A low-profile roller assembly reduces an overall mounting height of walking machines enabling use in a wider variety of structures and locations while also reducing complexity and over cost. The low-profile roller assembly may include a roller device with a substantially flat roller cage with one or more slots configured to hold a single layer of rollers. The roller device may move longitudinally relative to a support foot and a load plate may move longitudinally relative to both the support foot and the roller device. The load plate may laterally displace relative to a longitudinal axis of the support foot or may laterally displace relative to longitudinal axes of both the support foot and the roller device.

A low-profile roller assembly reduces an overall mounting height of walking machines enabling use in a wider variety of structures and locations while also reducing complexity and over cost. The low-profile roller assembly may include a roller device with a substantially flat roller cage with one or more slots configured to hold a single layer of rollers. The roller device may move longitudinally relative to a support foot and a load plate may move longitudinally relative to both the support foot and the roller device. The load plate may laterally displace relative to a longitudinal axis of the support foot or may laterally displace relative to longitudinal axes of both the support foot and the roller device.

Robotic systems according to the invention include a frame or body with two or more wheels rotatably mounted on the frame or body and a motor for independently driving each wheel. A system controller generates a signal for actuating each motor based on information provided by one or more sensors in communication with the system controller for generating feedback signals for providing reactive actuation of the motors for generating one or more functions selected from the group consisting of forward motion, backward motion, climbing, and balancing. A power source is included for providing power to operate the drive motors, system controller and the one or more sensors.

Robotic systems according to the invention include a frame or body with two or more wheels rotatably mounted on the frame or body and a motor for independently driving each wheel. A system controller generates a signal for actuating each motor based on information provided by one or more sensors in communication with the system controller for generating feedback signals for providing reactive actuation of the motors for generating one or more functions selected from the group consisting of forward motion, backward motion, climbing, and balancing. A power source is included for providing power to operate the drive motors, system controller and the one or more sensors.

The present disclosure provides a robot posture control method as well as a robot and a computer readable storage medium using the same. The method includes: constructing a virtual model of the robot, wherein the virtual model comprises a momentum wheel inverted pendulum model of the robot and an angle between a sole surface of the robot and a horizontal plane; and performing a posture control based on outer-loop feedback control, inner loop compensation for the external disturbance rejection in position level, inner loop external disturbance rejection via null-space in velocity level, and inner loop external disturbance rejection in force/acceleration level on the robot. In this manner, a brand-new virtual model is provided, which can fully reflect the upper body posture, centroid, foot posture, and the like of the robot which are extremely critical elements for the balance and posture control of the robot.

An example method may include i) determining a first distance between a pair of feet of a robot at a first time, where the pair of feet is in contact with a ground surface; ii) determining a second distance between the pair of feet of the robot at a second time, where the pair of feet remains in contact with the ground surface from the first time to the second time; iii) comparing a difference between the determined first and second distances to a threshold difference; iv) determining that the difference between determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference; and v) based on the determination that the difference between the determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference, causing the robot to react.

An example method may include i) determining a first distance between a pair of feet of a robot at a first time, where the pair of feet is in contact with a ground surface; ii) determining a second distance between the pair of feet of the robot at a second time, where the pair of feet remains in contact with the ground surface from the first time to the second time; iii) comparing a difference between the determined first and second distances to a threshold difference; iv) determining that the difference between determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference; and v) based on the determination that the difference between the determined first and second distances exceeds the threshold difference, causing the robot to react.

A modular robotic vehicle (MRV) having a modular chassis configured for a vehicle utilizing two-wheel steering, four-wheel steering, six-wheel steering, eight-wheel steering controlled by a semiautonomous system or an autonomous driving system, either system is associated with operating modes which may include a two-wheel steering mode, an all-wheel steering mode, a traverse steering mode, a park mode, or an omni-directional mode utilized for steering sideways, driving diagonally or move crab like. Accordingly, during semiautonomous control a driver of the modular robotic vehicle may utilize smart I/O devices including a smartphone, tablet like devices, or a control panel to select a preferred driving mode. The driver may communicate navigation instructions via smart I/O devices to control steering, speed and placement of the MRV in respect to the operating mode. Accordingly, GPS and a wireless network provides navigation instructions during an autonomous operation involving driving, parking, docking or connecting to another MRV.

An example implementation involves receiving measurements from an inertial sensor coupled to the robot and detecting an occurrence of a foot of the legged robot making contact with a surface. The implementation also involves reducing a gain value of an amplifier from a nominal value to a reduced value upon detecting the occurrence. The amplifier receives the measurements from the inertial sensor and provides a modulated output based on the gain value. The implementation further involves increasing the gain value from the reduced value to the nominal value over a predetermined duration of time after detecting the occurrence. The gain value is increased according to a profile indicative of a manner in which to increase the gain value of the predetermined duration of time. The implementation also involves controlling at least one actuator of the legged robot based on the modulated output during the predetermined duration of time.

An example implementation involves receiving measurements from an inertial sensor coupled to the robot and detecting an occurrence of a foot of the legged robot making contact with a surface. The implementation also involves reducing a gain value of an amplifier from a nominal value to a reduced value upon detecting the occurrence. The amplifier receives the measurements from the inertial sensor and provides a modulated output based on the gain value. The implementation further involves increasing the gain value from the reduced value to the nominal value over a predetermined duration of time after detecting the occurrence. The gain value is increased according to a profile indicative of a manner in which to increase the gain value of the predetermined duration of time. The implementation also involves controlling at least one actuator of the legged robot based on the modulated output during the predetermined duration of time.