Mobile robot and obstacle crossing method

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile robot and an obstacle crossing method.The mobile robot comprises a support, first leg assemblies and second leg assemblies, and the multiple first leg assemblies are movably connected with the support and ascend or descend relative to the support; the second leg assembly is connected with the support, the second leg assembly is located in an area defined by the multiple first leg assemblies, and the second leg assembly is used for assisting any first leg assembly in ascending or descending. As the second leg assembly is used for assisting any first leg assembly in lifting or descending, when any first leg assembly is lifted, the phenomenon that the whole mobile robot shakes or turns over due to loss of support of one or more first leg assemblies is avoided, the gravity center of the mobile robot is stable during obstacle crossing, and the obstacle crossing quality of the mobile robot is improved. And the mobile robot can stably pass through a complex road surface. The obstacle crossing method is applied to the mobile robot, and the robot can stably pass through a complex road surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robot technology, and in particular to a mobile robot and an obstacle surmounting method. Background Art

[0002] With the development of electromechanical technology, mobile robots are becoming more and more common in daily life and other special fields.

[0003] However, currently common mobile robots have poor obstacle-crossing capabilities, and their passability and stability are poor when traveling on complex roads. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a mobile robot and an obstacle surmounting method to solve the problem of how to improve the robot's obstacle surmounting ability.

[0005] A mobile robot, characterized in that the mobile robot comprises:

[0006] Bracket;

[0007] A first leg assembly, wherein a plurality of the first leg assemblies are respectively movably connected to the bracket and are lifted or lowered relative to the bracket;

[0008] The second leg assembly is connected to the bracket and is located in an area surrounded by a plurality of the first leg assemblies. The second leg assembly is used to assist any of the first leg assemblies in lifting or lowering.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first leg assembly includes a first driving member, a connecting rod structure and a wheel structure, one end of the connecting rod structure is rotatably connected to the bracket, and the other end of the connecting rod structure is connected to the wheel structure, and the first driving member is disposed on the bracket and connected to one end of the connecting rod structure away from the wheel structure to drive the connecting rod structure to rotate.

[0010] In one embodiment, the connecting rod structure comprises:

[0011] A first connecting rod, comprising a first rotating portion rotatably connected to the first driving member, and a second rotating portion rotatably connected to the wheel structure;

[0012] A second connecting rod includes a third rotating portion rotatably connected to the bracket and a fourth rotating portion rotatably connected to the wheel structure;

[0013] The line connecting the first rotating part and the second rotating part is the first transmission section, the line connecting the third rotating part and the fourth rotating part is the second transmission section, and the first transmission section and the second transmission section are arranged in parallel and have the same length.

[0014] In one embodiment, the wheel structure includes a second driving member and a first wheel, and the second driving member is connected to the first wheel to adjust the heading of the first wheel.

[0015] In one embodiment, the wheel structure also includes a connecting seat and a shock-absorbing structure, wherein the connecting seat is connected to the second driving member so as to rotate under the drive of the second driving member; the shock-absorbing structure is elastically connected between the connecting seat and the first wheel so that the first wheel can elastically move relative to the connecting seat.

[0016] In one embodiment, the shock absorbing structure includes a support rod and a suspension member, both ends of the support rod are rotatably connected to the connecting seat and the first wheel respectively, one end of the suspension member is connected to the connecting seat, and the other end of the suspension member is connected to the first wheel or to an end of the support rod away from the connecting seat, an extension line of the support rod intersects with an extension line of the suspension member, the suspension member is an elastic member, and the first wheel can move in a direction to compress the suspension member.

[0017] In one embodiment, the bracket includes a plurality of connecting plates, the plurality of connecting plates are spaced apart in front and back, the connecting plates are provided with through holes, the first leg assembly includes a transmission member passing through the through holes, the first driving member and the connecting rod structure are respectively connected to opposite sides of the connecting plates, and the transmission member is connected between the first driving member and the connecting rod structure.

[0018] In one embodiment, the second leg assembly includes a support and a second wheel, one end of the support is connected to the bracket, and the other end of the support is rotatably connected to the second wheel.

[0019] In one embodiment, the mobile robot further comprises:

[0020] a control module, disposed on the bracket, wherein the control module is electrically connected to the plurality of first leg assemblies to respectively control the movement of the plurality of first leg assemblies; and / or

[0021] A laser radar module, disposed on the bracket, the laser radar module is used to detect the environment around the mobile robot; and / or

[0022] A vision module is arranged on the bracket, and the vision module is used to detect the environment around the mobile robot.

[0023] The present application also provides an obstacle crossing method, which is applied to the mobile robot described in the above embodiments, and the obstacle crossing method includes:

[0024] Obtain obstacle information detected by a laser radar module and / or a visual module carried by the mobile robot and distance information between the mobile robot and the obstacle, and determine the assistance type of the second leg assembly based on the obstacle information;

[0025] If the auxiliary type is auxiliary support, controlling the movement of the plurality of the first leg assemblies so that the second leg assemblies are supported on the surface to be moved;

[0026] Controlling the movement of the first leg assembly according to the obstacle information and the distance information, and sequentially controlling the plurality of first leg assemblies to be lifted or lowered respectively, so as to enable the mobile robot to overcome obstacles;

[0027] If the auxiliary type is non-auxiliary support, the movement of the first leg assembly is controlled according to the obstacle information and the distance information, and the plurality of first leg assemblies are controlled to be lifted or lowered in turn, so as to enable the mobile robot to overcome obstacles.

[0028] In one embodiment, the first leg assembly is divided into a front leg and a rear leg, and when the auxiliary type is auxiliary support, the sequentially controlling the plurality of first leg assemblies to be lifted or lowered respectively includes:

[0029] Determine a lifting position according to the obstacle information, wherein the lifting position is a height position of the front leg, the rear leg, and the second leg assembly when the front leg, the rear leg, and the second leg assembly pass over the obstacle;

[0030] Control the front legs to move to the lifting position, and control the rear legs to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the front legs can cross the obstacle and move to another surface to be moved;

[0031] Controlling the movement of the plurality of first leg assemblies to make the second leg assemblies in the lifting position, and controlling the movement of the first leg assemblies according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the second leg assemblies can overcome the obstacles and move to another surface to be moved;

[0032] The rear legs are controlled to move to the lifting position, and the front legs are controlled to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the rear legs can cross the obstacle and move to another surface to be moved.

[0033] In one embodiment, the controlling the movement of the plurality of the first leg assemblies so that the second leg assemblies are supported on the surface to be moved comprises:

[0034] Controlling the plurality of first leg assemblies to be lifted together to make the bracket descend, so as to drive the second leg assemblies to descend and be supported on the surface to be moved;

[0035] The controlling the movement of the plurality of the first leg assemblies so that the second leg assemblies are in the lifting position comprises:

[0036] The plurality of first leg assemblies are controlled to descend together to raise the bracket, or the plurality of first leg assemblies are controlled to lift together to lower the bracket, so as to drive the second leg assembly to move to the lifting position.

[0037] In the mobile robot, since the plurality of first leg assemblies are respectively movably connected to the bracket, each first leg assembly can be independently raised and lowered, that is, any one or more first leg assemblies can be raised or lowered to a certain extent accordingly to adapt to the undulating and complex surface to be moved. In addition, since the second leg assembly is used to assist in raising or lowering any first leg assembly, when any first leg assembly is raised, the entire mobile robot will not shake or tip over due to the loss of support of the one or more first leg assemblies, so that the center of gravity of the mobile robot is stable when crossing obstacles, and the mobile robot can smoothly pass through complex roads. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the axle side of a mobile robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded schematic diagram of the mobile robot shown;

[0040] Figure 3 for Figure 1 An exploded schematic diagram of a first leg assembly and a wheel structure in the mobile robot shown;

[0041] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A side view of a first leg assembly and a wheel structure in the mobile robot shown;

[0042] Figure 5a for Figure 1 A top view of the mobile robot when parked is shown;

[0043] Figure 5b for Figure 1 The shown mobile robot is shown in a top view when moving straight;

[0044] Figure 5c for Figure 1 The top view of the mobile robot shown is when it is moving obliquely;

[0045] Figure 5d for Figure 1 A top view of the mobile robot shown while rotating in place;

[0046] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A side view of the mobile robot shown;

[0047] Figure 7aA flowchart of an obstacle surmounting method provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 7b A flowchart of an obstacle surmounting method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 8a for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a mobile robot at a certain moment when it climbs up an obstacle;

[0050] Figure 8b for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a mobile robot at a certain moment when it climbs up an obstacle;

[0051] Figure 8c for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a mobile robot at a certain moment when it climbs up an obstacle;

[0052] Figure 8d for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a mobile robot at a certain moment when it climbs up an obstacle;

[0053] Figure 8e for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a mobile robot at a certain moment when it climbs up an obstacle;

[0054] Figure 9a for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a mobile robot at a certain moment when it is climbing down an obstacle;

[0055] Figure 9b for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a mobile robot at a certain moment when it is climbing down an obstacle;

[0056] Fig.9c for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a mobile robot at a certain moment when it is climbing down an obstacle;

[0057] Fig.10a for Figure 1 A side view schematic diagram of a first leg assembly of the mobile robot at a certain moment when the first leg assembly actively crosses an obstacle;

[0058] Fig.10b for Figure 1 A side view schematic diagram of a first leg assembly of the mobile robot at a certain moment when the first leg assembly actively crosses an obstacle;

[0059] Fig.10c for Figure 1 A side view schematic diagram of a first leg assembly of the mobile robot at a certain moment when the first leg assembly actively crosses an obstacle;

[0060] Fig.11a for Figure 1A side view schematic diagram of a first leg assembly of the mobile robot at a certain moment when the first leg assembly actively crosses an obstacle;

[0061] Fig.11b for Figure 1 The schematic side view of the first leg assembly of the mobile robot at a certain moment when it actively overcomes an obstacle is shown.

[0062] Figure numerals: 10, mobile robot; 100, bracket; 110, base plate; 120, connecting plate; 121, perforation; 122, connecting hole; 200, first leg assembly; 201, front leg; 201a, left front leg; 201b, right front leg; 202, rear leg; 202a, left rear leg; 202b, right rear leg; 210, first driving member; 220, connecting rod structure; 220a, transmission hole; 221, first connecting rod; 221a, first rotating part; 221b, second rotating part; 222, second connecting rod; 222a, third rotating part; 222b, fourth rotating part; 223, first rotating shaft; 230, wheel structure; 231, bearing seat; 2 32. Connecting seat; 233. Shock-absorbing structure; 233a. Support rod; 233b. Suspension member; 233c. Second rotating shaft; 234. Second driving member; 235. First wheel; 236. Bearing; 240. Transmission member; 241. Main body; 242. Positioning pin; 250. Connecting pin; 300. Second leg assembly; 310. Support; 320. Second wheel; 400. Control module; 500. LiDAR module; 600. Vision module; 610. Vision sensor; 620. Slide rail; 630. Slide table; 700. Battery; 800. Extension board; 20. Obstacle; 21. Rising obstacle; 22. Sinking obstacle; 30. Surface to be moved. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention, so the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0064] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0065] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not 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 at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0066] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0067] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0068] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be the only implementation method.

[0069] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 The axial schematic diagram of a mobile robot in an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The mobile robot 10 provided in an embodiment of the present invention includes a support 100, a first leg assembly 200, and a second leg assembly 300. There are multiple first leg assemblies 200, and the multiple first leg assemblies 200 are respectively movably connected to the support 100 and are lifted or lowered relative to the support 100. The second leg assembly 300 is connected to the support 100, and the second leg assembly 300 is located in the area surrounded by the multiple first leg assemblies 200. The second leg assembly 300 is used to assist in lifting any first leg assembly 200.

[0070] The mobile robot 10 described above, since the multiple first leg assemblies 200 are respectively movably connected to the bracket 100, each first leg assembly 200 can be independently lifted and lowered, that is, any one or more first leg assemblies 200 can be lifted or lowered to a certain extent accordingly to adapt to the undulating and complex surface to be moved. In addition, since the second leg assembly 300 is used to assist in the lifting or lowering of any first leg assembly 200, when any first leg assembly 200 is lifted, the entirety of the mobile robot 10 will not shake or tip over due to the loss of support of the one or more first leg assemblies 200, so that the center of gravity of the mobile robot 10 is stable when crossing obstacles, so that the mobile robot 10 can smoothly pass through complex roads.

[0071] It can be understood that since the second leg assembly 300 is located in the area enclosed by multiple first leg assemblies 200, when any one or more first leg assemblies 200 around the second assembly 300 are lifted, the second leg assembly 300 can serve as a supplementary support on the surface to be moved or the surface of the obstacle to stabilize the overall center of gravity of the mobile robot 10.

[0072] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the first leg assembly 200 includes a first driving member 210, a connecting rod structure 220 and a wheel structure 230. The connecting rod structure 220 is connected between the first driving member 210 and the wheel structure 230. The first driving member 210 rotates through the connecting rod structure 220 and drives the wheel structure 230 to move together to achieve the lifting or lowering of the first leg assembly 200.

[0073] Each wheel structure 230 can rotate independently. It is understandable that the wheel structure 230 is used to realize the mobile function of the mobile robot 10, that is, the mobile robot 10 can park, move straight, move obliquely, and rotate by the cooperation of each wheel structure 230.

[0074] It should be understood that when the mobile robot 10 moves only on a horizontal surface to be moved without undulations, or a surface to be moved with simple undulations (such as uphill or downhill), the robot can move on the surface to be moved by the wheel structure 230. However, when the robot moves on a surface to be moved with complex undulations, the wheel structure 230, the first leg assembly 200, and the second leg assembly 300 can cooperate with each other to cross different obstacles. With such a configuration, the movement of the mobile robot 10 is made more flexible and diversified through the cooperation of the wheels and legs.

[0075] See also Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, one end of the connecting rod structure 220 is rotatably connected to the bracket 100, and the other end of the connecting rod structure 220 is connected to the wheel structure 230. The first driving member 210 is disposed on the bracket 100 and connected to one end of the connecting rod structure 220 away from the wheel structure 230 to drive the connecting rod structure 220 to rotate. In other words, the first driving member 210 is disposed on the bracket 100 and connected to one end of the connecting rod structure 200 close to the bracket 100. The first driving member 210 drives the connecting rod structure 200 to rotate relative to the bracket 100, and can drive the wheel structure 230 to move relative to the bracket 100 to achieve lifting and lowering. That is, the wheel structure 230 can be lifted or lowered when the connecting rod structure 220 rotates.

[0076] It is understandable that the connecting rod structure 220 can be rotatably connected to the bracket 100 via the first driving member 210; or, the connecting rod structure 220 can be directly rotatably connected to the bracket 100, and the first driving member 210 is used to drive the connecting rod structure 220 to rotate.

[0077] Please continue reading Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the link structure 220 includes a first link 221 and a second link 222. The first link 221 includes a first rotating portion 221a and a second rotating portion 221b, the first rotating portion 221a is connected to the first driving member 210, and the second rotating portion 221b is rotatably connected to the wheel structure 230. The second link 222 includes a third rotating portion 222a and a fourth rotating portion 222b, the third rotating portion 222a is rotatably connected to the bracket 100, and the fourth rotating portion 222b is rotatably connected to the wheel structure 230.

[0078] Among them, the line connecting the first rotating part 221a and the second rotating part 221b is the first transmission section, and the line connecting the third rotating part 222a and the fourth rotating part 222b is the second transmission section. The first transmission section and the second transmission section are arranged in parallel and have equal lengths. It can be understood that a quadrilateral with a group of parallel and equal opposite sides is a parallelogram. In a parallelogram, as long as the lengths of the four sides remain unchanged, the two short sides can always remain parallel no matter how the two long sides rotate. In this way, the connecting rod structure 220 in the shape of a parallelogram is connected between the wheel structure 230 and the bracket 100, so that the wheel structure 230 has the same posture at any position during the lifting and lowering process of the first leg assembly 200. See the first transmission section mentioned above. Figure 4 The second transmission section mentioned above participates in Figure 4 The middle label is M.

[0079] Please combine Figure 4 Specifically, since the first rotating portion 221a is connected to the first driving member 210, the third rotating portion 222a is rotationally connected to the bracket 100, and the first driving member 210 is disposed on the bracket 100, the first driving member 210 is fixed relative to the bracket 100, that is, the positions of the first rotating portion 221a and the second rotating portion 222a are relatively fixed, that is, the distance between the first rotating portion 221a and the second rotating portion 222a does not change during the rotation of the connecting rod structure 220. Similarly, the second rotating portion 221b and the fourth rotating portion 222b are both rotationally connected to the wheel structure 230, so the distance between the two does not change during the rotation of the connecting rod structure 220. The first rotating portion 221a and the second rotating portion 221b are both located on the first connecting rod 221, and it is obvious that the distance between the two does not change during the rotation of the first connecting rod 221; similarly, the third rotating portion 222a and the fourth rotating portion 222b are both located on the second connecting rod 222, so the distance between the two does not change during the rotation of the second connecting rod 222. With such arrangement, during the rotation of the connecting rod, the line connecting the first rotating part 221a and the third rotating part 222a is always parallel to the line connecting the second rotating part 221b and the fourth rotating part 222b. In other words, the posture of the wheel structure 230 is associated with the relative position between the first rotating part 221a and the third rotating part 222a, and is not affected by the rotation angle of the connecting rod structure 220. That is, at any position during the rotation of the first leg assembly 200, the posture of the wheel structure 230 does not change. Thus, the grounding point of the wheel structure 230 can be ensured to remain unchanged when the first leg assembly 200 is lifted to overcome obstacles, thereby avoiding the loss of positioning of the wheel structure 230. It can be understood that the arrangement of this embodiment can facilitate more precise control of the movement of the mobile robot 10.

[0080] Please refer again Figure 3In one embodiment, the first leg assembly 200 further includes a transmission member 240, which is connected between the first driving member 210 and the connecting rod structure 220 to transmit the driving motion of the first driving member 210 to the connecting rod structure 220. The transmission member 240 includes a body 241 and at least two positioning pins 242 protruding from the body 241, and the at least two positioning pins 242 are arranged at intervals. The connecting rod structure 220 is provided with transmission holes 220a corresponding to the number of positioning pins. Taking the number of positioning pins 242 as two as an example, two transmission holes 220a are provided on the first connecting rod 221 and / or the second connecting rod 222, and the two positioning pins 242 are adapted to be inserted into the two transmission holes 220a of the first connecting rod 221 or the second connecting rod 222, and abut against the hole wall of the transmission hole 220a. The first driving member 210 is connected to the body 241 to drive the body 241 to rotate. In this way, the first driving member 210 can drive the first connecting rod 221 or the second connecting rod 222 to rotate through the transmission member 240 .

[0081] It should be noted that the transmission member 240 only needs to be connected to one of the first connecting rod 221 and the second connecting rod 222 to drive the other to rotate together, that is, one of the first connecting rod 221 and the second connecting rod 222 is an active member and the other is a driven member, and the connecting rod as the driven member is used to cooperate with the connecting rod as the active member to jointly limit the posture of the wheel structure 230. The number of the positioning pins 242 and the transmission holes 220a can also be multiple.

[0082] Of course, the first leg assembly 200 is not limited to transmitting the movement of the first driving member 210 through the transmission member 240. It can be understood that the output shaft of the first driving member 210 can be directly connected to the connecting rod structure 220 to directly drive the connecting rod structure 220 to move.

[0083] Please continue reading Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the first leg assembly 200 further includes a connecting pin 250, the transmission member 240 is in transmission connection with one of the first link 221 and the second link 222, and the connecting pin 250 passes through the bracket 100 and is rotatably connected to the other. For example, the transmission member 240 can be in transmission connection with the first link 221, the connecting pin 250 passes through the bracket 100 and is rotatably connected to the second link 222, so that the second link 222 can rotate relative to the bracket 100.

[0084] Please continue reading Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the third rotating portion 222 a is a hole-shaped structure, and the connecting pin 250 passes through the bracket 100 and extends through the third rotating portion 222 a so that the second connecting rod 222 is rotatably connected to the bracket 100 .

[0085] Please refer again Figure 2 , Figure 3 Combined with Figure 4 In one embodiment, the wheel structure 230 includes a second driving member 234 and a first wheel 235. The second driving member 234 is connected to the first wheel 235 to adjust the heading of the first wheel 235. The heading refers to the direction in which the first wheel 235 rolls forward.

[0086] See also Figure 5a to Figure 5d Specifically, the heading of the first wheel 235 included in the multiple wheel structures 230 can be adjusted so that the mobile robot 10 as a whole has different movement modes.

[0087] For example, Figure 5a As shown, the headings of the four first wheels 235 cooperate with each other, so that the mobile robot 10 as a whole is in a parking state, that is, at this time, the mobile robot 10 can be fixed on the surface to be moved through the cooperation of the four wheels.

[0088] like Figure 5b As shown, the headings of the four first wheels 235 are the same and face forward, so that the mobile robot 10 can move straight forward.

[0089] like Figure 5c As shown, the headings of the four first wheels 235 are all the same and face the right front, so that the mobile robot 10 can move obliquely to the right front.

[0090] like Figure 5d As shown, the headings of the four first wheels 235 cooperate with each other, enabling the mobile robot 10 to rotate in place.

[0091] Of course, the headings of the first wheels 235 may be coordinated in other ways so that the mobile robot 10 has other movement modes, which will not be described in detail here.

[0092] Please refer again Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the wheel structure 230 further includes a bearing seat 231, a connecting seat 232 and a shock absorbing structure 233, and the connecting seat 232 and the shock absorbing structure 233 are both connected to the bearing seat 231. The second driving member 234 is disposed on the bearing seat 231. The connecting rod structure 220 is rotatably connected to the bearing seat 231 to drive the wheel structure 230 to be lifted or lowered as a whole through the bearing seat 231.

[0093] The connecting seat 232 is connected to the second driving member 234 to rotate under the driving of the second driving member 234 .

[0094] The shock absorbing structure 233 is elastically connected between the connecting seat 232 and the first wheel 235, so that the first wheel 235 can move elastically relative to the connecting seat 232. In this way, when the first wheel 235 collides with the surface to be moved or an obstacle, a part of the reaction force can be offset by the elastic movement, so that the mobile robot 10 as a whole is more stable. In other words, this can make the mobile robot 10 as a whole have a certain shock absorbing function, which makes it easier for the mobile robot 10 to cross obstacles. In addition, for some obstacles with relatively slight undulations, there is no need to lift or lower the first leg assembly 200. When the mobile robot 10 passes over the obstacle, the shaking transmitted to the mobile robot 10 by the obstacle can be absorbed by the shock absorbing structure 233, that is, the mobile robot 10 can directly and smoothly pass over the obstacle.

[0095] It is understandable that, since the first wheel 235 is connected to the connecting seat 232 , the first wheel 235 can rotate together with the connecting seat 232 , and thus, the second driving member 234 can control the heading of the first wheel 235 through the connecting seat 232 .

[0096] See also Figure 3 In one embodiment, the connecting rod structure 220 further includes two first rotating shafts 223 , and the first connecting rod 221 and the second connecting rod 222 are rotatably connected to the bearing seat 231 through the two first rotating shafts 223 .

[0097] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one embodiment, the wheel structure 230 further includes a bearing 236, which is embedded in the bearing seat 231, and the connecting seat 232 is connected to the inner ring of the bearing 236. The driving shaft of the second driving member 234 passes through the bearing seat 231 and the inner ring of the bearing 236 and is connected to the connecting seat 232 to drive the connecting seat 232 to rotate and drive the first wheel 235 to rotate, thereby adjusting the heading of the first wheel 235. The bearing 236 can make the connecting seat 232 rotate more smoothly.

[0098] Please refer again Figure 3 and Figure 4In one embodiment, the shock absorbing structure 233 includes a support rod 233a and a suspension member 233b. The two ends of the support rod 233a are rotatably connected to the connecting seat 232 and the first wheel 235 respectively. One end of the suspension member 233b is connected to the connecting seat 232, and the other end of the suspension member 233b is connected to the first wheel 235 or to the end of the support rod 233a away from the connecting seat 232. The suspension member 233b is an elastic member, and the first wheel 235 can move in the direction of compressing the suspension member 233b. With such a configuration, when the surface to be moved is uneven and the impact force is transmitted from the first wheel 235 to the bracket 100, the elastic expansion and contraction of the suspension member 233b can buffer the impact force from the surface to be moved, thereby improving the walking stability of the mobile robot 10. It can be understood that the support rod 233a is connected between the first wheel 235 and the connecting seat 232 to limit the movement direction of the first wheel 235 relative to the connecting seat 232, so that the first wheel 235 can elastically compress the suspension member 233b in the expected direction.

[0099] The shock absorbing structure 233 further includes a second rotating shaft 233c, and the support rod 233a can be specifically rotatably connected to the connecting seat 232 via the second rotating shaft 233c.

[0100] It can be understood that the end of the suspension member 233b away from the connecting seat 232 can be directly connected to the first wheel 235 to play a buffering role, or the end of the suspension member 233b away from the connecting seat 232 can be connected to the first wheel 235 through the support rod 233a to play a buffering role, so that the first wheel 235 can track the ups and downs of the road surface in real time, dynamically follow the road surface, and reduce the overall center of gravity change of the mobile robot 10.

[0101] See also Figure 4 , the extension line of the support rod 233a intersects with the extension line of the suspension member 233b, so that the support rod 233a can be prevented from being supported between the connecting seat 232 and the first wheel 235, thereby preventing the first wheel from compressing the suspension member 233b toward 235. Figure 4 L1, the extension line of the suspension member 233b is shown in Figure 4 Middle L2.

[0102] In one embodiment, the first wheel 235 includes a hub motor and a wheel body. The hub motor is disposed in the wheel body to drive the corresponding wheel body to independently roll along the heading on the surface to be moved.

[0103] See also Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 6In one embodiment, the bracket 100 includes a base plate 110 and a plurality of connecting plates 120, wherein the plurality of connecting plates 120 are spaced apart on the base plate 110 in the front and rear directions, and a plurality of wheel structures 230 are spaced apart in the front and rear directions, wherein one end of one of the first leg assemblies 200 is connected to the connecting plate 120 located at the front side, and the other end is connected to the wheel structure 230 located at the rear side. One end of another first leg assembly 200 is connected to the connecting plate 120 located at the rear side, and the other end is connected to the wheel structure 230 located at the front side. In short, the first leg assemblies 200 are staggeredly connected between the connecting plates 120 distributed in the front and rear directions and the wheel structures 230 distributed in the front and rear directions. With such a configuration, the length of the first leg assembly 200 can be relatively increased. It can be understood that for the same height of the wheel structure 230, the longer the length of the first leg assembly 200, the smaller the angle of rotation required for the first leg assembly 200. In this way, the mobile robot 10 has a smaller range of motion when crossing obstacles, which can facilitate improving the overall stability of the mobile robot 10. See the front side above. Figure 6 The positive direction of the X axis; the rear side mentioned above refers to Figure 6 The negative direction of the X axis.

[0104] See also Figure 1 and Figure 6 Specifically, the number of the first leg assemblies 200 may be four, and the four first leg assemblies 200 are distributed in pairs on the left and right sides of the bracket 100, and the two first leg assemblies 200 on the same side are connected to the bracket 100 in a front-to-back staggered manner.

[0105] Please refer to 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the connecting plate 120 is provided with a through hole 121, and the transmission member 240 is provided with the through hole 121. The first driving member 210 and the connecting rod structure 220 are respectively connected to two opposite sides of the connecting plate 120. In this configuration, the first driving member 210 and the connecting rod structure 220 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the connecting plate 120, so that the first driving member 210 will not interfere with the rotation of the connecting rod structure 220, so that the connecting rod structure 220 can rotate freely.

[0106] In one embodiment, the connecting plate 120 is further provided with a connecting hole 122, and the connecting pin 250 passes through the connecting hole 122 and is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod 222. The supporting effect of the hole wall of the connecting hole 122 on the connecting pin 250 can improve the stability of the rotation process of the second connecting rod 222.

[0107] Please refer again Figure 1 and Figure 2In one embodiment, the second leg assembly 300 includes a support 310 and a second wheel 320. One end of the support 310 is connected to the bracket 100, and the other end of the support 310 is rotatably connected to the second wheel 320. The second wheel 320 is used to contact and support the surface to be moved, so as to improve the stability of the mobile robot 10 when part of the first leg assembly 200 is suspended in the air. It can be understood that the second wheel 320 can only serve as a driven wheel to passively roll on the surface to be moved, so that when the first leg assembly 200 is suspended in the air, the overall movement of the mobile robot 10 is not affected.

[0108] In one embodiment, when the second leg assembly 300 is not needed to support, the second leg assembly 300 can be in a suspended state. It can be understood that since each first leg assembly 200 can independently deflect relative to the bracket 100, when the robot walks on a surface to be moved with smaller and slower fluctuations, each first leg assembly 200 can independently rise or fall by a certain amount to adapt to the undulating surface to be moved. At this time, since the second leg assembly 300 is in a suspended state, the second leg assembly 300 will not interfere with the undulating surface to be moved.

[0109] In one embodiment, when the mobile robot 10 is parked, the first leg assembly 200 can be adjusted to lower the support 100 so that the second leg assembly 300 contacts the surface to be moved. In this way, the second leg assembly 300 can support the support 100 and the components carried by the support 100 together with the first leg assembly 200 to relatively reduce the load of the first leg assembly 200. As a result, the endurance of the mobile robot 10 is relatively improved.

[0110] See also Figure 1 In one embodiment, the mobile robot 10 further includes an expansion board 800, which is disposed on the bracket 100. Various devices and structures can be installed on the expansion board 800 according to different requirements of the mobile robot 10. For example, when the mobile robot 10 is used as a delivery robot, a storage bin can be installed on the expansion board 800.

[0111] See also Figures 1 to 3 In one embodiment, the mobile robot 10 further includes a control module 400, a laser radar module 500, a vision module 600, and a battery 700. The control module 400 is disposed on the bracket 100, and the control module 400 is electrically connected to the plurality of first leg assemblies 200, and is used to control the movement of each first leg assembly 200 respectively. Specifically, the control module 400 can control the lifting or lowering of each first leg assembly 200 by controlling the movement of the first driving member 210. In addition, the control module 400 can also control the heading and start and stop of each first wheel 235 by controlling the movement of the second driving member 234 and the first wheel 235, thereby realizing multi-degree-of-freedom rotation of the wheel structure 230.

[0112] The laser radar module 500 and the vision module 600 are both disposed on the bracket 100, and are used to detect the environment around the mobile robot 10. The laser radar module 500 and the vision module 600 are electrically connected to the control module 400 to transmit the detected environmental data as map data to the control module 400, and the control module 400 can construct a map according to the map data and plan the travel path of the mobile robot 10.

[0113] The vision module 600 is disposed on the support 100 and is used to detect the environment around the mobile robot 10. That is, the vision module 600 can identify obstacles on the moving surface to assist the lifting and lowering of the first leg assembly 200 to achieve obstacle avoidance.

[0114] The battery 700 is disposed on the bracket 100 , and the battery 700 is used to be electrically connected to various electrical devices and components included in the mobile robot 10 to provide energy to the electrical devices and components.

[0115] In one embodiment, the control module 400 is provided with a gyroscope, through which various data of the mobile robot 10 itself can be detected, such as the angle data and angle change data of the mobile robot 10, the shaking of the mobile robot 10, etc.

[0116] Please continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the vision module 600 includes a vision sensor 610, a slide rail 620 and a slide platform 630. The vision sensor 610 is disposed on the slide platform 630, and the slide platform 630 can slide relative to the slide rail 620 to adjust the shooting position of the vision sensor 610 to ensure that the shape and size of the obstacle are fully photographed, so as to facilitate the first leg assembly 200 to cross the obstacle.

[0117] See also Figure 7a The present application also provides an obstacle crossing method, which is applied to the mobile robot 10 described in each embodiment. The obstacle crossing method includes the following steps:

[0118] Step S10, obtaining obstacle information detected by the laser radar module 500 and / or the vision module 600 carried by the mobile robot 10 and the distance information between the mobile robot 10 and the obstacle, and determining the assistance type of the second leg assembly 300 based on the obstacle information.

[0119] Among them, the obstacle information refers to the obstacle information located on the walking trajectory of the mobile robot 10. The obstacle information includes whether the obstacle protrudes from the surface to be moved 30 or is recessed in the surface to be moved 30, the height of the obstacle protruding from the surface to be moved 30, and the depth of the obstacle recessed in the surface to be moved 30, etc. In the obstacle crossing method, the mobile robot 10 can be controlled to adopt different assistance types according to different obstacles.

[0120] It is understandable that for some obstacles with large horizontal fluctuations, the mobile robot 10 is usually unable to walk directly to the surface of the obstacle, or the mobile robot 10 shakes greatly when walking on the surface of the obstacle. Figure 8a The step-shaped obstacle shown in the figure requires auxiliary support from the second leg assembly 300.

[0121] It is understandable that if Figures 10a to 10c As shown, for some obstacles with smaller horizontal fluctuations, the obstacles can be independently overcome by the first leg assemblies 200 without the support of the second leg assembly 300.

[0122] Step S21, if the assistance type is auxiliary support, the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 are controlled to move so that the second leg assemblies 300 are supported on the surface to be moved 30. That is, it can be determined whether the mobile robot 10 needs to be assisted in overcoming obstacles by the second leg assemblies 300 according to the obstacle information. If necessary, the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 are controlled to move so that the second leg assemblies 300 are supported on the surface to be moved 30.

[0123] Among them, when it is determined that the auxiliary type is auxiliary support, since the second leg assembly 300 may have been supported on the surface to be moved 30 at this time, it can be determined whether to skip the step of controlling the movement of multiple first leg assemblies 200 so that the second leg assembly 300 is supported on the surface to be moved 30 according to the current support state of the second leg assembly 300. For example, when the mobile robot 10 needs to continuously use auxiliary support to overcome obstacles and has crossed the first obstacle, since the second leg assembly 300 has been supported on the surface to be moved 30 during the first obstacle crossing, the support function of the second leg assembly 300 can be directly used to continue to cross the next obstacle. Of course, if the second leg assembly 300 of the mobile robot 10 is in a suspended state before crossing the obstacle, and it is determined that auxiliary support is needed to overcome the obstacle, multiple first leg assemblies 200 can be controlled to move so that the second leg assembly 300 is supported on the surface to be moved 30 to assist in overcoming the obstacle.

[0124] Step S22, the first leg assembly 200 is controlled to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, and the multiple first leg assemblies 200 are controlled to be lifted or lowered in sequence, so as to enable the mobile robot 10 to cross obstacles. When the multiple first leg assemblies 200 are lifted or lowered, the center of gravity of the mobile robot 10 is stabilized by the support of the second leg assembly 300 on the surface to be moved 30.

[0125] Step S30, if the auxiliary type is non-auxiliary support, the first leg assembly 200 is controlled to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, and the multiple first leg assemblies 200 are controlled to be lifted or lowered in sequence, so as to enable the mobile robot 10 to cross the obstacle. For some obstacles with small horizontal fluctuations, since each first leg assembly 200 can be lifted or lowered, the first leg assembly 200 can be controlled to gradually lift or lower as the mobile robot 10 walks according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so as to adapt to and walk over the undulating surface of the obstacle, so as to achieve crossing the obstacle.

[0126] In order to facilitate understanding of the various steps in the obstacle crossing process of the mobile robot 10, the types of obstacles are described below. The obstacles described in each embodiment include a rising obstacle 21 that is higher than the moving surface 30 on which the mobile robot 10 moves smoothly, and a sinking obstacle 22 that is lower than the moving surface 30. The sinking obstacle 22 may cause the mobile robot 10 to tip over, so it can hinder the smooth walking of the mobile robot 10 like the rising obstacle 21. Figure 8a As shown, an object (hereinafter referred to as an obstacle 20) protruding from the surface 30 to be moved includes both a rising obstacle 21 and a sinking obstacle 22. The mobile robot 10 needs to successively cross the two obstacles to cross the obstacle 20. When the auxiliary type is auxiliary support, the surface of the obstacle 20 can also be used as the surface 30 to be moved, that is, the mobile robot 10 can move to the surface of the obstacle 20 after crossing the first obstacle using the auxiliary support, and further use the supporting effect of the second leg assembly 300 supported on the surface of the obstacle 20 to cross the second obstacle, thereby moving to the next surface 30 to be moved. The obstacle 20 can also be an object recessed in the surface 30 to be moved. In this case, the obstacle 20 includes both a sinking obstacle 22 and a rising obstacle 21. Of course, not all objects that block the movement of the mobile robot 10 include both a rising obstacle 21 and a sinking obstacle 22, such as climbing stairs or descending stairs and the like.

[0127] The following combination Figures 8a to 9c The obstacle surmounting method of the mobile robot 10 when the assistance type is auxiliary support is described in detail.

[0128] See also Figure 7b Combined with Figures 8a to 8e In one embodiment, the first leg assembly 200 located in the front of the mobile robot 10 in the walking direction is recorded as the front leg 201, and the first leg assembly 200 located in the rear of the mobile robot 10 in the walking direction is recorded as the rear leg 202, that is, the first leg assembly 200 is divided into the front leg 201 and the rear leg 202. Figure 7b Combined with Figures 8a to 9c , obstacle crossing methods also include:

[0129] Step S221, determining the lifting position according to the obstacle information, the lifting position being the height position of the front leg 201, the rear leg 202 and the second leg assembly 300 when crossing the obstacle. Thus, preparations are made for the front leg 201, the rear leg 202 and the second leg assembly 300 to cross the obstacle respectively.

[0130] The lifting position refers to the position where the first leg assembly 200 and the second leg assembly 300 need to be lifted or lowered when crossing an obstacle, and the lifting position is determined by the obstacle information. It should be noted that the height position here matches the obstacle, that is, the height position includes not only the position above the surface to be moved 30, but also the position below the surface to be moved 30. When the obstacle is higher than the surface to be moved 30, each leg assembly needs to be lifted to cross the obstacle; when the obstacle is lower than the surface to be moved 30, each leg assembly needs to be lowered to cross the obstacle.

[0131] Step S222, controlling the front legs 201 to move to the lifting position, and controlling the rear legs 202 to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the front legs 201 can cross the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0132] Among them, according to the obstacle information and distance information, the front legs 201 are lifted or lowered to a height position matching the obstacle. Since the front legs 201 are suspended in the air and the rear legs 202 are supported on the surface 30 to be moved, the mobile robot 10 can move forward as a whole through the drive of the rear legs 202, so that the front legs 201 can cross the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved. The other surface 30 to be moved can be the surface of the obstacle 20, or it can be the next surface 30 to be moved after crossing the obstacle for the front legs 201 to walk smoothly.

[0133] It should be noted that, for an obstacle 20 including both a rising obstacle 21 and a sinking obstacle 22, when the length of the obstacle 20 on the walking track of the mobile robot 10 is relatively long, the front leg 201 can move and support on the surface to be moved 30 on the obstacle 20, so as to facilitate the second leg assembly 300 and the rear leg 202 to cross the obstacle. When the length of the obstacle on the walking track of the mobile robot 10 is relatively short, and the surface to be moved 30 on the obstacle 20 is difficult to provide support when the second leg assembly 300 or the rear leg 202 is suspended in the air, the front leg 201 can directly cross the obstacle 20 and support on the surface to be moved 30 after crossing the obstacle 20, that is, when the length of the obstacle 20 on the walking track of the mobile robot 10 is relatively short, the moving front leg 201 can simultaneously cross the rising obstacle 21 and the sinking obstacle 22 included in the obstacle 20, so as to facilitate the second leg assembly 300 and the rear leg 202 to cross the obstacle.

[0134] In the following, the size of the obstacle 20 on the walking track of the mobile robot 10 is referred to as the obstacle length. When the obstacle length is greater than a first preset value, the obstacle 20 can be considered to be relatively long; conversely, when the obstacle length is less than the first preset value, the obstacle 20 can be considered to be relatively short. The first preset value can be determined comprehensively based on specific parameters such as the overall size of the mobile robot 10 and the size of the wheel structure 230.

[0135] Step S223, controlling the movement of the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 to place the second leg assembly 300 in a lifting position, and controlling the movement of the first leg assembly 200 according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the second leg assembly 300 overcomes the obstacle and moves to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0136] At this time, since the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 are both supported on the moving surface 30, the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 can both drive the mobile robot 10 forward. It can be understood that the overall obstacle crossing of the mobile robot 10 also includes the obstacle crossing of the second leg assembly 300. The obstacle crossing method adopts the form of alternate support of the second leg assembly 300 and part of the first leg assembly 200, which can make the center of gravity of the mobile robot 10 stable during the obstacle crossing process.

[0137] Similar to the front leg 201, when the length of the obstacle is greater than the first preset value, the second leg assembly 300 can be supported on the surface 30 to be moved on the obstacle 20; when the length of the obstacle is less than the first preset value, the second leg assembly 300 can pass over the obstacle 20 and be supported on another surface 30 to be moved after passing over the obstacle 20.

[0138] Step S224, controlling the rear legs 202 to move to the lifting position, and controlling the front legs 201 to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the rear legs 202 can overcome the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0139] At this time, since the front legs 201 are supported on the to-be-moved surface 30 , the front legs 201 can drive the mobile robot 10 to move forward.

[0140] Similarly, when the length of the obstacle is greater than the first preset value, the rear leg 202 can be supported on the surface 30 to be moved on the obstacle 20; when the length of the obstacle is less than the first preset value, the rear leg 202 can pass over the obstacle 20 and be supported on another surface 30 to be moved after passing over the obstacle 20.

[0141] It should be noted that when the auxiliary type is auxiliary support, the order of the leg components of the mobile robot 10 in the obstacle crossing process is generally the front leg 201, the second leg component 300 and the rear leg 202, that is, generally executing steps S222, S223 and S224 in sequence. However, in each embodiment, the mobile robot 10 is not limited to executing steps S222, S223 and S224 in sequence when crossing an obstacle.

[0142] For example, when the length of some obstacles is greater than the first preset value but less than the second preset value, that is, at this time, the obstacle can allow two of the front leg 201, the second leg assembly 300 and the rear leg 202 to support the surface 30 to be moved on the obstacle 20 at the same time, but it is difficult for the front leg 201, the second leg assembly 300 and the rear leg 202 to support the surface 30 to be moved on the obstacle 20 at the same time. At this time, step S222 can be performed again before executing step S224. That is to say, for obstacles 20 whose length is less than the second preset value, before the rear leg 202 crosses the first obstacle, the front leg 201 can be controlled to cross the second obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved, so that the rear leg 202 can cross the first obstacle and support the surface of the obstacle 20.

[0143] It should be understood that the execution order of steps S222, S223 and S224 is not limited in each embodiment. S222, S223 and S224 can be executed accordingly based on the detected obstacle information and distance information, so that when the mobile robot 10 walks and crosses obstacles, at least two of the front legs 201, the second leg assembly 300 and the rear legs 202 are supported on the moving surface 30 to meet the requirement of a stable center of gravity of the mobile robot 10.

[0144] The drawings referred to in the description of the above embodiments all take the blocking object 20 protruding from the to-be-moved surface 30 as an example. It is understandable that the blocking object 20 is also the same when it is recessed in the to-be-moved surface 30, which will not be described in detail here.

[0145] Please refer again Figure 8a , Figure 8b , combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the controlling the movement of the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 so that the second leg assemblies 300 are supported on the surface to be moved 30 includes:

[0146] Step S211 , controlling the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 to be lifted together to make the bracket 100 descend, so as to drive the second leg assembly 300 to descend and be supported on the surface to be moved 30 .

[0147] Since the second leg assembly 300 is disposed on the bracket 100 and does not actively move relative to the bracket 100, the horizontal position of the bracket 100 can be relatively lowered by controlling multiple first leg assemblies 200 to be lifted together, and the horizontal position of the second leg assembly 300 can be driven to lower together, so that the second leg assembly 300 can be supported on the surface to be moved 30.

[0148] Of course, when the auxiliary support of the second leg assembly 300 is no longer needed, the multiple first leg assemblies 200 can be controlled to descend together, so that the horizontal positions of the bracket 100 and the second leg assembly 300 arranged on the bracket 100 can rise together, so that the second leg assembly 300 can be suspended in the air.

[0149] In one embodiment, controlling the movement of the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 to place the second leg assemblies 300 in a lifting position comprises:

[0150] Step S223a, controlling the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 to descend together to lift the bracket 100, thereby driving the second leg assembly 300 to move to a lifting position.

[0151] See also Figure 8c and Figure 8d Similarly, since the second leg assembly 300 is disposed on the support 100 and does not actively move relative to the support 100, the horizontal position of the support 100 can be relatively raised by controlling the first leg assemblies 200 to descend together, and the horizontal position of the second leg assembly 300 can be raised to the lifting position together, so that the second leg assembly 300 can be supported on the moving surface 30. Or,

[0152] Step S223b, controlling the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 to be lifted together to lower the support 100, thereby driving the second leg assembly 300 to move to a lifting position.

[0153] like Figure 9a and Figure 9b As shown, similarly, by controlling the multiple first leg assemblies 200 to be lifted together, the horizontal positions of the bracket 100 and the second leg assembly 300 disposed on the bracket 100 can be relatively lowered together, so that the second leg assembly 300 can be lowered to the lifting position.

[0154] In the obstacle surmounting methods described in the above embodiments, the obstacle surmounting methods of the mobile robot 10 are the same for both the rising obstacle 21 and the sinking obstacle 22. Figure 6 , the angle between the first leg assembly 200 and the vertical direction is the deflection angle, and the deflection angle is Figure 6 Shown is α.

[0155] For example, combined with Figures 8a to 8e For an ascending obstacle, step S22 includes:

[0156] Step S221a, determining the lifting position according to the obstacle information, the lifting position is the height position of the front leg 201, the rear leg 202 and the second leg assembly 300 when they are lifted to overcome the obstacle. After determining the height position required for the front leg 201, the rear leg 202 and the second leg assembly 300 to be lifted to overcome the obstacle, it is convenient to lift each leg assembly to the corresponding height position in turn during the walking process of the mobile robot 10 to overcome the obstacle.

[0157] Step S222a, controlling the front legs 201 to be lifted to the lifting position, and controlling the rear legs 202 to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the front legs 201 can overcome the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0158] As the mobile robot 10 approaches the obstacle, the deflection angle of the front leg 201 is gradually increased, so that the front leg 201 is in the lifting position required for it to cross the obstacle. At this time, the second leg assembly 300 and the rear leg 202 are both supported on the surface to be moved 30, so the mobile robot 10 can still be stable after the front leg 201 is lifted. It can be understood that the angular velocity of the front leg 201 during rotation can be controlled according to the speed of the mobile robot 10, the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the front leg 201 can be lifted to the lifting position corresponding to the front leg 201 at least when it reaches the obstacle.

[0159] Step S223a, controls the multiple first leg assemblies 200 to descend so that the second leg assemblies 300 are lifted and placed in a lifting position, and controls the movement of the first leg assemblies 200 according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the second leg assemblies 300 overcome the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0160] Among them, the deflection angles corresponding to the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 can be controlled to decrease, so that the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 can be lowered together. As a result, the horizontal position of the second leg assembly 300 can be relatively raised. By reasonably adjusting the deflection angles of the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202, the second leg assembly 300 can be raised to the horizontal position required for its obstacle crossing. At this time, both the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 are supported on the surface to be moved 30, so the mobile robot 10 can still be stable after the second leg assembly 300 is raised.

[0161] Similar to step S222a, the angular velocity of the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 during rotation can be controlled according to the speed, obstacle information and distance information of the mobile robot 10 to control the lifting and lowering speed of the second leg assembly 300, so that the second leg assembly 300 can at least be lifted to support the moving surface 30 when it reaches the obstacle.

[0162] Step S224a, controlling the rear legs 202 to be lifted to the lifting position, and controlling the front legs 201 to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the rear legs 202 can overcome the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0163] As the hind legs 202 approach the obstacle, the deflection angle of the hind legs 202 is gradually increased, so that the hind legs 202 are in the lifting position required for overcoming the obstacle. At this time, the front legs 201 and the second leg assembly 300 are both supported on the surface to be moved 30, so the mobile robot 10 can still be stable after the hind legs 202 are lifted. It can be understood that the angular velocity of the hind legs 202 during rotation can be controlled according to the speed of the mobile robot 10, the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the hind legs 202 can be lifted to the corresponding lifting position at least when reaching the obstacle.

[0164] Combination Figures 9a to 9c For a sinking obstacle, step S22 includes:

[0165] Step S221b, determining the lifting position according to the obstacle information, the lifting position is the height position that the front leg 201, the rear leg 202 and the second leg assembly 300 need to descend to overcome the obstacle. After determining the height position that the front leg 201, the rear leg 202 and the second leg assembly 300 need to descend to overcome the obstacle, it is convenient for the mobile robot 10 to sequentially descend each leg assembly to the corresponding height position to overcome the obstacle during its subsequent walking process.

[0166] Step S222b, controlling the front legs 201 to descend to the lifting position, and controlling the rear legs 202 to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the front legs 201 can overcome the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0167] Among them, as the mobile robot 10 approaches the sunken obstacle 21, when the front leg 201 has not yet reached the obstacle, the front leg 201 can remain supported on the surface to be moved 30. After the front leg 201 reaches the obstacle, the deflection angle of the front leg 201 is gradually reduced, so that the front leg 201 drops to the lifting position required for its obstacle crossing. At this time, the second leg assembly 300 and the rear leg 202 are both supported on the surface to be moved 30, so the mobile robot 10 can still be stable when the front leg 201 drops. It can be understood that the angular velocity of the front leg 201 during rotation can be controlled according to the speed of the mobile robot 10, the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the front leg 201 can at least drop to the lifting position corresponding to the front leg 201 before the second leg assembly 300 reaches the obstacle, so as to support the surface to be moved 30, and avoid the front leg 201 and the second leg assembly 300 from being suspended at the same time.

[0168] Step S223b, controls the lifting of the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 to make the second leg assemblies 300 descend and be in a lifting position, and controls the movement of the first leg assemblies 200 according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the second leg assemblies 300 overcome the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0169] Among them, the deflection angles corresponding to the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 can be increased by controlling the deflection angles corresponding to the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 to be lifted together. As a result, the horizontal position of the second leg assembly 300 can be relatively lowered. By reasonably adjusting the deflection angles of the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202, the second leg assembly 300 can be lowered to the horizontal position required for its obstacle crossing. At this time, both the front legs 201 and the rear legs 202 are supported on the surface to be moved 30, so the mobile robot 10 can still be stable when the second leg assembly 300 is lowered.

[0170] Similar to step S222b, the angular velocity of the front legs 201 and the hind legs 202 during rotation can be controlled according to the speed, obstacle information and distance information of the mobile robot 10 to control the lifting and lowering speed of the second leg assembly 300, so that the second leg assembly 300 can be lowered to be supported on the moving surface 30 at least before the hind legs 202 reach the obstacle, thereby avoiding the hind legs 202 and the second leg assembly 300 being suspended in the air at the same time.

[0171] Step S224b, controlling the rear legs 202 to descend to the lifting position, and controlling the front legs 201 to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the rear legs 202 can overcome the obstacle and move to another surface 30 to be moved.

[0172] As the mobile robot 10 approaches the obstacle, when the rear legs 202 have not yet reached the obstacle, the rear legs 202 can remain supported on the surface to be moved 30. When the rear legs 202 reach the obstacle, the deflection angle of the rear legs 202 is gradually reduced, so that the rear legs 202 are lowered to the lifting position required for the obstacle to be overcome. At this time, the second leg assembly 300 and the front legs 201 are both supported on the surface to be moved 30, so the mobile robot 10 can still be stable when the rear legs 202 are lowered.

[0173] It can be understood that, no matter it is a rising obstacle 21 or a sinking obstacle 22, each leg assembly of the mobile robot 10 always has to go through a suspended stage and climb up or down the obstacle during the obstacle surmounting process. Therefore, in the obstacle surmounting method, through the mutual support of the first leg assembly 200 and the second leg assembly 300, the mobile robot 10 can always walk smoothly at each stage of the obstacle surmounting process.

[0174] See also Figures 10a to 10c In one embodiment, when the auxiliary support type is non-auxiliary support, step S30 of the obstacle surmounting method includes:

[0175] In step S31, according to the obstacle information and the distance information, any first leg assembly 200 is controlled to be lifted or lowered to walk on the obstacle surface, while maintaining the distance from any part of the support 100 to the moving surface 30 unchanged.

[0176] As mentioned above, the auxiliary type of non-auxiliary support is usually used for certain obstacles with small horizontal fluctuations. That is, by controlling any first leg assembly 200 to rise or fall to match the horizontal position of the obstacle protruding from the surface to be moved 30, or matching the horizontal position of the obstacle recessed in the surface to be moved 30. As a result, the center of gravity of the mobile robot 10 remains almost unchanged during the obstacle crossing process, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the mobile robot 10. In addition, at this time, any first leg assembly 200 can be supported on the surface of the obstacle during the obstacle crossing process, so the center of gravity is stable.

[0177] like Figures 10a to 10c As shown, for example, for the obstacles 20 in which the rising obstacle 21 and the sinking obstacle 22 are sequentially arranged along the motion trajectory of the mobile robot 10, step S31 includes:

[0178] Step S311 , according to the obstacle information and the distance information, the deflection angle of the front leg 201 is controlled to gradually increase and roll over the surface of the rising obstacle 21 to move to the next surface 30 to be moved.

[0179] Step S312 , according to the obstacle information and the distance information, the deflection angle of the front leg 201 is controlled to gradually decrease and roll over the surface of the sinking obstacle 22 to move to the next surface 30 to be moved.

[0180] Step S313 , according to the obstacle information and the distance information, the deflection angle of the rear leg 202 is controlled to gradually increase and roll over the surface of the rising obstacle 21 to move to the next moving surface 30 .

[0181] Step S314 , according to the obstacle information and the distance information, the deflection angle of the rear leg 202 is controlled to gradually decrease and roll over the surface of the sunken obstacle 22 to move to the next moving surface 30 .

[0182] It should be understood that the order of step S312 and step S313 can be determined according to the aforementioned first preset value and the second preset value, which is similar to when the auxiliary type is auxiliary support, so it will not be repeated.

[0183] See also Fig.11a and Fig.11b In one embodiment, the front legs 201 include a left front leg 201a and a right front leg 201b, and the rear legs 202 include a left rear leg 202a and a right rear leg 202b. When the road surface of the moving surface 30 is relatively complex, there will be different obstacles on the walking paths of the left front leg 201a, the right front leg 201b, the left rear leg 202a, and the right rear leg 202b. Since each leg assembly can be independently raised or lowered, each leg assembly can be raised or lowered accordingly according to the obstacle information on its corresponding track to cross the obstacle.

[0184] In one embodiment, the obstacle surmounting method further comprises:

[0185] Step S40, according to the obstacle information and the distance information, the heading of the wheel structure 230 of the first leg assembly 200 is controlled. Thus, the heading of the mobile robot 10 can be synchronously adjusted during the movement and obstacle crossing process of the mobile robot 10, so that the mobile robot 10 can walk and cross obstacles along the expected heading.

[0186] It is understandable that the plurality of first leg assemblies 200 all include a wheel structure 230, so the front leg 201, the rear leg 202 and other first leg assemblies 200 can change their headings through the wheel structure 230. For ease of description, the heading of the wheel structure 230 of the first leg assembly 200 is referred to as the heading of the first leg assembly 200 below.

[0187] For example, in step S222, i.e., during the obstacle-crossing assistance of the front legs 201, since the rear legs 202 are in contact with the surface to be moved, the heading of the rear legs 202 can be adjusted to adjust the overall heading of the mobile robot 10, so that the front legs 201 can accurately move to the expected position on the surface of the obstacle 20 or the expected position on another surface to be moved 30. In addition, the heading of the front legs 201 can be adjusted synchronously when the front legs 201 are suspended in the air, so that after the front legs 201 are in contact with the surface to be moved 30, they can cooperate with the rear legs 202 to adjust the overall heading of the mobile robot 10.

[0188] In step S223, that is, during the obstacle crossing process of the second leg, when controlling the lifting or lowering of the front leg 201 and the rear leg 202, the headings of the front leg 201 and the rear leg 202 can be synchronously adjusted so that the second leg assembly 300 can accurately move to the expected position on the surface of the obstacle 20 or the expected position on another surface 30 to be moved.

[0189] In step S224, i.e., during the obstacle crossing process of the hind legs 202, the heading of the front legs 201 can be adjusted to adjust the overall heading of the mobile robot 10, so that the hind legs 202 can accurately move to the expected position on the surface of the obstacle 20 or the expected position on another surface to be moved 30. Similarly, the heading of the hind legs 202 can be synchronously adjusted when the hind legs 202 are suspended in the air, so that after the obstacle crossing is completed, the front legs 201 and the hind legs 202 can cooperate with each other to jointly drive the mobile robot 10 to walk along the expected trajectory.

[0190] Of course, the same is true for non-auxiliary support. Since each leg assembly in the non-auxiliary support can contact the moving surface 30, each leg assembly can adjust the heading of the wheel structure 230 of each leg assembly according to the obstacle information and distance information while adapting to lifting or lowering, so that the mobile robot 10 can walk along the expected trajectory.

[0191] In one embodiment, when the mobile robot 10 is normally traveling on the surface to be moved 30, the second leg assembly 300 may be suspended to avoid interference with slight undulations on the surface to be moved 30 and hindering the normal walking of the mobile robot 10. When the mobile robot 10 is parked, the second leg assembly 300 may be lowered to assist in supporting the overall structure of the mobile robot 10.

[0192] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0193] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A mobile robot, characterized in that: The mobile robot comprises: Bracket; A first leg assembly, wherein a plurality of the first leg assemblies are respectively movably connected to the bracket and are lifted or lowered relative to the bracket; The second leg assembly is connected to the bracket and is located in an area surrounded by a plurality of the first leg assemblies. The second leg assembly is used to assist any of the first leg assemblies in lifting or lowering.

2. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first leg assembly includes a first driving member, a connecting rod structure and a wheel structure, one end of the connecting rod structure is rotatably connected to the bracket, and the other end of the connecting rod structure is connected to the wheel structure. The first driving member is arranged on the bracket and connected to one end of the connecting rod structure away from the wheel structure to drive the connecting rod structure to rotate.

3. The mobile robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting rod structure comprises: A first connecting rod, comprising a first rotating portion rotatably connected to the first driving member, and a second rotating portion rotatably connected to the wheel structure; A second connecting rod includes a third rotating portion rotatably connected to the bracket and a fourth rotating portion rotatably connected to the wheel structure; The line connecting the first rotating part and the second rotating part is the first transmission section, the line connecting the third rotating part and the fourth rotating part is the second transmission section, and the first transmission section and the second transmission section are arranged in parallel and have the same length.

4. The mobile robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wheel structure includes a second driving member and a first wheel, wherein the second driving member is connected to the first wheel to adjust the heading of the first wheel.

5. The mobile robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The wheel structure also includes a connecting seat and a shock-absorbing structure. The connecting seat is connected to the second driving member so as to rotate under the drive of the second driving member; the shock-absorbing structure is elastically connected between the connecting seat and the first wheel so that the first wheel can elastically move relative to the connecting seat.

6. The mobile robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The shock absorbing structure includes a support rod and a suspension member, wherein two ends of the support rod are rotatably connected to the connecting seat and the first wheel respectively, one end of the suspension member is connected to the connecting seat, and the other end of the suspension member is connected to the first wheel or to an end of the support rod away from the connecting seat, an extension line of the support rod intersects with an extension line of the suspension member, the suspension member is an elastic member, and the first wheel can move in a direction to compress the suspension member.

7. The mobile robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bracket includes a plurality of connecting plates, which are spaced apart in front and back, and each connecting plate is provided with a through hole. The first leg assembly includes a transmission member that penetrates the through hole, and the first driving member and the connecting rod structure are respectively connected to opposite sides of the connecting plate, and the transmission member is connected between the first driving member and the connecting rod structure.

8. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second leg assembly includes a support and a second wheel, one end of the support is connected to the bracket, and the other end of the support is rotatably connected to the second wheel.

9. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mobile robot also includes: a control module, disposed on the bracket, wherein the control module is electrically connected to the plurality of first leg assemblies to respectively control the movement of the plurality of first leg assemblies; and / or A laser radar module, disposed on the bracket, the laser radar module is used to detect the environment around the mobile robot; and / or A vision module is arranged on the bracket, and the vision module is used to detect the environment around the mobile robot.

10. An obstacle surmounting method, characterized in that: The obstacle surmounting method is applied to the mobile robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the obstacle surmounting method comprises: Obtain obstacle information detected by a laser radar module and / or a visual module carried by the mobile robot and distance information between the mobile robot and the obstacle, and determine the assistance type of the second leg assembly based on the obstacle information; If the auxiliary type is auxiliary support, controlling the movement of the plurality of the first leg assemblies so that the second leg assemblies are supported on the surface to be moved; Controlling the movement of the first leg assembly according to the obstacle information and the distance information, and sequentially controlling the plurality of first leg assemblies to be lifted or lowered respectively, so as to enable the mobile robot to overcome obstacles; If the auxiliary type is non-auxiliary support, the movement of the first leg assembly is controlled according to the obstacle information and the distance information, and the plurality of first leg assemblies are controlled to be lifted or lowered in turn, so as to enable the mobile robot to overcome obstacles.

11. The obstacle surmounting method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first leg assembly is divided into a front leg and a rear leg. When the auxiliary type is auxiliary support, the sequential control of the plurality of first leg assemblies to be lifted or lowered respectively includes: Determine a lifting position according to the obstacle information, wherein the lifting position is a height position of the front leg, the rear leg, and the second leg assembly when the front leg, the rear leg, and the second leg assembly pass over the obstacle; Control the front legs to move to the lifting position, and control the rear legs to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the front legs can cross the obstacle and move to another surface to be moved; Controlling the movement of the plurality of first leg assemblies to make the second leg assemblies in the lifting position, and controlling the movement of the first leg assemblies according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the second leg assemblies can overcome the obstacles and move to another surface to be moved; The rear legs are controlled to move to the lifting position, and the front legs are controlled to move according to the obstacle information and the distance information, so that the rear legs can cross the obstacle and move to another surface to be moved.

12. The obstacle surmounting method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The controlling the movement of the plurality of the first leg assemblies so that the second leg assemblies are supported on the surface to be moved comprises: Controlling the plurality of first leg assemblies to be lifted together to make the bracket descend, so as to drive the second leg assemblies to descend and be supported on the surface to be moved; The controlling the movement of the plurality of the first leg assemblies so that the second leg assemblies are in the lifting position comprises: The plurality of first leg assemblies are controlled to descend together to lift the bracket, or the plurality of first leg assemblies are controlled to lift together to lower the bracket, so as to drive the second leg assembly to move to the lifting position.

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