Hopping robot

1. A robot comprising:

a chassis;

a motive subsystem configured to maneuver the chassis;

a hopping actuator attached to the chassis and configured to launch the robot, wherein the hopping actuator includes a foot extending rearwardly from the chassis along a roll axis of the chassis, and wherein the foot produces a thrust vector in a direction of the roll axis of the chassis; and

at least one leg pivotable with respect to the chassis to pitch the chassis upward at a selected launch trajectory angle, wherein the at least one leg is separate from the foot.

2. The robot of claim 1 in which the hopping actuator is a linear actuator.

3. The robot of claim 2 in which the hopping actuator is a combustion powered linear actuator.

4. The robot of claim 1 in which the hopping actuator is fixed to the chassis.

5. The robot of claim 1 in which there are a plurality of said legs.

6. The robot of claim 5 in which there are at least two legs, one on each opposing side of the chassis extending alongside the chassis and pivotable downward.

7. The robot of claim 1 further including a drive subsystem for said leg to pivot said leg with respect to the chassis.

8. The robot of claim 1 further including a control subsystem configured to control the motive subsystem when the robot is airborne.

9. The robot of claim 8 further including a sensor for determining when the robot is airborne and the control subsystem is responsive to said sensor and configured to actuate the motive subsystem in response.

10. The robot of claim 9 in which said sensor is an accelerometer.

11. The robot of claim 8 in which the control subsystem is further configured to automatically actuate the motive subsystem when the robot is airborne.

12. The robot of claim 11 in which the robot further includes a measurement subsystem which detects the orientation of the robot chassis in flight and the control subsystem controls the motive subsystem as a function of the orientation.

13. The robot of claim 12 in which the control subsystem is configured to drive the motive system until the robot chassis is level in flight.

14. The robot of claim 12 in which the control subsystem is configured to drive the motive subsystem in order to cancel pitch rotation of the chassis.

15. The robot of claim 1 in which the chassis defines a pitch axis and the chassis is configured to have a median axis of inertia transverse to the pitch axis.

16. The robot of claim 1 in which the motive subsystem includes wheels.

17. The robot of claim 16 in which each wheel includes protrusions extending outwardly therefrom for absorbing energy.

18. The robot of claim 17 in which the protrusions are angled inwardly.

19. The robot of claim 16 in which each wheel is made of an energy absorbing material.

20. The robot of claim 19 in which each wheel includes a rim supported by cells.

21. The robot of claim 16 in which each wheel is configured to increase a moment of inertia of the robot.

22. The robot of claim 21 in which each wheel includes a rim with an inwardly extending ridge.

23. A robot comprising:

a chassis;

a foot extending rearwardly from the chassis along a roll axis of the chassis, and wherein the foot produces a thrust vector in a direction of the roll axis of the chassis;

at least one leg pivotable with respect to the chassis to pitch the chassis upward at a selected launch trajectory angle, wherein the at least one leg is separate from the foot;

a motive subsystem configured to maneuver the chassis in both a right-side up and an upside-down orientation, wherein the motive subsystem includes rotatable wheels;

a measurement subsystem for detecting the attitude of the robot in flight; and

a control subsystem configured to automatically actuate and control the motive subsystem when the robot is airborne and use the rotational inertia of the wheels to control the attitude of robot chassis in flight so that the robot lands in the upside-down orientation.

24. The robot of claim 23 further including a hopping actuator attached to the chassis and configured to launch the robot, wherein the hopping actuator includes the foot.

25. The robot of claim 23 further including a sensor for determining when the robot is airborne and the control subsystem is responsive to said sensor and configured to activate the motive subsystem in response.

26. The robot of claim 23 in which the control subsystem is configured to drive the motive system until the robot chassis is level in flight.

27. The robot of claim 23 in which the control subsystem is configured to apply torque to the motive subsystem in order to cause the robot chassis to rotate towards a desired pitch orientation.

28. The robot of claim 23 in which the chassis defines a pitch axis and the roll axis and the chassis is configured to have a median axis of inertia transverse to the pitch axis.

29. The robot of claim 23 in which each wheel includes protrusions extending outwardly therefrom for absorbing energy.

30. The robot of claim 23 in which the protrusions are angled inwardly.

31. A robot deployment method comprising:

maneuvering, by a controller, the robot to a launch location by driving a robot motive subsystem, wherein the robot includes a chassis;

elevating one side of the robot; and

launching the robot by activating a hopping actuator, wherein the hopping actuator includes a foot extending rearwardly from the chassis along a roll axis of the chassis, wherein the foot produces a thrust vector in a direction of the roll axis of the chassis, and wherein the robot includes at least one leg that is separate from the foot.

32. The method of claim 31 further including automatically controlling the attitude of the robot in flight.

33. The method of claim 32 including the step of automatically leveling the robot in flight.

34. The method of claim 33 in which leveling the robot in flight includes controlling the motive subsystem of the robot.

35. The method of claim 31 further including adjusting the orientation of the robot in flight.

36. The method of claim 35 including driving the motive subsystem of the robot in order to cancel pitch rotation of the robot.

37. The method of claim 31 further including the step of configuring the robot chassis to have a median axis of inertia transverse to a chassis pitch axis.

38. A robot deployment method comprising:

maneuvering, by a controller, the robot to a launch location by driving a robot motive subsystem, wherein the motive subsystem includes rotatable wheels;

launching the robot from a right-side up orientation by activating a hopping actuator, wherein the hopping actuator includes a foot extending rearwardly along a roll axis of a chassis of the robot, wherein the foot produces a thrust vector in a direction of the roll axis of the chassis, and wherein the robot includes at least one leg that is separate from the foot; and

controlling the attitude of the robot in flight using rotational inertia of the wheels so that the robot lands in an upside-down orientation.

39. The method of claim 38 further including the step of elevating one side of the robot prior to launching the robot.

40. The method of claim 38 including the step of leveling the robot in flight.

41. The method of claim 40 in which leveling the robot in flight includes applying torque to the motive subsystem.

42. The method of claim 38 further including adjusting the orientation of the robot in flight.

43. The method of claim 38 including applying torque to the motive subsystem.

44. The method of claim 38 further including the step of configuring the robot chassis to have a median axis of inertia transverse to a chassis pitch axis.