A devil fish-shaped magnetic control soft body swimming robot, a control method and a manufacturing method

Abstract

The application provides a devil fish-shaped magnetic control soft swimming robot, a control method and a manufacturing method. The robot comprises a floating platform, a trunk block, a supporting rod and a fin plate. The upper end of the supporting rod is connected with the floating platform, and the lower end is connected with the trunk block. The fin plate is fixedly connected with the bottom of the trunk block. The fin plate is made of soft material and comprises two side fin plates which are left-right symmetrical relative to the trunk block. Each side fin plate comprises a non-magnetized area at the rear part and a magnetized area at the front part. The magnetization direction of each magnetized area is obliquely arranged. The magnetization directions of the two magnetized areas are symmetrically arranged relative to the trunk block. The application has the advantages that under the action of an external magnetic field, the magnetized area of the fin plate drives the non-magnetized area to move, thereby realizing swimming. The structure is simple, the mass is light, the volume is small, and the manufacturing is easy. By controlling the direction, strength and frequency of the applied magnetic field, forward swimming or turning can be realized. The control is flexible, the robot can be controlled without a cable, and the robot is suitable for more scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of soft robots, and in particular to a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, a control method, and a manufacturing method. Background Art

[0002] Based on their structure and driving methods, existing bionic robotic fish can be divided into traditional motor-driven bionic fish and smart material-driven bionic fish. Motor-driven bionic robotic fish are usually large in size, complex in structure, and have poor flexibility. In addition, the fins of the robotic fish are less flexible when they swing. Although this can be improved by increasing the number of mechanical joints of the robotic fish, there is still a gap between this and the swimming behavior of fish, and to a certain extent, it increases the complexity of the robotic fish structure. Bionic fish driven by smart materials use flexible materials to make their fins to achieve flexible deformation. With the rapid development of fields such as materials science and automatic control technology, more and more robotic fish driven by smart materials such as shape memory alloys, dielectric elastomers, and IPMC have emerged. Using these smart materials to drive, flexible deformation is achieved, but the robotic fish currently made with these materials are still relatively large in size and have limited application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the current bionic robotic fish, embodiments of the present invention provide a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, a control method, and a manufacturing method.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, comprising:

[0005] floating platform;

[0006] a trunk block, which is arranged below the floating platform;

[0007] A support rod, the upper end of which is connected to the floating platform and the lower end of which is connected to the trunk block;

[0008] And a fin plate, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the trunk block, the fin plate is made of soft material, and includes two side fin plates that are symmetrical with respect to the trunk block, the two side fin plates each include a non-magnetized area at the rear and a magnetized area at the front, the magnetization directions of the two side fin plates are inclined, and the magnetization directions of the two side fin plates are symmetrically arranged relative to the trunk block.

[0009] Furthermore, the width of the non-magnetized region gradually decreases from the front to the back, and the width of the magnetized region is the same as the width of the front end of the non-magnetized region.

[0010] Furthermore, the non-magnetized area is sector-shaped, and the magnetized area is strip-shaped.

[0011] Furthermore, the floating platform is a triangular plate, the trunk block is a rectangular block, the upper end of the support rod is vertically connected to the floating platform, and the lower end is vertically connected to the trunk block.

[0012] Furthermore, the trunk block is made of silicone, and the magnetized region is made of a mixture of silicone and neodymium iron boron alloy powder.

[0013] Furthermore, the magnetization direction of the magnetization zone located on the left side of the trunk block is toward the left front, and the magnetization direction of the magnetization zone located on the right side of the trunk block is toward the right front.

[0014] Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a control method for the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, comprising the following steps:

[0015] Applying an upward magnetic field to the two magnetized regions of the fin plate to cause the two side fin plates to bend upward simultaneously;

[0016] Applying a downward magnetic field to the two magnetized regions of the fin plate to cause the two side fin plates to bend downward simultaneously;

[0017] Upward and downward magnetic fields are applied alternately to the two magnetized regions of the fin, and a horizontal magnetic field is applied to the two magnetized regions at the same time, so that the robot moves along the magnetic field direction of the horizontal magnetic field.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0019] The manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot is placed in a container filled with clean water, and the container is placed in a three-dimensional Helmholtz coil. The three-dimensional Helmholtz coil can generate an upward magnetic field, a downward magnetic field, and a horizontal magnetic field. Under the action of each magnetic field, the robot can move forward, and changing the direction of the horizontal magnetic field can enable the robot to complete steering.

[0020] In addition, in order to realize the production of the above-mentioned manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for producing the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, comprising the following steps:

[0021] S1, respectively obtaining the trunk blocks by injection molding with silicone using a trunk block mold;

[0022] S2. Mixing silica gel and NdFeB alloy powder to obtain a mixture, injection-molding the mixture into two strips using a strip mold, placing the two strips into a magnetizer, and magnetizing them according to a preset magnetic field direction;

[0023] S3, placing the trunk block and the two strips in a fin plate mold, with the two strips respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the front end of the trunk block, and injecting silicone into the fin plate mold. After curing, the fin plate is formed, and the areas corresponding to the two strips form the two magnetized areas;

[0024] S4. Obtain the floating platform by cutting a polystyrene foam board, connect the upper end of the support rod to the floating platform, and connect the lower end of the support rod to the trunk block.

[0025] The beneficial effects brought about by the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present invention are:

[0026] 1. The present invention discloses a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, a control method, and a manufacturing method. The robot's fins consist of a magnetized region and a non-magnetized region. Under the action of an external magnetic field, the magnetized region of the fin drives the non-magnetized region to move, thereby achieving swimming. The robot has a simple structure, light weight, a compact size, and is easy to manufacture.

[0027] 2. The present invention provides a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, control method, and manufacturing method. For this robot, forward swimming or turning can be achieved by controlling the direction, intensity, and frequency of the applied magnetic field. The robot has flexible control and can be controlled without cables, making it applicable to more scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional diagram of a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot according to the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a top view of a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot of the present invention bending upward;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot bending downward.

[0032] In the figure: 1, floating platform; 2, trunk block; 3, support rod; 4, side fin; 401, magnetized area; 402, non-magnetized area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more apparent, embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention among multiple possible embodiments, which is intended to provide a basic understanding of the present invention but is not intended to identify the key or decisive elements of the present invention or to limit the scope of protection.

[0034] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0035] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0036] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in the subsequent drawings. At the same time, it should be understood that for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual scale.

[0037] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted" and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 1 and 2 An embodiment of the present invention provides a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, which mainly includes a floating platform 1, a trunk block 2, a support rod 3 and a fin 4.

[0039] The floating platform 1 can float on the water surface to prevent the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot from sinking. The shape and material of the floating platform 1 can be flexibly selected according to the actual application scenario. For example, in this embodiment, the floating platform 1 is in the shape of a triangular plate and is made of a polystyrene foam board.

[0040] The trunk block 2 is arranged below the floating platform 1. The trunk block 2 is generally arranged horizontally and extends along the front-back direction. The shape of the trunk block 2 can be flexibly selected according to the actual application scenario. For example, the trunk block 2 in this embodiment is a rectangular block.

[0041] The upper end of the support rod 3 is connected to the floating platform 1, and the lower end is connected to the trunk block 2. Here, the support rod 3 is a cylindrical rod, and the support rod 3 can be a wooden rod. The upper end of the support rod 3 is vertically connected to the floating platform 1, and the lower end is vertically connected to the trunk block 2.

[0042] The fin plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the trunk block 2 , and the trunk block 2 is located on the symmetry axis of the fin plate, that is, the fin plate includes two side fin plates 4 that are left-right symmetrical with respect to the trunk block 2 .

[0043] Each of the side fins 4 specifically includes a non-magnetized area 402 at the rear and a magnetized area 401 at the front. Figure 1 The arrow in the figure indicates the forward direction. The movement of the magnetized area 401 of each side fin 4 can drive the movement of its non-magnetized area 402, thereby realizing the swing of the side fin 4. The magnetized directions of the two magnetized areas 401 of the two side fins 4 are symmetrically arranged relative to the trunk block 2. Figure 2 As shown by the arrows in the figure, the magnetized area 401 on the left side of the trunk block 2 is magnetized toward the left front, while the magnetized area 401 on the right side of the trunk block 2 is magnetized toward the right front. Thus, under the influence of the external magnetic field, the magnetized area 401 can move, thereby driving the non-magnetized area 402 to move.

[0044] The width of the non-magnetized region 402 gradually decreases from front to back, and the width of the magnetized region 401 is the same as the width of the front end of the non-magnetized region 402. In this embodiment, the non-magnetized region 402 is sector-shaped, and the magnetized region 401 is strip-shaped.

[0045] The fins are made of soft materials. Considering the convenience of manufacturing and molding, the trunk block 2 is made of silicone, the non-magnetized area 402 is made of silicone, and the magnetized area 401 is made of a mixed material of silicone and NdFeB alloy powder.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to control the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot to swim and turn in water, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a control method for the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, comprising the following steps:

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, an upward magnetic field is applied to the two magnetized regions 401 of the fin plate. Under the action of the upward magnetic field, the two magnetized regions 401 bend upward at the same time and drive the two non-magnetized regions 402 to bend upward, thereby causing the two side fin plates 4 to bend upward at the same time, thereby achieving the upward swing of the two side fin plates 4.

[0048] like Figure 4 As shown, a downward magnetic field is applied to the two magnetized regions 401 of the fin. Under the action of the downward magnetic field, the two magnetized regions 401 bend downward at the same time and drive the two non-magnetized regions 402 to bend downward, so that the two side fins 4 bend downward at the same time, thereby realizing the downward swing of the two side fins 4.

[0049] In addition, while applying upward and downward magnetic fields alternately to the two magnetized regions 401 of the fin, a horizontal magnetic field is applied to the two magnetized regions 401. Under the action of the horizontal magnetic field, the two magnetized regions 401 rotate to the left or right, and drive the two non-magnetized regions 402 to rotate in the same direction at the same time, thereby realizing left and right turning of the robot.

[0050] It should be noted that different magnetic fields can be provided to the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot through a three-dimensional Helmholtz coil. For example, the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot is placed in a container filled with clean water, and the container is placed in a three-dimensional Helmholtz coil. The three-dimensional Helmholtz coil can generate an upward magnetic field, a downward magnetic field, and a horizontal magnetic field. If an alternating upward and downward magnetic field is generated while a horizontal magnetic field to the left or right is generated, the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot can achieve swinging swimming and left and right turning.

[0051] In addition, in order to realize the production of the above-mentioned manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for producing the manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, comprising the following steps:

[0052] S1. The trunk blocks 2 are obtained by injection molding a trunk block mold with silicone. Specifically, uncured silicone is injected into the trunk block mold having a rectangular parallelepiped groove inside, and the trunk block 2 is obtained after the silicone is cured.

[0053] S2. Mix silica gel and NdFeB alloy powder to obtain a mixture. This mixture is injection molded into a bar mold to produce two bar pieces. In this embodiment, the bar piece is a rectangular block. The bar mold has a rectangular mold cavity. The mixture is injected into the mold cavity and then solidified to produce the bar pieces. The two bar pieces are placed in a magnetizer and magnetized according to a preset magnetic field direction. Here, from back to front, the magnetization directions of the two bar pieces are toward the front left and the front right, respectively.

[0054] S3. Place the trunk block 2 and the two strips in a fin plate mold. The two strips are positioned on the left and right sides of the front end of the trunk block 2. Silicone can be injected between the trunk block 2 and the two strips and allowed to solidify to achieve a pre-connected connection. Silicone is then injected into the fin plate mold and solidified to form the fin 4. The areas corresponding to the two strips form the two magnetized regions 401.

[0055] S4. Obtain the floating platform 1 by cutting a polystyrene foam board, and glue the upper end of the support rod 3 to the floating platform 1 and the lower end to the trunk block 2.

[0056] In this document, directional terms such as front, back, top, and bottom are defined based on the positions of components in the accompanying drawings and relative to each other, and are intended for clarity and convenience in describing the technical solution. It should be understood that these terms are relative and may vary depending on usage and placement. The use of these directional terms should not limit the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0057] The above embodiments and features of the embodiments may be combined with each other unless they conflict. The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot, characterized in that: include: floating platform; a trunk block, which is arranged below the floating platform; A support rod, the upper end of which is connected to the floating platform and the lower end of which is connected to the trunk block; And a fin plate, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the trunk block, the fin plate is made of soft material, and includes two side fin plates that are symmetrical with respect to the trunk block, each of the side fin plates includes a non-magnetized area at the rear and a magnetized area at the front, the magnetization direction of each magnetized area is inclined, and the magnetization directions of the two magnetized areas are symmetrical with respect to the trunk block; the magnetization direction of the magnetized area located on the left side of the trunk block is toward the left front, and the magnetization direction of the magnetized area located on the right side of the trunk block is toward the right front.

2. The manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the non-magnetized region gradually decreases from front to back, and the width of the magnetized region is the same as the width of the front end of the non-magnetized region.

3. The manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The non-magnetized area is in a sector shape, and the magnetized area is in a strip shape.

4. The manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floating platform is a triangular plate, the trunk block is a rectangular block, the upper end of the support rod is vertically connected to the floating platform, and the lower end is vertically connected to the trunk block.

5. The manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trunk block is made of silica gel, and the magnetized area is made of a mixed material of silica gel and neodymium iron boron alloy powder.

6. The control method of a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Applying an upward magnetic field to the two magnetized regions of the fin plate to cause the two side fin plates to bend upward simultaneously; Applying a downward magnetic field to the two magnetized regions of the fin plate to cause the two side fin plates to bend downward simultaneously; Upward and downward magnetic fields are applied alternately to the two magnetized regions of the fin, and a horizontal magnetic field is applied to the two magnetized regions at the same time, so that the robot moves along the magnetic field direction of the horizontal magnetic field.

7. The control method of a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also includes: The manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot is placed in a container filled with clean water, and the container is placed in a three-dimensional Helmholtz coil. The three-dimensional Helmholtz coil can generate an upward magnetic field, a downward magnetic field, and a horizontal magnetic field. Under the action of each magnetic field, the robot can move forward, and changing the direction of the horizontal magnetic field can enable the robot to complete steering.

8. The method for manufacturing a manta ray-shaped magnetically controlled soft swimming robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1, respectively obtaining the trunk blocks by injection molding with silicone using a trunk block mold; S2. Mixing silica gel and NdFeB alloy powder to obtain a mixture, injection-molding the mixture into two strips using a strip mold, placing the two strips into a magnetizer, and magnetizing them according to a preset magnetic field direction; S3, placing the trunk block and the two strips in a fin plate mold, with the two strips respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the front end of the trunk block, and injecting silicone into the fin plate mold. After curing, the fin plate is formed, and the areas corresponding to the two strips form the two magnetized areas; S4. Obtain the floating platform by cutting a polystyrene foam board, connect the upper end of the support rod to the floating platform, and connect the lower end of the support rod to the trunk block.

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