Mobile Robot Morphology

Abstract

In an embodiment, a mobile robotic device includes a mobile base and a mounting column fixed to the mobile base. The robotic device further includes a seven-degree-of-freedom (7DOF) robotic arm, including a rotatable joint that enables rotation of the 7DOF robotic arm relative to the mounting column. The robotic device additionally includes a perception housing comprising at least one sensor, where the mounting column, the rotatable joint of the 7DOF arm, and the perception housing are arranged in a stacked tower such that the rotatable joint of the 7DOF arm is above the mounting column and below the perception housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile robotic device comprising:
 a mobile base;   a mounting column fixed to the mobile base;   a seven-degree-of-freedom (7DOF) robotic arm, comprising a rotatable joint that enables rotation of the 7DOF robotic arm relative to the mounting column; and   a perception housing comprising at least one sensor, wherein the mounting column, the rotatable joint of the 7DOF arm, and the perception housing are arranged in a stacked tower such that the rotatable joint of the 7DOF arm is above the mounting column and below the perception housing.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one drive wheel, wherein the stacked tower is positioned above the at least one drive wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting column is attached at a front end of the mobile base, wherein the mobile base further comprises a top surface positioned at a rear end of the mobile base. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 3 , wherein the top surface of the mobile base comprises a container for storing objects moved by the 7DOF robotic arm. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 1 , wherein the 7DOF robotic arm is configured to fold into a stowed configuration, wherein the 7DOF robotic arm is contained within a footprint of the mobile base when the 7DOF robotic arm is in the stowed configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable joint is a shoulder yaw J0 joint, wherein the 7DOF robotic arm further comprises a shoulder pitch J1 joint, a bicep roll J2 joint, an elbow pitch J3 joint, a forearm roll J4 joint, a wrist pitch J5 joint, and a wrist roll J6 joint. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 6 , wherein a first offset between the shoulder yaw J0 joint and a bicep roll J2 joint is approximately equal to a second offset between the bicep roll J2 joint and the forearm roll J4 joint. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 6 , wherein a first length of a bicep of the 7DOF robotic arm is approximately equal to a second length of a forearm of the 7DOF robotic arm. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 6 , wherein the 7DOF robotic arm is configured to fold into a shoulder up stowed configuration, the shoulder up stowed configuration comprising the shoulder yaw J0 joint being rotated toward a rear end of the mobile base, the shoulder pitch J1 joint being rotated vertical up, the elbow pitch J3 joint being rotated vertical down, and the wrist pitch J5 joint being rotated vertical down. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 9 , wherein when in the shoulder up stowed configuration, the 7DOF robotic arm overhangs the mobile base such that a rearmost point of the 7DOF robotic arm is approximately aligned with the rear end of the mobile base. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 6 , wherein the 7DOF robotic arm is configured to fold into a shoulder down stowed configuration, the shoulder down stowed configuration comprising the shoulder yaw J0 joint being rotated toward a rear end of the mobile base, the shoulder pitch J1 joint being rotated vertical down, the elbow pitch J3 joint being rotated vertical up, and the wrist pitch J5 joint being rotated vertical up. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 6 , wherein when the shoulder yaw J0 joint is rotated opposite a front end of the mobile base to which the mounting column is fixed and the shoulder pitch J1 joint is rotated vertical down, a bottommost point of a bicep of the 7DOF robotic arm is above a top surface of the mobile base. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 6 , wherein the stacked tower further comprises a mast between the rotatable joint and the perception housing, wherein the mast has a length such that when the shoulder pitch J1 joint is rotated vertical up, a topmost point of a bicep of the 7DOF robotic arm is approximately aligned with a top of the mast, wherein the length of the mast is sufficient to prevent collision between the perception housing and the 7DOF robotic arm when the shoulder pitch J1 joint is rotated vertical up. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 6 , wherein each joint of the 7DOF robotic arm has a range of motion which is optimized for a right handed elbow up position in which the shoulder yaw J0 joint is rotated toward a right side of the mobile base, the shoulder pitch J1 joint is rotated vertical up, the elbow pitch J3 joint is rotated vertical up, and the wrist pitch J5 joint is rotated vertical up. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 6 , wherein the 7DOF robotic arm comprises an end effector, wherein the 7DOF robotic arm is configured to enable a line of sight between the at least one sensor of the perception housing and the end effector by rotating the bicep roll J2 joint. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 1 , wherein the 7DOF robotic arm comprises an end effector, wherein the 7DOF robotic arm is configured to enable a line of sight between the at least one sensor of the perception housing and the end effector at a set of target heights, the set of target heights spanning a range that includes the end effector positioned proximate to a ground floor, the end effector positioned at a height of the mounting column, and the end effector positioned at a height of the perception housing. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile robotic device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable joint that enables rotation of the 7DOF robotic arm relative to the mounting column has a range of motion that excludes an angle in front of the mobile robotic device. 
     
     
         18 . A robotic arm comprising a shoulder yaw J0 joint, a shoulder pitch J1 joint, a bicep roll J2 joint, an elbow pitch J3 joint, a forearm roll J4 joint, a wrist pitch J5 joint, and a wrist roll J6 joint,
 wherein a first offset between the shoulder yaw J0 joint and a bicep roll J2 joint is approximately equal to a second offset between the bicep roll J2 joint and the forearm roll J4 joint, and   wherein the bicep is approximately equal in length to the forearm.   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 causing a shoulder yaw J0 joint of a 7DOF robotic arm of a mobile robotic device to rotate away from a first end of a mobile base to which a mounting column is fixed, wherein the mounting column, the shoulder yaw J0 joint of the 7DOF arm, and a perception housing of the mobile robotic device are arranged in a stacked tower such that the shoulder yaw J0 joint of the 7DOF arm is above the mounting column and below the perception housing;   causing a shoulder pitch J1 joint of the 7DOF robotic arm of the mobile robotic device to rotate vertical up;   causing an elbow pitch J3 joint to rotate vertical down; and   causing a wrist pitch J5 joint to rotate vertical down to position the 7DOF robotic arm in a shoulder up stowed configuration.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the mounting column is mounted to a front end of the mobile base over at least one drive wheel of the mobile robotic device, the method further comprising causing the at least one drive wheel of the mobile robotic device to navigate the mobile robotic device forward while the 7DOF robotic arm is in the shoulder up stowed configuration over a rear end of the mobile base. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 stopping navigation of the mobile robotic device;   causing the 7DOF robotic arm to manipulate an object in front of the mobile robotic device;   returning the 7DOF robotic arm to the shoulder up stowed configuration; and   subsequently causing the at least one drive wheel to navigate the mobile robotic device forward while the 7DOF robotic arm is in the shoulder up stowed configuration over the rear end of the mobile base.   
     
     
         22 . A mobile robotic device comprising:
 a mobile base;   a mounting column fixed to the mobile base;   a rotatable joint that enables rotation of an appendage relative to the mounting column; and   a perception housing comprising at least one sensor, wherein the mounting column, the rotatable joint, and the perception housing are arranged in a stacked tower such that the rotatable joint is above the mounting column and below the perception housing.