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Robotics Research Corporation

James P Karlen

David A Damico

Jack M Thompson, Jr

Keith A Kowalski

Paul H Eismann

John Bockhold

A storage and retrieval system is provided that automates the process of handling a mixed inventory of palletized and containerized items. The invention is particularly useful in handling cargo and weapons within a ship's hold or magazine. When used on a ship, the invention provides for the stowing and unstowing of loads quickly and efficiently, to automatically secure such payloads for sea and to achieve high stowage density, while retaining the capability to select and retrieve any ordered payload, move it to and load it on elevator trays under computer control.

Stowage and retrieval system

A digitally controlled industrial robot comprises a set of unitized and integrated joint drive modules which can be assembled in series to form an arm. The joints are of two basic types, pitch joints and roll joints, with the roll joints providing rotation about the longitudinal axis of the manipulator and the pitch joints providing rotation about axes which are substantially perpendicular to and offset from the roll joint axes. Any number of joints may be assembled to comprise the manipulator, permitting the configuration of a kinematically redundant manipulator. A servocontrol derives feedback from sensing the motive force on a driven member and compensates the drive signal accordingly. More particularly, the torque exerted on each roll and pitch joint is measured and used for feedback to provide stability and optimum bandwidth for the servomechanism.

Industrial robot with servo

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Bethel, OH, United States of America

James P Karlen