Flexible joint based on rolling contact and continuum robot with the same

Abstract

The invention discloses a flexible joint based on rolling contact and a continuum robot with the flexible joint based on rolling contact. The flexible joint comprises two rolling bodies which are connected with each other; each rolling body is provided with a first contact surface located at the upper end of the rolling body and a second contact surface located at the lower end of the rolling body; the two rolling bodies are in rolling connection through the first contact surfaces and the second contact surfaces; a central reed is inserted in the middle of each rolling body; and the central reeds provide restoring torque for the adjacent rolling bodies after rolling motion. The flexible joint is a combination of CORE and reed flexible hinges, has the advantages of traditional rigid rotarypairs and flexible hinges, is simple in structure, convenient to machine, free of pin shaft fit, free of friction loss, free of lubrication, environmentally friendly and large in axial bearing capacity, and achieves the combination of high-compliance motion and high axial rigidity in structure when used in the continuum robot.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the technical field of aviation maintenance / aviation detection, in particular to a flexible joint based on rolling contact and a continuum robot with the same. Background technique [0002] Inspection and maintenance are important links in the service of the whole life cycle of aircraft, and the cost of aircraft maintenance accounts for a large part of its operating costs. Maintenance mainly includes two categories: in-situ maintenance and off-site repair. Out-of-place repair costs a lot and takes a long period; in-situ maintenance can greatly shorten the cycle, but it is not often used due to various restrictions. In the field of aviation inspection and maintenance, there is an urgent demand for robots that can realize in-situ maintenance operations. [0003] Due to its many degrees of freedom and strong flexibility, continuum robots can operate in complex and narrow environments without damaging the environment, providing a ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0017] In order to reduce the volume and mass of the robot arm body, the continuum robot is mostly driven by a rope or a rod, and its axial load becomes very large due to the tension on the driving rope. For a flexible unit with a simple structure, no or little assembly For continuum robots, the axial bearing capacity is generally small, and the axial deformation makes modeling and control difficult, and the accuracy is difficult to guarantee

[0018] In addition, the specific rotation angle (the ratio of the maximum rotation angle to the size) of the combined reed type flexible hinge (such as the trapezoidal reed flexible hinge) is small, and when used in a continuum robot with strict requirements on the size, the size will be too large or the rotation angle will be too large. too small problem

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