IP Library › Granted Patent US 12691960

Granted Patent B2

US 12691960 · App. 19/239,145 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Humanoid robot

Inventors: Paul Gloninger Fleury (Austin, TX); Bradley Aaron Resh (Austin, TX); Joseph Michael Young (Riverside, CA); Jonas Alexan Fox (Austin, TX); Nicholas Arden Paine (Austin, TX)

Assignee: Apptronik, Inc.

B62D57/032 B25J9/102 B25J9/123 B25J9/1666 B25J9/1697 B25J17/02

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12691960
App. No.: 19/239,145
Granted: Jul 28, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A method of operating a robot includes operating a robot that includes a body assembly that includes a frame formed of at least one body joint assembly, and at least one pair of joint linear actuators that form the at least one body joint. The method further includes controlling the at least one pair of joint linear actuators to operate in combination to adjust the at least one body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

Claims (104)

1 . A method of operating a robot, comprising:

operating a robot that comprises:

a body assembly that comprises a frame formed of at least one body joint assembly, and

at least one pair of joint linear actuators that form the at least one body joint assembly, wherein each of the joint linear actuators comprises a quasi-direct drive (QDD) linear actuator;

detecting, with at least one image sensor, an obstacle proximate to the body assembly;

generating, with at least one inertial measurement unit, at least one signal;

providing the at least one signal to at least one motor controller coupled to the at least one pair of joint linear actuators;

operating, based on the at least one signal, the at least one pair of joint linear actuators with the at least one motor controller to adjust the at least one body joint assembly; and

controlling the at least one pair of joint linear actuators to operate in combination to adjust the at least one body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the body assembly comprises a torso assembly, the torso assembly comprising:

at least a portion of the frame;

at least one upper body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly; and

at least one pair of upper body linear actuators of the at least one pair of joint linear actuators, the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the upper body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the body assembly comprises a base assembly, the base assembly comprising:

at least another portion of the frame;

at least one lower body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly; and

at least one pair of lower body linear actuators of the at least one pair of joint linear actuators, the pair of lower body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the lower body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the base assembly is coupled to the torso assembly.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one upper body joint assembly comprises at least six upper body joint assemblies, with each of the at least six upper body joint assemblies comprising a pair of upper body linear actuators.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least six upper body joint assemblies comprise: a first shoulder joint assembly, a second shoulder joint assembly, a first wrist joint assembly, a second wrist joint assembly, a neck joint assembly, and a torso joint assembly.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second shoulder joint assemblies comprises a pair of upper body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective shoulder joint assembly in two degrees of shoulder freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of shoulder freedom comprising roll and yaw.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the torso joint assembly comprises a pair of upper body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the torso joint assembly in two degrees of torso freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of torso freedom comprising roll and pitch.

9 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises at least four lower body joint assemblies, with each of the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprising a pair of lower body linear actuators.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprise: a first ankle joint assembly, a second ankle joint assembly, a first hip joint assembly, and a second hip joint assembly.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second ankle joint assemblies comprises a pair of lower body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective ankle joint assembly in two degrees of ankle freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of ankle freedom comprising roll and pitch.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second hip joint assemblies comprises a pair of lower body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective hip joint assembly in two degrees of hip freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of hip freedom comprising roll and pitch.

13 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises a first thigh assembly and a second thigh assembly.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the first thigh assembly and the second thigh assembly comprises:

a pair of lower body linear actuators; and

a thigh linear actuator positioned with the pair of lower body linear actuators and configured to adjust, in combination with the pair of lower body linear actuators, the respective first or second thigh assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the QDD linear actuator comprises a low gear ratio QDD linear actuator.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises a gear ratio of between 10:1 and 50:1.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises at least one screw configured to facilitate a speed reduction.

18 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one motor controller comprises a first motor controller and a second motor controller, the method further comprising:

operating the first motor controller communicably coupled to each upper body linear actuator of the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators; and

operating the second motor controller communicably coupled to each lower body linear actuator of the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the first and second motor controllers comprises a direct current (DC) motor controller.

20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising operating the first motor controller to operate, based on a first signal, to operate the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators in combination to adjust the at least one upper body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

21 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising operating the second motor controller, based on a second signal, to operate the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators in combination to adjust the at least one lower body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

22 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the robot further comprises a brain that comprises one or more hardware processors, one or more memory modules, and one or more sensors comprising the at least one image sensor and the at least one inertial measurement unit.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the robot is a humanoid robot.

24 . A method of operating a robot, comprising:

operating a robot that comprises:

a body assembly that comprises a frame formed of at least one body joint assembly, and

at least one pair of joint linear actuators that form the at least one body joint assembly;

controlling the at least one pair of joint linear actuators to operate in combination to adjust the at least one body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation, wherein the body assembly comprises:

a torso assembly, the torso assembly comprising:

at least a portion of the frame;

at least one upper body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly; and

a base assembly, the base assembly comprising:

at least another portion of the frame;

at least one lower body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly; and

operating a first motor controller communicably coupled to each upper body linear actuator of the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators to operate, based on a first signal, the at least one upper body linear actuators in combination to adjust the at least one upper body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation; and

operating a second motor controller communicably coupled to each lower body linear actuator of the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the base assembly is coupled to the torso assembly.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the at least one upper body joint assembly comprises at least six upper body joint assemblies, with each of the at least six upper body joint assemblies comprising a pair of upper body linear actuators.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the at least six upper body joint assemblies comprise: a first shoulder joint assembly, a second shoulder joint assembly, a first wrist joint assembly, a second wrist joint assembly, a neck joint assembly, and a torso joint assembly.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein each of the first and second shoulder joint assemblies comprises a pair of upper body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective shoulder joint assembly in two degrees of shoulder freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of shoulder freedom comprising roll and yaw.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the torso joint assembly comprises a pair of upper body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the torso joint assembly in two degrees of torso freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of torso freedom comprising roll and pitch.

30 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises at least four lower body joint assemblies, with each of the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprising a pair of lower body linear actuators.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprise: a first ankle joint assembly, a second ankle joint assembly, a first hip joint assembly, and a second hip joint assembly.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein each of the first and second ankle joint assemblies comprises a pair of lower body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective ankle joint assembly in two degrees of ankle freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of ankle freedom comprising roll and pitch.

33 . The method of claim 31 , wherein each of the first and second hip joint assemblies comprises a pair of lower body linear actuators configured to operate in combination to adjust the respective hip joint assembly in two degrees of hip freedom through differential linear actuation, the two degrees of hip freedom comprising roll and pitch.

34 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises a first thigh assembly and a second thigh assembly.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein each of the first thigh assembly and the second thigh assembly comprises:

a pair of lower body linear actuators; and

36 . The method of claim 24 , wherein each of the joint linear actuators comprises a quasi-direct drive (QDD) linear actuator.

37 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the QDD linear actuator comprises a low gear ratio QDD linear actuator.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises a gear ratio of between 10:1 and 50:1.

39 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the low gear ratio QDD linear actuator comprises at least one screw configured to facilitate a speed reduction.

40 . The method of claim 24 , wherein each of the first and second motor controllers comprises a direct current (DC) motor controller.

41 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising operating the second motor controller, based on a second signal, to operate the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators in combination to adjust the at least one lower body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

42 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the robot further comprises a brain that comprises one or more hardware processors, one or more memory modules, and one or more sensors.

43 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one inertial measurement unit, and at least one image sensor.

44 . The method of claim 43 , further comprising:

detecting, with the at least one image sensor, an obstacle proximate to the body assembly;

generating, with the at least one inertial measurement unit, at least one signal;

providing the at least one signal to a motor controller coupled to the at least one pair of joint linear actuators; and

operating, based on the at least one signal, the at least one pair of joint linear actuators with the motor controller to adjust the at least one body joint assembly.

45 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the robot is a humanoid robot.

46 . A method of operating a robot, comprising:

operating a robot that comprises:

a body assembly that comprises a frame formed of at least one body joint assembly, and

at least one pair of joint linear actuators that form the at least one body joint assembly;

a torso assembly, the torso assembly comprising:

at least a portion of the frame;

at least one upper body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly; and

a base assembly, the base assembly comprising:

at least another portion of the frame;

at least one lower body joint assembly of the at least one body joint assembly; and

operating a first motor controller communicably coupled to each upper body linear actuator of the at least one pair of upper body linear actuators; and

operating a second motor controller communicably coupled to each lower body linear actuator of the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators to operate, based on a second signal, the at least one pair of lower body linear actuators in combination to adjust the at least one lower body joint assembly in two degrees of freedom through differential linear actuation.

47 . The method of claim 46 , wherein the base assembly is coupled to the torso assembly.

48 . The method of claim 46 , wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises at least four lower body joint assemblies, with each of the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprising a pair of lower body linear actuators.

49 . The method of claim 48 , wherein the at least four lower body joint assemblies comprise: a first ankle joint assembly, a second ankle joint assembly, a first hip joint assembly, and a second hip joint assembly.

50 . The method of claim 46 , wherein the at least one lower body joint assembly comprises a first thigh assembly and a second thigh assembly.

51 . The method of claim 46 , wherein each of the joint linear actuators comprises a quasi-direct drive (QDD) linear actuator.

52 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the QDD linear actuator comprises a low gear ratio QDD linear actuator.