The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 08, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 26, 2008
Charles B. Spinelli, Bainbridge Island, WA (US);
Tamaira E. Ross, Seattle, WA (US);
John L. Mciver, Bothell, WA (US);
Charles B. Spinelli, Bainbridge Island, WA (US);
Tamaira E. Ross, Seattle, WA (US);
John L. McIver, Bothell, WA (US);
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
An inexpensive unmanned mobile sensor and data collection rolling rover ('rollver) for exploring remote, inaccessible locations, such as deep craters and canyons, includes a hollow enclosure having a flexible wall that is expandable into the shape of a sphere, an apparatus for selectably expanding the wall of the enclosure, a sensor and instrumentation payload disposed within the enclosure and coupled to an inner surface of the wall of the enclosure, and a power supply for powering the payload at its destination. The rollver is adapted to roll to a target destination at least partially in response to at least one of an initial impetus imparted to the vehicle and gravitational forces acting thereon, and due to its relatively low cost, can be simultaneously deployed and used in an area of interest in relatively large numbers.