David R Christensen

US Patent:

20210001485, Jan 7, 2021

Filed:

Sep 23, 2020

Appl. No.:

17/029952

Inventors:

- BURBANK CA, US
STEVEN NIELS CHRISTENSEN - SAN MATEO CA, US
MARK SOX SETRAKIAN - LOS ANGELES CA, US
DAVID LOYAL CHRISTENSEN - BURBANK CA, US
GRANT MASARU IMAHARA - LOS ANGELES CA, US
MORGAN T. POPE - BURANK CA, US
SCOTT FRAZIER WATSON - MARINA DEL RAY CA, US
GÜNTER D. NIEMEYER - PASADENA CA, US

International Classification:

B25J 9/16
B25J 9/06
B25J 9/14
B25J 13/08

Abstract:

Systems and corresponding control methods providing a ballistic robot that flies on a trajectory after being released (e.g., in non-powered flight as a ballistic body) from a launch mechanism. The ballistic robot is adapted to control its position and/or inflight movements by processing data from onboard and offboard sensors and by issuing well-timed control signals to one or more onboard actuators to achieve an inflight controlled motion. The actuators may move an appendage such as an arm or leg of the robot or may alter the configuration of one or more body links (e.g., to change from an untucked configuration to a tucked configuration), while other embodiments may trigger a drive mechanism of an inertia moving assembly to change/move the moment of inertia of the flying body. Inflight controlled movements are performed to achieve a desired or target pose and orientation of the robot during flight and upon landing.

US Patent:

20190329414, Oct 31, 2019

Filed:

Apr 27, 2018

Appl. No.:

15/964710

Inventors:

- Burbank CA, US
STEVEN NIELS CHRISTENSEN - SAN MATEO CA, US
MARK SOX SETRAKIAN - LOS ANGELES CA, US
DAVID LOYAL CHRISTENSEN - BURBANK CA, US
GRANT MASARU IMAHARA - LOS ANGELES CA, US
MORGAN T. POPE - BURBANK CA, US
SCOTT FRAZIER WATSON - MARINA DEL RAY CA, US
GÜNTER D. NIEMEYER - PASADENA CA, US

International Classification:

B25J 9/16
B25J 9/14
B25J 9/06
B25J 13/08

Abstract:

Systems and corresponding control methods providing a ballistic robot that flies on a trajectory after being released (e.g., in non-powered flight as a ballistic body) from a launch mechanism. The ballistic robot is adapted to control its position and/or inflight movements by processing data from onboard and offboard sensors and by issuing well-timed control signals to one or more onboard actuators to achieve an inflight controlled motion. The actuators may move an appendage such as an arm or leg of the robot or may alter the configuration of one or more body links (e.g., to change from an untucked configuration to a tucked configuration), while other embodiments may trigger a drive mechanism of an inertia moving assembly to change/move the moment of inertia of the flying body. Inflight controlled movements are performed to achieve a desired or target pose and orientation of the robot during flight and upon landing.

US Patent:

20160200945, Jul 14, 2016

Filed:

Oct 29, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/926728

Inventors:

- Palo Alto CA, US
David L. Christensen - Los Altos CA, US
Mark R. Cutkosky - Palo Alto CA, US

International Classification:

C09J 7/02

Abstract:

A one-way synthetic dry adhesive is provided that includes a dry adhesive material layer having an array of microwedges, where the dry adhesive layer is disposed on a substrate surface. The microwedges have a leading surface and a trailing surface, where the leading surface terminates into the trailing surface to form a wedge tip. The leading surface includes an angle up to 90 degrees with respect to the substrate surface, and the trailing edge surface includes an angle greater than the leading surface angle with respect to the substrate. The microwedges have a depth that is less than a thickness of the dry adhesive layer, and a series of siping features disposed in the dry adhesive layer, where a depth of the siping features is greater than the microwedge depth, and the series of siping features has a periodicity that is less than a periodicity of the array of microwedges.

US Patent:

20160200946, Jul 14, 2016

Filed:

Jan 12, 2016

Appl. No.:

14/993332

Inventors:

- Palo Alto CA, US
David L. Christensen - Los Altos CA, US
Srinivasan Arul Suresh - Stanford CA, US
Mark R. Cutkosky - Palo Alto CA, US

International Classification:

C09J 7/02

Abstract:

A controllable adhesive for non-flat surfaces is provided. The device has a conformable (i.e. flexible) film and directly cast thereto a synthetic dry adhesive film. The synthetic dry adhesive film has elastomeric wedges. The conformable film is capable to deform to a non-flat surface. In one embodiment, the controllable adhesive has a first loading mechanism at one end of the controllable adhesive to apply load to the controllable adhesive. In another embodiment, forming a gripper, the controllable adhesive has a second controllable adhesive with a second loading mechanism, such that the first and second loading mechanism face each other and join a common point of loading.