Did You Know...
...that after Parker Brothers executives turned down the game of Monopoly because it had "52 fundamental errors" (including taking too long to play), a copy of the game wound up in the home of the company president who stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish playing it? He was so impressed by the game that the next day he wrote to inventor Charles Darrow and offered to buy it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8020649 | Legged robot A legged robot that ensures a large step length while keeping the height of the trunk low is realized. The legged robot is provided with a trunk, a pair of legs, and a pair of sliding joints. Each of the sliding joints links one end of each of the legs to the trunk ... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7896112 | Supplementary support structure for robot A supplementary support structure, which supports the body of a robot (1), comprises a contact component (7) which is disposed in a part near a joint (2c) on the distal end, having a hand (3) disposed thereon, of an arm (2) ... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7762362 | Climbing with dry adhesives A bio-inspired device is provided designed to scale smooth vertical surfaces using anisotropic frictional materials. The device draws its inspiration from geckos and other climbing lizards and employs similar compliance and force control strategies to climb (or hang... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7604075 | Ambulatory vehicle A legged ambulatory vehicle for transporting a load from a first location to a second location is disclosed. The ambulatory vehicle comprises a load that is able to shift the center of gravity of the ambulatory vehicle along a length of a beam assembly. Additionally... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7441614 | Legged mobile robot In a legged mobile robot, each hip joint that connects a body with a thigh link comprises a first rotary shaft that provides a degree of freedom to rotate about a yaw axis, a second rotary shaft that provides a degree of freedom to rotate about a roll axis, and a th... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7424923 | Mobile robot A mobile robot having wheels which maintain contact forces against a surface even when the mobile robot meets an obstacle on the surface and a body of the mobile robot is forced up against the obstacle. The mobile robot easily surmounts the obstacle on the surface, ... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7341122 | Actuator for a working element, particularly a walking robot and the method of controlling said actuator The invention relates to an actuator which is characterized in that the kinematic connection between the motor and the working element of the robot comprises a mobile link which is pivot fixed to the base of the actuator, a runner which is mounted to the mobile link... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7327112 | Multiple leg tumbling robot A robot or vehicle locomotes by tumbling. Legs distributed over the surface of the robot individually extend or retract. A control system coordinates the action of the legs to cause the robot to tumble in any direction. A robot using this form of locomotion is highl... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7314343 | Miniature manipulator for servicing the interior of nuclear steam generator tubes A manipulator for servicing tubes extending through a tube sheet having three major components: a base member, a block member, and a foot member. The base member has a holder for supporting tooling or inspection devices. The base member also has at least one gripper... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7303031 | Anthropomorphic robot Provided is an anthropomorphic robot having two legs and which is capable of walking upright. Each of the two legs has a foot which comprises an upper plate on which an ankle joint is installed and which is similar to a foot of a human, and a lower plate attached to... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7287934 | Stratum disposal monitoring system In monitoring a stratum disposal field for wastes, running tubes installed in the vicinity of a gallery or disposal holes, in a nearby rock bed, or within a gallery support or buffer members in the disposal holes have installed therein a movable monitoring device pr... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7278501 | Legged walking robot and motion control method therefor In a robot having at least one rotating joint (which may have at least two degrees of freedom), in order to perform a high-speed switching operation between a closed link mode and an open link mode with the outside world or a working object, each limb is provided wi... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7266421 | System for controlling lifting and remote handling units located in a confined enclosure The control system is used to control manipulation equipment (41) and carrying equipment (43) confined in a containment (40) inaccessible to operators and to perform maintenance operations related to electronic circuits for onboard equipment enc... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7249640 | Highly mobile robots that run and jump The present invention relates to novel, highly mobile small robots called “Mini-WHEGS™” that can run and jump. They are derived from our larger WHEGS™(“wheel-like lecis”) series of robots, which benefit from abstracted cockroach locomotion principles. Pa... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7236850 | Working robot, actuator and control method thereof A working robot, which is able to perform a required operation by locating a tool on a working position of a moving object, comprises a robot body moving with the object according to the movement of the object with more than one degree of freedom; an actuator mounte... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7182163 | Positioning mechanism for a vehicle The invention contemplates a selectably operable hydraulic means for laterally shifting one end of a non-moving vehicle in order to provide a desired alignment. The present invention is particularly applicable to vehicle-mounted equipment which has an invariant late... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7178682 | Traveling crane The invention pertains to a traveling crane consisting of a superstructure that can be turned about an upright axis and carries a crane jib with hoisting means, a truck with a tracklaying gear that carries the superstructure and a supporting device with several outr... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7168513 | Dynamic legged robot A legged robot having a robot structure (20) in the form of a closed kinematic chain and an actuator (26) that contracts when activated. The contraction of the actuator extends a foot element (30) such that it can excerpt a pushing force against... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7165637 | Robotic all terrain surveyor A vehicle including a body and three legs. Each leg includes a proximal end coupled to the body, a distal end opposite the proximal end, and an actuator. Each actuator imparts enough acceleration to the vehicle along an axis of the leg to cause the distal end of the... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7143850 | Leg joint assist device for legged movable robot An assist device is provided with a spring device that generates an auxiliary driving force, by an elastic energy, acting on a joint of a leg. The spring device includes a gas spring having a cylinder and a piston. Bending/stretching motion between link members and ... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7111696 | Legged mobile robot 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, ... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7059197 | Ground reaction force measuring module for walking robot and robot foot structure adopting the same A ground reaction force measuring module for a walking robot includes a housing installed at a predetermined portion of the walking robot facing the ground, a moving unit installed capable of moving with respect to the housing according to the presence of a pressing... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7061200 | Legged mobile robot and actuator device applicable to join shaft of the robot In order to suitably intercommunicate an output signal from a sensor arranged outside an actuator with a higher-order control system, an output from a contact sensor at an arbitrary position on a robot is entered to a nearest actuator device in that a wiring route i... | 06/13/2006 |
| 6964309 | Vehicle with compliant drive train 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... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6940295 | Apparatus and methods for non-destructive inspection using microwave sensing Apparatus and methods for materials inspection using microwave sensing are disclosed. In one aspect, a system for detecting corrosion of a workpiece includes a scanning assembly having a support assembly adapted to be coupled to the workpiece, and a first translatio... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6907799 | Apparatus and method for non-destructive inspection of large structures An automated inspection system and method enables rapid, remote and non-contact inspection of large objects, utilizing non-destructive inspection techniques, that does not require continuous manual repositioning of the inspection equipment. The inspection system inc... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6805504 | Method and apparatus for flat surface treatment 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 instr... | 10/19/2004 |
| 6512345 | Apparatus for obstacle traversion 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 propu... | 01/28/2003 |
| 6478314 | Walking device The present invention provides a means for limiting the hip and elbow movement in a reciprocating leg so as to simulate the gait of a walking animal. This is accomplished through the use of one or more arcuate guides which control the hip and elbow moveme... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6286386 | Passive orientation apparatus An apparatus that can return a payload to a known orientation after unknown motion, without requiring external power or complex mechanical systems. The apparatus comprises a faceted cage that causes the system to rest in a stable position and orientation ... | 09/11/2001 |
| 6276985 | Gyroscopic motion device 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 th... | 08/21/2001 |
| 6260862 | Walking device The invention provides a walking device which stimulates a gait of a legged animal. The device includes a frame with spaced axial mounts, a leg, axially connected upper and lower rocker arms which limit reciprocating leg motion. The leg is driven by a con... | 07/17/2001 |
| 6247546 | Hopping robot The present invention provides a hopping robot that includes a misfire tolerant linear actuator suitable for long trips, low energy steering and control, reliable low energy righting, miniature low energy fuel control. The present invention provides a rob... | 06/19/2001 |
| 6202774 | Transport module for the moving of heavy loads 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 pres... | 03/20/2001 |
| 6161639 | Vehicle dislodging system The vehicle dislodging system in accordance one embodiment in the present invention for a vehicle with a longitudinally extending vehicle frame includes a first arm and a drive system. The first arm has a first elongated section with opposing ends and a s... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6109378 | Leg mechanism A leg mechanism for moving a body comprising an upper arm pivotably connected to the body by a hip joint, and a lower arm pivotably connected to the opposite end of the upper arm by a knee joint. The lower end of the lower arm comprises a walk element for... | 08/29/2000 |
| 6105695 | Multifunction automated crawling system The present invention is an automated crawling robot system including a platform, a first leg assembly, a second leg assembly, first and second rails attached to the platform, and an onboard electronic computer controller. The first leg assembly has an in... | 08/22/2000 |
| 6068073 | Transformable mobile robot A versatile robot provides a plurality of different, primary locomotion means and the capability of switching between modes of movement on a rapid basis to traverse a variety of terrains at high speed. In the preferred embodiment, the robot uses a plurali... | 05/30/2000 |
| 6021860 | Vehicle dislodging system The vehicle dislodging system in accordance one embodiment in the present invention for a vehicle with a longitudinally extending vehicle frame includes a first arm and a drive system. The first arm has a first elongated section with opposing ends and a s... | 02/08/2000 |
| 5921336 | Walking substructure device A walking substructure device having a drilling rig substructure. A plurality of lifting jacks is provided, each lifting jack having an upper end and a lower end, the upper end connected to the drilling rig substructure. A plurality of roller assemblies i... | 07/13/1999 |
