 when the support member 120 moves into and out of the housing 1 12. The wheels 122 may additionally reduce friction between the distal end of the support member 120 and the surface 180 when the support member 120 is deployed. Additionally, the wheels 122 may prevent the surface 180 from abruptly stopping the support member 120 and tipping the object 100 or damaging the surface 180.

[0040] In some exemplary embodiments wherein the support member assembly 1 10 is coupled to a movable object 100, such as a robot, the support member 120 may be retracted to allow unimpeded motion of the robot across the surface 180. When deployed, the support member 120 may prevent the object 100 (e.g., robot) from tipping over. In some exemplary embodiments, more than one such support member 120 and housing 1 12 are affixed to the same object 100, e.g., in a spaced apart relation, such as a polar array, to provide stability in more than one direction. In some exemplary embodiments three or four support members 120 and their associated housings 1 12 are attached to an object 100 in a substantially equal spaced apart relationship.

[0041] Figure 2 depicts a plan view of the exemplary support member assembly 1 10 depicted in Figures 1A-1 D. The housing 1 12 of the support member assembly 1 10 may have an upper portion 238 and a lower portion 242, shown separated in Figure 2 by phantom line 240. The upper portion 238 of the housing 1 12 may be straight and the lower portion 242 of the housing 1 12 may include a ramp 190 that is flared outward relative the sidewalls 290 of the housing 1 12. Alternately the upper portion 238 may be curved as shown by the phantom line depicting an alternate housing 270. The curvature (e.g., radius 272) of the alternate housing 270 is generally greater than a curvature of the support member 120. It should be appreciated that the housing 270 may have a negative curvature and need not have a constant curvature. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate and understand, upon reading this description, that the housing (e.g., 1 12 or 270) should have a shape such that, when the support member 120 is within the housing, the support member 120 is not in its default shape or profile.

[0042] The housing 1 12 and alternate housing 270 are configured with a width sufficient to allow the support member 120 to enter the housings 1 12, 270. In some exemplary embodiments, the sidewalls 290 of the housing 1 12 may be a substantially straight tube having a rectangular cross section. The lower portion 242 extends to the opening 126 of the housing 1 12 and includes a ramp 190 flared outward in a direction toward the center of curvature of the support member 120 (in its default position). The ramp 190 facilitates the deployment and retraction of the support member 120 into and out of the housing 1 12 by directing a portion of the spring force (i.e., force vector) generated by the deflection of the support member 120 in a direction out of the housing 1 12. In other words, support member 120 interacts with the ramp 190 to generate a spring force vector of the support member 120 in a direction that urges the support member 120 out of the housing 1 12 through the opening 126.

[0043] As noted above, the member body 124 may be made of a resilient material. In some exemplary embodiments, the member body 124 may be made of a resilient material that can be heat formed into a curved default shape. Alternately, the member body 124 may be laminated or machined into a spring form. Example of materials suitable for fabricating the member body 124 may include resilient plastics, polycarbonates, polyesters, spring steel, fiber glass, fiberglass reinforced plastic or other suitable resilient and compliant materials. The member body 124 may be configured to resist a predefined cantilevered force (e.g., as exerted by the surface 180 on the extremity of the support member 120) as to allow the support member 120 to keep the object 100 from tipping over. The support member 120 may be a flat spring. The member body 124 may have a curved space, arc shape, a bow shape or other shape that allows a spring force to be generated upon deflection (i.e., deformation) of the member body 124. The curve of the member body 124 may have a radius 212 when the support member 120 is in a default or non-deflected state (e.g., when outside the housing 1 12). The support member 120 may be oriented when secured to the object 100 such that the curvature of the member body 124 causes the support member 120 to move outward and downward while exiting the housing 1 12 so that support member 120 increases the lateral footprint of the object 100 when the support member 120 is deployed, thereby increasing the stability of the object 100. In other words, the support member 120, when deployed, extends laterally outward of the object 100 so that the object 100 is less likely to tip.

[0044] The one or more wheels 122 may be attached along the first side 222 and the second side 124 of the member body 124. Alternatively, the one or more wheels 122 may be attached as a single row of wheels substantially along the center of the member body. The wheels 122 may additionally align in the direction of retraction and deployment of the support member 120. The wheels 122 have a diameter 260 configured to fit inside the housing 1 12. The diameter of the wheels 122 extends beyond both sides of the member body 124 to provide a bearing for the movement of the support member 120. For example, the wheels 122 substantially prevent the member body 124 from contacting the interior surfaces of the housing 1 12. Thus, the wheels 122 reduce the friction between the support member 120 and the inside of the housing 1 12 to facilitate retraction and deployment. Additionally, the wheels 122 reduce the friction with the surface 180 upon which the support member 120 is engaged, thereby allowing the support member 120 to deploy without exerting excessive force upon the object 100 due to interaction of the support member 120 with the surface 180. At least one of plurality of wheels 122 may be positioned to contact the angled or curved lower portion 242 of the housing 1 12 when the support member 120 is retracted into the housing 1 12. The two wheels 122 in front of the member body 124 that are closest to the distal end 202 of the support member 120 have been omitted to allow the end of the member body 124 to be illustrated in greater detail.

[0045] In some exemplary embodiments, at least one support cable 1 18 may run along the length of the support member 120. The support cable 1 18 may be metallic, or other suitable low stretch material, may be positioned on an underside 204 of the support member 120. When the support member 120 is deployed, the underside 204 has a larger radius of curvature and is closer to the surface 180 than an opposite topside 206 of the support member 120. The support cable 1 18 may be connected to the end 202 of the support member 120, and optionally connected to additional points situated at spaced intervals along the underside 204 of the support member 120. The support cable 1 18 is also spaced from the underside 204 of the support member 120 by spacers 244 extending outward from the underside 204 of the support member 120. In some exemplary embodiments, the spacers 244 for the support cables 1 18 are congruent with the location of the plurality of wheels 122, for example, the axles 226 of the wheels 122 extend through the spacers 244. A distance 228 between the member body 124 and the support cables 1 18 is less than the diameter of the wheels 122. In this manner, the wheels 122 make contact with all surfaces and the member body 124 and support cables 1 18 do not interfere or create friction within the housing 1 12 or with the surface 180. In other exemplary embodiments, one of the support cables 1 18 may include the retraction cable 1 16 attached from the support member 120 to the movement mechanism 1 14.

[0046] The member body 124 of the support member 120 has a thickness extending from the underside 204 to a top side 206. The thickness of the member body 124, along with the material of the member body 124, the profile of the member body 124, the curved shape of the member body 124 and the plurality of support cables 1 18, may all contribute to the resiliency and elasticity of the support member 120.

[0047] In embodiments in which the support member 120 includes one or more support cables 1 18, when the support member 120 is deployed and returns to substantially its non-deflected default shape and profile (i.e., a curved shape), the support cable 1 18 spaced the distance 228 from the underside 204 of the member body 124 may become tensioned and thereby prevent the support member 120 from exceeding a predefined curvature (i.e., minimum bending radius 212). The tensioned support cable 1 18 allows the support member 120 to withstand the forces exerted on it by the object 100 connected to the support member assembly 1 10, thus preventing the object 100 from tipping over. For example, the support cable 1 18 prevents the force due to the weight of the upper body 160 from further bending the support member 120 beyond the minimum radius 212. Conversely, when the support member 120 is pulled into the housing 1 12 and deformed by increasing its radius of curvature, the support cables 1 18 slacken and do not impede the straightening of the support member 120 (i.e., the support cables 1 18 do not impede the support member 120 adopting the shape of the inside of the housing 1 12).

[0048] Figure 3 is a side view of an exemplary movement mechanism 1 14. The movement mechanism 1 14 may include a motor 320 and a cable drum 330. The motor 320 may be a brushed DC motor or other suitable motor. The motor 320 may be powered by direct current (DC) sources, such as from batteries, photovoltaic modules, or other suitable power sources, such as the power source 172 depicted in Figure 1 . In some exemplary embodiments, the motor 320 may operate in a single direction in order to allow retraction of the support member 120 into the housing 1 12. In other exemplary embodiments, the motor 320 may be operable in both directions to enable controllable winding and unwinding of the retraction cable 1 16.

[0049] In some exemplary embodiments, the cable drum 330 may be attached by a clutch assembly 340 and gears 350 to a drive gear 360 attached to the motor 320. In other exemplary embodiment, the cable drum 330 may be attached without a clutch assembly to the motor 320. The motor 320 rotates the cable drum 330 through the gears 350, 360 to spool, or unspool, the retraction cable 1 16. The retraction cable 1 16 may run inside the housing 1 12 and attach at one end to the support member 120 and on the other end to the cable drum 330. The retraction cable 1 16 may be shorter than the length of the housing 1 12 to keep the support member 120 from completely exiting the housing 1 12 when deployed.

[0050] The gear 350 may be interfaced with a ratchet pawl 370 to allow continuous rotary motion of the gear 350 in only one direction while preventing motion of the gear 350 in the opposite direction. In some exemplary embodiments, the ratchet pawl 370 may be pivotally attached at one end to the movement mechanism 1 14 with a free end biased by a spring toward the teeth of the gear 350. In other exemplary embodiments, the engagement of the ratchet pawl 370 with the gear 350 may by controlled by the controller 166 of Figure 1 to move the pawl 370 between a first position limiting rotation of the gear 350 to a single direction and a second position allowing the gear 350 to rotate freely. Additionally, the ratchet pawl 370 and motor 320 may be operable from a dedicated computer and/or power source.

[0051] At least one of the motor 320, gear 350 or cable drum 330 may be sized allow the support member 120 to be retracted with minimal force and use of energy. This allows smaller less expensive motors 320 and power sources 172 to be utilized, thereby reducing the cost and energy usage of the support member assembly 1 10. Additionally, the rate at which the motor 320 is operated may be slowed to further reduce energy usage. Moreover, as the spring force of the support member 120 stores potential energy later used to deploy the support member 120, deployment of the support member 120 requires little or no power from the power sources 172. [0052] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary clutch assembly 340 of the movement mechanism 1 14 depicted in Figure 3. The clutch assembly 340 includes a drive shaft 450 attached to the drive gear 360 and gears 350. The drive shaft 450 has an alignment pin 410 which aligns the drive shaft 450 with the cable drum 330. A clutch spring 430 and a release spring 440 are disposed between the drive shaft 450 and cable drum 330 and engage/disengage the clutch assembly 340.

[0053] The clutch assembly 340 can be engaged or disengaged and provides for the transmission of power, or motion, from the drive gear 360 to the cable drum 330. In some exemplary embodiments, the clutch assembly 340 may normally be in a disengaged mode and actuated manually, electrically or by a powered solenoid to engage the cable drum 330. The clutch assembly 340 may be configured to become disengaged upon power failure, thereby allowing the support member 120 to deploy.

[0054] With reference again to Figure 3, the movement mechanism 1 14 may have a limit switch 380. The limit switch 380 may be implemented a mechanical or an electrical soft button, an optical switch, a magnetic switch, a Hall Effect sensor or other suitable sensor. The limit switch 380 may provide feedback to the motor 320 or controller 166. The limit switch 380 may affect the operation of both the motor 320 and the ratchet pawl 370. In one embodiment, the movement mechanism 1 14 receives instruction from the controller 166 to retract the support member 120 into the housing. The clutch assembly 340 may engage and provide motion from the motor 320 to the cable drum 330. The cable drum 330 spools the retraction cable 1 16 until a predetermined length of support member 120 has entered into the housing 1 12 and triggers the limit switch 380 and stops the motor 320 from turning. In one embodiment, the end of the support member 120, where the retraction cable 1 16 from the cable drum 330 attaches to the support member 120, may be affixed with a member that facilitates the triggering of the limit switch 380.

[0055] It is contemplated that other movement mechanisms 1 14 may be relied upon to retract the support member 120 into the housing 1 12. Additionally, other movement mechanisms 1 14 may be relied upon to release the support member 120 from its bias state in the housing 1 12. The energy released from the biasing of the support member 120 causes the support member 120 to self deploy from the housing 1 12.

[0056] With reference again to Figure 2, the support member 120, when deformed by being disposed in the housing 1 12, stores a potential energy which urges the support member 120 to try to achieve its default un-deformed (unbiased) shape and profile (i.e., a curved shape, as described herein). The stored force of the straightened (i.e., deformed) support member 120, biases the support member 120 to return to the normal (i.e., unbiased) shape, as defined by the minimum radius 212 of the support member 120 when all forces are removed. For instance, when the support member 120 is retracted into the housing, the support member 120 is deformed by straightening the curved shape to conform to the confines of the housing 1 12. The deformation of the support member 120 results from the walls of the housing 1 12 exerting forces on the plurality of wheels 122 disposed along the support member 120. In some exemplary embodiments, the movement mechanism 1 14 may pull the support member 120 into the housing 1 12, (i.e., via the retraction cable 1 16), which forces the shape of the support member 120 to conform to the confines of the housing 1 12, therefore storing potential energy in the support member 120.

[0057] The spring force(s) of the support member 120, exerted by the wheels 122 on the upper portion 238 of the housing 1 12, are substantially perpendicular to the opening 126, and thus do not urge the support member 120 in the direction of the opening 126. However, when an axle 226 of one of the wheels 122, or sets of wheels 122, is below the location denoted by phantom line 240 shown in Figure 2 and in the ramp 190 of the housing 1 12, the spring force at that location of the support member 120 has a force component (i.e., force vector) which urges the support member 120 through the opening 126 and out of the housing 1 12. Additionally, in the alternate housing 270, the bending forces of the support member 120 has a component which may act in the direction of the opening 126 as well due to the curved shape of the alternate housing 270. Without intervention, the bending forces acting toward the opening 126 deploy the support member 120 from the housing 1 12. [0058] The movement mechanism 1 14 may include a locking mechanism that may prevent the movement mechanism 1 14 from spooling, or unspooling, the retraction cable 1 16. Thus, the locking mechanism keeps the support member 120 from deploying out of the housing 1 12 under the influence of its own bending force(s). In some exemplary embodiments, the locking mechanism may be the ratchet pawl 370. Alternately, the locking mechanism may be a solenoid or other electro-mechanical device which may mechanically disengage the clutch assembly 340 from the shaft and prevents the retraction cable 1 16 from paying out, i.e. unwinding, from the cable drum 330. In other embodiments, the locking mechanism may be integrated into the controls for the motor 320 or as a motor brake. The locking mechanism may have a failsafe mechanism which deploys the support member 120. For example, the locking mechanism may be a powered solenoid which upon removal of energy causes the solenoid to release the lock and deploy the support member 120.

[0059] It should thus be appreciated and understood that the support member 120 is held in the housing 1 12 in a deformed state and in such a way that, when not held in place in the housing 1 12, the support member 120 will spring back to its default unbiased shape, at the same time exiting the housing 1 12.

[0060] The movement mechanism 1 14 may limit the travel of the support member 120 so it does not completely exit the housing 1 12 even as it attempts to achieve its default unbiased shape. The portion of the support member 120 remaining in the housing 1 12 provides a structural connection through which the external portion of the support member 120 bears the forces exerted on it by the housing 1 12 and the weight of the upper body 160 connected to the housing 1 12. In some exemplary embodiments, the support member 120 may be used for purposes other than providing static stability.

[0061] Figures 5A - 5D illustrate various stages of the retraction of the support member 120 of the support member assembly 1 10 depicted in Figure 1 . Figure 5A illustrates the support member 120 fully deployed (i.e., extended) from the housing 1 12. Figure 5D illustrates the support member 120 retracted inside the housing 1 12. Figures 5B and 5C illustrate intermediary steps between the deployed and retracted states shown in Figures 5A and 5D.

[0062] To retract the support member 120 to the state shown in Figure 5A from the state shown in Figure 5D, the movement mechanism 1 14 engages the clutch assembly, allowing the motor to engage the shaft and rotate the cable drum. The rotating cable drum rolls the retraction cable 1 16 onto the cable drum, thus pulling the support member 120 into the housing 1 12. As the support member 120 is retracted, the support member 120 may still be in contact with the surface 180 as shown in Figure 5B. The support member 120 rises off the surface 180, as shown by location 502 in Figure 5C and ceases to provide support for the object 100. When the support member 120 travels a predetermined length inside the housing 1 12, as shown in Figure 5D, a limit switch is triggered, which stops the motor from turning and consequently, the support member 120 from retracting further.

[0063] Figures 5E - 5H illustrate the deployment of the support member 120 of the support member assembly 1 10 depicted in Figure 1 . Figure 5E illustrates the support member 120 fully retracted in the housing 1 12, and Figure 5H illustrates the support member 120 fully deployed (i.e., extended) from the housing 1 12. Figures 5F and 5G illustrate intermediary steps between the retracted and deployed states shown in Figure 5E and 5H. As can be seen in Figure 5F and 5G, when the support member 120 is released by the control a movement mechanism 1 14, the retraction cable 1 16 preferably becomes slack so as not to impede deployment of the member. As should be appreciated, any tension in the retraction cable 1 16 may slow deployment of the support member 120. As can be seen in Figure 5H, when the support member 120 is fully deployed, the retraction cable 1 16 is taut, and acts to prevent support member 120 from moving further out all the housing 1 12.

[0064] To release, or deploy, the support member 120 from the state shown in Figure 5D to the state shown in Figure A, the unlocking mechanism disengages the clutch from the shaft, allowing the shaft and drum to rotate freely. The support member 120, under the influence of its own bending force, pulls the retraction cable 1 16 from the freely-rotating cable drum as support member 120 deploys from the housing 1 12, as shown in Figures 5C and 5B. With the drum freely rotating, the support member 120 may be rapidly deployed from the housing 1 12 to prevent the object from tipping. As the support member 120 travels to its maximum extension, the retraction cable 1 16 become tensioned and limits the travel of the support member. Also, as the retraction cable 1 16 reaches its limit of travel, support cables 1 18 tension as the support member 120 returns to substantially its non-deflected state. The tensioning of the support cables 1 18 prevents the support member 120 from returning substantially beyond the non-deflected state, thus allowing the support member 120 to support the object 100. At that point, the retraction cable 1 16 (or other positive stop) prevents the support member 120 from traveling any further. As shown in Figure 5A, the length of the retraction cable 1 16 may be shorter than that of the housing 1 12, and thus a portion of the support member 120 remains inside the housing to provide structural support to the support member 120. Alternatively, the speed of deployment of the support member 120 may be controlled by controlling the rate the cable is unwound from the cable drum.

[0065] Figure 6 is a flow chart describing operation of aspects of deployment of an exemplary support member according to embodiments hereof. As shown in Figure 6, an object (e.g., a robot) using one or more support members 120, as described above, maintains the support member(s) retracted within the housing. The object (e.g., using sensors 167 in Figures 1A-1 D) monitors its environment (at S60 in Figure 6). This environmental monitoring may include monitoring sensors 167 external information, and other information provided by other controllers and processors on the object and/or external to the object.

[0066] The sensor 167 and controller 166 determines whether or not the object (e.g., a robot) has become unstable or potentially unstable (at S62). If sensor 167 and controller 166 determines the object has become unstable or potentially unstable (at S62) then it signals the movement mechanism(s) 1 14 to release the member(s) (at S66). If sensor 167 and controller 166 does not determine that the object has become unstable or potentially unstable (at S62), then it checks (at S64) to see if there are other reasons to deploy the members (e.g., the robot is lost or needs control information). If the controller 166 determines that there is at least one other reason to deploy the members then the members are deployed (at S66).

[0067] It should be appreciated that the checking in S62 and S64 may occur in parallel and preferably occurs at all times that the object (e.g., robot) is operating with its members retracted. It should be further appreciated that the members are preferably deployed as soon as the controller 166 determines that they should be (whether it be because of some instability all potential instability or for some other reason).

[0068] In some cases, the information used to determine whether or not to deploy the members may come from or be based on external control (i.e., control from outside of the object which has the members). For example, a controller apart from the object may send a signal to the object informing it of conditions that may cause instability and/or instructing it directly to deploy the members.

[0069] In an embodiment in which multiple members are provided on an object, preferably all of the members deploy at essentially the same time. However, in some cases it may be sufficient to deploy only some of the members in order to achieve stability of the object. For example, if the object is tilting in a particular direction, it may be sufficient to deploy members to correct the tilt if the object is then able to regain stability with fewer than all of the members deployed.

[0070] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "at least some" means "one or more," and includes the case of only one. Thus, e.g., the phrase "at least some ABCs" means "one or more ABCs", and includes the case of only one ABC.

[0071] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "based on" means "based in part on" or "based, at least in part, on," and is not exclusive. Thus, e.g., the phrase "based on factor X" means "based in part on factor X" or "based, at least in part, on factor X." Unless specifically stated by use of the word "only", the phrase "based on X" does not mean "based only on X." [0072] As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase "using" means "using at least," and is not exclusive. Thus, e.g., the phrase "using X" means "using at least X." Unless specifically stated by use of the word "only", the phrase "using X" does not mean "using only X."

[0073] In general, as used herein, including in the claims, unless the word "only" is specifically used in a phrase, it should not be read into that phrase.

[0074] It should be appreciated that the words "first" and "second" in the description and claims are used to distinguish or identify, and not to show a serial or numerical limitation. Similarly, the use of letter or numerical labels (such as "(a)", "(b)", and the like) are used to help distinguish and / or identify, and not to show any serial or numerical limitation or ordering.

[0075] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow:

Claims

What is claimed is:

1 . A deployable support member assembly, comprising:

a housing having a hollow interior, the housing having an opening to access the hollow interior; and

a resilient support member movable between a first position disposed in the hollow interior and a second position extending from the hollow interior, the support member deformed by the housing when in the first position such that a spring force generated by the deformation of the support member urges the support member out of the housing.

2. The deployable support member assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a movement mechanism coupled to the support member and configured to retract the support member into the housing.

3. The deployable support member assembly of claim 2, wherein the movement mechanism is coupled to the support member by a cable.

4. The deployable support member assembly of claim 2, wherein the movement mechanism is configured to control a rate of movement of the support member from the first position to the second position.

5. The deployable support member assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the support member has an arc shape.

6. The deployable support member assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the support member further comprises:

a member body; and

one or more wheels coupled to the member body.

7. The deployable support member assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support member further comprises:

a member body; and a support cable coupled to the member body in a spaced apart relationship, the support cable tensioned when the member body is in the second position and slack when the member body is in the first position.

8. The deployable support member assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the support member further comprises:

a member body fabricated from at least one of resilient plastics, polycarbonates, polyesters, fiber glass, spring steel, and glass reinforced plastic.

9. The deployable support member assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing further comprises:

a ramp positioned at the opening, wherein the member body interfaces with the ramp to generate the spring force that urges the support member out of the housing.

10. An object having an improvement comprising:

the deployable support member assembly of any of the preceding claims.

1 1 . The object of claim 10, wherein the object is supported on at least one wheel.

12. The object of claim 1 1 , wherein the at least one wheel comprises a spherical wheel.

13. The object of claim 10, wherein the object is a robot.

14. A method for stabilizing an object, comprising:

releasing a support member disposed in a housing coupled to the object, the member member prior to release having a spring force caused by deformation of the member member by the housing, the spring force urging the support member out of the housing; and contacting a surface on which the object rests with the member member.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

contacting the surface with a wheel attached to the support member.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

tensioning a cable to prevent deflection of the support member beyond a predetermined amount.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

controlling a rate that the support member exits the housing.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the object is a robot.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein releasing further comprises:

sensing that the object has tilted from beyond a predetermined amount from vertical.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

retracting the support member into the housing in response to sensing that an inclination of the object has returned from an orientation beyond a predetermined amount from vertical.

21 . The method of claim 14, wherein the support member is a leg and the leg extends laterally outward and downward while exiting the housing.

22. A method comprising:

monitoring at least one aspect of an object; and

based on the at least one aspect, causing one or more legs to at least partially deploy.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the object is a robot.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the robot operates on one or more wheels.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the robot operates on a single sphere.

26. The method of any one of claims 22-25 wherein the at least one aspect relates to stability of the object.

27. The method of any one of claims 22-26 wherein the at least one aspect relates to a measure of one or more of: a speed of the object, a tilt angle of the object, a yaw of the object, a pitch of the object.

28. The method of any one of claims 22-27 wherein the causing the one or more legs to deploy is based on a detected instability of the object.