Catherine W Wright

US Patent:

45964122, Jun 24, 1986

Filed:

Feb 21, 1985

Appl. No.:

6/703848

Inventors:

Hobart R. Everett - Springfield VA
Catherine S. Wright - Alexandria VA

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy - Washington DC

International Classification:

B60R 1942

US Classification:

293 4

Abstract:

A tactile bumper is configured to obtain sensory information for impact dction and collision avoidance from the entire perimeter of an associated autonomous mobile robot or platform. The tactile bumper comprises a plurality of free-floating strips encased in a housing and is disposed in a spring-loaded fashion so as to normally be in an extended position. A plurality of microswitches are affixed to the housing and are arranged behind the plurality of free-floating strips in such a fashion so as to be activated by any displacement thereof. The most significant component(s) of the tactile bumper are a plurality of free-floating corner pieces, each of which is configured with an angled cut at its ends so as to mate with complementary angled cuts of juxtaposed ones of the plurality of free-floating strips. Thus, when a free-floating corner piece comes into contact with another surface, it will press against the juxtaposed free-floating strip(s), aforementioned, causing it, in turn, to activate the microswitch nearest to the free-floating corner piece.