Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
Lots of fragile on-board electronic circuitry inside a humanoid robot that requires protection from falls!
A family of patents, including the US utility patent application US20170043487A1, titled Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot, discloses a Softbank Robotics shock absorbing invention. This shock absorber (skull) is designed, in particular, for fall-protection of the electronic payload, found inside a humanoid robot’s head, such as Nao’s (or Nao's sibling called Pepper).
The Softbank Robotics shock absorber invention comprises specially designed shock-absorbing rubber material, and two additional layers of protection: a deformable outer layer and a hard shell containing the fragile electronics. The shock absorbing skull further comprises an outlet for a fan housed inside the humanoid's head, the fan functioning to cool the onboard electronics. The shock absorbing skull also comprises conduits for channeling sound and light emitted by the onboard electronics through the eye orbits, and the ear openings of the humanoid robot's head. Finally, a microphone, attached to the hard shell, is also insulated with the shock absorbing material.
The shock absorbing system is disclosed for the front and back of the humanoid robot's head. It is also used on the front and back of the humanoid's torso.
The sorts of falls that are protected by the shock-absorbing invention, disclosed in US20170043487A1, are shown at the end of the following video.
The Softbank Robotics shock absorber invention comprises specially designed shock-absorbing rubber material, and two additional layers of protection: a deformable outer layer and a hard shell containing the fragile electronics. The shock absorbing skull further comprises an outlet for a fan housed inside the humanoid's head, the fan functioning to cool the onboard electronics. The shock absorbing skull also comprises conduits for channeling sound and light emitted by the onboard electronics through the eye orbits, and the ear openings of the humanoid robot's head. Finally, a microphone, attached to the hard shell, is also insulated with the shock absorbing material.
The shock absorbing system is disclosed for the front and back of the humanoid robot's head. It is also used on the front and back of the humanoid's torso.
The sorts of falls that are protected by the shock-absorbing invention, disclosed in US20170043487A1, are shown at the end of the following video.
The family of patents for this shock absorber invention is listed below:
The abstract of the US member of this patent family is included below, with the patent drawing 2a showing a bird's eye view of Nao’s shock-absorbing skull. In patent drawing 2a, the skull cap was removed to uncover the insides of the head. The front (11), and back (12), shock absorbing parts are connected transversely. The eye sockets are labeled (14) and (15).
- AU2015257687 (A1) ― 2016-11-10 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- CA2948212 (A1) ― 2015-11-12 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- EP3140086 (A1) ― 2017-03-15 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- FR3020847 (A1) ― 2015-11-13 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- JP2017514711 (A) ― 2017-06-08 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- KR20170058332 (A) ― 2017-05-26 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- MX2016013596 (A) ― 2017-06-29 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- SG11201608726X (A) ― 2016-12-29 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- WO2015169894 (A1) ― 2015-11-12 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
- US2017043487 (A1) ― 2017-02-16 - Shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot
The abstract of the US member of this patent family is included below, with the patent drawing 2a showing a bird's eye view of Nao’s shock-absorbing skull. In patent drawing 2a, the skull cap was removed to uncover the insides of the head. The front (11), and back (12), shock absorbing parts are connected transversely. The eye sockets are labeled (14) and (15).
A shock-absorbing device for a humanoid robot, comprises a rigid structure linked to the humanoid robot, a deformable outer shell, and a shock-absorber; the shock-absorber consisting of a flexible cellular structure comprising a set of cells emerging in a main direction, and being secured to the rigid structure at a first end in the main direction, and linked to the deformable outer shell at a second end opposite the first in the main direction. Advantageously, the outer shell is also linked directly to the rigid structure by means of at least one absorbent fixing of silent block type. The invention relates also to a humanoid robot, and in particular the head of a humanoid robot, comprising such a shock-absorbing device. [Absract US20170043487A1]
References
Softbank Robotics
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