Rail Rider - Modular Navigation System for Household Robots

This is a modular locomotion system for household robotics. In many cases it would be very difficult to design and build a robot capable of navigating a home on the floor. Climbing stairs and avoiding obstacles could prove difficult tasks for the robot to perform. By riding on the walls and ceiling the system can be made more adaptable by reducing obstacles and issues involved in ground based movement. A robot rail system could navigate to many places around the house quickly and effectively and avoid getting in the way of the humans in the house. The system is designed to be modular and work with many different helping robots. A team of chef arms could prepare food and a shuttle system could deliver it to different places around the house. It could organize items in compartments and retrieve them when needed. It could aid other ground based robots like robotic vacuums by transporting them from floor to floor letting them cover a higher percentage of the house. A robotic waiter system could deliver food and drinks to people in a restaurant. The system could also be used in an industrial or commercial setting. A system of robots riding on a rail system could transport materials from process to process in a high tech factory. Moving robot arms could help in assembly. The rail system works with pivoted v wheel guides which allow the cart to go around corners and ride on walls and the ceiling. The system would be propelled using friction wheels on the rails. The rail system is designed to fit many different house configuration and work with rooms with anomalous shapes. The rail would be made out of aluminum extrusion with injection molded corners and connectors. A rail system could be installed into many different places due to the systems flexibility and ability to snake around corners and ride around obstacles.