Robot and robot leg mechanism — Boston Dynamics Patent

US7734375B2 · Boston Dynamics Inc

Patent number
US7734375B2
Applicant
Boston Dynamics Inc
Filing date
2004-06-09
CPC class
B25J9/10
Pillar
Muscle

The patent describes a robot with a leg mechanism enabling both climbing inclined/vertical surfaces and walking/running on horizontal surfaces. It features hips that abduct/adduct legs between sprawled climbing posture and upright walking posture, combined with a linkage (four-bar) driven by a differential gear assembly for optimal leg paths. This simplifies design while improving versatility, speed, compactness, and reliability compared to complex multi-DOF prior art robots.

Claims

1. A robot comprising: a body; at least one leg on each side of the body; a hip connecting the leg to the body and configured to abduct and adduct the leg; and a linkage configured to rotate the leg along a predetermined path. 2. The robot of claim 1 in which the hip includes a differential gear assembly... (key independent claims focus on the hip differential, four-bar linkage, motor arrangement, and method of operation for climbing/walking).

Technical analysis

Core innovation is the abduction/adduction hip with differential gearing allowing wide leg splay for wall adhesion (e.g., via suction or grippers implied) while enabling efficient upright gait. The four-bar linkage optimizes foot trajectory for both modes, reducing actuators/motors needed. Addresses weight, complexity, and reliability issues in legged robotics, foundational for dynamic locomotion systems like those later used in BigDog/Atlas.

Commercial impact

Enabled Boston Dynamics' early legged robot platforms, contributing to their leadership in dynamic robotics. Licensed or built upon in military (DARPA-funded) and commercial quadrupeds; influenced modern agile robots for inspection, defense, and logistics by proving scalable, efficient leg mechanisms.

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