IP Library Granted Patent US 12,459,113
Granted Patent B2
US 12,459,113 · App. 17/429,163 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Robot leg and robotic system

Inventors: Alexander Sprowitz (Stuttgart, DE); Alborz Aghamaleki Sarvestani (Stuttgart, DE)
Assignee: MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.
B25J9/1075B25J9/109B25J13/088B62D57/032B25J17/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,459,113
App. No.
17/429,163
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a robot leg comprising at least two joints, each joint connecting two segments one to another, with each joint comprising a cam, the robot leg further comprising at least one actuator and a common tendon interconnecting each cam.

Claims (20)

1 . A robot leg comprising at least two joints, each joint connecting two segments one to another, with each joint comprising a cam, the robot leg further comprising at least one actuator and a common tendon interconnecting each cam, wherein at least one cam is dimensioned such that its radius is smaller than a pre-defined threshold, with said pre-defined threshold being an equilibrium threshold for loading of the robot leg,

wherein the equilibrium threshold is defined as F c *r c ∝F*d, wherein F defines an overall force which acts on the robot leg, d defines a length of a virtual leg, F c defines a force which acts on the respective cam and r c defines a radius of the respective cam.

2 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one cam is a final cam.

3 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cams are linear cams.

4 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein all of the cams are linear cams.

5 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 4 , wherein a linear cam is a cam that has a center of rotation and a constant radius.

6 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cams enable a movement of the two segments adjoining each joint relative to one another.

7 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the movement is a pivot movement between the two segments adjoining each joint.

8 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the common tendon is formed by two or more part tendons, wherein two directly adjacent part tendons are respectively connected to the same one of the cams.

9 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 8 , wherein each directly adjacent part tendon is configured to produce a torque at each cam such that it is configured to straighten the two segments adjoining each joint relative to one another.

10 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said joint extending torque is configured to counteract a load exerted on the overall length of the robot leg.

11 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the actuators is configured to bring about at least one of a movement and a force.

12 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein two actuators are provided including a first actuator comprising a spring and a second actuator comprising a motor.

13 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the actuators is a spring, and/or wherein the at least one of the actuators is a motor.

14 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein between two and eight joints are provided.

15 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , wherein three or more joints are provided, a further actuator is provided that is arranged between two directly adjacent joints adjacent to the segment interconnecting said two directly adjacent joints.

16 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a further tendon, interconnecting the at least one cam with a last segment and the at least one cam having a radius at the pre-defined threshold of the series of cams.

17 . The robot leg in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a control and evaluation unit and at least one sensor, with the control and evaluation unit being configured to control and actuate at least one of said actuators.

18 . A robotic system with at least two robot legs, each robot leg comprising at least two joints, each joint connecting two segments one to another, with each joint comprising a cam, the robot leg further comprising at least one actuator and a common tendon interconnecting each can, wherein at least one cam is dimensioned such that its radius is smaller than a pre-defined threshold, with said pre-defined threshold being an equilibrium threshold for loading of the robot leg, the robotic system further comprising a control and evaluation unit, wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to synchronize the robot legs in such a way, that a common locomotion of the robot legs is brought about,

wherein the equilibrium threshold is defined as F c *r c ∝F*d, wherein F defines the overall force which acts on the robot leg, d defines the length of the virtual leg, F c defines the force which acts on the respective cam and r c defines the radius of the respective cam.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2021
From: SARVESTANI, ALBORZ AGHAMALEKI; SPRÖWITZ, ALEXANDER
To: MAX-PLANCK­-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.
Reel/Frame 057584/0917 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 19157793 · Feb 18, 2019 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220089234A1 · Mar 24, 2022
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