A multi-motion modality robot
By combining an air pump and bellows with springs, solenoid valves, and a center of gravity control module, the problem of insufficient ability of spherical robots to overcome obstacles and perform water and land operations in complex environments has been solved, achieving stable adsorption and precise directional control in multiple motion modes.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TIANJIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing spherical robots have limited ability to overcome obstacles, lack the ability to adhere to and fix themselves in the environment, and cannot operate on land and underwater at the same time. They are particularly unstable in complex environments.
The design employs an air pump, bellows, springs, and solenoid valves. The air pump controls the contraction and expansion of the bellows to achieve the robot's flattening deformation and instantaneous thrust. Combined with the center of gravity control module, the center of gravity offset is adjusted by push rod motors to achieve directional jumping on land, floating and gliding underwater, and bouncing out of the water from underwater.
It achieves stable adsorption and precise directional control of the robot in complex terrain, has amphibious capabilities, and improves the orientation and accuracy of obstacle crossing, floating and gliding on land and underwater.
Smart Images
Figure CN122144025A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of spherical robots and underwater robots, specifically to a multi-modal robot that combines land jumping, underwater movement, and directional control functions. Background Technology
[0002] Spherical robots, with their omnidirectional mobility and environmental adaptability, have broad application prospects in scenarios such as inspection and exploration. Existing spherical robots mostly rely on wheels or center-of-gravity shifts for movement on flat ground, exhibiting limited obstacle-crossing ability and lacking the ability to adhere and anchor to the environment, resulting in insufficient stability on inclined or complex terrains. Furthermore, most spherical robots possess only a single land or underwater operation capability, unable to simultaneously operate on land and underwater, or in complex environments such as shallow waters. Therefore, developing a multi-modal spherical robot that combines amphibious capabilities with precise directional control is of great significance. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a multi-modal robot. This robot can perform directional jumping during land operations; controllable vertical floating and gliding on and under water; and underwater bouncing out of the water. It achieves contraction and adsorption through an air pump and bellows, jumps over obstacles using springs and solenoid valves, and controls the jump direction through a center-of-gravity offset module to complete the aforementioned motion modes.
[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:
[0005] A multi-modal robot has a main structure consisting of two hemispheres, forming a spherical structure. The main structure includes a top cover, an upper end cover, side plates, a central connecting plate, and a lower end cover. Inside the main structure are an air pump control module, a center-of-gravity control module, a solenoid valve power supply module, springs, and bellows. The bellows and springs are assembled between the upper and lower end covers, with the springs fitted onto the bellows. The bellows are sealed to both the upper and lower end covers. The top cover is hexagonal, and six side plates are correspondingly provided to fit the hexagon. The center of each side of the top cover connects to a side plate via a connecting plate. The six side plates are connected to the top cover in the above manner using hinges and screws to form the upper hemispherical structure. The top cover is connected to the side plates in the same way to form a hemisphere, which is the lower hemisphere structure of the spherical main structure. The corresponding side plates in the upper and lower hemispheres are connected as a whole by hinges and screws. The central connecting plate is provided with a pin for hinge connection. The central connecting plate is connected to the side plates in the upper and lower hemispheres by the provided pin. After connecting the six opposite side plates and the central connecting plate, the two hemispheres are connected into a sphere.
[0006] The air pump control module of the robot of this invention is located between the top cover and the upper cover, and includes an air pump box, an air pump, a control board, an air inlet pipe, and an air outlet pipe. The air pump box is hexagonal, with each side aligned with the top cover, and the upper cover is tightly bonded to the air pump box. The air pump is mounted on the air pump box, and the control board is fixed to the air pump box by fixing screws. One end of the air inlet pipe is sealed to the air inlet of the air pump, and the other end is connected to the inside of the corrugated pipe through a pipe opening reserved on the upper cover, for extracting gas from the inside of the corrugated pipe. The air outlet pipe is sealed to the air outlet of the air pump.
[0007] The solenoid valve power module of the robot of this invention is located between the top cover and the bottom cover on the opposite side of the sphere and the air pump control module. It includes a solenoid valve box, a solenoid valve, and a battery pack. The solenoid valve box is hexagonal, and there is a mounting cavity on the bottom cover. The solenoid valve power module is located in the mounting cavity of the bottom cover, and the bottom cover is tightly bonded to the solenoid valve box. The solenoid valve and the battery are installed in the solenoid valve box. There are six solenoid valves, which are normally open and evenly distributed around the circumference of the solenoid valve box. The bottom cover has an opening, and the solenoid valve and the opening are sealed together. The battery pack consists of three sets of batteries connected in series to power the air pump, the solenoid valve, and the push rod motor of the center of gravity control module.
[0008] The center of gravity control device of the robot of the present invention includes a weight, a side plate with an embedded motor, and a push rod motor. The side plate with the embedded motor is formed by embedding the push rod motor inside the side plate. Each side plate corresponds to a set of push rod motors and a weight. A guide groove is provided on the side plate at the position of the push rod motor. The diameter of the guide groove is slightly larger than the diameter of the push rod, so as to ensure that the push rod moves smoothly in the guide groove when the push rod motor is activated.
[0009] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for moving a multi-modal robot as described above. This method achieves the flattening and deformation of the robot sphere by forming negative pressure contraction through a corrugated tube, and then generates instantaneous thrust by rapidly expanding and resetting the corrugated tube to achieve robot movement. The method includes a land-oriented jumping mode, a surface-to-underwater reciprocating floating mode, an underwater gliding mode, and an underwater bouncing out of the water mode.
[0010] The method for implementing the land-oriented jumping mode of the present invention is as follows: the air pump control module is activated, the air pump extracts the gas inside the bellows through the air inlet pipe, the bellows forms a negative pressure and contracts axially, driving the spring to compress, and the robot as a whole flattens and deforms; at the same time, the center of gravity control module issues a command through the control board according to the target jumping direction, controls the extension and retraction of the push rod motor in the side plate corresponding to the target jumping direction, pushes the weight to move along the guide groove, and causes the robot's overall center of gravity to shift towards the target jumping direction;
[0011] When the normally open solenoid valve in the solenoid valve power module is de-energized, it opens, and external gas quickly enters the bellows through the sealing hole between the solenoid valve and the lower end cover. The bellows expands and resets rapidly under the action of air pressure, and the spring releases its elastic potential energy simultaneously, generating an instantaneous thrust along the axial direction. Under the combined action of the thrust and the shift of the center of gravity, the robot completes the jump off the ground in the calibrated direction.
[0012] After the jump is completed, the solenoid valve is re-energized and shut off, the air pump and center of gravity control module are reset, and the robot returns to its initial spherical state, waiting for the next action command.
[0013] The method for implementing the water surface-underwater reciprocating floating mode of the present invention is as follows: the air pump fills the bellows with gas through the air inlet pipe, the bellows expands and increases the overall volume of the robot, the buoyancy is greater than its own weight, and the robot keeps floating on the water surface.
[0014] When it is necessary to dive, the air pump discharges some of the gas in the bellows through the air outlet pipe. The bellows contracts, reducing the overall volume of the robot. The buoyancy is less than its own weight, and the robot sinks into the water vertically.
[0015] When it is necessary to rise from underwater to the surface, the air pump fills the bellows with gas again, restoring the robot's overall volume and increasing buoyancy to a level greater than gravity. The robot then rises vertically, completing one reciprocating motion between the surface and underwater.
[0016] The method for implementing the underwater gliding mode of the present invention is as follows: the air pump control module is activated, the air pump extracts the gas in the bellows, and the robot completely transforms from the initial spherical shape to a disc shape, thereby reducing the resistance of underwater gliding.
[0017] The gliding direction and attitude control are achieved by the center of gravity control module. The control board controls the push rod motors in different side plates to extend and retract in coordination according to the target gliding direction, pushing the corresponding weights to move along the guide groove, so that the robot's overall center of gravity shifts towards the gliding target direction, forming a gliding torque. Under the action of the torque generated by the center of gravity shift, the robot body glides underwater in the set direction. The gliding speed and direction are controlled by adjusting the moving distance and position of the weights, changing the amount of the robot's center of gravity shift. After gliding, the air pump fills the bellows with gas, the bellows expands and drives the main structure to reset, the weights are synchronously centered, the robot returns to a spherical state, and the gliding mode ends.
[0018] The method for implementing the underwater bouncing water exit mode of the present invention is as follows: the air pump control module is started, the air pump completely extracts the gas in the bellows, the bellows forms a negative pressure and contracts, the spring is compressed synchronously, the robot as a whole flattens and deforms, reducing underwater fluid resistance. At the same time, according to the target water exit direction, the push rod motor of the center of gravity control module is controlled to extend and retract, pushing the weight to move and realize the center of gravity shifting towards the target water exit direction, thus completing the water exit direction calibration.
[0019] When the jump is triggered, the solenoid valve is de-energized and opened, and the external water quickly fills the bellows. The bellows expands instantly under the water pressure, and the spring releases its elastic potential energy, generating a strong instantaneous thrust along the axis to overcome the buoyancy and resistance of the water. Under the combined action of the thrust and the shift of the center of gravity, the robot accelerates upward from underwater along the calibrated direction to achieve the jumping action.
[0020] After emerging from the water, the solenoid valve is energized and shut off, the air pump and center of gravity control module are reset, the robot returns to its spherical state, and the underwater bouncing and exiting operation is completed.
[0021] In the water surface-underwater reciprocating floating mode of the method of the present invention, all center of gravity control modules keep the weight block in the center, ensuring that the robot always floats smoothly in the vertical direction without tilting or deflection.
[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are:
[0023] (1) Main structure module: The main body adopts a symmetrical splicing structure with a top cover, side plates, central connecting plate and hinges. This ensures the structural stability of the spherical whole and is suitable for the protection requirements of both land and water scenarios. The flexible connection characteristics of the hinges, combined with the subsequent power module action, enable the robot to flexibly retract and reset along the axis. The structural design is simple and adaptable to the action requirements of multiple motion modes. At the same time, the modular splicing method is also convenient for disassembly, maintenance and component replacement.
[0024] (2) Air pump control module: The air pump, air inlet and outlet pipes and main control board are integrated and formed into an independent modular structure through the air pump box and the upper cover. The upper cover has reserved pipe openings to realize the precise connection between the air pump and the corrugated pipe. It can accurately control the air pumping and inflation actions in the corrugated pipe. On the one hand, the negative pressure is formed by air pumping to realize the robot's contraction and adsorption, which improves the stability under complex terrain. On the other hand, it provides the core air pressure power for the robot's land jump and underwater bounce. The integrated design of the main control board also realizes the centralized control of air pressure regulation and improves the accuracy of action response.
[0025] (3) Solenoid valve power supply module: The solenoid valve and battery are integrated into the solenoid valve box and the lower end cover. The mounting cavity of the lower end cover realizes the stable fixation of the components, which not only provides a continuous and stable power supply for all electrical components such as the air pump and center of gravity control module of the whole robot, but also ensures the operation endurance with the configuration of three sets of batteries. At the same time, the modular layout of the normally open solenoid valve can accurately control the gas on and off, providing precise on and off control for the inflation action of the bellows. It is a key control unit to realize the robot's jumping, bouncing out of the water and other actions. The independent module design also ensures the waterproof sealing effect and is suitable for underwater operation environment.
[0026] (4) Center of gravity control module: The modular structure consists of push rod motor and weight. The position of the weight can be precisely adjusted by the extension and retraction of the push rod motor, so as to realize the flexible shift of the robot's overall center of gravity. On the one hand, it can accurately control the direction of jumping on land and improve the orientation and accuracy of overcoming obstacles on land. On the other hand, it can adjust the distribution of the robot's center of gravity in water, so as to realize the controllable up and down floating and underwater gliding on the water surface and underwater. This makes it easier to control the direction and posture of the robot when working underwater. It is the core module for realizing orientation movement in both water and land scenarios.
[0027] (5) Center of gravity control module: The modular structure consists of push rod motor and weight. The position of the weight can be precisely adjusted by the extension and retraction of the push rod motor, so as to realize the flexible shift of the robot's overall center of gravity. On the one hand, it can accurately control the direction of jumping on land, improve the orientation and accuracy of overcoming obstacles on land. On the other hand, it can adjust the distribution of the robot's center of gravity in water, realize the controllable up and down floating and underwater gliding on the water surface and underwater, and make the robot's movement direction and posture easier to control when working underwater. It is the core module for realizing orientation movement in both water and land scenarios. Attached Figure Description
[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 2 This is the air pump control board module of the present invention;
[0030] Figure 3 This invention relates to a solenoid valve power supply module;
[0031] Figure 4 This is the center of gravity control module of the present invention;
[0032] The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1. Top cover; 2. Air pump control module; 3. Upper end cover; 4. Center of gravity control module; 5. Central connecting plate; 6. Side plate; 7. Solenoid valve power module; 8. Lower end cover; 9. Spring; 10. Bellows; 11. Hinge; 12. Screw. 2-1. Air pump box; 2-2. Control board; 2-3. Fixing screw; 2-4. Air pump; 2-5. Inlet pipe; 2-6. Outlet pipe. 4-1. Weight; 4-2. Side plate with embedded motor; 4-3. Push rod motor. 7-1. Solenoid valve box; 7-2. Solenoid valve; 7-3. Battery pack. Detailed Implementation
[0033] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:
[0034] Appendix Figure 1-4 As can be seen, the present invention provides a multi-motion modality robot with a spherical overall main structure, including an air pump control module 2, a solenoid valve power supply module 7, and a center of gravity control module 4, the specific structure of which is as follows:
[0035] See appendix Figure 1 The main structure of the present invention includes a top cover 1, an upper end cover 3, a side plate 6, a central connecting plate 5, a lower end cover 8, a hinge 11, and screws 12 and other connecting parts; the main structure of the present invention is provided with an air pump control module 2, a center of gravity control module 4, a solenoid valve power supply module 7, a spring 9, and a bellows 10. The bellows 10 and the spring 9 are assembled between the upper end cover 3 and the lower end cover 8. The spring 9 is sleeved on the bellows 10. The bellows 10 is sealed to the upper end cover 3 and the lower end cover 8.
[0036] The spherical main structure is an integral spherical structure composed of two hemispheres, including a top cover 1 at the top and bottom, and connecting parts such as an upper cover 3, side plates 6, a central connecting plate 5, a lower cover 8, hinges 11, and screws 12. The top cover 1 is a regular hexagon, and six side plates 6 are provided to match the hexagon of the top cover 1. The center of each side of the top cover 1 is connected to the side plate 6 by hinges 11 and screws 12. After the six side plates 6 are connected to the top cover 1 in the above manner, the upper hemisphere structure is formed. After the top cover 1 is connected to the side plates 6 in the same way, a hemisphere is also obtained, which is the lower hemisphere structure of the spherical main structure. The corresponding side plates 6 in the upper and lower hemispheres are connected as one unit by hinges 11 and screws 12. The central connecting plate 5 is provided with pins for the hinges 11 to connect. The central connecting plate 5 is connected to the side plates 6 in the upper and lower hemispheres by the provided pins. After connecting the six opposite side plates 6 and the central connecting plate 5, the two hemispheres are connected into a sphere.
[0037] See appendix Figure 2 The air pump control module 2 of this invention is located between the top cover 1 and the upper end cover 3, and includes an air pump box 2-1, an air pump 2-4, a control board 2-2, an air inlet pipe 2-5, and an air outlet pipe 2-6. The air pump box 2-1 is hexagonal, with each side aligned with the top cover 1, and the upper end cover 3 is tightly bonded to the air pump box 2-1. The air pump 2-4 is mounted on the air pump box 2-1, and the control board 2-2 is fixed to the air pump box 2-1 by fixing screws 2-3. One end of the air inlet pipe 2-5 is sealed to the air inlet of the air pump 2-4, and the other end communicates with the inside of the corrugated pipe 10 through a reserved opening in the upper end cover 3, for extracting gas from the inside of the corrugated pipe 10. After the corrugated pipe 10 is evacuated, it is compressed, causing the robot to deform. The air outlet pipe 2-6 is sealed to the air outlet of the air pump 2-4, allowing the air pump 2-4 to operate normally.
[0038] See appendix Figure 3The solenoid valve power module 7 of this invention is located between the top cover 1 and the lower cover 8 on the opposite side of the sphere and the air pump control module 2. It includes a solenoid valve box 7-1, a solenoid valve 7-2, and a battery pack 7-3. The solenoid valve box 7-1 is hexagonal, and the lower cover 8 has a mounting cavity. The solenoid valve power module 7 is located within the mounting cavity of the lower cover 8, ensuring a tight seal between the lower cover 8 and the solenoid valve box 7-1. The solenoid valve 7-2 and the battery 7-3 are installed inside the solenoid valve box 7-1. This invention provides six normally open solenoid valves 7-2, evenly distributed around the circumference of the solenoid valve box 7-1. The lower cover 8 has openings, and the solenoid valves 7-2 are sealed to the openings. The battery pack 7-3 consists of three series-connected batteries used to power the air pump 2-4, the solenoid valves 7-2, and the push rod motor 4-3 of the center of gravity control module 4.
[0039] See appendix Figure 4 The center of gravity control module 4 of this invention includes a weight 4-1, a side plate 4-2 with an embedded motor, and a push rod motor 4-3. The side plate 4-2 with the embedded motor is formed by embedding the push rod motor 4-3 inside the side plate 6. Each side plate 6 corresponds to a set of push rod motors 4-3 and weights 4-1. A guide groove is provided on the side plate 6 at the position of the push rod motor 4-3. The diameter of the guide groove is slightly larger than the diameter of the push rod, ensuring that the push rod moves smoothly within the guide groove when the push rod motor 4-3 moves. By controlling the extension and retraction of the push rods in different side plates 6, the position of the weight 4-1 is changed, causing the robot's center of gravity to shift towards the target direction.
[0040] The four motion modes of the robot described above in this invention are:
[0041] (a) Land Orienteering Jump Mode
[0042] When the robot needs to overcome obstacles in a land environment, the air pump control module 2 is activated. The air pump 2-4 extracts the gas inside the bellows 10 through the air intake pipe 2-5, creating negative pressure in the bellows 10 and causing it to contract axially. This compresses the spring 9, and the robot achieves overall flattening deformation by relying on the flexible connection characteristics of the hinge 11. The end of the bellows 10 adheres to the contact surface to form an adsorption, ensuring the structural stability of the robot before it jumps. At the same time, the center of gravity control module 4 issues a command through the control board 2-2 according to the target jump direction, controlling the extension and retraction of the push rod motor 4-3 in the side plate 6 corresponding to the target jump direction. This pushes the weight 4-1 to move along the guide groove, causing the robot's overall center of gravity to shift towards the target jump direction, thus completing the jump direction calibration.
[0043] When the take-off action is triggered, the normally open solenoid valve 7-2 in the solenoid valve power module 7 is de-energized and opened. External gas is quickly injected into the bellows 10 through the sealing hole of the solenoid valve 7-2 and the lower end cover 8. The bellows 10 expands and resets rapidly under the action of air pressure. The spring 9 releases elastic potential energy simultaneously, generating an instantaneous thrust along the axial direction. Under the combined action of the thrust and the shift of the center of gravity, the robot completes the jump in the calibrated direction, realizing the directional crossing of land obstacles. After the jump is completed, the solenoid valve 7-2 is re-energized and closed, the air pump 2-4 and the center of gravity control module 4 are reset, and the robot returns to the initial spherical state, waiting for the next action command.
[0044] (ii) Surface-underwater reciprocating floating mode
[0045] When the robot needs to move up and down in a water surface / underwater environment, the air pump control module 2 precisely regulates the amount of gas in the bellows 10, thereby changing the volume of water displaced by the robot and achieving dynamic adjustment of buoyancy.
[0046] When the robot is on the water surface, air pump 2-4 fills the bellows 10 with gas through air inlet pipe 2-5. The bellows 10 expands, increasing the overall volume of the robot and the volume of water displaced. The buoyancy becomes greater than the robot's own weight, keeping the robot afloat. When it needs to dive, air pump 2-4 expels some of the gas from the bellows 10 through air outlet pipe 2-6. The bellows 10 contracts, reducing the overall volume of the robot and the volume of water displaced. The buoyancy becomes less than the robot's own weight, causing the robot to sink vertically. When it needs to rise from underwater to the surface, air pump 2-4 fills the bellows 10 with gas again, restoring the robot's overall volume and increasing buoyancy to a level greater than its own weight. The robot rises vertically, completing one reciprocating motion between the surface and underwater. Throughout the process, all center-of-gravity control modules 4 keep the weight block 4-1 centered, ensuring the robot floats smoothly vertically without tipping or shifting.
[0047] (III) Underwater gliding mode
[0048] When the robot needs to glide underwater, the air pump control module 2 is activated. The air pumps 2-4 extract the gas in the bellows 10 to a preset amount. The bellows 10 contract, causing the main structure of the robot to deform. Relying on the flexible connection of the hinges 11 between the top cover 1, the side plates 6 and the central connecting plate 5, the upper and lower side plates unfold outward and the axial height decreases. The robot completely transforms from the initial spherical shape into a disc shape, reducing the resistance of underwater gliding and adapting to the flow field characteristics of underwater gliding.
[0049] The gliding direction and attitude control are achieved by the center of gravity control module 4. According to the target gliding direction, the control board 2-2 controls the push rod motors 4-3 in different side plates 6 to extend and retract in coordination, pushing the corresponding weight 4-1 to move along the guide groove, so that the robot's overall center of gravity shifts towards the gliding target direction, forming a gliding torque. Under the action of the torque generated by the center of gravity shift, the robot body glides underwater in the set direction. By precisely adjusting the movement distance and position of the weight, the amount of the robot's center of gravity shift can be changed, thereby controlling the gliding speed and direction. After gliding, the air pump 2-4 fills the bellows 10 with gas. The bellows 10 expands and drives the main structure to reset. The weight 4-1 is simultaneously centered, the robot returns to a spherical state, and the gliding mode ends.
[0050] (iv) Underwater bouncing and exiting the water mode
[0051] When a robot needs to perform a bouncing action to exit the water in an underwater environment, its power principle is the same as that of directional jumping on land, and it only needs to make adaptive motion adjustments according to the underwater working environment.
[0052] When the robot is underwater, the air pump control module 2 is activated, and the air pump 2-4 completely extracts the gas from the bellows 10, causing the bellows 10 to contract under negative pressure. The spring 9 is compressed simultaneously, and the robot flattens and deforms, reducing underwater fluid resistance. At the same time, according to the target direction of water exit, the push rod motor 4-3 of the center of gravity control module 4 is controlled to extend and retract, pushing the weight 4-1 to shift the center of gravity towards the target water exit direction, thus completing the water exit direction calibration. When the jump is triggered, the solenoid valve 7-2 is de-energized and opened, and external water quickly fills the bellows 10. The bellows 10 expands instantaneously under water pressure, and the spring 9 releases its elastic potential energy, generating a strong instantaneous thrust along the axial direction to overcome the buoyancy and resistance of the water. Under the combined action of the thrust and the center of gravity shift, the robot accelerates upward from underwater along the calibration direction, realizing the bouncing out of the water action. After exiting the water, the solenoid valve 7-2 is energized and closed, the air pump 2-4 and the center of gravity control module 4 are reset, and the robot returns to its spherical state, completing the underwater bouncing out of the water operation.
Claims
1. A multi-modal robot, characterized by: The main structure is a spherical structure composed of two hemispheres. The main structure includes a top cover (1), an upper cover (3), side plates (6), a central connecting plate (5), and a lower cover (8). The main structure is equipped with an air pump control module (2), a center of gravity control module (4), a solenoid valve power supply module (7), a spring (9), and a bellows (10). The bellows (10) and the spring (9) are assembled between the upper cover (3) and the lower cover (8). The spring (9) is sleeved on the bellows (10). The bellows (10) is sealed to the upper cover (3) and the lower cover (8). The top cover (1) is hexagonal, and six side plates (6) are provided to match the hexagonal shape of the top cover (1). The center of each side of the top cover (1) is connected to the side plate. The plate (6) is connected by hinges (11) and screws (12). After the six side plates (6) are connected to the top cover (1) in the above manner, an upper hemispherical structure is formed. After the top cover (1) is connected to the side plates (6) in the same manner, a hemisphere is also obtained, which is the lower hemispherical structure of the spherical main structure. The corresponding side plates (6) in the two structures of the upper and lower hemispheres are connected as one unit by hinges (11) and screws (12). The central connecting plate (5) is provided with a pin for the hinge (11) to connect. The central connecting plate (5) is connected to the side plates (6) in the upper and lower hemispheres by the provided pin. After the six opposite side plates (6) and the central connecting plate (5) are connected, the two hemispheres are connected into a sphere.
2. A multi-modal robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air pump control module (2) is located between the top cover (1) and the upper cover (3), and includes an air pump box (2-1), an air pump (2-4), a control board (2-2), an air inlet pipe (2-5), and an air outlet pipe (2-6). The air pump box (2-1) is hexagonal, with each side aligned with the top cover (1). The upper cover (3) is tightly bonded to the air pump box (2-1). The air pump (2-4) is installed on the air pump box (2-1). The control board (2-2) is fixed to the air pump box (2-1) by fixing screws (2-3). One end of the air inlet pipe (2-5) is sealed to the air inlet of the air pump (2-4), and the other end is connected to the inside of the corrugated pipe (10) through the reserved pipe opening on the upper cover (3) to extract the gas inside the corrugated pipe (10). The air outlet pipe (2-6) is sealed to the air outlet of the air pump (2-4).
3. A multi-modal robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solenoid valve power module (7) is located between the top cover (1) and the lower end cover (8) on the opposite side of the sphere and the air pump control module (2), and includes a solenoid valve box (7-1), a solenoid valve (7-2), and a battery pack (7-3). The solenoid valve box (7-1) is hexagonal, and the lower end cover (8) has a mounting cavity. The solenoid valve power module (7) is located in the mounting cavity of the lower end cover (8), and the lower end cover (8) is tightly bonded to the solenoid valve box (7-1). (7-2) and battery (7-3) are installed in the solenoid valve box (7-1); there are six solenoid valves (7-2), and the six normally open solenoid valves (7-2) are evenly distributed around the circumference of the solenoid valve box (7-1). The lower end cover (8) has an opening, and the solenoid valves (7-2) and the opening are sealed together. The battery pack (7-3) consists of three sets of batteries connected in series, which are used to power the air pump (2-4), the solenoid valves (7-2) and the push rod motor (4-3) of the center of gravity control module (4).
4. A multi-modal robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The center of gravity control module (4) includes a weight (4-1), a side plate (4-2) for embedding a motor, and a push rod motor (4-3). The side plate (4-2) for embedding a motor is formed by embedding the push rod motor (4-3) inside the side plate (6). Each side plate (6) corresponds to a set of push rod motors (4-3) and weights (4-1). A guide groove is provided on the side plate (6) at the position of the push rod motor (4-3). The diameter of the guide groove is slightly larger than the diameter of the push rod, which is used to ensure that the push rod moves smoothly in the guide groove when the push rod motor (4-3) is activated.
5. The movement method of a multi-modal robot according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The movement method achieves the flattening and deformation of the robot sphere by forming negative pressure contraction through the corrugated tube (10), and then the robot moves by rapidly expanding and resetting through the corrugated tube (10) to generate instantaneous thrust. The movement method includes land-oriented jumping mode, water surface-underwater reciprocating floating mode, underwater gliding mode and underwater bouncing out of water mode.
6. The multi-modal robot movement method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The method for implementing the land-oriented jumping mode is as follows: the air pump control module (2) is started, the air pump (2-4) extracts the gas inside the bellows (10) through the air inlet pipe (2-5), the bellows (10) forms a negative pressure and contracts along the axis, driving the spring (9) to compress, and the robot as a whole flattens and deforms; at the same time, the center of gravity control module (4) issues a command through the control board (2-2) according to the target jumping direction, controls the extension and retraction of the push rod motor (4-3) in the side plate (6) corresponding to the target jumping direction, pushes the weight (4-1) to move along the guide groove, and makes the robot's overall center of gravity shift towards the target jumping direction; When the normally open solenoid valve (7-2) in the solenoid valve power module (7) is de-energized and opened, external gas is quickly filled into the bellows (10) through the sealing hole of the solenoid valve (7-2) and the lower end cover (8). The bellows (10) expands and resets rapidly under the action of air pressure, and the spring (9) releases elastic potential energy in sync, generating an instantaneous thrust along the axial direction. Under the combined action of the thrust and the shift of the center of gravity, the robot completes the jump off the ground in the calibrated direction. After the jump is completed, the solenoid valve (7-2) is re-energized and shut off, the air pump (2-4) and the center of gravity control module (4) are reset, the robot returns to its initial spherical state, and waits for the next action command.
7. The multi-modal robot movement method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The method for implementing the water surface-underwater reciprocating floating mode is that the air pump (2-4) fills the bellows (10) with gas through the air inlet pipe (2-5). The bellows (10) expands, increasing the overall volume of the robot. The buoyancy is greater than its own weight, keeping the robot floating on the water surface. When it is necessary to dive, the air pump (2-4) discharges part of the gas in the bellows (10) through the air outlet pipe (2-6). The bellows (10) contracts, reducing the overall volume of the robot. The buoyancy is less than its own weight, and the robot sinks into the water in the vertical direction. When it is necessary to rise from underwater to the surface, the air pump (2-4) fills the bellows (10) with gas again, restores the overall volume of the robot, increases the buoyancy to be greater than the gravity, and the robot rises in the vertical direction, completing one reciprocating motion from the surface to underwater.
8. The multi-modal robot movement method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The method for realizing the underwater gliding mode is to start the air pump control module (2), and the air pump (2-4) extracts the gas in the bellows (10), and the robot completely transforms from the initial spherical shape into a disc shape to reduce the resistance of underwater gliding. The gliding direction and attitude control are achieved by the center of gravity control module (4). The control board (2-2) controls the push rod motors (4-3) in different side plates (6) to extend and retract in coordination according to the target gliding direction, pushing the corresponding weight (4-1) to move along the guide groove, so that the overall center of gravity of the robot shifts towards the gliding target direction, forming a gliding torque. Under the action of the torque generated by the center of gravity shift, the robot body glides underwater in the set direction. The gliding speed and direction are controlled by adjusting the movement distance and position of the weight, changing the robot's center of gravity shift. After gliding, the air pump (2-4) fills the bellows (10) with gas, the bellows (10) expands and drives the main structure to reset, the weight (4-1) is centered synchronously, the robot returns to a spherical state, and the gliding mode ends.
9. The multi-motion modal robot movement method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The underwater bouncing water exit mode is implemented by starting the air pump control module (2), the air pump (2-4) completely extracts the gas in the bellows (10), the bellows (10) forms a negative pressure contraction, the spring (9) is compressed synchronously, the robot as a whole flattens and deforms, reducing underwater fluid resistance. At the same time, according to the target water exit direction, the push rod motor (4-3) of the center of gravity control module (4) is controlled to extend and retract, pushing the weight (4-1) to move to achieve the center of gravity shifting towards the target water exit direction, thus completing the water exit direction calibration. When the jump is triggered, the solenoid valve (7-2) is de-energized and opened, and the external water body quickly fills the bellows (10). The bellows (10) expands instantly under the action of water pressure, and the spring (9) releases elastic potential energy, generating a strong instantaneous thrust along the axial direction to overcome the buoyancy and resistance of the water body. Under the combined action of the thrust and the shift of the center of gravity, the robot accelerates upward from underwater along the calibrated direction to realize the jumping action out of the water. After exiting the water, the solenoid valve (7-2) is energized and closed, the air pump (2-4) and the center of gravity control module (4) are reset, the robot returns to its spherical state, and the underwater bouncing and exiting water operation is completed.
10. The multi-modal robot movement method according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the water surface-underwater reciprocating floating mode, all center of gravity control modules (4) keep the weight block (4-1) in the center to ensure that the robot always floats smoothly in the vertical direction without tilting or deflection.