Robot capable of pitching and suitable for walking on stairs and walking method of robot

Abstract

The invention provides a pitching robot suitable for stair walking and a walking method thereof.The pitching robot comprises a shell, a lifting chassis is arranged at the bottom of the shell, a first track assembly and a second track assembly are arranged at the front end and the rear end of the chassis correspondingly, and the first track assembly and the second track assembly are rotationally connected with the chassis; a swing air cylinder is arranged between the first track assembly and the second track assembly and the chassis. When the robot encounters a stair or a slope, the side track assemblies, the first track assemblies and the second track assemblies climb the stair or the slope, swing air cylinders at the two ends are driven so that the robot can incline slowly, and the first track assembly at the front end provides inclined downward pressure for the whole structure; the second track assembly at the rear end provides supporting force for the whole structure, so that the robot is kept stable when inclining, and the phenomena that the robot is prone to overturning backwards when ascending and prone to overturning forwards when descending, and the stability is poor are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs, and its walking method. Background Technology

[0002] In human living and working environments, complex terrains such as stairs and slopes are common obstacles, posing a significant challenge to the mobility of robots. Existing stair-climbing robots mainly achieve climbing through tracks, wheels, or legs.

[0003] Most existing robots use wheeled or tracked structures. When wheeled robots encounter stairs, ramps, or obstacles, the difference in step height or thresholds indoors can cause the wheels to become suspended or stuck, making it impossible to generate effective traction and hindering passage. Tracked robots experience high energy consumption and slow speeds, and prolonged use on flat ground accelerates track wear, resulting in higher maintenance costs.

[0004] Existing tracked robots, when climbing stairs or slopes, maintain a parallel profile with the staircase, causing a significant tilt in their center of gravity. This makes them prone to tipping backward when ascending and forward when descending, resulting in poor stability. Current robotic devices adjust their center of gravity by moving loads or counterweights, but these devices are often complex, slow to respond, or add extra dead weight, impacting climbing efficiency and load capacity. Other robots, such as hexapods, adapt to stairs through complex gait planning, but their control algorithms are highly complex and require precise environmental perception. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs, and its walking method, which solves the problems of wheeled structures having difficulty passing through stairs or slopes, and tracked structures having high energy consumption, slow speed, and high long-term maintenance costs.

[0006] Another problem solved by this invention is that robots tend to tip over backward when climbing stairs or slopes, and tend to tip forward when climbing down, resulting in poor stability. Adjusting the center of gravity by moving the load or counterweight is complex and has a slow response time, which affects its climbing efficiency and load capacity.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a robot that can tilt and walk on stairs and its walking method, including a shell, a lifting chassis at the bottom of the shell, a first track assembly and a second track assembly at the front and rear ends of the chassis respectively, the first track assembly and the second track assembly being rotatably connected to the chassis, a plurality of wheel assemblies on the shell, and a swing cylinder between the first track assembly and the second track assembly and the chassis.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the outer shell is a hollow structure with the opening facing downwards, the wheel assembly is located at the four corners of the outer shell, and side track assemblies are provided on both sides of the chassis.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment, the chassis includes an upper chassis, a lower chassis is provided at the bottom of the upper chassis, a support column is provided on the lower chassis, multiple lifting devices are provided between the outer shell and the chassis, and through holes are provided at both ends of the lower chassis.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, hinge seats are provided on both sides of the top of the support column, one end of the swing cylinder is rotatably connected to the hinge seat, and the other end of the swing cylinder is rotatably connected to the first track assembly or the second track assembly.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment, the upper chassis is provided with multiple rotating seats, the lifting device is a lifting cylinder, one end of the lifting device is connected to the rotating seat, the other end of the lifting device is connected to the inner wall of the outer shell, and multiple side plates are provided on both sides of the upper chassis, which are connected to the side track assembly.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the first track assembly includes a connecting frame, a U-shaped frame on the connecting frame, a second hinge seat on the U-shaped frame, and the second hinge seat is connected to a swing cylinder.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment, the two ends of the connecting frame are respectively provided with a driving wheel and a driven wheel, and the driven wheel is provided with a connecting shaft, which abuts against the through hole.

[0014] In the preferred embodiment, the driving wheel and the driven wheel are connected by a track chain, a first motor is provided on the connecting frame, the output shaft of the first motor is connected to the driving wheel, and the second track assembly has the same structure as the first track assembly.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the wheel assembly includes a mounting frame, a rotary motor mounted on the mounting frame, an L-shaped frame at the bottom of the rotary motor, an output shaft of the rotary motor connected to the L-shaped frame, a rotatably connected roller mounted on the L-shaped frame, and a hub motor mounted on the L-shaped frame. The top of the casing is equipped with a gyroscope and multiple cameras.

[0016] A method for a robot capable of pitching and traversing stairs, characterized by: S1, determining whether there are stairs ahead using a camera, and simultaneously acquiring the inclination angle of the stairs: S2. When encountering stairs, multiple lifting devices are activated, the chassis descends, the side track components touch the ground, and the wheel components move away from the ground. S3. Drive the swing cylinder of the first track assembly to make the tilt angle of the first track assembly match the tilt angle of the stairs, drive the side track assembly, and the robot moves to one side of the stairs, with the first track assembly abutting against the stairs. S4. Drive the swing cylinder of the second track assembly to make the second track assembly rest against the ground; S5. Drive the swing cylinder of the first track assembly to press the first track assembly down relative to the stairs so that the robot tilts slowly, while the other swing cylinder slowly shortens until the tilt angle of the two side track assemblies is consistent with that of the stairs. S6, drive-side track assembly, first track assembly and second track assembly, the robot begins to crawl on the stairs. While crawling on the stairs, the rear swing cylinder slowly presses down to make the second track assembly slowly tilt. S7. When the robot is about to climb to the top of the stairs, the swing cylinder at the front end is extended so that the first track assembly is pressed against the ground at the top of the stairs. Then the robot slowly climbs out of the stairs. At the same time, the side track assembly, the first track assembly and the second track assembly are driven, and the swing cylinder at the front end slowly retracts, so that the robot is horizontal. S8. Retractable lifting device, side track assembly away from the ground, wheel assembly against the ground, switch to roller travel mode.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The overall robot can drive multiple lifting devices to adjust the side track assembly or wheel assembly to contact the ground, thereby switching between tracked walking mode and roller walking mode. When encountering obstacles or needing to climb, it switches to tracked walking mode to facilitate overcoming obstacles and avoid the phenomenon of wheels being suspended or stuck, unable to form effective traction, and difficult to pass. When walking on flat ground, it switches to roller walking mode to avoid the tracks traveling on the ground for a long time, greatly reducing the track travel time, saving energy, increasing the robot's travel speed, and reducing the maintenance cost of track wear.

[0018] When encountering stairs or slopes, the chassis is lowered by driving the lifting device, allowing the side track assembly, first track assembly, and second track assembly to climb the stairs or slopes. By driving the swing cylinders at both ends, the tilt angle of the first and second track assemblies is controlled, allowing them to tilt relative to the outer shell. This ensures that when the robot begins climbing, the first track assembly can rest against the stairs or slope, and the second track assembly can rest against the ground. Then, the two swing cylinders are slowly driven to tilt the robot gradually. The first track assembly at the front provides a downward tilting force to the overall structure, while the second track assembly at the rear provides a supporting force, keeping the robot stable when tilting and preventing it from easily tipping backward when going uphill or tilting forward when going downhill, thus avoiding poor stability.

[0019] The overall structure is simple, avoiding the problems of complex structures, complex control algorithms, and high requirements for environmental perception accuracy that often occur in six-legged robots designed to adapt to staircases. Similarly, it avoids the issues of existing robots needing to adjust their center of gravity by moving loads or counterweights, which leads to complex structures, slow response speeds, and reduced climbing efficiency and load capacity. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments; Figure 1 This is an axonometric view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an axonometric view of a partial structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an axonometric view of a partial structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is an axonometric view of a partial structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a side view of a partial structure of the present invention; Figure 7 This is an axonometric view of the wheel assembly of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first step of the overall structure of the present invention for ascending stairs; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second step of the overall structure of the present invention for climbing stairs; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the third step of the overall structure of the present invention for ascending stairs; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the staircase of this invention; Figure 12 This is a logical structural view of the overall structure of the present invention; In the diagram: 1. Outer shell; 2. Chassis; 201. Upper chassis; 202. Lower chassis; 203. Support column; 204. Hinge seat; 205. Rotating seat; 206. Side plate; 207. Through hole; 3. Lifting device; 4. Swing cylinder; 5. Side track assembly; 6. First track assembly; 601. Connecting frame; 602. U-shaped frame; 603. Second hinge seat; 6031. Drive wheel; 604. Driven wheel; 605. Track chain; 7. Wheel assembly; 701. Rotary motor; 702. Roller; 703. Wheel shell; 704. Mounting frame; 705. Second track assembly; 8. Gyroscope; 9. Camera; 10. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Example 1: like Figure 1-12A robot capable of pitching and tilting for stair walking, and its walking method, are disclosed. The robot includes a shell 1, a lifting chassis 2 at the bottom of the shell 1, and a first track assembly 6 and a second track assembly 8 at its front and rear ends, respectively. The first track assembly 6 and the second track assembly 8 are rotatably connected to the chassis 2. Multiple wheel assemblies 7 are mounted on the shell 1. A swing cylinder 4 is located between the first track assembly 6 and the second track assembly 8 and the chassis 2. With this structure, the robot can drive multiple lifting devices 3 to adjust the side track assemblies 5 or wheel assemblies 7 to contact the ground, switching between tracked walking mode and wheeled walking mode. When encountering obstacles or needing to climb, it switches to tracked walking mode to facilitate obstacle crossing and avoid wheel dangling or jamming, which would prevent effective traction and hinder passage. When walking on flat ground, it switches to wheeled walking mode to avoid prolonged track travel, greatly reducing track travel time, saving energy, increasing robot speed, and reducing track wear and maintenance costs.

[0022] When encountering stairs or slopes, the lifting device 3 is driven to lower the chassis 2, allowing the side track assembly 5, first track assembly 6, and second track assembly 8 to climb the stairs or slopes. The tilting angle of the first track assembly 6 and the second track assembly 8 is controlled by driving the swing cylinders 4 at both ends, so that the first track assembly 6 and the second track assembly 8 can tilt relative to the outer shell 1. When the robot starts climbing, the first track assembly 6 can rest against the stairs or slope, and the second track assembly 8 can rest against the ground. Then, the two swing cylinders 4 are slowly driven to make the robot tilt slowly. The first track assembly 6 at the front provides a tilting downward force to the overall structure, and the second track assembly 8 at the rear provides a supporting force to the overall structure, so that the robot remains stable when tilting, avoiding the phenomenon of easily tipping backward when going uphill and easily tipping forward when going downhill, which is a sign of poor stability.

[0023] The overall structure is simple, avoiding the problems of complex structures, complex control algorithms, and high requirements for environmental perception accuracy that often occur in six-legged robots designed to adapt to staircases. Similarly, it avoids the issues of existing robots needing to adjust their center of gravity by moving loads or counterweights, which leads to complex structures, slow response speeds, and reduced climbing efficiency and load capacity.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the outer shell 1 has a hollow structure with its opening facing downwards. Wheel assemblies 7 are located at the four corners of the outer shell 1, and side track assemblies 5 are provided on both sides of the chassis 2. With this structure, a camera is located on the top of the outer shell 1, and the hollow structure allows the chassis 2 and multiple lifting devices 3 to be installed at the bottom of the outer shell 1. One end of each lifting device 3 is connected to the outer shell 1. The side track assembly 5 includes a second connecting frame, a second drive wheel, a second driven wheel, a second track chain, and a third motor. The second drive wheel and the second driven wheel are connected via the second track chain, and the third motor is connected to the second drive wheel.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the chassis 2 includes an upper chassis 201, a lower chassis 202 at the bottom of the upper chassis 201, a support column 203 on the lower chassis 202, and multiple lifting devices 3 between the outer shell 1 and the chassis 2. Both ends of the lower chassis 202 have through holes 207. With this structure, the upper chassis 201 is connected to the multiple lifting devices 3, the lower chassis 202 is connected to one end of the first track assembly 6 or the second track assembly 8, one end of the swing cylinder 4 is rotatably connected to one end of the first track assembly 6 or the second track assembly 8, and the other end of the swing cylinder 4 is rotatably connected to the lower chassis 202.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, hinge seats 204 are provided on both sides of the top of the support column 203, one end of the swing cylinder 4 is rotatably connected to the hinge seat 204, and the other end of the swing cylinder 4 is rotatably connected to the first track assembly 6 or the second track assembly 8.

[0027] In the preferred embodiment, the upper chassis 201 is provided with multiple rotating seats 205, the lifting device 3 is a lifting cylinder, one end of the lifting device 3 is connected to the rotating seat 205, and the other end of the lifting device 3 is connected to the inner wall of the outer shell 1. Multiple side plates 206 are provided on both sides of the upper chassis 201, and the side plates 206 are connected to the side track assembly 5. With this structure, when encountering stairs or slopes, the lifting device 3 is driven to lower the chassis 2, allowing the side track assembly 5, the first track assembly 6, and the second track assembly 8 to climb the stairs or slopes. By driving the swing cylinders 4 at both ends, the tilt angle of the first track assembly 6 and the second track assembly 8 is controlled, so that the first track assembly 6 and the second track assembly 8 can tilt relative to the outer shell 1. When the robot begins to climb, the first track assembly 6 can rest against the stairs or slope, and the second track assembly 8 can rest against the ground. Then, the two swing cylinders 4 are slowly driven to make the robot tilt slowly. The first track assembly 6 at the front provides a tilting downward force to the overall structure, and the second track assembly 8 at the rear provides a supporting force to the overall structure, so that the robot remains stable when tilting, avoiding the phenomenon of easily tipping backward when going uphill and easily tipping forward when going downhill, which is a sign of poor stability.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the first track assembly 6 includes a connecting frame 601, a U-shaped frame 603 mounted on the connecting frame 601, and a second hinge seat 6031 mounted on the U-shaped frame 603. The second hinge seat 6031 is connected to the swing cylinder 4. This structure drives the swing cylinder 4 to adjust the tilt angle of the first track assembly 6.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the connecting frame 601 has a drive wheel 604 and a driven wheel 605 at both ends, respectively. The driven wheel 605 has a connecting shaft 602, which abuts against the through hole 207. With this structure, the two sides of the U-shaped frame 603 are connected to the two ends of the connecting frame 601 of the first track assembly 6. One end of the U-shaped frame 603 is rotatably connected to the swing cylinder 4.

[0030] In the preferred embodiment, the drive wheel 604 and the driven wheel 605 are connected by a track chain 606. A first motor is provided on the connecting frame 601, and the output shaft of the first motor is connected to the drive wheel 604. The second track assembly 8 has the same structure as the first track assembly 6.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the wheel assembly 7 includes a mounting frame 704, a rotary motor 701 is mounted on the mounting frame 704, an L-shaped frame 705 is mounted at the bottom of the rotary motor 701, the output shaft of the rotary motor 701 is connected to the L-shaped frame 705, a rotatably connected roller 702 is mounted on the L-shaped frame 705, and a hub motor is mounted on the L-shaped frame 705. The top of the outer casing 1 is equipped with a gyroscope 9 and multiple cameras 10. With this structure, a mounting bracket 704 is connected to the outer casing 1, driving a rotary motor 701 to rotate the L-shaped frame 705 and rollers 702, thereby adjusting the direction of movement of the wheel assembly 7 so that the wheel assembly 7 can steer. A hub motor is also driven to rotate the rollers 702, enabling the robot to walk.

[0032] Gyroscope 9 is used to measure the robot's tilt angle. Camera 10 acquires image information of the stairs through a vision sensor, and then combines image processing algorithms and geometric calculations to infer the tilt angle of the stairs. Camera 10 uses edge detection to identify areas with drastic grayscale changes in the image, the boundary lines between the vertical and horizontal surfaces of the steps, and the vertical boundary lines between adjacent steps to obtain the edge lines of the stairs. Through contour detection algorithms and feature verification, image pixel coordinates and physical space coordinates are established, and the tilt angle α of the stairs is calculated using trigonometric functions or vector calculations.

[0033] Example 2: Further explanation based on Embodiment 1: A walking method for a robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs: S1. Determine if there are stairs ahead using camera 10, and simultaneously obtain the stair inclination angle; S2. When encountering stairs, drive multiple lifting devices 3, lower the chassis 2, bring the side track assembly 5 to the ground, and move the wheel assembly 7 away from the ground; S3. Drive the swing cylinder 4 of the first track assembly 6 to make the tilt angle of the first track assembly 6 consistent with the inclination angle of the stairs, drive the side track assembly 5, and move the robot to one side of the stairs, with the first track assembly 6 resting against the stairs; S4. Drive the swing cylinder 4 of the second track assembly 8 to make the second track assembly 8 rest against the ground; S5. Drive the swing cylinder 4 of the first track assembly 6 to press the first track assembly 6 down relative to the stairs, causing the robot to slowly tilt, while the other swing cylinder 4 slowly retracts. S6. Drive the side track assembly 5, the first track assembly 6 and the second track assembly 8, and the robot begins to crawl on the stairs. While crawling on the stairs, the rear swing cylinder 4 slowly presses down to make the second track assembly 8 slowly tilt. S7. When the robot is about to climb to the top of the stairs, drive the front swing cylinder 4 to extend so that the first track assembly 6 is close to the ground at the top of the stairs. The robot slowly climbs out of the stairs. While driving the side track assembly 5, the first track assembly 6 and the second track assembly 8, the front swing cylinder 4 slowly retracts, and the robot becomes horizontal. S8. Retract the lifting device 3, the side track assembly 5 moves away from the ground, the wheel assembly 7 touches the ground, and the roller walking mode is switched.

[0034] This robot walks on ramps in the same way it walks on stairs.

[0035] The above embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of the present invention and should not be considered as limitations on the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be limited to the technical solutions described in the claims, including equivalent substitutions of the technical features described in the claims. That is, equivalent substitutions and improvements within this scope are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot capable of pitching and tilting for stair climbing, characterized by: Includes an outer shell (1), a lifting chassis (2) is provided at the bottom of the outer shell (1), a first track assembly (6) and a second track assembly (8) are provided at the front and rear ends of the chassis (2) respectively, the first track assembly (6) and the second track assembly (8) are rotatably connected to the chassis (2), multiple wheel assemblies (7) are provided on the outer shell (1), and a swing cylinder (4) is provided between the first track assembly (6) and the second track assembly (8) and the chassis (2).

2. The robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell (1) is a hollow structure with the opening of the outer shell (1) facing downward. The wheel assembly (7) is located at the four corners of the outer shell (1), and the side track assembly (5) is provided on both sides of the chassis (2).

3. The robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chassis (2) includes an upper chassis (201), a lower chassis (202) is provided at the bottom of the upper chassis (201), a support column (203) is provided on the lower chassis (202), a number of lifting devices (3) are provided between the outer shell (1) and the chassis (2), and through holes (207) are provided at both ends of the lower chassis (202).

4. The robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top of the support column (203) is provided with hinge seats (204) on both sides. One end of the swing cylinder (4) is rotatably connected to the hinge seat (204), and the other end of the swing cylinder (4) is rotatably connected to the first track assembly (6) or the second track assembly (8).

5. The robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper chassis (201) is provided with multiple rotating seats (205), the lifting device (3) is a lifting cylinder, one end of the lifting device (3) is connected to the rotating seat (205), and the other end of the lifting device (3) is connected to the inner wall of the outer shell (1). The upper chassis (201) is provided with multiple side plates (206) on both sides, and the side plates (206) are connected to the side track assembly (5).

6. The robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first track assembly (6) includes a connecting frame (601), a U-shaped frame (603) is provided on the connecting frame (601), a second hinge seat (6031) is provided on the U-shaped frame (603), and the second hinge seat (6031) is connected to the swing cylinder (4).

7. The robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to claim 6, characterized in that: The connecting frame (601) has a driving wheel (604) and a driven wheel (605) at both ends respectively. The driven wheel (605) has a connecting shaft (602) which abuts against the through hole (207).

8. The robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to claim 7, characterized in that: The drive wheel (604) and the driven wheel (605) are connected by a track chain (606). A first motor is provided on the connecting frame (601). The output shaft of the first motor is connected to the drive wheel (604). The second track assembly (8) has the same structure as the first track assembly (6).

9. The robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wheel assembly (7) includes a mounting frame (704), a rotary motor (701) is mounted on the mounting frame (704), an L-shaped frame (705) is mounted at the bottom of the rotary motor (701), the output shaft of the rotary motor (701) is connected to the L-shaped frame (705), a rotatably connected roller (702) is mounted on the L-shaped frame (705), and a hub motor is mounted on the L-shaped frame (705). The top of the casing (1) is equipped with a gyroscope (9) and multiple cameras (10).

10. A walking method for a robot capable of pitching and walking on stairs according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: S1. Determine whether there is a staircase in front of you using the camera (10), and simultaneously obtain the inclination angle of the staircase: S2. When encountering stairs, drive multiple lifting devices (3), the chassis (2) descends, the side track assembly (5) touches the ground, and the wheel assembly (7) moves away from the ground; S3. Drive the swing cylinder (4) of the first track assembly (6) so that the tilt angle of the first track assembly (6) is consistent with the tilt angle of the stairs, drive the side track assembly (5), and the robot moves to one side of the stairs, and the first track assembly (6) abuts against the stairs. S4. Drive the swing cylinder (4) of the second track assembly (8) to make the second track assembly (8) abut against the ground; S5. Drive the swing cylinder (4) of the first track assembly (6) to press the first track assembly (6) down relative to the stairs so that the robot tilts slowly, while another swing cylinder (4) slowly shortens until the two side track assemblies (5) are in the same tilt angle as the stairs. S6, drive side track assembly (5), first track assembly (6) and second track assembly (8), the robot begins to crawl on the stairs. While crawling on the stairs, the rear swing cylinder (4) slowly presses down to make the second track assembly (8) slowly tilt. S7. When the robot is about to climb to the top of the stairs, the swing cylinder (4) at the front end is extended so that the first track assembly (6) is pressed against the ground at the top of the stairs. Then the robot slowly climbs out of the stairs. At the same time as the side track assembly (5), the first track assembly (6) and the second track assembly (8) are driven, the swing cylinder (4) at the front end slowly retracts and the robot becomes horizontal. S8, retract the lifting device (3), move the side track assembly (5) away from the ground, and move the wheel assembly (7) against the ground to switch the roller walking mode.

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