Michael R Hopkins

US Patent:

20220226987, Jul 21, 2022

Filed:

Apr 6, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/224012

Inventors:

- Burbank CA, US
Lars Espen Knoop - Zurich, CH
Michael Anthony Hopkins - Pasadena CA, US
Kyle Michael Cesare - Burbank CA, US
Christian Gabriel Schumacher - Aarau, CH
Stelian Coros - Zurich, CH

International Classification:

B25J 9/16
B25J 13/08

Abstract:

A new controller for use in robots with kinematic loops as well as in most other types of robots (such as those with fully actuated kinematic trees). The controller includes an inverse kinematics (IK) module that implements a versatile IK formulation for retargeting of motions, including expressive motions, onto mechanical systems (i.e., robots with loops and/or without loops). Further, the controller is configured to support the precise control of the position and orientation of end effectors and the center of mass (CoM) (such as of walking robots). The formulation of the algorithms carried out by the IK module safeguards against a disassembly when IK targets are moved outside the workspace of the robot. A regularizer is included in the controller that smoothly circumvents kinematic singularities where velocities go to infinity.

US Patent:

20200369333, Nov 26, 2020

Filed:

May 24, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/421742

Inventors:

- Burbank CA, US
KYLE ROBERT THOMPSON - GLENDALE CA, US
MICHAEL ANTHONY HOPKINS - PASADENA CA, US
DEXTER J. DICKINSON - TUJUNGA CA, US
JARED EDWARD BISHOP - VENTURA CA, US
JERRY W. REES - GLENDALE CA, US
KYLE MICHAEL CESARE - BURBANK CA, US

International Classification:

B62D 57/032
B25J 11/00

Abstract:

A robot actor, or character mobility hardware platform, adapted to unleash or provide a wide variety of characters in the physical world. The robot actor enables the often screen-constrained characters to become life-like, interactive participants with nearby people in ways not presently achievable. The robot actor is an untethered, free-roaming robot that is has two (or more) legs, is adapted for high dexterity, is controlled and designed to be self-balancing, and, due to this combination of characteristics, the robot can provide characters with an illusion of life and, in many cases, in correct proportion and scale. The hardware and software of the robot actor will become a new generation of animatronic figures by providing a hardware platform capable of continuously evolving to become more capable through advances in controls and artificial intelligence (AI).