Two wheel robot with convertibility and accessories
A two wheeled throwable robot with a pair of motorized wheels mounted on each end of an elongate body and a rearwardly extending tail. The body comprising a chassis with an accessory mounting interface on top side and rearward side. A backpack accessory providing active sensing or environmental effects has an inverted L-shape when viewed from an end and attaches to the rearward side of the elongate body and extends over the topside of the body. The stabilizing tail for the two wheeled robot attaches to a rearward surface of the backpack accessory. The robot and backpack accessory have impact protection means when the robot is thrown. The backpack accessory may be within a zone of protection defined by the maximum deflection of the wheels or may have elastomeric bumpers when the accessory backpack projects out of the zone of protection.
1. A backpack unit including an accessory removably mounted on a two-wheeled throwable robot, the robot comprising:
an elongate body with exactly two opposing ends;
a pair of motorized wheels mounted on each of the two opposing ends of the elongate body, each wheel having an undeflected radius, and each wheel being deflectable upon impact when thrown to a deflected radius, and wherein the deflected radius defines a cylindrical envelope, and wherein the space between the elongate body and the cylindrical envelope defines an annular accessory mounting space and zone of protection;
the backpack unit including an accessory extending radially outward beyond the cylindrical envelope defining the annular accessory mounting space;
a bumper extending radially outward with the backpack unit including the accessory, the bumper extending the zone of protection for the backpack unit including the accessory.
2. The backpack unit including the accessory removably mounted on the two-wheeled throwable robot of claim 1 , wherein the backpack unit including the accessory extending into an additional protective envelope provided by a tail extending rearwardly.
3. The backpack unit including the accessory removably mounted on the two-wheeled throwable robot of claim 2 wherein the accessory is one of a sensor, munition, communication device, illumination device, and gas dispensing device.
4. A backpack unit mountable on a two wheeled throwable robot, the backpack unit comprising:
a backpack body including a robot interfacing portion, the backpack body having an inverted L-shape when viewed from an end;
the robot interfacing portion of the backpack body receives at least one operational unit, the operational unit comprising one of a sensor, munition, communication device, illumination device, and gas dispensing device;
the backpack body having a length not exceeding 5.75 inches.
5. The backpack unit of claim 4 in combination with the two wheeled throwable robot.
6. The combination of claim 5 , wherein each wheel has an undeflected radius, and each wheel may deflect upon impact when thrown to a deflected radius, and wherein the deflected radius defines a cylindrical envelope, and wherein the space between the body and the cylindrical envelope defines an annular accessory mounting space.
7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the backpack unit is entirely within the annular accessory mounting space.
8. The combination of claim 5 , wherein a plurality of threaded fasteners are utilized to attach the backpack unit to the robot on a top side and on a rearward side of the chassis.
9. The two wheeled throwable robot in combination with a backpack unit of claim 4 , wherein the backpack accessory provides a tail interface and two tails are mounted on the backpack accessory.
10. The two wheeled throwable robot in combination with an backpack unit of claim 4 , wherein the accessory backpack assembly comprises a rearward portion attached to a backside of the chassis and an operational unit that is electrically connected to the backpack unit and is positioned above a topside of the robot.
11. The two wheeled throwable robot in combination with a backpack unit of claim 10 , wherein the operational unit provides a flashbang and the backpack accessory has a receiver therein.
12. A backpack accessory mountable on a two wheeled throwable robot, the backpack accessory comprising:
a rearward portion with a forward facing robot interface surface, the rearward portion comprising a housing with circuitry therein, the rearward portion being elongate;
a topside portion at a topside of the rearward portion and extending forwardly, the topside portion having a chassis that secures a pair of operational components for providing environmental effects, the rearward portion and topside portion configured as an inverted L when viewed from an end.
13. The backpack accessory of claim 12 , wherein the backpack accessory includes reloadable flashbang cartridges.
14. The backpack accessory of claim 12 , wherein the rearward portion has a rearward facing side with a tail mounting interface thereon, the tail mounting interface including a plurality of holes.
15. The backpack accessory of claim 12 , further comprising a power connector for providing the backpack accessory with power from the robot, and wherein the backpack accessory does not have a battery therein.
16. The backpack accessory of claim 15 , wherein the backpack accessory further has a power port for receiving power to recharge the robot when the power connector is plugged into a power port of the robot.
17. The backpack accessory of claim 12 , wherein there is at least one elastomeric bumper on the topside portion, the elastomeric bumper providing the uppermost surface of the backpack accessory.
18. The backpack accessory of claim 12 , further in combination with the two wheeled throwable robot.
19. The combination of claim 18 , wherein the robot has an elongate chassis, and a rearward side of the chassis has a matrixical arrangement of threaded holes, none of the threaded holes extending into the interior of the chassis, the matrixical arrangement spanning a distance that is most of a length of the body.
20. The combination of claim 18 , wherein each wheel of the two wheeled throwable robot may deflect upon impact when thrown to a deflected radius, and wherein the deflected radius defines a cylindrical envelope, and wherein the space between the body and the cylindrical envelope defines an annular accessory mounting space and wherein the backpack accessory is entirely within the annular accessory mounting space.