A surveillance system includes a robot and an operator control unit (OCU) for controlling the robot. The robot includes GO a light-weight frame housing, wheels, motor compartments positioned within the light-weight frame housing, wheel motors positioned within the motor compartments and attached to the wheels, a camera for capturing surveillance images and an electronic controller that is electrically or wirelessly connected to the wheel motors and the camera and that is wirelessly connected to the OCU. The light-weight frame is made of light-weight foam that substantially surrounds, structurally supports and protects the robot wheel motors, camera and electronic controller from mechanical shock during intended use.

A robotic vehicle for traversing surfaces is provided. The vehicle is comprised of a chassis supporting a magnetic drive wheel for driving and steering the vehicle and a stabilization mechanism. The magnetic wheel comprises two flux concentrator yokes and an axially magnetized hub extending therebetween. The hub includes a central housing configured to house a sensor probe and enhance the magnetic pull force of the wheel by providing a continuous pathway of high magnetic permeability material for magnetic flux to flow axially through the drive wheel. The stabilization mechanism comprises a front and rear facing support element moveably coupled to the chassis and configured to contact the surface and move symmetrically relative to the chassis thereby maintaining the vehicle and probe normal to the surface and providing stability to the vehicle while traversing surfaces regardless of surface curvature and vehicle orientation.

A robotic vehicle for traversing surfaces is provided. The vehicle is comprised of a chassis supporting a magnetic drive wheel for driving and steering the vehicle and a stabilization mechanism. The magnetic wheel comprises two flux concentrator yokes and an axially magnetized hub extending therebetween. The hub includes a central housing configured to house a sensor probe and enhance the magnetic pull force of the wheel by providing a continuous pathway of high magnetic permeability material for magnetic flux to flow axially through the drive wheel. The stabilization mechanism comprises a front and rear facing support element moveably coupled to the chassis and configured to contact the surface and move symmetrically relative to the chassis thereby maintaining the vehicle and probe normal to the surface and providing stability to the vehicle while traversing surfaces regardless of surface curvature and vehicle orientation.

A work vehicle (1) comprising a forward part (3) and a rearward part (7) pivotally coupled about a main vertical pivot axis (10) for steering thereof. A power take-off shaft (29) is located adjacent a forward end (31) of the forward part (3) and is mechanically driven from a main output drive shaft (15) of an engine (14) located in the rearward part (7). A step-up gearbox (20) steps up the speed from the main output drive shaft (15) onto first and second output shafts (23, 24) for driving first and second hydraulic pumps (27, 28) which provide hydraulic supplies for motive power and for operating attachments attached to the forward end (31) of the forward part (3). A step-down gearbox (30) receives drive directly from the main output drive shaft (15) of the engine (14) and produces a stepped-down drive on an output shaft (33) of the step-down gearbox (30) with a gear ratio of 2:1. A main drive transmission shaft (35) transmits drive from the step-down gearbox (30) to the power take-off shaft (29) at the regulatory speed of a power take-off shaft in the range of 540 rpm to 1000 rpm, thereby minimising the speed of the mechanical drive required from the rearward part (7) to the forward part (3), and reducing the mechanical drives required from the rearward part (7) to the forward part (3) to a single mechanical drive.

An articulated/swivel joint for the articulated connection between a rear section and a front section of a construction machine includes a joint mechanism assigned to a swivel-stop arrangement for limiting the swivel movement of a front joint part in relation to a rear joint part. The swivel-stop arrangement includes a first swivel stop for predetermining a maximum amount of swivel deflection during deflection of the front joint part in relation to the rear joint part in a first swivel-movement direction and a second swivel stop for predetermining a second maximum amount of swivel deflection during deflection of the front joint part in relation to the rear joint part in a second swivel-movement direction. When an articulated movement is performed, the maximum swivel-deflection range decreases as the amount of articulated deflection increases, starting from a neutral position of articulation of the front joint part in relation to the rear joint part.

Inspection robots with configurable interface plates are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with at least three removable interface plates, each removable interface plate having a coupling interface for an electronic component on a first side, and coupled to at least one of a plurality of electronic boards on a second side. The example inspection robot may further include a drive module configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates, and a payload configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates. The example inspection robot may further include a means for operating the inspection robot in response to the drive module coupled to one of the removable interface plates, and the payload coupled to any other one of the removable interface plates.

Inspection robots with configurable interface plates are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with at least three removable interface plates, each removable interface plate having a coupling interface for an electronic component on a first side, and coupled to at least one of a plurality of electronic boards on a second side. The example inspection robot may further include a drive module configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates, and a payload configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates. The example inspection robot may further include a means for operating the inspection robot in response to the drive module coupled to one of the removable interface plates, and the payload coupled to any other one of the removable interface plates.

A robotic vehicle for traversing surfaces is provided. The vehicle is comprised of a front chassis section including a magnetic drive wheel for driving and steering the vehicle and a front support point configured to contact the surface. The vehicle also includes a rear chassis section supporting a follower wheel. The front and rear chassis sections are connected by joints including a hinge joint and a four-bar linkage. The hinge is configured to allow the trailing assembly to move side-to-side while the four-bar linkage allows the trailing assembly to move up and down relative to the front chassis. Collectively, the rear facing mechanism is configured to maintain the follower wheel in contact with and normal to the surface and also maintains the front support in contact with the surface and provides stability and maneuverability to the vehicle while traversing surfaces regardless of surface curvature and vehicle orientation.

A robotic vehicle for traversing surfaces is provided. The vehicle is comprised of a front chassis section including a magnetic drive wheel for driving and steering the vehicle and a front support point configured to contact the surface. The vehicle also includes a rear chassis section supporting a follower wheel. The front and rear chassis sections are connected by joints including a hinge joint and a four-bar linkage. The hinge is configured to allow the trailing assembly to move side-to-side while the four-bar linkage allows the trailing assembly to move up and down relative to the front chassis. Collectively, the rear facing mechanism is configured to maintain the follower wheel in contact with and normal to the surface and also maintains the front support in contact with the surface and provides stability and maneuverability to the vehicle while traversing surfaces regardless of surface curvature and vehicle orientation.

A robotic vehicle may include a first chassis platform including a first wheel assembly, a second chassis platform including a second wheel assembly where the first and second chassis platforms are spaced apart from each other, and a combination linkage operably coupling the first and second chassis platforms. The combination linkage may be operably coupled to the first chassis platform via a first link and is operably coupled to the second chassis platform via a second link. The combination linkage employs at least two different coupling features to operably couple the first and second chassis platforms. The at least two different coupling features include at least any two among a fixed attachment, an attachment that enables rotation about a turning axis, and an attachment that enables pivoting about a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the turning axis.