A compound quadruped locomotion method for a purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a compound quadruped locomotion method for a purely pneumatically driven quadruped robot, including a compound Walk gait and a compound Trot gait. The compound Walk gait involves the robot bending and extending its body as it steps, moving an additional distance equal to the length of the body's inflation. The compound Trot gait involves the robot bending from the left to the right, undergoing three stages: bending, full extension, and bending. The robot's pneumatic trunk assembly simulates the trunk of a quadruped reptile, while the robot's leg assembly simulates the quadruped's two-degree-of-freedom legs, thereby mimicking the trunk and leg structures of amphibians to a significant degree.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of robots, and in particular relates to a compound quadruped motion method of a purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot. Background Art

[0002] Quadruped crawling robots have experienced rapid development in the past decade. On the one hand, with the development and dissemination of land vehicle and humanoid robot technologies, the corresponding technologies have also been applied to quadruped crawling robots, promoting the rapid development of quadruped crawling robots and making them more flexible, robust and efficient. On the other hand, people are increasingly studying the movement methods, morphological appearance, and physiological mechanisms of quadruped reptiles. The combination of these studies with modern neural network control technology, high-precision sensor technology, and three-dimensional vision technology is also driving the rise of new intelligent quadruped crawling robots. In recent years, with the development of unmanned equipment technology, future wars will definitely be unmanned and intelligent wars. Because quadruped crawling robots themselves have good concealment, excellent environmental adaptability and relatively stable control performance, they can be well applied in military, environmental exploration, and special tasks. The specific needs are as follows:

[0003] (1) Realize a new covert operation mode initiated from land

[0004] The quadrupedal crawler's inherent advantages, such as low noise from biomimetic propulsion, a deceptive biomimetic appearance, and the natural barrier of land, make it highly concealed. The entire capture process can begin with the quadrupedal crawler being autonomously released from a remote location by a carrier (a land-based unmanned vehicle, an aerial transport aircraft, or an underwater submarine). The quadrupedal crawler's excellent locomotion and maneuverability in complex land environments allow it to rapidly accomplish a variety of complex operational tasks.

[0005] (2) Realize long-term environmental exploration, material transportation, and reconnaissance and search and rescue in complex land terrain

[0006] Due to the special application environment of the quadruped crawling robot itself, it has a variety of available environmental channels such as solar energy and wind energy, which can realize long-term exploration, transportation and search and rescue work in special and complex terrains, and use solar energy, wind energy, etc. for power supply during non-operation periods.

[0007] (3) Undertake specific military tasks

[0008] At present, there are still many landmines in the world that are difficult to detect and remove in complex land environments such as beaches, swamps, and deserts. Quadruped crawling robots can carry out mine clearance tasks in amphibious terrains by carrying sensors and visual systems, and can efficiently complete search tasks in a certain area.

[0009] From the perspective of the quadrupedal reptile prototype, the animal's muscle tissue can drive the trunk to extend and contract, so that the animal's body can swing left and right and extend, achieving the maximum stride and the best movement rate in coordination with the four legs.

[0010] At present, general bionic quadruped crawling robots usually only study the structure of the bionic prototype limbs and the gait planning of the limbs. The body is only used as a rigid structure to connect the four legs, and the role of the left and right swing of the body in promoting the robot's movement performance is not fully utilized.

[0011] In recent years, a growing number of bionic quadrupedal crawling robots with spine structures have been developed, achieving combined motion through spinal oscillation and quadrupedal striding. These spines are mostly driven by servo motors. The greater the number of servo motors, the more segments the spine possesses, and the more flexible the robot's movements. This, to some extent, mimics the combined motion of body oscillation and quadrupedal striding, a characteristic of reptile locomotion. However, the increased number of servo motors inevitably leads to a more complex structure and difficulties in control system design. Furthermore, due to the rigidity of the servo motors, the bionic spine structure can only bend in equal lengths and cannot simulate the extension and contraction of musculature external to the skeleton, which in turn limits the maximization of stride length. The extension and contraction of animal muscle tissue cannot be replicated solely through skeletons. To achieve the gait of a quadrupedal reptile, a bionic skeleton constructed from multiple servo motors in series is insufficient. This necessitates the design of a soft muscle structure that mimics the contraction and extension of real animal muscles.

[0012] Quadruped robots can perform a variety of gaits, including the Walk and Trot gaits. Therefore, gait planning for these robots is crucial for their maneuverability and excellent locomotion performance. Traditional gaits, which are typically rigid, fail to mimic the coordinated torso swing and leg-stepping gaits of real quadrupeds. Summary of the Invention

[0013] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a composite quadrupedal motion method for a purely pneumatically driven quadrupedal crawling robot in response to the deficiencies in the above-mentioned prior art, so as to solve the technical problems of traditional quadrupedal crawling robots such as overly mechanized body structure, insufficient bionics of movement gait, leakage short circuit, and high maintenance cost. On the one hand, it improves the movement rate of traditional quadrupedal crawling robots and provides research experience for subsequent researchers on the propulsion mechanism and body morphology of quadrupedal crawling robots. On the other hand, it reduces the maintenance cost of traditional electrically driven amphibious robots.

[0014] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0015] A compound quadruped locomotion method for a purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot includes a compound Walk gait and a compound Trot gait. In the compound Walk gait, the legs of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot are accompanied by bending and extension of the body while taking steps, and the robot moves an additional distance equal to the distance the body is inflated and extended. In the compound Trot gait, the robot undergoes three stages of bending, full extension, and bending during the process of bending its body from left to right.

[0016] Specifically, the compound Walk motion gait is as follows:

[0017] In the initial gait, the lower leg of the pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot is perpendicular to the thigh;

[0018] Pure pneumatic drive stretches the right leg of the quadruped crawling robot forward, while the right torso air chamber is inflated, causing the torso assembly to bend to the left, driving the head assembly to extend forward and swing the head to the left, causing the right front leg to take a step.

[0019] While keeping the right torso air chamber inflated, the left torso air chamber is inflated, causing the torso assembly to extend forward. At this time, the left front leg extends forward, and the head assembly returns to its original state from the head swinging state.

[0020] The air chamber on the left side of the trunk is deflated and contracted, causing the trunk component to change from an extended state to a bent state again. At the same time, the left hind leg is extended forward, and the trunk component pulls the left leg forward to take a step.

[0021] The torso air chamber on the right side deflates and contracts, causing the torso assembly to change from a bent state to a fully contracted state. At the same time, the right hind leg extends forward under the pull of the torso assembly, and the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot returns to its starting state, completing a gait cycle.

[0022] Specifically, the compound Trot movement gait is as follows:

[0023] The starting gait provides a stable state for the start of the Trot compound gait.

[0024] The left front leg and right hind leg extend forward simultaneously, while the left torso air chamber is inflated and the right torso air chamber is not inflated, causing the torso assembly to bend and extend to the right. The head assembly swings to the right and extends forward, providing movement space for the left front leg to step forward.

[0025] The right front leg and the left hind leg extend forward at the same time. While the left torso air chamber is deflated, the right torso air chamber is inflated, causing the torso component to change from extending and bending to the right to extending and bending to the left, and the head component to swing from the right to the left. The right front leg gains a stepping space, and at the same time, the left front leg and the right hind leg swing to push the body of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot forward, completing a gait cycle. Repeating the above operations achieves continuous propulsion of the Trot gait.

[0026] Specifically, the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot includes a trunk assembly, the front end of the trunk assembly is connected to the head assembly, the rear end of the trunk assembly is connected to the tail assembly, the ends of the head assembly and the tail assembly are respectively connected to the leg assemblies, and the trunk assembly includes eight trunk air chambers, which are placed crosswise, and each trunk air chamber contains a trunk air chamber inner cavity, and each trunk air chamber inner cavity is respectively connected to a corresponding air pressure inlet.

[0027] Furthermore, the four right torso air chambers are respectively provided with right torso air chamber air inlets, and the four left torso air chambers are respectively provided with left torso air chamber air inlets. The right torso air chamber air inlet is connected to the right torso trachea air inlet through the right torso air chamber connecting trachea, and the left torso air chamber air inlet is connected to the left torso trachea air inlet through the left torso air chamber connecting trachea.

[0028] Furthermore, the leg assembly includes a thigh potting unit, one end of the thigh potting unit is connected to one side of the head assembly or the tail assembly, and the other end is connected to one end of the calf potting unit through a second connecting piece. The calf potting unit and the thigh potting unit are driven to lift the legs and take steps by expanding the air in the internal air chamber.

[0029] Furthermore, the thigh encapsulating unit is provided with an air chamber air inlet at the lower end of the thigh unit and an air chamber air inlet at the upper end of the thigh unit; the calf encapsulating unit is provided with an air chamber air inlet at the front end of the calf unit and an air chamber air inlet at the rear end of the calf unit; the air chamber air inlet at the lower end of the thigh unit and the air chamber air inlet at the rear end of the calf unit, as well as the air chamber air inlet at the upper end of the thigh unit and the air chamber air inlet at the front end of the calf unit are connected by air chamber air inlet connecting air pipes.

[0030] Furthermore, a solenoid valve is respectively connected between the front air chamber of the calf unit and the lower air chamber of the thigh unit, and between the rear air chamber of the calf unit and the upper air chamber of the thigh unit.

[0031] Furthermore, the other end of the calf potting unit is connected to the silicone anti-slip foot pad through a first connecting piece.

[0032] Furthermore, two air chambers are respectively provided in the calf potting unit and the thigh potting unit, and the bending of the leg component can be achieved by introducing high-pressure gas into one of the air chambers.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0034] A composite quadrupedal motion method for a purely pneumatically driven quadrupedal crawling robot simulates a real quadrupedal reptile through its body, simulates the quadrupedal reptile's torso through the robot's pneumatic torso assembly, and simulates the quadrupedal reptile's two-degree-of-freedom legs through the robot's leg assembly, thus imitating the amphibian torso and leg structures to a great extent.

[0035] Furthermore, the Walk gait is a low-speed walking gait for quadruped robots. By moving its limbs alternately, the robot can maintain relative balance and reduce the risk of swaying and falling, which is particularly important for walking on uneven or rugged terrain. Compared to other gaits, such as running or galloping, the Walk gait is more energy-efficient. It allows the robot to have a longer endurance. The Walk gait enables the robot to perform precise motion control. By adjusting the stride length, foot position, and speed, it can move within a narrow area and traverse or bypass obstacles. However, conventional quadruped robots either have rigid bodies and cannot imitate the gait of real quadruped reptiles, where the trunk swings and the legs stride in coordination. Or they use a bionic spine structure that can only bend in equal lengths and cannot simulate the extension and contraction of muscle tissue outside the skeleton. This, to some extent, also limits the maximization of strides. The compound Walk gait proposed in the present invention is accompanied by bending and stretching of the body while the legs are taking steps, so that under the same gait steps, the distance of movement is one step longer than that of the traditional walk gait (i.e., the distance of body inflation and stretching), which greatly improves the movement speed and efficiency.

[0036] Furthermore, the Trot gait design aims to increase the movement speed of the robot. Compared with the Walk gait, the Trot gait allows the robot to walk or run at a faster speed. At the same time, the Trot gait enables the robot to react faster and has higher maneuverability. Compared with the Walk gait, the Trot gait enables the robot to adjust direction, jump over obstacles or avoid threats more quickly. The compound Trot gait proposed in the present invention is accompanied by the bending and extension of the body while the legs are taking steps. Unlike the traditional Trot gait, since the body is flexible and has no mechanical structure constraints, in the process of bending the body from the left to the right, it undergoes three processes of bending-full inflation and extension-reverse bending, that is, the body undergoes a process of full inflation and extension during the swinging process, so that the distance stepped by the legs is further increased. Compared with the body swinging with pure mechanical structure constraints, the stepping distance can be further increased, and the movement speed and efficiency can be improved.

[0037] Furthermore, the robot torso assembly uses a proportional servo valve to introduce air pressure into the tracheal air inlet on the left side of the torso and the tracheal air inlet on the right side of the torso, and by adjusting the output pressure of the proportional servo valve, the pressure acts on the inside of the torso air chamber to control the expansion size of the torso air chamber. The expansion of the four torso air chambers squeezes each other, causing the robot torso assembly to bend and deform, thereby imitating the left and right swinging of the animal's body.

[0038] Furthermore, when high-pressure gas is introduced into the right tracheal inlet of the torso, the torso bends to the left. A cross-sectional view shows that the high-pressure expansion causes the internal cavities of the individual torso air chambers to expand and squeeze each other. Similarly, when high-pressure gas is introduced into the left inlet, the torso bends to the right. This left-right bending of the robot is achieved by alternating air supply from the left and right sides.

[0039] Furthermore, the air inlet of the lower end of the thigh unit and the air inlet of the rear end of the calf unit, as well as the air inlet of the upper end of the thigh unit and the air inlet of the front end of the calf unit are connected through air inlet connection pipes, so that after the high-pressure gas is introduced, the lower sealed unit of the thigh expands, causing the leg to bend upward as a whole, presenting an upward lifting effect. At the same time, the high-pressure gas enters the rear sealed unit of the calf through the upper thigh unit to expand it, so that the calf part bends forward, presenting an effect of stepping forward. Figure 8 (a), the upper unit of the thigh potting is connected to the front unit of the calf potting. When high-pressure gas is introduced, the thigh and calf move simultaneously to produce the effect of pushing the ground backwards. Figure 8 (b).

[0040] Furthermore, the leg control scheme employs separate solenoid valves, connecting the front air chamber of the calf unit to the lower air chamber of the thigh unit, and the rear air chamber of the calf unit to the upper air chamber of the thigh unit, rather than using a single two-position, four-way solenoid valve for both the calf and thigh units. This design allows the air chamber of one potting unit to be pre-inflated before the other air chamber of its paired potting unit is inflated, accelerating leg bending, improving leg response, and enhancing movement efficiency.

[0041] Furthermore, the other end of the calf encapsulation unit is connected to the silicone anti-slip foot pad through the second connector to increase the friction with the ground. The main force for the robot to move forward is the friction with the ground. The silicone anti-slip foot pad and the pattern on the foot pad increase the friction between the robot and the ground, so that the robot's legs generate greater forward force when pushing off the ground. At the same time, the robot's standing action is also mainly due to the friction of the silicone anti-slip foot pad on both sides.

[0042] Furthermore, two air chambers are respectively provided in the calf encapsulation unit and the thigh encapsulation unit. When high-pressure gas enters one of the air chambers, the inflated air chamber expands due to the pressure of the gas, and the uninflated air chamber contracts due to the force of the other air chamber, thereby producing a bending effect. Figure 7 The component shown imitates the contraction effect of animal muscles by alternately expanding two air chambers.

[0043] In summary, the present invention employs a biomimetic structure, simulating the movements of a real quadruped reptile through pneumatic trunk and leg assemblies. Its pure pneumatic drive system achieves rapid response and low energy consumption, enabling a combined Walk and Trot motion pattern. Compared to traditional gaits, this significantly improves movement speed and efficiency. By simulating real muscle contraction and contraction, it demonstrates the advantage of closely resembling biological morphology and movement patterns, demonstrating potential advantages and application prospects.

[0044] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the robot of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the leg structure of the robot of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the robot torso structure of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a single two-chamber leg potting unit;

[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the robot torso;

[0050] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the air supply bending of the robot's multi-chamber torso;

[0051] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the air supply bending of the two-chamber leg unit of the robot;

[0052] Figure 8 Two motion modes for the robot's two pneumatic leg components;

[0053] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the robot's forward step movement;

[0054] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the robot's inflatable torso extending on both sides;

[0055] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram corresponding to the simplified structure of the robot;

[0056] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the robot's compound Walk motion gait;

[0057] Figure 13 Compound Trot motion gait for the robot.

[0058] Wherein: 1. Leg assembly; 11. Foot pad; 12. First connecting piece; 13. Calf potting unit; 14. Thigh potting unit; 15. Second connecting piece; 16. Air inlet of the front air chamber of the calf unit; 17. Air inlet of the rear air chamber of the calf unit; 18. Air inlet of the lower air chamber of the thigh unit; 19. Air inlet of the upper air chamber of the thigh unit; 20. Air inlet connection to the air pipe; 29. ​​Inner cavity of the air chamber of the leg potting unit;

[0059] 2. Torso assembly; 21. Torso air chamber; 22. Torso right air chamber air inlet; 23. Torso left air chamber air inlet; 24. Torso right air chamber connection to trachea; 25. Torso left air chamber connection to trachea; 26. Torso left tracheal air inlet; 27. Torso right tracheal air inlet; 27. Torso air chamber interior;

[0060] 3. Head component; 4. Tail component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0062] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "one side", "one end", "one side" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0063] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0064] It will be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0065] It should also be understood that the terms used in the present specification are only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the present specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0066] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the present description and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0067] The accompanying drawings illustrate various schematic diagrams of structures according to embodiments disclosed herein. These figures are not drawn to scale; for clarity, some details are exaggerated and some details may be omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the figures, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate in practice due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Those skilled in the art may design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0068] See also Figure 1 The present invention provides a purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot, comprising: a leg component 1, a trunk component 2, a head component 3 and a tail component 4.

[0069] The front end of the trunk component (2) is connected to the head component (3), and the rear end is connected to the tail component (4). Both sides of the head component (3) and the tail component (4) are respectively connected to the leg component (1); the leg component (1) includes a thigh encapsulation unit (14), one end of the thigh encapsulation unit (14) is connected to one side of the head component (3) or the tail component (4), and the other end is connected to one end of the calf encapsulation unit (13) through a second connecting member (15); the calf encapsulation unit (13) and the thigh encapsulation unit (14) drive the leg to lift and step by expanding the air supplied by the internal air chamber.

[0070] See also Figure 4 , which is the inner cavity 29 of the leg potting unit air chamber of the calf potting unit 13 and the thigh potting unit 14.

[0071] See also Figure 2 The leg assembly 1 of the robot is the driving component of the robot, including: a silicone anti-slip foot pad 11, a first connecting part 12, a calf potting unit 13, a thigh potting unit 14, a second connecting part 15, a calf unit front end air chamber air inlet 16, a calf unit rear end air chamber air inlet 17, a thigh unit lower end air chamber air inlet 18, a thigh unit upper end air chamber air inlet 19, an air chamber air inlet connecting the air pipe 20, and a leg potting unit air chamber inner cavity 29.

[0072] The silicone anti-slip foot pad 11 is located at the bottom of the leg assembly and is used to increase friction and relieve impact when the robot moves. One end of the first connecting piece 12 is tightly connected to the silicone anti-slip foot pad 11 through a silicone adhesive (since most parts of the robot are made of silicone flexible material, the connection method is silicone adhesive, which will not be described later), and the other end is connected to the calf potting unit 13. The first connecting piece 12 is used to support the robot. The calf potting unit 13 and the thigh potting unit 14 are the driving components of the robot. The internal air chamber is expanded to drive the leg to lift and step, etc. The two are connected by a second connecting piece 15. The air inlet 16 of the air chamber at the front end of the calf unit and the air inlet 16 at the rear end of the calf unit are connected. The air chamber air inlet 17 is located on the calf potting unit 13, serving as the air supply channel for the two air chambers of the calf potting unit 13. Similarly, the air chamber air inlet 18 at the lower end of the thigh unit and the air chamber air inlet 19 at the upper end of the thigh unit are located on the thigh potting unit 14, serving as the air supply channel for the two air chambers of the thigh potting unit 14. The air chamber air inlets are connected to the air pipes 20, one connecting the front air chamber air inlet 16 of the calf unit and the upper air chamber air inlet 19 of the thigh unit, and the other connecting the rear air chamber air inlet 17 of the calf unit and the lower air chamber air inlet 18 of the thigh unit, ensuring that the front air chamber of the calf unit and the lower air chamber of the thigh unit, the rear air chamber of the calf unit and the upper air chamber of the thigh unit are supplied with air at the same time, thereby improving exercise efficiency.

[0073] See also Figure 3The robot torso assembly 2 is the driving and supporting component of the robot, including: a torso air chamber 21, a torso right air chamber air inlet 22, a torso left air chamber air inlet 23, a torso right air chamber connecting air pipe 24, a torso left air chamber connecting air pipe 25, a torso left air pipe air inlet 26, a torso right air pipe air inlet 27, and a torso air chamber inner cavity 28.

[0074] The robot trunk assembly 2 is manufactured by integrated potting. The main body consists of eight trunk air chambers 21, four on each side, placed crosswise. Each trunk air chamber 21 on the right side has a trunk right air chamber air inlet 22 at the upper end. The four trunk right air chamber air inlets 22 are aggregated to the trunk right air chamber connecting air pipe 24. Similarly, each trunk air chamber 21 on the left side has a trunk left air chamber air inlet 23 at the upper end. The four trunk left air chamber air inlets 23 are aggregated to the trunk left air chamber connecting air pipe 25. This ensures that the four trunk air chambers 21 on each side can be subjected to the same amount of air pressure. The trunk air chamber 21 contains a trunk air chamber inner cavity 28, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, it is ensured that the robot trunk component 2 is inflated so as to bend left and right.

[0075] The tracheal air inlet 26 on the left side of the trunk and the tracheal air inlet 27 on the right side of the trunk are respectively the air pressure inlets on both sides.

[0076] The driving method of a purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot of the present invention is as follows:

[0077] It uses pure air pressure to drive and imitate the movement posture of four-legged reptiles such as salamanders in nature. The muscle tissue of the animal can drive the trunk to extend and contract, so that the animal's body swings left and right to increase the pace and speed of movement.

[0078] The robot is driven by pure air pressure, which has a quick response and controls the extension and contraction of the pneumatic muscles by the size of the supplied air pressure. The use of pure air pressure allows the robot to get rid of electric drive, without leakage, short circuit, etc., and is easy to maintain and has low energy consumption costs.

[0079] In order to imitate the muscle tissue of animals, the robot trunk component 2 is designed to simulate the expansion and contraction effect of muscles. The robot trunk component 2 is made of an integrated perfusion, and a proportional servo valve is used to introduce air pressure to the trunk tracheal inlet 26 on the left side and the trunk tracheal inlet 27 on the right side. By adjusting the output pressure of the proportional servo valve, the pressure acts on the trunk air chamber 21 to control the expansion size of the trunk air chamber 21. The expansion of the four trunk air chambers 21 squeezes each other, causing the robot trunk component 2 to bend and deform, thereby simulating the left and right swing of the animal body. Figure 6 As shown, when high-pressure gas is introduced into the tracheal air inlet 27 on the right side of the torso, the torso bends to the left. From the cross-sectional view, it can be seen that due to the high-pressure expansion, the inner cavity of the single torso air chamber 21 becomes larger and squeezes each other.

[0080] The leg assembly 1 of the robot is also driven by pure air pressure. Each leg assembly 1 of the robot consists of two sections: a thigh filling unit 14 and a calf filling unit 13. Each powder filling unit contains two air chambers. Figure 7 As shown, the leg assembly 1 of the robot can be bent by introducing high-pressure gas into one side of the air chamber.

[0081] The motion control of a single leg is achieved by using two two-position three-way solenoid valves, wherein the front air chamber of the calf unit and the lower air chamber of the thigh unit, the rear air chamber of the calf unit and the upper air chamber of the thigh unit are controlled by a solenoid valve respectively, such as Figure 8 As shown, by controlling the air supply and deflation of two solenoid valves at different times, two movement modes of a single leg can be achieved: lifting the leg and taking a step forward, or stepping down and pushing the ground backward. Therefore, eight two-position three-way solenoid valves are used to control the four legs of the robot, realizing multi-gait movement of the robot legs. In the leg control scheme, two two-position three-way solenoid valves are used instead of one two-position four-way solenoid valve. This design can achieve the connection of the other air chamber of the paired potting unit to low pressure before the air chamber of one potting unit is inflated, accelerating the bending deformation of the leg, improving the response speed of the robot leg, and improving the movement efficiency.

[0082] Only one solenoid valve is used to simultaneously control the lifting and forward stepping (stepping on and pushing off the ground) of one leg. Compared with the traditional lifting-stepping-down-backward, the leg control steps are shortened and the control method is simple and fast.

[0083] Combine the robot's trunk bending with the robot's leg lifting and stepping forward simultaneously, e.g. Figure 9 As shown, the robot's right leg is lifted and extended forward, and at the same time, high-pressure gas is introduced into the tracheal inlet 27 on the right side of the torso. The torso bends to the left, driving the head to extend forward and swing to the left at the same time. This is to allow the right front leg to have a larger stride. In this way, the left and right swinging of the torso is combined with the quadruped gait to imitate the movement gait of quadruped reptiles, thereby improving the movement speed of the quadruped crawling robot and allowing it to have more gaits to study.

[0084] The present invention is different from the rigid spine structure driven by traditional servo (or other driving methods) in that other bionic spine structures can only bend with equal lengths and cannot simulate the extension and contraction of muscle tissue outside the skeleton, which to some extent limits the maximization of the stride. In addition to unilateral pneumatic bending, the robot trunk component 2 can also be pneumatically extended on both sides (such as Figure 10This is due to the torso's integrated silicone encapsulation method, and the inherent flexibility of its spinal structure. By adjusting the inflation and pressure of the torso air chambers 21 on both sides, the robot's torso assembly 2 can be extended and bent to varying degrees. As a result, the robot's torso assembly 2 has excellent structural and mechanical properties, significantly improving the gait and speed of amphibians and reptiles.

[0085] The spinal motion scheme of the present invention can not only bend but also stretch (purely flexible material, without the constraints of mechanical structures such as universal joints, etc.). By stretching, the length of the leg stride can be further increased, thereby improving the speed and efficiency of the motion.

[0086] Secondly, only two air supply sources are needed to achieve bending and extension as well as control of bending angle and extension length. The structure is simple and non-redundant, and the control is convenient.

[0087] See also Figure 11 The present invention provides a compound quadruped motion method for a purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot, including a compound Walk motion gait and a compound Trot motion gait, as follows:

[0088] 1. Robot compound walk gait

[0089] See also Figure 12 , the specific steps are as follows:

[0090] Process A: Initial gait, at this time the robot's calf is perpendicular to the thigh and is in a relatively stable state.

[0091] Process B: The robot's right leg extends forward, and at the same time, the right torso air chamber 21 is inflated. The robot's torso component 2 bends to the left, driving the head to extend forward and swing to the left at the same time, so that the right front leg can have a larger stride.

[0092] Process C: While keeping the right torso air chamber inflated, the left torso air chamber is inflated, so that the robot torso component 2 extends forward. At this time, the left front leg extends forward and the head returns to its original state from the shaking state.

[0093] Process D: The trunk air chamber 21 on the left side deflates and contracts, causing the robot trunk assembly 2 to return from its extended state to a bent state. Simultaneously, the left hind leg extends forward, pulling the robot trunk assembly 2 to take a larger step.

[0094] Process E: The right trunk air chamber 21 deflates and contracts, causing the robot trunk assembly 2 to move from a bent state to a fully contracted state. Simultaneously, the right hind leg extends forward, pulled by the robot trunk assembly 2. The quadruped robot returns to its starting position, completing a gait cycle.

[0095] The difference between this walking gait and the traditional walking gait is that the body bends and stretches as the legs step. With the same gait steps, the body moves one more distance than the traditional walking gait, which greatly improves the movement speed and efficiency.

[0096] 2. Robotic compound trot gait

[0097] See also Figure 13 , as follows:

[0098] Process A: The initial gait can provide a stable state for preparing the starting movement of the Trot compound gait.

[0099] Process B: The left front leg and right hind leg extend forward simultaneously. The left trunk air chamber 21 is inflated, while the right is de-inflated, causing the robot's trunk assembly 2 to bend and extend to the right. The head assembly swings rightward and extends forward, providing more room for the left front leg to move forward.

[0100] During step C, the right front leg and left hind leg extend forward simultaneously. The left trunk air chamber 21 deflates while the right trunk air chamber 21 inflates, causing the robot's trunk assembly 2 to shift from extending and bending to the right to extending and bending to the left. The head assembly swings from right to left, creating a wider stride for the right front leg. Simultaneously, the left front leg and right hind leg swing forward, completing a gait cycle. Repeating steps B and C achieves continuous propulsion in the Trot gait.

[0101] The trot gait of the present invention differs from the traditional trot gait in that, because the body is flexible and not mechanically constrained, the body undergoes three stages of bending, full extension, and bending as it bends from left to right. Compared with body swinging with pure mechanical constraints, this can further increase stride distance, speed, and efficiency.

[0102] Relying on the robot's unique bionic structure, it can restore the compound movement postures of amphibians to a great extent when moving on land. Compared with traditional amphibious robots with rigid bodies, it has a faster movement speed. Compared with amphibious robots with servo-driven torsos, it has a simple structure, is easy to control, and can imitate the contraction and extension of real muscles.

[0103] In summary, the present invention provides a compound quadrupedal motion method for a purely pneumatically driven quadrupedal crawling robot, which, by simulating the body and leg components of a real quadrupedal reptile, has largely mimicked the trunk and leg structure of a quadrupedal reptile. It adopts a pure air pressure drive method, and realizes drive by controlling the degree of expansion and contraction of the pneumatic muscles. It has a rapid response, and has gotten rid of the problems of electric drive, is easy to maintain, and has low energy consumption costs. In terms of motion gait, with the help of its unique bionic structure, a new type of compound Walk and compound Trot gait is proposed, which enables it to restore the compound motion posture of a quadrupedal animal when moving on land, and has a faster motion rate than the motion gait of a quadrupedal robot with a traditional rigid body; and compared with the motion gait of a quadrupedal robot with a servo-driven trunk, its structure is simpler, easier to control, and can imitate the expansion and contraction of real muscles. This invention has significant innovative advantages in bionic design and robot driving methods, and demonstrates potential application prospects in motion gait.

[0104] The above content is only for explaining the technical idea of ​​the present invention and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any changes made on the basis of the technical solution in accordance with the technical idea proposed by the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compound quadruped locomotion method for a purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot, characterized in that: The new gait includes a compound walk gait and a compound trot gait. The compound walk gait involves the bending and extension of the body of a purely pneumatically driven quadrupedal crawling robot as it steps, allowing it to move an additional distance equal to the length of the body's inflation and extension compared to a traditional walk gait. The compound trot gait involves the robot bending from the left to the right, undergoing three stages: bending, full extension, and bending. The compound Walk motion gait is specifically as follows: In the initial gait, the lower leg of the pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot is perpendicular to the thigh; Pure pneumatic drive stretches the right leg of the quadruped crawling robot forward, while the right torso air chamber is inflated, causing the torso assembly to bend to the left, driving the head assembly to extend forward and swing the head to the left, causing the right front leg to take a step. While keeping the right torso air chamber inflated, the left torso air chamber is inflated, causing the torso assembly to extend forward. At this time, the left front leg extends forward, and the head assembly returns to its original state from the head swinging state. The air chamber on the left side of the trunk is deflated and contracted, causing the trunk component to change from an extended state to a bent state again. At the same time, the left hind leg is extended forward, and the trunk component pulls the left leg forward to take a step. The right trunk air chamber deflates and contracts, causing the trunk assembly to change from a bent state to a fully contracted state. At the same time, the right hind leg extends forward under the pull of the trunk assembly, and the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot returns to its starting state, completing a gait cycle. The compound Trot movement gait is specifically as follows: The starting gait provides a stable state for the start of the Trot compound gait. The left front leg and right hind leg extend forward simultaneously, while the left torso air chamber is inflated and the right torso air chamber is not inflated, causing the torso assembly to bend and extend to the right. The head assembly swings to the right and extends forward, providing movement space for the left front leg to step forward. The right front leg and left hind leg extend forward simultaneously. The left trunk air chamber deflates while the right trunk air chamber inflates, causing the trunk assembly to change from extending and bending to the right to extending and bending to the left. The head assembly swings from the right to the left, allowing the right front leg to gain space for a step. At the same time, the left front leg and right hind leg swing to push the body of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot forward, completing a gait cycle. Repeating the above operations achieves continuous propulsion of the compound Trot gait. A purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot comprises a trunk assembly (2), the front end of the trunk assembly (2) is connected to a head assembly (3), the rear end of the trunk assembly (2) is connected to a tail assembly (4), the ends of the head assembly (3) and the tail assembly (4) are respectively connected to the leg assembly (1), the trunk assembly (2) comprises eight trunk air chambers (21), four trunk air chambers (21) on each side, the eight trunk air chambers (21) are arranged crosswise, each trunk air chamber (21) contains a trunk air chamber inner cavity (28), and each trunk air chamber inner cavity (28) is respectively connected to a corresponding air pressure inlet, and the leg assembly (1) comprises a calf potting unit (13) and a thigh potting unit (14) which are connected to each other, and the calf potting unit (13) and the thigh potting unit (14) drive the leg to lift and step by expanding the air supplied by the internal air chamber.

2. The compound quadrupedal motion method of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four right trunk air chambers (21) are respectively provided with trunk right air chamber air inlets (22), and the four left trunk air chambers (21) are respectively provided with trunk left air chamber air inlets (23). The trunk right air chamber air inlet (22) is connected to the trunk right tracheal air inlet (27) through the trunk right air chamber connecting trachea (24), and the trunk left air chamber air inlet (23) is connected to the trunk left tracheal air inlet (26) through the trunk left air chamber connecting trachea (25).

3. The compound quadrupedal motion method of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the thigh potting unit (14) is connected to one side of the head component (3) or the tail component (4), and the other end is connected to one end of the calf potting unit (13) via a second connecting member (15).

4. The compound quadrupedal motion method of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thigh encapsulation unit (14) is provided with a thigh unit lower end air chamber air inlet (18) and a thigh unit upper end air chamber air inlet (19); the calf encapsulation unit (13) is provided with a calf unit front end air chamber air inlet (16) and a calf unit rear end air chamber air inlet (17); the thigh unit lower end air chamber air inlet (18) and the calf unit rear end air chamber air inlet (17), as well as the thigh unit upper end air chamber air inlet (19) and the calf unit front end air chamber air inlet (16) are connected via air chamber air inlet connecting air pipes (20).

5. The compound quadrupedal motion method of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: An electromagnetic valve is respectively connected between the front air chamber of the calf unit and the lower air chamber of the thigh unit, and between the rear air chamber of the calf unit and the upper air chamber of the thigh unit.

6. The compound quadrupedal motion method of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The other end of the calf potting unit (13) is connected to the silica gel anti-skid foot pad (11) via a first connecting piece (12).

7. The compound quadrupedal motion method of the purely pneumatically driven quadruped crawling robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: Two air chambers are respectively provided in the calf encapsulation unit (13) and the thigh encapsulation unit (14), and the leg component (1) can be bent by introducing high-pressure gas into one air chamber.

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