Barrett Technology, Inc.

Boston Biomotion Inc.

William T Townsend

David Wilkinson

Brian Zenowich

Donald E Drumm

James Patton

Arvind Ananthanarayanan

Traveler Hauptman

Adam Crowell

Claude F Valle, Iv

Alexander Jenko

Julian Leland

Amy A Blank

Gill A Pratt

Thomas Nadovich

Christopher Woodall

Michael Schiess

Daniel Henry Fourie

Nathan Ulrich

Dana Yoerger

Michael Morin

Daniel Greeley

Bryce Lee

Yevgeniy Kozlenko

John Lawson

Vitaliy Krutik

Burt Doo

Brandon D Larocque

Yoky Matsuoka

Larry C Miller

Alvin Yen

Peter Botticelli

Darren Landino

Claude Valle

A motor controller for controlling the operation of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, wherein the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is characterized by three phases A, B, C, and further wherein the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is driven by regulating three phase currents i, iand ifor the three phases A, B, C, respectively, the motor controller comprising: a three-phase power supply for supplying the three phase currents i, iand i; a first sensor for sensing the phase current i; a second sensor for sensing across the phase currents iand i; and a microcontroller for controlling the operation of the three-phase power supply so as to produce the three phase currents i, iand ineeded to operate the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, wherein the microcontroller reads the outputs of the first sensor and the second sensor and adjusts operation of the three-phase power supply so as to produce phase currents i, iand iwhich produce the desired torque in the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.

High performance current sensing architecture for brushless motors

A robotic device for operation in association with a body of a user, wherein the body of the user comprises a torso and a limb, the robotic device comprising: a base; an arm having a first end and a second end, the first end of the arm being mounted to the base; an endpoint device having a first end and a second end, the first end of the endpoint device being mounted to the second end of the arm; and a grip configured to be gripped by a limb of a user, wherein the grip is mounted to the second end of the endpoint device, and further wherein the grip is adjustable relative to the endpoint device along a pitch axis, a yaw axis and a roll axis.

Multi-active-axis, non-exoskeletal robotic rehabilitation device

A robotic device for operation in association with an appendage of a user, wherein the appendage of the user has an endpoint, the robotic device comprising: a base; and a robotic arm attached to the base and having an end-point, the robotic arm having at least two active degrees of freedom relative to the base and being configured so that when the base is appropriately positioned relative to a user, the reference frame of the robotic device is oriented generally similarly to the reference frame of the user and motions of the endpoint of the appendage of the user are mimicked by motions of the endpoint of the robotic arm.

Multi-active-axis, non-exoskeletal rehabilitation device

A motor controller for controlling the operation of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, wherein the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is characterized by three phases A, B, C, and further wherein the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is driven by regulating three phase currents i, iand ifor the three phases A, B, C, respectively, the motor controller comprising: a three-phase power supply for supplying the three phase currents i, iand ia first sensor for sensing the phase current i; a second sensor for sensing across the phase currents iand i; and a microcontroller for controlling the operation of the three-phase power supply so as to produce the three phase currents i, iand ineeded to operate the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, wherein the microcontroller reads the outputs of the first sensor and the second sensor and adjusts operation of the three-phase power supply so as to produce phase currents i, iand iwhich produce the desired torque in the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.

A robotic device for operation in association with an appendage of a user, wherein the appendage of the user has an endpoint, the robotic device including: a base; and a robotic arm attached to the base and having an endpoint, the robotic arm having at least two active degrees of freedom relative to the base and being configured so that when the base is appropriately positioned relative to a user, the reference frame of the robotic device is oriented generally similarly to the reference frame of the user and motions of the endpoint of the appendage of the user are mimicked by motions of the endpoint of the robotic arm.

Apparatus for connecting a motor controller to an electrical motor, said apparatus comprising:

Method and apparatus for connecting an ultracompact, high-performance motor controller to an ultracompact, high-performance brushless DC motor

An end effector controller that is gripped by an operator in one hand, including a pistol-grip housing configured to fit in the palm of an operator's hand when gripped and having mounted thereon a plurality of switching mechanisms with pivoting, dual-acting switch triggers each configured for independent actuation by multiple fingers of the hand when said controller is gripped, and a method for controlling a robotic end effector remotely using the operator hand-gripped controller, the method including switching between preset operating modes of the end effector using a single, control input element, easily actuated by a finger in the operator's gripping hand; and providing continuous fine adjustment between preset modes using a second, control input element also easily actuated by a finger on the operator's gripping hand.

Pistol-grip for intuitive control of a robotic or virtual hand

A mechanism for pretensioning a cable, or like tension element, of a tension-element drive selectively engages the motor drives of the cable for pretensioning. The mechanism uses a sleeve on which a portion of the cable is wound, with another portion of the cable wound in an opposed direction on a drive shaft on the motor. A clutch connects the sleeve to the motor output shaft. An initiator mechanism selectively stops rotation of the sleeve and the cable portion wound on the sleeve while allowing the motor torque to act on the other end of the cable wound on the drive shaft.

Automatic pretensioning mechanism for tension element drives

A robotic device has a base and at least one finger having at least two links that are connected in series on rotary joints with at least two degrees of freedom. A brushless motor and an associated controller are located at each joint to produce a rotational movement of a link. Wires for electrical power and communication serially connect the controllers in a distributed control network. A network operating controller coordinates the operation of the network, including power distribution. At least one, but more typically two to five, wires interconnect all the controllers through one or more joints. Motor sensors and external world sensors monitor operating parameters of the robotic hand. The electrical signal output of the sensors can be input anywhere on the distributed control network. V-grooves on the robotic hand locate objects precisely and assist in gripping. The hand is sealed, immersible and has electrical connections through the rotary joints for anodizing in a single dunk without masking. In various forms, this intelligent, self-contained, dexterous hand, or combinations of such hands, can perform a wide variety of object gripping and manipulating tasks, as well as locomotion and combinations of locomotion and gripping.

Process for anodizing a robotic device

Featured is a controller for a motor that is ultra-compact, with a power density of at least about 20 watts per cubic cm (W/cm). The controller utilizes a common ground for power circuitry, which energizes the windings of the motor, and the signal circuitry, which controls this energization responsive to signals from one or more sensors. Also, the ground is held at a stable potential without galvanic isolation. The circuits, their components and connectors are sized and located to minimize their inductance and heat is dissipated by conduction to the controller's exterior such as by a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material (e.g., potable epoxy). The controller uses a single current sensor for plural windings and preferably a single heat sensor within the controller. The body of the controller can also function as the sole plug connector.

Ultra-compact, high-performance motor controller and method of using same

Intelligent, self-contained robotic hand

A passive exercise apparatus includes an interface member for coupling to a user's limb. An arm member is coupled to the interface member by a wrist joint. The wrist joint has rotational motion about three axes. A first link is coupled to the arm member by a sliding joint. The sliding joint allows translational motion of the arm member relative to the first link. A second link is rotatably coupled to the first link by a first rotary joint. A third link is rotatably coupled to the second link by a second rotary joint. A first brake is coupled to the first rotary joint for resisting movement of the first rotary joint. A second brake is coupled to the second rotary joint for resisting movement of the second rotary joint. A third brake is coupled to the arm member for resisting movement of the arm member. The user is capable of interfacing with the apparatus to exercise a six degree of freedom motion.

Exercise apparatus

A pretensioning mechanism for tension element drives includes a drive pinion including a pinion shaft and a pinion sleeve; a first tension element end anchor on the pinion shaft for securing one end of a tension element wound around the drive pinion in a first direction and a second tension element end anchor on the pinion sleeve for securing the end of another tension element wound around the drive pinion in a second, opposite direction; and a worm drive including a worm gear on one of the pinion sleeve and pinion shaft and a worm on the other of the pinion sleeve and pinion shaft for relatively counter-rotating said pinion shaft and pinion sleeve for simultaneously in a single action adjusting and fixing the pretension on the tension element.

Growing community of inventors

Weston, MA, United States of America

William T Townsend