Description:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:

A ROBOT MOUNTABLE ADAPTIVE GRIPPER ASSEMBLY FOR INTERCEPTING AERIAL TARGETS

Applicant

Tata Consultancy Services Limited
A company Incorporated in India under the Companies Act, 1956
Having address:
Nirmal Building, 9th floor,
Nariman point, Mumbai 400021,
Maharashtra, India

Preamble to the description:

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The disclosure herein generally relates to the field of robotics, and, more particularly, to a robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly for intercepting aerial targets.

BACKGROUND
[002] With advances in technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or mobile robots are now commercially available at relatively low prices with several advanced features which if misused can lead to serious consequences, such as privacy breach, threat of collision with commercial aircrafts near airports and other activities that may be detrimental to security of structures or people. Besides security, UAVs also find application in emergency response services, stockpile management, inspection / data gathering / surveillance, and the like.
[003] Many of these applications require the robot to have the capability to grab aerial targets. The technical challenge for such robots is maintaining the balance and stability while spending minimum energy during this activity.

SUMMARY
[004] Embodiments of the present disclosure present technological improvements as solutions to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems recognized by the inventors in conventional systems.
[005] In an aspect, there is provided a robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly for intercepting at least one aerial target comprising: an inner frame coupled to a body of the robot; an outer frame coupled to the inner frame using a plurality of expandable coupler links, wherein the outer frame is provided with one or more moving joints; a mechatronic actuator comprising: at least one motor and transmission hub; and a microcontroller configured to (i) read rotary positions of a plurality of motors comprised in the at least one motor and transmission hub and (ii) control actuation thereof; and a plurality of slider crank mechanisms, wherein each slider crank mechanism comprises: an expandable coupler link from the plurality of expandable coupler links; a slider link configured to move along a slider guide driven by the at least one motor and transmission hub; and a crank link configured to translate linear motion of the slider link to rotary motion of the expandable coupler link, wherein the mechatronic actuator drives the plurality of slider crank mechanisms to enable the gripper assembly with adaptivity to operate in a plurality of configurations including a (i) a folded configuration that compactly aligns the gripper assembly along a plane having a Center of Gravity (CoG) proximate a CoG of the robot (200) to minimize imbalance of the robot and (ii) an expanded configuration for intercepting at least one aerial target via (iii) one or more intermediate configurations.
[006] In another aspect, there is provided a system comprising a robot and an adaptive gripper assembly mountable on the robot for intercepting aerial targets, wherein the adaptive gripper assembly comprises: an inner frame coupled to a body of the robot; an outer frame coupled to the inner frame using a plurality of expandable coupler links, wherein the outer frame is provided with one or more moving joints; a mechatronic actuator comprising: at least one motor and transmission hub; and a microcontroller configured to (i) read rotary positions of a plurality of motors comprised in the at least one motor and transmission hub and (ii) control actuation thereof; a plurality of slider crank mechanisms, wherein each slider crank mechanism comprises: an expandable coupler link from the plurality of expandable coupler links; a slider link configured to move along a slider guide driven by the at least one motor and transmission hub; and a crank link configured to translate linear motion of the slider link to rotary motion of the expandable coupler link, wherein the mechatronic actuator drives the plurality of slider crank mechanisms to enable the gripper assembly with adaptivity to operate in a plurality of configurations including a (i) a folded configuration that compactly aligns the gripper assembly along a plane having a Center of Gravity (CoG) proximate a CoG of the robot to minimize imbalance of the robot and (ii) an expanded configuration for intercepting at least one aerial target via (iii) one or more intermediate configurations; and a plurality of flexible mounting mechanisms to enable mounting of the adaptive gripper assembly on the body of the robot, such that the plurality of flexible mounting mechanisms allow for orientation and position adaptation relative to the robot via flexible joints.
[007] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, length of each of the plurality of expandable coupler links and length of the crank link are based on dimensions of the gripper assembly in the plurality of configurations and type of the robot.
[008] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one motor and transmission hub includes one or more of belt drive, lead screw drive, rope and pulley drive, gear drive setup, and chain-sprocket drive setup.
[009] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one motor and transmission hub with the rope and pulley drive comprises (i) a plurality of pairs of drive pulleys, wherein each pair of drive pulleys corresponds to a slider crank mechanism and (ii) the plurality of motors, wherein a motor corresponds to each slider crank mechanism; wherein each pair of drive pulleys are rigidly coupled to a motor from the plurality of motors via a shaft coupler; and wherein one of the drive pulleys within each pair of drive pulleys is configured to wind a rope and the other drive pulley within each pair of drive pulleys is configured to release the rope respectively.
[010] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of expandable coupler links cooperates with a locking mechanism when operating in the one or more intermediate configurations and the expanded configuration.
[011] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking mechanism is actuated (i) either by an active mechanism or a passive mechanism for the expanded configuration and (ii) by the active mechanism for the one or more intermediate configurations.
[012] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the passive mechanism disables the gripper assembly from returning to the folded configuration once the expanded configuration is attained, unless the locking mechanism is manually unlocked.
[013] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking mechanism is configured to prevent rotational motion when a slider guide of a slider crank mechanism from the plurality of slider crank mechanisms has a cylindrical cross section.
[014] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the actuation of the locking mechanism by the active mechanism for the expanded configuration is triggered by a limit switch.
[015] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, movement of the plurality of expandable coupler links is synchronized by the mechatronic actuator.
[016] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more intermediate configurations enable intercepting of at least one aerial target.
[017] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles:
[019] FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system comprising a robot and an adaptive gripper assembly mountable on the robot for intercepting aerial targets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[020] FIG.2 illustrates a schematic representation of the system of FIG.1 with the gripper assembly in an expanded configuration, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[021] FIG.3 illustrates a schematic representation of the gripper assembly of FIG.1 in a folded configuration, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[022] FIG.4 illustrates a schematic representation of the gripper assembly of FIG.1 in an intermediate configuration, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[023] FIG.5 illustrates an isometric view of the gripper assembly of FIG.1 in the expanded configuration, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[024] FIG.6A illustrates a schematic representation of a bottom fixture of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[025] FIG.6B illustrates a schematic representation of a right bottom mount assembly of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[026] FIG.6C illustrates a schematic representation of an assembled view of the right bottom mount assembly of FIG.6B, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[027] FIG.7 illustrates an exploded view of a top fixture of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[028] FIG.8 illustrates a schematic representation of a first slider crank mechanism from a pair of slider crank mechanisms of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[029] FIG.9 illustrates a left side isometric view of the gripper assembly of FIG.1 in the folded configuration, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure
[030] FIG.10 illustrates an exploded view of a motor and transmission hub of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[031] FIG.11 illustrates an exploded view of a locking mechanism of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[032] FIG.12A, FIG.12B and FIG.12C illustrate a top guide pulley assembly, a bottom guide pulley assembly and an exploded view of the bottom guide pulley respectively, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[033] FIG.13 illustrates a simulated representation of the trajectory followed by an outermost tip of an expandable coupler link of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[034] Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Wherever convenient, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. While examples and features of disclosed principles are described herein, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments.
[035] Sentinel or guard drones deployed for security purposes would require to be configured with capability of grabbing and / or neutralizing dangerous targets in advance before they cause any serious harm to any entity. Again, mobile robots or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed for industrial use also need to have at least a grabbing capability in such a manner that the imbalance during the activity is minimized.
[036] Existing systems have fixed grippers attached to the drones or use net and string shooting mechanism. Fixed grippers are rigid structures attached to the drones and do not possess the ability to collapse or expand, resulting in offsetting the center of gravity of the drone which causes uneven thrust requirements from propellers of the drone. There is a change in both center of mass (CoM) and inertia of the system as the gripper is always in the extended position.
[037] The drones with net and strings shooting mechanisms shoot net or ropes on to the target to disable the target by not coming in direct contact with the target. This kind of shooting mechanism is limited to grabbing flying objects and does not apply to static hanging objects. Once the net is shot, it needs to be reloaded. Reloading is a manual process that takes time. The reaction force during shooting of the net may momentarily destabilize the drone.
[038] The present disclosure provides a robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly for intercepting aerial targets. The gripper assembly provided is foldable such that in a folded configuration, the gripper assembly fits in a plane and near the center of gravity of the robot, thus minimizing the imbalancing moment on the robot, which helps in maintaining stability while spending minimum energy since the expanded configuration is attained on demand only, thereby averting the problems in the art. The design of the gripper assembly is also generic enough to be mountable on any type of robot.
[039] In the context of the present disclosure, the expressions ‘robot’, ‘drone’ and ‘UAV’ are interchangeably used.
[040] In the context of the present disclosure, the expression ‘robot’ represents any machine that requires low rotational inertia (reduced resistance to rotary motion with low energy required to attain a desired rotatory effect). Some examples of the ‘robot’ in the context of the present disclosure include UAV, drone, cable driven robot, ground robot, and the like.
[041] In the context of the present disclosure, the expression ‘aerial target’ also includes ‘spatial target’. For instance, the gripper assembly of the present disclosure may be deployed with a space robot for debris capture in space, where the application requires collapsing and expanding of the gripper assembly to manage the requirements of compactness and stability. A person skilled in the art may envisage other applications for the gripper assembly of the present disclosure where the gripper assembly is required to pass through a narrow pathway in the folder configuration and then expand.
[042] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 through FIG.13, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments and these embodiments are described in the context of the following exemplary system and/or method.
[043] Reference numerals of components included in a system 300 comprising a robot 200 and an adaptive gripper assembly 100 mountable on the robot for intercepting aerial targets as depicted in the FIGS. 1 through 13 are provided in Table 1 below for ease of description.
Table 1
S.No. Component Numeral Reference FIG. Nos. where the components are specifically depicted
1 System comprising a robot and an adaptive gripper assembly mountable on the robot for intercepting aerial targets 300 1
2 Robot 200 1, 2, 13
3 Gripper assembly 100 1, 2
4 Outer frame 102 1, 3, 4, 5
5 Mechatronic actuator 103 1
6 Inner frame 104 1, 5
7 Expandable coupler link 106 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13
8 First slider crank mechanism 108 1, 3, 5
9 Second slider crank mechanism 110 1, 3, 5
10 Slider link 112 3, 4, 8, 13
11 Flexible mounting mechanism 114 1, 3, 4, 9
12 Coupling rod 114-1 6A, 6B, 6C
13 Top cover of flexible mounting mechanism housing 114-2 6A, 6B, 6C
14 Bottom cover of flexible mounting mechanism housing 114-3 6A, 6B, 6C
15 Rotary disc 114-4 (a, b) 6A
16 Rod for allowing rotary motion of slider mechanism bottom support 114-5 6A, 6B
17 Slider top half 114-6 (a, b) 6A
18 Slider bottom half 114-7 (a, b) 6A
19 Slider mechanism top support 114-8 7
20 Cap for fixing top of the gripper assembly 114-9 7
21 Body of top fixture of the gripper assembly 114-10 7
22 Top clamp for fixing the coupling rods with body of the robot 114-11 (a, b) 6B, 6C
23 Bottom clamp for fixing the coupling rods with body of the robot 114-12 (a, b) 6B, 6C
24 Motor and transmission hub 116 3, 4, 9
25 Housing/chassis of the motor and transmission hub 116-1 10
26 Motors with encoders used to drive the drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) through the shaft couplers 116-3 (a, b) 116-2 (a, b) 10
27 Shaft couplers used to couple the motor shaft with the shaft of the drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) 116-3 (a, b) 10
28 Pair of drive pulleys that simultaneously wide and unwind the rope 116-6 (a-d) on each side of the pulley from the slider crank mechanism 116-4 (a, b) 10
29 Clamps to rigidly hold the motors 116-2 (a, b) in their place 116-5 (a, b) 10
30 Rope that winds the rope incoming from the mechanism while simultaneously supplying the rope to the mechanism (similar to 126- numbered differently for ease of explanation) 116-6 (a-d) 10
31 Rollers on which the guide pulleys 116-8 (a-d) rotate 116-7 (a, b) 10
32 Guide pulleys that are used to guide the rope to and from the motor and transmission hub to the slider mechanism 116-8 (a-d) 10
33 Locking mechanism 118 3, 4, 8, 9
34 Housing for the locking mechanism 118-1 11
35 Rollers for the locking links 118-4 (a-c) which can rotate about the axis of the roller 118-2 (a-c) 11
36 Parts corresponding to the locking actuator, for passive mechanism: spring-cam, for active mechanism: linear actuator, solenoid 118-3 (a-c) 11
37 Locking link that rotates about the roller and holds the slider link when it reaches the limit 118-4 (a-c) 11
38 Relay to detect the limit of the slider link 118-5 11
39 Crank link 120 8, 9, 13
40 Top guide pulley assembly 122 8
41 Housing for top guide pulley assembly 122-1 12A
42 Drive pulley for the top guide pulley assembly 122-2 12A
43 Small pulleys of the top guide pulley assembly 122-3 (a, b) 12A
44 Bottom guide pulley assembly 124 8
45 Housing for bottom guide pulley assembly 124-1 12B, 12C
46 Small pulleys of the bottom guide pulley assembly 124-2 (a, b) 12B, 12C
47 Rope that is fed by the motor and transmission hub (116). It is fed at the bottom by the motor and transmission hub (116) and is redirected by the bottom guide pulley assembly (124) towards the top guide pulley assembly (122), while freely passing through the slider link (112) at an intersection. The top guide pulley assembly (122) redirects the rope towards the bottom guide pulley assembly (124), but this returning rope from top guide pulley assembly (122) is rigidly attached to the slider link (112) so that the motion of the slider link (112) is coupled with the motion of the rope 126 8, 9
48 First slider crank mechanism support 128 6B, 6C
49 Support for the first slider crank mechanism 128-1 6B, 6C
50 Slider guide 130 8, 9, 13
51 Trajectory 134 13
[044] It may be understood by those skilled in the art that a common reference number may denote a component as well as a plurality of the same component. For instance, in the Table 1, an expandable coupler link and a plurality of expandable coupler links are referred by the reference numeral 106 in the figures and description / claims. Further, the figures where the different components are depicted is also listed above for ease of description hereinafter. Furthermore, the figures that show a single side of the gripper assembly may be described referring to some components in their singular form for ease of description. Also, in the context of the present disclosure, the expressions “adaptive gripper assembly” and “gripper assembly” and “robot mountable gripper assembly” have been used interchangeably.
[045] FIG.1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the system 300 comprising the robot 200 and the adaptive gripper assembly 100 mountable on the robot via flexible mounting mechanisms 114 for intercepting aerial targets, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. More than one target may be intercepted provided the targets are collocated, the direction of the targets towards the gripper is the same and weight of the target (s) size of the target (s) and such other parameters are within the physical capacities of the gripper assembly of the present disclosure.
[046] The components of the system 300 and particularly the gripper assembly 100 will now be explained in detail with reference to the FIG.1 through FIG.13 and the components referred in Table 1 above. The gripper assembly 100 mainly includes an outer frame 102 coupled to an inner frame 104 using a plurality of expandable coupler links 106, a mechatronic actuator 103 and a plurality of slider crank mechanisms 108,110. In an embodiment, the outer frame 102 may be fixed to the inner frame 104. In accordance with the present disclosure, the inner frame 104 and the outer frame 102 are polygonal in shape. The shape of the inner frame 104 and the outer frame 102 depends on the type of the robot 200 and the application of the system 300. In an embodiment they may be quadrilateral shaped with four sides as shown in the exemplary representations in the figures. In another embodiment, the inner frame 104 and the outer frame 102 may have different shapes, for instance, the inner frame 104 may be a rectangle and the outer frame 102 may be a triangle.
[047] In accordance with the present disclosure the outer frame 102 is provided with one or more moving joints such as sliding joints, rotary joints, or cylindrical joints. The moving joints provides flexibility for desired unhindered movement depending on the type, shape, and size of the robot. The moving joints are not specifically numbered in the figures. However, with reference to FIG.5, the corner joints and connection joints with the inner frames can be some exemplary moving joints.
[048] In accordance with the present disclosure, the mechatronic actuator 103 includes at least one motor and transmission hub 116 and a microcontroller (not shown). In accordance with the present disclosure, the at least one motor and transmission hub 116 includes one or more of belt drive, lead screw drive, rope and pulley drive, gear drive setup, and chain-sprocket drive setup. The microcontroller is configured to (i) read rotary positions of a plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b) comprised in the at least one motor and transmission hub 116 and (ii) control actuation of the motor and transmission hub 116. In an embodiment, the motor and transmission hub 116 may be fixed to the flexible mounting mechanism 114.
[049] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the mechatronic actuator 103 also includes one or more hardware processors (not shown), communication interface (s) or input/output (I/O) interface(s) (not shown), and one or more data storage devices or memory (not shown) operatively coupled to the one or more hardware processors. The one or more hardware processors can be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, graphics controllers, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the hardware processor(s) are configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory.
[050] The communication interface (s) can include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, a web interface, a graphical user interface, and the like and can facilitate multiple communications within a wide variety of networks N/W and protocol types, including wired networks, for example, LAN, cable, etc., and wireless networks, such as WLAN, cellular, or satellite. In an embodiment, the I/O interface(s) can include one or more ports for connecting a number of devices to one another or to another server.
[051] The memory may include any computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory, such as static random-access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM, flash memories, hard disks, optical disks, and magnetic tapes. In an embodiment, the memory operatively coupled to the one or more hardware processors is configured to store instructions configured for execution of instructions to be executed by the one or more hardware processors (e.g., microcontroller).
[052] In accordance with the present disclosure, each slider crank mechanism from the plurality of slider crank mechanisms includes an expandable coupler link 106 from the plurality of expandable coupler links 106; a slider link 112 configured to move along a slide guide 130 driven by the at least one motor and transmission hub 116; and a crank link 120 configured to translate linear motion of the slider link 112 to rotary motion of the expandable coupler link 106.
[053] In accordance with the present disclosure, the mechatronic actuator 103 drives the plurality of slider crank mechanisms 108, 110 to enable the gripper assembly 100 with adaptivity to operate in a plurality of configurations including a (i) a folded configuration that compactly aligns the gripper assembly (100) along a plane having a Center of Gravity (CoG) proximate a CoG of the robot (200) to minimize imbalance of the robot (200) and (ii) an expanded configuration for intercepting at least one aerial target via (iii) one or more intermediate configurations. In an embodiment, the one or more intermediate configurations can be transitionary configurations between the folded configuration and the expanded configuration. In another embodiment, the one or more intermediate configurations can enable intercepting of at least one aerial target, depending on the size or nature of the target, one of the intermediate configurations.
[054] FIG.2 illustrates a schematic representation of the system 300 of FIG.1 with the gripper assembly 100 in an expanded configuration, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The gripper assembly 100 is mounted on the schematically represented robot 200 as illustrated.
[055] The gripper assembly 100 is initially in a folder or collapsed configuration. FIG.3 illustrates a schematic representation of the gripper assembly 100 of FIG.1 in a folded configuration. Robots, for instance drones with propellers are designed with the center of gravity (CoG) to lie at the geometric center of the system, so that while hovering, all the propellers rotate at same speed, and any shift in the CoG from the geometric center of the drone leads to different propeller speed to compensate for the offset in CoG. Shifted CoG also affects the accuracy of sensors which are otherwise supposed to be located at CoG. These factors lead to instability of the overall system making the system crash. System may not respond to the commanded signal as motors might saturate due to the shifted CoG or sensors might sense biased estimates of orientation of the drone, thus producing erroneous control command. From energy savings point of view, it is known from literature that efficiency drops with increasing Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) of the propellers. This implies that the propellers rotating at higher RPM to balance the moment exerted by the gripper reduce this efficiency. In addition, at higher RPM the frictional loss in the bearings increases and are lost as heat.
[056] In the folded configuration, the gripper assembly 100 compactly aligns along a plane with CoG proximate the CoG of the robot, maintaining balance of the robot 200. The gripper assembly 100 then expands to one or more intermediate configurations. FIG.4 illustrates a schematic representation of the gripper assembly 100 of FIG.1 in an intermediate configuration. The gripper assembly 100 then attains a final fully expanded configuration. FIG.5 illustrates an isometric view of the gripper assembly 100 of FIG.1 in the expanded configuration, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The expanded configuration via the one or more intermediate configurations is enabled only on demand thus further expending minimum energy. The outer frame 102 being coupled to the inner frame 104 via the expandable coupler links 106 moves outwards or inwards respectively to provide the three configurations mentioned herein above.
[057] A pair of slider crank mechanisms from the plurality of slider crank mechanisms operate such that when the slider link 112 of a first slider crank mechanism 108 from the pair moves along a first slider guide 130 from a base of the first slider crank mechanism 108 corresponding to the folded configuration to a position corresponding to the expanded configuration, away from the base of the first slider crank mechanism, the slider link 112 of the second slider mechanism 110 from the pair moves from the position away from the base of the second slider crank mechanism corresponding to the folded configuration along a second slider guide 130, to the base position of the second slider crank mechanism 110 corresponding to the expanded configuration.
[058] FIG.8 illustrates a schematic representation of a first slider crank mechanism 108 from a pair of slider crank mechanisms of the gripper assembly 100 of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The slider link 112 is configured to slide over the slider guide 130 driven by the at least one motor and transmission hub 116. Linear motion of the slider link 112 is translated to rotary motion of the expandable coupler link 106 via the crank link 120. In a conventional slider crank mechanism, the slider guide is rigidly fixed, and the crank link translates linear motion of the slider link to rotary motion. The coupler link is not expandable as in the case of the gripper assembly of the present disclosure.
[059] FIG.13 illustrates a simulated representation of the trajectory 134 followed by an outermost tip of an expandable coupler link 106 of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In accordance with the current disclosure, length of each of the plurality of expandable coupler links 106, angle between the slider guides 130 and length of the crank link 120 are based on dimensions of the gripper assembly 100 when it is in one of folded, intermediate, or expanded configuration and type of the robot 200. The simulated representation illustrates how the design of the gripper assembly 100 ensures that the trajectory 134 followed does not collide with the robot 200 or say the propellor if the type of the robot 200 is a drone with propellors in an exemplary scenario.
[060] FIG.9 illustrates a left side isometric view of the gripper assembly 100 of FIG.1 in the folded configuration, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The gripper assembly 100 is mounted on the robot 200 via the flexible mounting mechanisms 114. The gripper assembly 100 is expanded and retracted via the at least one motor and transmission hub 116. In an embodiment, the at least one motor and transmission hub 116 includes a pulley-rope mechanism. The rope 126 is guided through a pair of drive pulleys from a plurality of pairs of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) via the at least one motor and transmission hub 116. When the rope 126 is retracted or released, the slider guide 130 ensure a smooth and directed expansion or retraction of the gripper assembly 100. A locking mechanism 118 provides a maximum limit or stopper for the slider link 112, thereby controlling a maximum distance the slider link 112 can travel along the slider guide 130 further restricting the motion of the expandable coupler link 106 between an upper and lower limit corresponding to the expanded configuration and the folded configuration. In a conventional slider crank mechanism, the coupler link is fixed and short. As against this, in accordance with the present disclosure, the expandable coupler link 106 overcomes the problems in the art discussed above with the provided design. In accordance with the present disclosure, movement of the plurality of expandable coupler links 106 is synchronized by the mechatronic actuator 103. In an embodiment, each of the expandable coupler links 106 may be operated independently via appropriate use of sensors and motors.
[061] FIG.10 illustrates an exploded view of a motor and transmission hub 116 of the gripper assembly 100 of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Housing/chassis of the motor and transmission hub 116 is represented by 116-1. In accordance with the present disclosure, the at least one motor and transmission hub 116 with the rope and pulley drive comprises (i) a plurality of pairs of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b), wherein each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) corresponds to a slider crank mechanism (108, 110) and (ii) the plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b). Shaft couplers used to couple the motor shaft with the shaft of the drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) are referred by 116-3 (a, b). Clamps 116-5 (a, b) rigidly hold the motors 116-2 (a, b) in their place. In accordance with the present disclosure, a motor corresponds to each slider crank mechanism (108, 110); wherein each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) are rigidly coupled to a motor from the plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b) via a shaft coupler 116-3 (a, b); and wherein one of the drive pulleys within each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) is configured to wind a rope 116-6 (a-d) and the other drive pulley within each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) is configured to release the rope 116-6 (a-d) respectively. The rope 126 is referred as 116-6 (a-d) in FIG.10 for ease of explanation only. Guide pulleys 116-8 (a-d) are used to guide the rope 116-6 (a-d) to and from the motor and transmission hub 116 to the slider crank mechanism (108, 110). The guide pulleys 116-8 (a-d) rotate on rollers 116-7 (a, b).
[062] FIG.12A, FIG.12B and FIG.12C illustrate a top guide pulley assembly 122, a bottom guide pulley assembly 124 and an exploded view of the bottom guide pulley respectively, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The top guide pulley assembly 122 redirects the rope 126 back to the motor and transmission hub 116. Housing for top guide pulley assembly is represented by 122-1. Drive pulley for the top guide pulley assembly 122 is represented by 122-2 while 122-3 (a, b) represent small pulleys of the top guide pulley assembly 122. The housing for bottom guide pulley assembly 124 is represented by 124-1. Small pulleys of the bottom guide pulley assembly are represented by 124-2 (a, b).
[063] As referred in the description of FIG.9, each of the plurality of expandable coupler links 106 cooperates with the locking mechanism 118 when operating in the one or more intermediate configurations and the expanded configuration. Particularly, the locking mechanism 118 is configured to prevent rotational motion when the slider guide 130 of a slider crank mechanism from the plurality of slider crank mechanisms (108, 110) has a cylindrical cross section.
[064] In accordance with the present disclosure, the locking mechanism 118 is actuated (i) either by an active mechanism or a passive mechanism for the expanded configuration and (ii) by the active mechanism for the one or more intermediate configurations. The passive mechanism disables the gripper assembly 100 from returning to the folded configuration once the expanded configuration is attained, unless the locking mechanism 118 is manually unlocked. The actuation of the locking mechanism 118 by the active mechanism for the expanded configuration is triggered by a limit switch (not shown). Alternatively, the microcontroller of the mechatronic actuator 103 actuates the locking mechanism 118. In accordance with the present disclosure, the one or more intermediate configurations are actuated by only the microcontroller of the mechatronic actuator 103.
[065] FIG.11 illustrates an exploded view of a locking mechanism 118 of the gripper assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Housing for the locking mechanism is represented by 118-1. The slider guide 130 provides necessary rigidity to the gripper assembly 100 when in the one or more intermediate configurations and the expanded configuration. The relay 118-5 detects the limit of the slider link 112 to actuate the locking mechanism 118. Rollers 118-2 (a-c) are roller pins for allowing rotation of the locking links 118-4 (a-c) that rotate about the roller pins and hold the slider link 112 when it reaches the limit. Parts 118-3 (a-c) represent the spring-cam to enable the passive mechanism and linear actuator, solenoid for active mechanism respectively.
[066] The gripper assembly 100 is mountable on the body of the robot 200 via the flexible mounting mechanisms 114 that allow for orientation and position adaptation relative to the robot 200 via flexible joints (not shown). The flexible joints allow for structural variations in the body of the robot caused by manufacturing variations or variations caused by a crash. FIG.6A illustrates a schematic representation of a bottom fixture of the gripper assembly of FIG.1; FIG.6B illustrates a schematic representation of a right bottom mount assembly of the gripper assembly of FIG.1; and FIG.6C illustrates a schematic representation of an assembled view of the right bottom mount assembly of FIG.6B, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 114-1 represent coupling rods attached to the bottom fixture of the gripper assembly at one end while the other end is attached rigidly to rotary discs 114-4 (a, b), with freedom to rotate in a slider represented by top half 114-6 (a, b) and bottom half 114-7 (a, b). The slider slides in slots provided in a main body composed of 114-2 and 114-3 representing a top cover and a bottom cover respectively of the flexible mounting mechanism housing. Rod 114-5 enables rotary motion (hinge joint) of slider mechanism of the bottom fixture of the gripper assembly. 114-11 (a, b) and 114-12 (a, b) represent top clamps and bottom clamps respectively for fixing the coupling rods with body of the robot. The first slider crank mechanism support is represented by 128 and support for the first slider crank mechanism is represented by 128-1.
[067] FIG.7 illustrates an exploded view of a top fixture of the gripper assembly 100 of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Body of the top fixture of the gripper assembly is represented by 114-10 which caps onto the body of the robot 200 and allows for rotational and axial degree of freedom about its axis until it is rigidly fixed. 114-10 forms the fixture which caps onto the host systems mounting points, this allows for rotational and axial degree of freedom about its axis until it is rigidly fixed. 114-9 represents a cap for fixing the top of the gripper assembly 100. 114-8 is the slider mechanism support housing the first and second slider crank mechanisms (108, 110) and can rotate with respect to 114-10 about its cylindrical axis. It may be noted by those skilled in the art that the bottom fixture and the top fixture illustrated in FIG.6A and FIG.7 respectively, specifically illustrate an embodiment where the rotor is a quadrotor.
[068] Thus, the present disclosure provides a robot mountable gripper assembly adaptive to a foldable and extended configuration via one or more intermediate configurations. The design of the gripper assembly explained herein above is generic and can be mountable to any type of robot.
[069] The written description describes the subject matter herein to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the embodiments. The scope of the subject matter embodiments is defined by the claims and may include other modifications that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have similar elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims or if they include equivalent elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
[070] The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope of the disclosed embodiments. Also, the words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other similar forms are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[071] It is intended that the disclosure and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of disclosed embodiments being indicated by the following claims.
, Claims:We Claim:
1. A robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) for intercepting at least one aerial target comprising:
an inner frame (104) coupled to a body of the robot (200);
an outer frame (102) coupled to the inner frame (104) using a plurality of expandable coupler links (106), wherein the outer frame (102) is provided with one or more moving joints;
a mechatronic actuator (103) comprising:
at least one motor and transmission hub (116); and
a microcontroller configured to (i) read rotary positions of a plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b) comprised in the at least one motor and transmission hub (116) and (ii) control actuation thereof; and
a plurality of slider crank mechanisms (108, 110), wherein each slider crank mechanism comprises:
an expandable coupler link (106) from the plurality of expandable coupler links (106);
a slider link (112) configured to move along a slider guide (130) driven by the at least one motor and transmission hub (116); and
a crank link (120) configured to translate linear motion of the slider link (112) to rotary motion of the expandable coupler link (106),
wherein the mechatronic actuator (103) drives the plurality of slider crank mechanisms (108, 110) to enable the robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) with adaptivity to operate in a plurality of configurations including a (i) a folded configuration that compactly aligns the robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) along a plane having a Center of Gravity (CoG) proximate a CoG of the robot (200) to minimize imbalance of the robot (200) and (ii) an expanded configuration for intercepting at least one aerial target via (iii) one or more intermediate configurations.

2. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein length of each of the plurality of expandable coupler links (106) and length of the crank link (120) are based on dimensions of the robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) in the plurality of configurations and type of the robot (200).

3. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one motor and transmission hub (116) includes one or more of belt drive, lead screw drive, rope and pulley drive, gear drive setup, and chain-sprocket drive setup.

4. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one motor and transmission hub (116) with the rope and pulley drive comprises (i) a plurality of pairs of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b), wherein each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) corresponds to a slider crank mechanism (108, 110) and (ii) the plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b), wherein a motor corresponds to each slider crank mechanism (108, 110); wherein each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) are rigidly coupled to a motor from the plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b) via a shaft coupler 116-3 (a, b); and wherein one of the drive pulleys within each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) is configured to wind a rope (116-6 (a-d)) and the other drive pulley within each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) is configured to release the rope (116-6 (a-d)) respectively.

5. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of expandable coupler links (106) cooperates with a locking mechanism (118) when operating in the one or more intermediate configurations and the expanded configuration.

6. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism (118) is actuated (i) either by an active mechanism or a passive mechanism for the expanded configuration and (ii) by the active mechanism for the one or more intermediate configurations.

7. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the passive mechanism disables the robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) from returning to the folded configuration once the expanded configuration is attained, unless the locking mechanism (118) is manually unlocked.

8. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism (118) is configured to prevent rotational motion when the slider guide (130) of a slider crank mechanism from the plurality of slider crank mechanisms (108, 110) has a cylindrical cross section.

9. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the actuation of the locking mechanism (118) by the active mechanism for the expanded configuration is triggered by a limit switch.

10. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein movement of the plurality of expandable coupler links (106) is synchronized by the mechatronic actuator (103).

11. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of flexible mounting mechanisms (114) to enable mounting of the robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) on the body of the robot (200), such that the plurality of flexible mounting mechanisms (114) allow for orientation and position adaptation relative to the robot (200) via flexible joints.

12. The robot mountable adaptive gripper assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more intermediate configurations enable intercepting of at least one aerial target.

13. A system (300) comprising a robot (200) and an adaptive gripper assembly (100) mountable on the robot for intercepting aerial targets, wherein the adaptive gripper assembly comprises:
an inner frame (104) coupled to a body of the robot (200);
an outer frame (102) coupled to the inner frame (104) using a plurality of expandable coupler links (106), wherein the outer frame (102) is provided with one or more moving joints;
a mechatronic actuator (103) comprising:
at least one motor and transmission hub (116); and
a microcontroller configured to (i) read rotary positions of a plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b) comprised in the at least one motor and transmission hub (116) and (ii) control actuation thereof;
a plurality of slider crank mechanisms (108, 110), wherein each slider crank mechanism comprises:
an expandable coupler link (106) from the plurality of expandable coupler links (106);
a slider link (112) configured to move along a slider guide (130) driven by the at least one motor and transmission hub; and
a crank link (120) configured to translate linear motion of the slider link (112) to rotary motion of the expandable coupler link (106),
wherein the mechatronic actuator (103) drives the plurality of slider crank mechanisms (108, 110) to enable the adaptive gripper assembly (100) with adaptivity to operate in a plurality of configurations including a (i) a folded configuration that compactly aligns the adaptive gripper assembly (100) along a plane having a Center of Gravity (CoG) proximate a CoG of the robot (200) to minimize imbalance of the robot (200) and (ii) an expanded configuration for intercepting at least one aerial target via (iii) one or more intermediate configurations; and
a plurality of flexible mounting mechanisms (114) to enable mounting of the adaptive gripper assembly (100) on the body of the robot (200), such that the plurality of flexible mounting mechanisms (114) allow for orientation and position adaptation relative to the robot (200) via flexible joints.

14. The system (300) as claimed in claim 13, wherein length of each of the plurality of expandable coupler links (106) and length of the crank link (120) are based on dimensions of the adaptive gripper assembly (100) in the plurality of configurations and type of the robot (200).

15. The system (300) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one motor and transmission hub (116) includes one or more of belt drive, lead screw drive, rope and pulley drive, gear drive setup, and chain-sprocket drive setup.

16. The system (300) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one motor and transmission hub (116) with the rope and pulley drive comprises (i) a plurality of pairs of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b), wherein each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) corresponds to a slider crank mechanism (108, 110) and (ii) the plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b), wherein a motor corresponds to each slider crank mechanism (108, 110); wherein each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) are rigidly coupled to a motor from the plurality of motors 116-2 (a, b) via a shaft coupler 116-3 (a, b); and wherein one of the drive pulleys within each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) is configured to wind a rope (116-6 (a-d)) and the other drive pulley within each pair of drive pulleys 116-4 (a, b) is configured to release the rope (116-6 (a-d)) respectively.

17. The system (300) as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of expandable coupler links (106) cooperates with a locking mechanism (118) when operating in the one or more intermediate configurations and the expanded configuration.

18. The system (300) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the locking mechanism (118) is actuated (i) either by an active mechanism or a passive mechanism for the expanded configuration and (ii) by the active mechanism for the one or more intermediate configurations.

19. The system (300) as claimed in claim 18, wherein the passive mechanism disables the adaptive gripper assembly (100) from returning to the folded configuration once the expanded configuration is attained, unless the locking mechanism (118) is manually unlocked.

20. The system (300) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the locking mechanism (118) is configured to prevent rotational motion when the slider guide (130) of a slider crank mechanism from the plurality of slider crank mechanisms (108, 110) has a cylindrical cross section.

21. The system (300) as claimed in claim 18, wherein the actuation of the locking mechanism (118) by the active mechanism for the expanded configuration is triggered by a limit switch.

22. The system (300) as claimed in claim 13, wherein movement of the plurality of expandable coupler links (106) is synchronized by the mechatronic actuator (103).

23. The system (300) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the one or more intermediate configurations enable intercepting of at least one aerial target.

Dated this 17th Day of March 2023

Tata Consultancy Services Limited
By their Agent & Attorney

(Adheesh Nargolkar)
of Khaitan & Co
Reg No IN-PA-1086