ROBOTS AND METHODS FOR PROTECTING FRAGILE COMPONENTS THEREOF
The present disclosure relates to protecting fragile members of robots from damage during fall events. In response to detecting a fall event, a fragile member of a robot can be actuated to a defensive configuration to avoid or reduce damage. An actuatable protective member can be actuated to protect a fragile member to avoid or reduce damage to the fragile member. Actuatable protective members can be dedicated protective members, or can be other members of the robot which serve different functionality outside of a fall event but act as a protective member during a fall event.
1 . A method comprising:
detecting, by at least one processor of a robot, a fall event of a body of the robot based on sensor data from at least one sensor of the robot communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;
in response to detecting the fall event, actuating at least one member of the robot to protect a fragile member of the robot.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein actuating at least one member of the robot to protect the fragile member comprises: actuating the fragile member to a defensive configuration which protects the fragile member from damage during the fall event.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein actuating the fragile member to a defensive configuration comprises actuating the fragile member to a contracted configuration.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the fragile member includes an end effector comprising a plurality of finger-shaped members coupled to a palm-shaped member; and
actuating the fragile member to a defensive configuration comprises actuating the finger-shaped members to move towards the palm-shaped member to a fist-shaped configuration.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the robot includes at least one actuatable member; and
actuating at least one member of the robot to protect the fragile member comprises: actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration which protects the fragile member from damage during the fall event.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the at least one actuatable member comprises at least one support member coupled to the body and stored in a contracted configuration; and
actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration comprises: extending the at least one actuatable member from the body to an extended configuration which braces the body during the fall event.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the at least one actuatable member comprises at least one support member; and
actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration comprises extending the at least one support member from a stowed configuration to a support configuration which braces the fragile member during the fall event.
8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the fragile member includes a plurality of fragile members;
the at least one actuatable member includes a plurality of actuatable members; and
actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration which protects the fragile member from damage during the fall event comprises: actuating each actuatable member of the plurality of actuatable members to a respective protective configuration which protects a respective fragile member of the plurality of fragile members from damage during the fall event.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the robot includes at least one actuatable member; and
actuating at least one member of the robot to protect the fragile member comprises:
actuating the fragile member to a defensive configuration which protects the fragile member from damage during the fall event; and
actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration which protects the fragile member from damage during the fall event.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein actuating the fragile member to a defensive configuration comprises actuating the fragile member to a contracted configuration, and actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration comprises actuating the at least one actuatable member to an extended configuration.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the fragile member comprises an end effector coupled to the body by the at least one actuatable member;
actuating the fragile member to a defensive configuration comprises actuating the fragile member to move towards the body; and
actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration comprises actuating the at least one actuatable member to extend away from the body.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the fragile member comprises a hand-shaped end effector;
the at least one actuatable member comprises an arm member including an elbow portion;
the hand-shaped end effector is coupled to the body by the arm member;
actuating the fragile member to a defensive configuration comprises actuating the hand-shaped end effector to move towards the body; and
actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration comprises actuating the arm member to extend the elbow portion away from the body.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the fragile member comprises two hand-shaped end effectors;
the at least one actuatable member comprises two arm members, each arm member including a respective elbow portion;
each hand-shaped end effector is coupled to the body by a respective one of the arm members;
actuating the fragile member to a defensive configuration comprises actuating each of the hand-shaped end effectors to move towards the body; and
actuating the at least one actuatable member to a protective configuration comprises actuating each of the arm members to extend each respective elbow portion away from the body.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the robot includes at least one support structure coupled to the at least one actuatable member, the support structure being actuatable between a stowed configuration in which the support structure is stowed, and a support configuration in which the support structure supports the at least one actuatable member; and
the method further comprises, in response to detecting the fall event, actuating the at least one support structure from the stowed configuration to the support configuration.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the at least one support structure comprises at least one pad positioned at or proximate the at least one actuatable member; and
the method further comprises, in response to detecting the fall event, actuating the pad to cover the at least one actuatable member.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the at least one actuatable member comprises an arm member having an elbow portion;
the at least one support structure comprises at least one elbow pad positioned at or proximate the elbow portion; and
actuating the at least one support structure from the stowed configuration to the support configuration comprises actuating the elbow pad to cover the elbow portion.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the at least one support structure comprises at least one pedestal positioned at the at least one actuatable member; and
actuating the at least one support structure from the stowed configuration to the support configuration comprises actuating the pedestal to extend from the at least one actuatable member.
18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the at least one support structure comprises at least one spring positioned at the at least one actuatable member; and
actuating the at least one support structure from the stowed configuration to the support configuration comprises actuating the spring to extend from the at least one actuatable member.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises collecting, by the at least one sensor, sensor data selected from a group of data consisting of:
acceleration data;
orientation data;
angular velocity data;
velocity data;
inertial data;
visual data;
LIDAR data;
audio data; and
tactile data.
20 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the robot in bipedal motion, by two actuatable leg members of the robot.