Omni-directional mobile manipulator

1. A mobile robot comprising:

a body;

a support base supporting said body and having a plurality of omni-directional wheels driven to move the mobile robot across a surface;

at least one arm assembly coupled to said body at a first end thereof and a gripper at a second end of said arm assembly; and

said gripper being selectively movable between an open position and closed position and said gripper is rotatable around an axis of the gripper; and

wherein said gripper can selectively engage and rotate a rotary door handle to unlatch the door and said omni-directional wheels on said support base are driven to move the mobile robot along a curved path to open the door.

2. A mobile robot according to claim 1 wherein said gripper is movable in the horizontal and vertical planes with said arm assembly comprising a plurality of links, each having a longitudinal axis with the gripper being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the link adjacent the gripper.

3. A mobile robot according to claim 1 wherein said gripper is movable in the horizontal and vertical planes with said arm assembly comprising an upper link and a lower link, with each link having a longitudinal axis; and wherein

said upper link is coupled at a first end to said body with a driven first joint and at a second end to a first end of said lower link by a second joint; and wherein

a second end of said lower link is coupled to said gripper and said gripper is rotatable about its longitudinal axis of the lower link.

4. A mobile robot according to claim 3 wherein said gripper is coupled to said second end of said lower link by a driven joint.

5. A mobile robot according to claim 4 wherein said first joint pivots in one of the horizontal plane and vertical plane relative to the support base, said second joint pivots in one of the horizontal plane and vertical plane relative to said support base with said first joint and said second joint pivoting in different planes, and said third joint rotates about the longitudinal axis of said gripper.

6. A mobile robot according to claim 1 wherein said at least one arm assembly comprises a pair of opposing arm assemblies, each coupled to said body at a first end thereof and having the gripper at a second end of the arm assembly;

each gripper being rotatable around an axis of the gripper; and

each gripper being selectively movable between an open position and closed position.

7. A mobile robot according to claim 6 wherein the support base includes at least 3 driven omni-directional wheels.

8. A method of opening a door comprising:

driving a plurality of omni-directional wheels to move a robot to a position adjacent a door to be opened;

using a drive of the robot to move a gripper at the end of an arm assembly of the robot into an open grip position;

positioning the gripper at the door handle;

moving the gripper to engage the door handle;

driving the omni-directional wheels to cause movement of the robot along a curved path to move the door to an open position.

9. A method of opening a door as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising the step of rotating the gripper to rotate and unlatch the door handle.