Rolling robot

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is a rolling robot, comprising: a housing, which is formed in the shape of a revolving body; two supporting hubs, which are fixed to two sides of the housing; a main supporting structural member, which extends horizontally in a left-right direction in the housing and is connected to the two supporting hubs by means of bearings at two ends of the main supporting structural member; a gravity pendulum, which is connected to the main supporting structural member and is swingable in the left-right direction; a rotating mass block, which is rotatably connected to the main supporting structural member about a rotating axis extending horizontally in a front-back direction when the rolling robot is stationary; a main driving electric motor, which is configured to drive the main supporting structural member, the gravity pendulum and the rotating mass block to rotate in the front-back direction; a gravity pendulum driving electric motor, which is configured to drive the gravity pendulum to swing in the left-right direction; and a rotating mass block driving electric motor, which is configured to drive the rotating mass block to rotate in the left-right direction. In the present invention, the control difficulty of the rolling robot is reduced, high-speed movement can be realized, and jitter of the rolling angle hardly occurs.

Description

Rolling Robot

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese application CN 202311301294.7 filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on October 10, 2023. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a rolling robot. Background Art

[0004] A rolling robot is a type of mobile robot. It is a rotating structure that uses a drive to propel itself forward by rolling. Traditional wheeled or legged robots are unable to perform in certain harsh environments. However, due to its structural characteristics, rolling robots offer exceptional advantages, such as exceptional flexibility, interference resistance, and anti-tilt resistance. This allows them to maneuver quickly even on uneven and harsh surfaces, such as sand and grass. Furthermore, the internal mechanisms and most sensors of rolling robots are sealed within a spherical shell, effectively insulating them from external environmental factors such as moisture and dust. This enclosed structure also enables the robots to possess a degree of amphibious capabilities. Compared to legged robots, which consume energy to maintain their balance, rolling robots only need to shift their center of gravity through actuation. This significantly reduces energy consumption and provides a long endurance. The mounting platforms on both sides of the rolling robots can be equipped with various sensors or human-machine interaction devices as needed, thereby expanding their application range and fields. With further research, rolling robots are expected to play an increasingly important role in areas such as lifestyle entertainment, industrial agriculture, and national defense security. However, due to the complex dynamic and kinematic models of rolling robots, which have the characteristics of nonlinearity, coupling and non-chaining, the stable motion control of rolling robots becomes a difficult problem.

[0005] The traditional design approach for a weight-bearing pendulum-based rolling robot is to use two motors to pull the weight in two orthogonal directions (forward, backward, and left, right), allowing the rolling robot to generate forward and backward motion and turn. However, since there is only one weight-bearing pendulum, forward and backward motion and left and right motion cannot be separated. This results in a strongly coupled kinematic and dynamic model based on this, making control extremely difficult. Furthermore, due to the rolling robot's single-point contact with the ground and its prone to shaking, the entire body's roll angle is easily disturbed by the rough terrain during forward movement. This variation will show a periodic change, and the period is positively correlated with the forward speed. This makes the model established at low speeds unsuitable for high-speed conditions, making the model increasingly complex and the control difficulty increasing linearly with increasing speed. This complex model makes it difficult for existing rolling robots to maintain stability during high-speed movement.

[0006] Pendulum control design is a common motion mode for rolling robots, offering the advantage of a simple actuator. However, when controlling the roll angle, the left-right swing of the pendulum and the stable lifting of the pendulum at a certain angle in both directions generate torque on the robot. These two effects are coupled, and the lifting of the pendulum at a certain angle in both directions causes the robot to tilt. Therefore, control is usually limited to ignoring the impact of the instantaneous torque caused by the pendulum's swing and the cyclical changes in the robot's roll angle caused by speed. By reducing the forward speed and the pendulum's swing speed, a controllable simplified model is achieved. However, due to its simplification, this model is not suitable for high-speed situations and has limited steering capabilities.

[0007] Furthermore, existing rolling robots have the following problems:

[0008] 1) The shell of a rotating object, such as a sphere, ellipsoid, or horizontal drum, forms a point contact with the ground, making it an unstable structure. While it can actively change its roll angle to turn, it is also susceptible to ground disturbances and centrifugal forces from turning, causing it to wobble. This wobble becomes increasingly difficult to control at faster speeds.

[0009] 2) The rolling robot moves forward and backward and turns by pulling the weight, but because there is only one weight, coupling will be formed, which increases the difficulty of control after the rolling robot starts to shake.

[0010] Summary of the Invention

[0011] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a rolling robot with a composite control driving mode based on conservation of angular momentum, so as to solve the control problems of stable high-speed motion and flexible steering of the rolling robot.

[0012] In view of the above problems, according to the present invention, a rolling robot is proposed, comprising: a shell formed in the shape of a rotating body, and the distance between the outer surface of the rolling surface of the shell and the rotation axis is formed to gradually decrease from the middle to both sides; two supporting hubs fixed to both sides of the shell, the supporting hubs and the outer surface of the shell constituting a part of the rolling shape of the rolling robot; a main supporting structure extending horizontally in the left and right directions within the shell and connected to the two supporting hubs at both ends by bearings, so that the shell and the two supporting hubs can rotate relative to the main supporting structure; a weight pendulum, the weight pendulum is formed by a weight extending in the vertical direction when the rolling robot is stationary The pendulum bracket is connected to the main supporting structure and can swing in the left and right directions relative to the main supporting structure; the rotating mass block is rotatably connected to the main supporting structure with a rotation axis extending horizontally in the front-to-back direction when the rolling robot is stationary, and the front-to-back direction is perpendicular to the left and right directions and the vertical direction; the main drive motor is configured to drive the main supporting structure, the weight pendulum, and the rotating mass block to rotate in the front-to-back direction; the weight pendulum drive motor is configured to drive the weight pendulum to swing in the left and right directions relative to the main supporting structure; and the rotating mass block drive motor is configured to drive the rotating mass block to rotate in the left and right directions relative to the main supporting structure.

[0013] The rolling robot according to the present invention may have one or more of the following features.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the main drive motor is configured to change the front and rear position of the center of mass of the rolling robot by changing the angle of the main supporting structure, the weight pendulum, and the rotating mass block relative to the shell, so that the shell obtains a forward and backward rolling torque to realize the forward and backward movement of the rolling robot; the weight pendulum drive motor is configured to change the left and right position of the center of mass of the rolling robot by changing the angle of the weight pendulum relative to the main supporting structure and the shell, and the rotating mass block drive motor is configured to apply a torque in the direction of the roll angle to the rolling robot by causing the rotating mass block to rotate forward and backward with acceleration and deceleration. The change in the left and right position of the robot's center of mass and the forward and reverse acceleration and deceleration rotation of the rotating mass block work together to change the robot's roll angle, realize the robot's roll angle posture control, and realize the arc turning and linear motion posture stability control of the rolling robot.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the shape of the rotational mass is rotationally symmetric about the rotational axis and wherein more mass is distributed in parts of the rotational mass further away from the rotational axis than in parts of the rotational mass closer to the rotational axis.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the rotational mass is formed in the form of a rigid wheel having a peripherally arranged ring and a plurality of spokes connecting the ring to the rotation axis.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the circumscribed sphere radius of the rotational mass is 30%-80% of the circumscribed sphere radius of the housing.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the mounting axis of the rotational mass is on the central axis plane of the housing, and the mounting height is 30%-70% of the total height of the rolling robot, and the mounting axis defines the rotation axis.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the rotational mass is made of die steel.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the re-swing lower end is arranged adjacent to the bottom surface of the inner wall of the shell.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the mass of the re-oscillation is more than 30% of the total mass of the rolling robot, and the mass of the rotating mass block is more than 5% of the total mass of the rolling robot.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the rolling robot further comprises a power module for supplying power to the main drive motor, the weight pendulum drive motor, and the rotating mass block drive motor, wherein the power module is embedded in the weight pendulum as a part of the weight pendulum.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the rolling robot also includes an external hanging warehouse, which is fixed to the main supporting structure on the outside of the supporting wheel hub. The external hanging warehouse includes an external hanging plate and a shield fixed to the external hanging plate. The shield, the supporting wheel hub and the outer surface of the shell constitute the rolling shape of the rolling robot. The external hanging warehouse is provided with an external hanging sensor, and the external hanging sensor is selected from one or more of the following: GPS positioning module, six-axis gyroscope attitude sensor module, wheel speed meter, camera, laser radar, millimeter wave radar. A built-in sensor is provided in the shell, and the built-in sensor is selected from one or more of the following: GPS positioning module, six-axis gyroscope attitude sensor module, wheel speed meter.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the shell is a bilaterally symmetrical structure, and the shell is formed into the following shapes or a part of the following shapes: sphere, ellipsoid, or horizontal drum.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include but are not limited to:

[0026] 1. The present invention uses a rotating mass block driven by a rotating mass block driving motor as the input of torque, and utilizes the conservation of angular momentum to apply a torque in the direction of the roll angle to the rolling robot, so that the rolling robot obtains centripetal acceleration relative to the inertial system. In the original robot control method of changing the angle of the weight relative to the main support structure and the shell, thereby changing the left and right position of the center of mass of the rolling robot and thus changing the roll angle, a control method is added, and the two jointly affect the roll angle. Moreover, the influence exerted by the rotating mass block on the rolling robot is very simple and rapid, which can achieve decoupling and linearization control in the dynamic model and kinematic model, greatly reducing the control difficulty of this type of robot. At the same time, due to the superiority of the rotating mass block in suppressing high-frequency noise, the rolling robot can break through the original speed limit, and the upper speed limit is increased by more than 4 times, reaching a speed close to 30 kilometers per hour, and there is almost no jitter in the roll angle.

[0027] 2. The present invention uses the raw data obtained by the six-axis gyro attitude sensor to update the posture of the rolling robot, combines the drive of the rotating mass block and the drive method of the heavy swing to change the overall center of mass position by swinging back and forth and left and right, and controls the posture of the rolling robot through the control algorithm, so that the rolling robot can achieve high-speed linear motion without shaking.

[0028] 3. The present invention also drives the shell to move in different ways by coordinating the work of the drive motors. By simultaneously adjusting the rotation speed of the rotating mass block and the height of the weight lifting, the rolling robot can achieve a short rotation in place or a stable arc turn. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. The drawings are only used to illustrate some embodiments of the present invention, but not to limit all embodiments of the present invention thereto.

[0030] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of a rolling robot according to the present invention;

[0031] FIG2 is a front view showing the exterior of the rolling robot according to the present invention;

[0032] 3 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary structure of a rotating mass of a rolling robot according to the present invention;

[0033] FIG4 is a schematic diagram showing a connection assembly of a rolling robot according to the present invention;

[0034] FIG5 is a schematic side view showing a rotating mass drive assembly of a rolling robot according to the present invention.

[0035] In the figure: 1. Shell; 2. Main supporting structure; 3. Connection assembly; 31. Hub connector; 32. Support hub; 4. Weight; 41. Weight bracket; 5. Rotating mass block; 6. Main drive assembly; 61. Main drive motor; 62. Main motor gear; 63. Drive ring gear; 7. Weight drive assembly; 71. Weight drive motor; 72. Weight motor gear; 73. Weight ring gear; 8. Rotating mass block drive assembly; 81. Rotating mass block drive motor; 82. Motor synchronous pulley; 83. Synchronous belt; 84. Drive shaft synchronous pulley; 85. Drive shaft; 9. Bushing; 10. Power module; 11. Light; 12. LiDAR; 13. Camera; 14. Six-axis gyro attitude sensor module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the technical solution of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of specific embodiments of the present invention. The same figure marks in the drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning understood by persons of ordinary skill in the field to which the invention belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar terms used in the patent application specification and claims of the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects preceding the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0038] The present invention will be described in detail below by describing exemplary embodiments.

[0039] Referring to Figures 1-2 , the present invention provides a rolling robot comprising a housing 1 formed in the shape of a solid of revolution, wherein the distance between the outer surface of the rolling surface of the housing and the rotation axis gradually decreases from the center toward the sides. Furthermore, the housing 1 may have a bilaterally symmetrical structure. For example, the housing may be formed in the following shapes, or in part of the following shapes: spherical, ellipsoidal, or horizontally drum-shaped.

[0040] The rolling robot also includes support hubs 32 fixed to both sides of the housing 1, and a main support structure 2 extending horizontally in the left-right direction within the housing 1. For example, the housing 1 is provided with positioning holes for use with the support hubs 32, and the housing 1 and the housing support hubs 32 are fixed together with screws through the positioning holes. The ends of the main support structure 2 are connected to the two support hubs 32 via bearings, allowing the housing 1 and the two support hubs 32 to rotate relative to the main support structure 2. The support hubs 32 and the outer surface of the housing 1 form the rolling shape of the rolling robot.

[0041] The rolling robot may further include an external hanging compartment, which is fixed to the main support structure 2 on the outside of the support wheel hub 32. Specifically, the external hanging compartment may include an external hanging plate and a shield fixed to the external hanging plate. The shield, together with the support wheel hub 32 and the outer surface of the shell 1, may form the rolling shape of the rolling robot. However, it should be understood that when the rolling robot rolls forward, the shell 1 and the support wheel rollers 32 roll forward, while the main support structure 2 and the external hanging compartment fixed to the main support structure 2 do not roll with the shell 1 and the support wheel rollers 32. Alternatively, the external hanging compartment may not include a shield, but only include an external hanging plate or an external hanging frame that can be used to suspend devices (such as the external hanging sensors described below).

[0042] The external compartments can be equipped with external sensors, which can be selected from one or more of the following: a GPS positioning module, a six-axis gyro attitude sensor module 14, a wheel speedometer, a camera, a laser radar, and a millimeter-wave radar. The housing 1 can be equipped with internal sensors, which can be selected from one or more of the following: a GPS positioning module, a six-axis gyro attitude sensor module 14, and a wheel speedometer. For example, the GPS positioning module, the six-axis gyro attitude sensor module 14, and the wheel speedometer are mounted to the main support structure 2 within the housing to obtain the position and attitude of the rolling robot, particularly the main support structure 2. Specifically, the tachometer calculates the speed and travel distance of the housing 1 by measuring the number of revolutions and speed of the motor; the six-axis gyro attitude sensor is used to obtain the rotation angle of the main support structure 2 in various directions; and the GPS positioning module is used to obtain absolute positioning information. These two sensors can be integrated with the external compartments to obtain more accurate position information. For example, the camera 13, the laser radar 12, and the millimeter-wave radar can be mounted to the external compartments on both sides of the housing 1 to mark the robot's position and obtain environmental information such as image information, which can be used to determine the robot's operating status and for intelligent human-machine interaction. Housing 1 may also contain a model predictive controller, a control circuit board, and a communication module. The model predictive controller and control circuit board are used to control the movement of the rolling robot, while the communication module communicates with a companion remote control to control the movement of the rolling robot. The external compartment may also be equipped with a light 11 for illumination, as shown in Figure 2.

[0043] As shown in FIG1 , the rolling robot according to the present invention further includes a weight pendulum 4. The weight pendulum 4 is connected to the main support structure 2 via a weight pendulum bracket 41 that extends vertically when the rolling robot is stationary, and is capable of swinging in the left-right direction relative to the main support structure 2. Preferably, the lower end of the weight pendulum 4 is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface of the inner wall of the housing 1, i.e., the weight pendulum is as far from the geometric center of the rolling robot as possible, thereby maximizing the torque exerted by the weight pendulum 4 during its swing. Preferably, the mass of the weight pendulum 4 is greater than 30% of the total mass of the rolling robot, thereby maximizing the torque exerted by the weight pendulum 4 during its swing.

[0044] As shown in FIG1 , the rolling robot according to the present invention further includes a rotating mass block 5, which is rotatably connected to the main support structure 2, and the rotation axis of the rotating mass block 5 extends horizontally in the front-to-back direction when the rolling robot is stationary. Preferably, the shape of the rotating mass block 5 is rotationally symmetrical about the rotation axis, and the rotationally symmetrical design is more conducive to the calculation and control of the moment of inertia of the rotating mass block 5. For example, as shown in FIG3 , the shape of the rotating mass block 5 can be a triangle, an octagon, a barbell, a circle, a wheel, etc. Preferably, more mass is distributed in the part farther away from the rotation axis than the part of the rotating mass block 5 closer to the rotation axis, so that a greater moment of inertia can be obtained with the same mass. Preferably, the rotating mass block 5 is formed in the form of a rigid wheel, having a circular ring arranged on the periphery and a plurality of spokes connecting the circular ring to the rotation axis, as shown in FIG1 , so that more mass is arranged on the periphery, and the rotation is symmetrical and the structure is stable. Preferably, the circumscribed sphere radius of the rotating mass block 5 is 30%-80% of the circumscribed sphere radius of the shell 1, for example, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%. The larger the radius, the greater the moment of inertia can be obtained. Preferably, the mounting axis of the rotating mass block 5 is on the central axis plane of the shell 1, and the mounting height is 30%-70% of the total height of the rolling robot. The mounting axis defines the rotation axis of the rotating mass block 5. The central axis plane here refers to a plane perpendicular to the left and right directions and passing through the center of the shell 1. Preferably, the rotating mass block 5 is made of die steel, but it can be understood that other materials or material combinations with sufficient density can also be used, such as a combination of aluminum parts and lead blocks. Preferably, the mass of the rotating mass block 5 is more than 5% of the total mass of the rolling robot so that sufficient moment of inertia can be obtained.

[0045] The rolling robot according to the present invention further includes a main drive assembly 6, for example, disposed at the intersection of the main support structure 2 and the support hub 32. As an example, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the main drive assembly 6 may include a main drive motor 61, a main motor gear 62, a drive ring gear 63, and a connecting assembly 3. The connecting assembly 3 may include a hub connector 31, such as a bearing, to connect the support hub 32 to the main support structure 2. As an example, as shown in Figure 1, the main drive motor 61 is mounted on the bottom of the main support structure 2, the main motor gear 62 is connected to the main drive motor 61, the hub connector 31 is mounted on the inner side of the support hub 32, the drive ring gear 63 is mounted on the inner side of the hub connector 31, and the drive ring gear 63 is engaged with the main motor gear 62. When the main drive motor 61 rotates, the gear transmission of the main motor gear 62 and the drive ring gear 63 will change the angle of the main support structure 2, the weight pendulum 4 and the rotating mass block 5 relative to the shell 1 in the front-to-back direction, thereby changing the front-to-back position of the center of mass of the rolling robot, so that the shell 1 obtains the torque for rolling forward and backward, and realizes the forward and backward movement of the rolling robot. The main drive motor 61 used should be equipped with an encoder to detect the travel state of the weight pendulum drive motor 71. It should be understood that according to the present invention, the main drive motor 61 is necessary for driving the rolling robot to move forward and backward, however, the transmission method can be different from the transmission components and / or positions in the main drive assembly 6 described as an example above.

[0046] The rolling robot according to the present invention further includes a re-swing drive assembly 7, for example, which is arranged at the intersection of the main support structure 2 and the re-swing bracket 41. As an example, as shown in FIG1 , the re-swing drive assembly 7 may include a re-swing drive motor 71, a re-swing motor gear 72, and a re-swing ring gear 73. The main support structure 2 is, for example, a frame structure as shown in FIG1 , the re-swing drive motor 71 is installed inside the main support structure 2, while the speed gear set is installed outside the main support structure 2, the re-swing motor gear 72 is installed on the drive motor 71, and the re-swing ring gear 73 is installed at the root of the re-swing 4 by screws, that is, the re-swing ring gear 73 is fixed to the re-swing 4 at the connection position between the re-swing 4 and the main support structure 2, the center of the ring gear coincides with the center of the re-swing axis, and the re-swing ring gear 73 is engaged with the re-swing motor gear 72. When the re-swing drive motor 71 rotates, the gear transmission of the re-swing motor gear 72 and the re-swing ring gear 73 will change the angle of the re-swing 4 relative to the main support structure 2 and the housing 1 in the left and right directions, thereby changing the left and right positions of the center of mass of the rolling robot, and cooperating with the main drive motor 61 to drive the rolling robot forward to achieve an arc turn of the rolling robot. The re-swing drive motor 71 used should be equipped with an encoder to detect the travel state of the re-swing drive motor 71. It should be understood that according to the present invention, the re-swing drive motor 71 is necessary for driving the rolling robot to turn left and right, however, the transmission method can be different from the transmission components and / or positions in the re-swing drive assembly 7 described as an example above.

[0047] The rolling robot according to the present invention also includes a rotating mass block drive assembly 8, for example, disposed at the intersection of the main support structure 2 and the rotating mass block 5. As an example, as shown in Figure 5, the rotating mass block drive assembly 8 may include a rotating mass block drive motor 81, a motor synchronous pulley 82, a synchronous belt 83, a transmission shaft synchronous pulley 84, and a transmission shaft 85. Specifically, the rotating mass block drive motor 81 is mounted above the main support structure 2. The transmission shaft 85 passes through the connection between the weight 4 and the main support structure 2, passes through the centroid of the housing 1, and is mounted inside the main support structure 2 via a bearing seat. The rotating mass block 5 is mounted at one end of the transmission shaft 85, the transmission shaft synchronous pulley 84 is mounted at the other end of the transmission shaft 85, and the motor synchronous pulley 82 and the synchronous belt 83 are mounted on the same side. The rotating mass block drive motor 81 is mounted at the upper end of the main support structure 2, and the rotating mass block drive motor 81 is connected to the motor synchronous pulley 82. The rotating mass block 5 is driven by the rotating mass block drive motor 81 to increase or decrease the rotation speed in the left and right directions, and the principle of conservation of angular momentum of the system is used to apply a precise torque in the direction of the roll angle to the rolling robot, thereby adjusting the roll angle posture of the rolling robot and preventing the rolling robot from shaking left and right. Since the installation position of the rotating mass block 5 is on the central axis plane of the shell, the kinematic and dynamic models are decoupled. The rotating mass block drive motor 81 used should be equipped with an encoder to detect the travel state of the rotating mass block drive motor 81. It should be understood that according to the present invention, the rotating mass block drive motor 81 is necessary for adjusting the roll angle posture of the rolling robot. However, the transmission method can be different from the transmission components and / or positions in the rotating mass block drive assembly 8 described as an example above.

[0048] The rolling robot according to the present invention may further include a power module 10. The main drive motor 61, the weight drive motor 71, and the rotating mass drive motor 81 are electrically connected to the power module 10. The power module 10 is embedded in the weight 4 as a part of the weight 4. In this way, the mass of the power module 10, which is a burden, can be used as part of the mass required to achieve the movement of the rolling robot, thereby reducing the overall mass of the rolling robot. The shaft sleeve 9 is installed on the outer end face of the main support structure 2. The hollow cavity of the shaft is connected to the internal cavity of the main support structure 2. The main switch, buttons, external sensor signal transmission lines, etc. all pass through the shaft sleeve 9 to reach the outside of the housing 1. The wiring harness is electrically connected to the power module 10.

[0049] The working principle of the rolling robot according to the present invention will be described in detail below. When the rolling robot according to the present invention is in use, it communicates with a remote controller that is compatible with the communication module to control the movement of the rolling robot. When the main drive motor 61 rotates forward and backward, the main motor gear 62 and the drive ring gear 63 change the angle of the main support structure 2, the weight pendulum 4, and the rotating mass block 5 relative to the shell 1, thereby changing the front and rear position of the center of mass of the rolling robot, so that the shell 1 obtains a forward and backward rolling torque, and realizes the forward and backward movement of the robot. When the weight pendulum drive motor 71 rotates forward and backward, the weight pendulum motor gear 72 and the weight pendulum ring gear 73 change the angle of the weight pendulum 4 relative to the main support structure 2 and the shell 1, thereby changing the left and right position of the center of mass, and cooperating with the main drive motor 61 to realize the arc turning of the robot. When the rotating mass block driving motor 81 rotates forward and backward, it drives the transmission shaft synchronous pulley 84 to drive the transmission shaft 85 to rotate forward and backward, and then drives the rotating mass block 5 to rotate forward and backward with acceleration and deceleration. The law of conservation of angular momentum is used to apply a torque in the direction of the roll angle to the rolling robot, so that the robot obtains centripetal acceleration relative to the inertial system. In conjunction with the weight-swing driving motor 71, the weight-swing motor gear 72 and the weight-swing gear ring 73 change the left and right swing of the weight-swing 4 when rotating forward and backward. The two work together to quickly adjust the platform's roll angle posture.

[0050] According to the rolling robot of the present invention, the control difficulty is reduced and the control accuracy is improved by decoupling and linearizing the rotating mass block 5 in the dynamic model and the kinematic model. The rotating mass block drive component 8 cooperates with the main drive component 6, and updates the rolling robot posture in combination with the original data obtained by the six-axis gyroscope attitude sensor module 14, and then uses the sliding mode control method to control the posture balance of the rolling robot, so that the rolling robot can achieve non-shaking high-speed linear motion. The rotating mass block drive component 8 cooperates with the weight pendulum drive component 7 and the main drive component 6 to work in coordination with each other, and uses the composite sliding mode control method to drive the shell 1 to move in different ways. By simultaneously adjusting the rotation speed of the rotating mass block 5 and the height at which the weight pendulum 4 is lifted, the rolling robot can be temporarily rotated in place or the rolling robot can be turned in an arc without shaking.

[0051] The advantageous effects of the rolling robot according to the present invention will be described and explained in detail below.

[0052] The rolling robot according to the present invention incorporates a rotating mass 5 and a rotating mass drive assembly 8. This is a groundbreaking solution developed by the inventors after repeated research and experimentation to address the difficulty of controlling a rolling robot, particularly the significant jitter associated with high-speed motion. Due to various conflicts between the dual control of the rotating mass 5 and the weight pendulum 4, simultaneous use of both is undesirable. The ingenuity of the present invention lies in understanding and exploiting these conflicts.

[0053] One of the contradictions between the rotating mass 5 and the weight pendulum 4 is that the forward and reverse acceleration and deceleration motions of the rotating mass 5 and the left and right motions of the weight pendulum 4 both affect the rolling angle of the rolling robot. The torques generated by these two mechanisms are applied around the forward direction of the rolling robot, causing it to tilt left or right. Therefore, the rotating mass 5 and the weight pendulum 4 inevitably interfere with each other during control, resulting in a conflicting and antagonistic effect. Therefore, the combined use of the rotating mass 5 and the weight pendulum 4 is generally not considered.

[0054] The second contradiction between the rotating mass block 5 and the weight pendulum 4: When the rotating mass block 5 moves, it obtains torque with the robot's ground contact point as the fulcrum. Due to the formula for moment of inertia I = m × r^2, its moment of inertia is proportional to its mass and proportional to the square of the rotation radius. Therefore, if the rotating mass block 5 wants to obtain a larger moment of inertia, it needs to have a larger weight and a higher center of gravity. The larger the moment of inertia, the more energy it can carry at the same speed. The rotating mass block 5 can output torque in a single direction for a longer time, which increases its ability to exert influence on the robot and provides better control. However, both the rotating mass block 5 and the weight pendulum 4 are mounted on the main support structure 2 within the housing 1. This means that the weight and height required for the rotating mass block 5 to improve performance will cause the overall center of gravity of the mechanism to shift toward the centroid, thereby weakening the motion performance provided by the main drive motor 61. Both the rotating mass block 5 and the weight pendulum 4 have requirements for the mass ratio. The higher the installation position of the rotating mass block 5, the better the control effect, and the lower the installation position of the weight pendulum 4, the better the control effect. The two mechanisms contradict each other, so it is usually not considered to use the rotating mass block and the weight pendulum together.

[0055] According to the present invention, the rolling robot is equipped with a rotating mass block 5, which frees the control limit of the weight pendulum 4, thereby improving the original output capacity of the weight pendulum 4, making it possible to lift to a higher angle and output a greater torque. At the same time, the rotating mass block 5 is used to suppress the precession effect of the rolling robot during its forward movement, solving the shaking problem. Due to the decoupling of the model, the control difficulty and cost are greatly reduced. At the same time, due to the superiority of the rotating mass block 5 in suppressing high-frequency noise, the rolling robot can break through the original speed limit, and the upper speed limit is increased by more than 4 times, reaching a speed close to 30 kilometers per hour, and there is almost no jitter in the roll angle.

[0056] Furthermore, when the rolling robot moves, the main drive motor 61 rotates, pulling the entire main support structure 2 and all attached mechanisms to rotate about the housing 1's rotation axis. During this process, the rolling robot's overall center of gravity changes, driving the housing 1 to rotate, thereby enabling the robot to move forward and backward. Due to the physical requirements of this motion principle, the further the center of gravity of the main support structure 2 and all attached mechanisms deviate from the housing's centroid, and the greater their weight contribution to the overall robot weight, the greater the change in the rolling robot's center of gravity for the same rotation angle of the main drive motor 61, and the better the rolling robot's motion performance. Since the weight pendulum 4 is mounted on the bottom of the main support structure 2, the greater the weight of the weight pendulum 4, as the part of the overall mechanism furthest from the housing's centroid, the better the rolling robot's motion performance. Therefore, the lower end of the weight pendulum 4 is positioned adjacent to the bottom surface of the housing's inner wall, and the weight of the weight pendulum 4 accounts for at least 30% of the rolling robot's total mass. The power module 10 is embedded in the weight pendulum 4 and forms a component of the weight pendulum 4, all of which contribute to the rolling robot's motion performance.

[0057] The exemplary implementation of the rolling robot proposed in the present invention is described in detail above with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that, without departing from the concept of the present invention, various modifications and variations can be made to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, and various technical features and structures proposed in the present invention can be combined in various ways without exceeding the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rolling robot, comprising: The housing is formed in the shape of a rotating body, and the distance between the outer surface of the rolling surface of the housing and the rotation axis is formed to gradually decrease from the middle to both sides; Two supporting wheel hubs are fixed to two sides of the shell, and the supporting wheel hubs and the outer surface of the shell form a part of the rolling shape of the rolling robot; a main support structure extending horizontally in the left-right direction within the housing and connected to the two support hubs at both ends thereof by bearings so that the housing and the two support hubs can rotate relative to the main support structure; A re-swing, the re-swing being connected to the main support structure by a re-swing bracket extending in a vertical direction when the rolling robot is stationary, and being swingable in a left-right direction relative to the main support structure; a rotating mass rotatably connected to the main support structure with a rotation axis extending horizontally in a front-to-rear direction when the rolling robot is stationary, the front-to-rear direction being perpendicular to the left-to-right direction and the vertical direction; A main drive motor configured to drive the main support structure, the weight pendulum, and the rotating mass block to rotate in a front-to-rear direction; a weight swing drive motor configured to drive the weight swing to swing in a left-right direction relative to the main support structure; and The rotating mass block driving motor is configured to drive the rotating mass block to rotate in the left-right direction relative to the main supporting structure.

2. The rolling robot according to claim 1, wherein: The main drive motor is configured to change the front-to-back position of the center of mass of the rolling robot by changing the angles of the main support structure, the weight pendulum, and the rotating mass block relative to the shell, so that the shell obtains a forward and backward rolling torque to achieve the forward and backward movement of the rolling robot; The weight-swing drive motor is configured to change the left-right position of the center of mass of the rolling robot by changing the angle of the weight-swing relative to the main support structure and the housing; the rotating mass block drive motor is configured to rotate the rotating mass block in both positive and negative directions to accelerate and decelerate the rolling robot. A person applies a torque in the direction of the roll angle, and the change in the left and right position of the robot's center of mass and the positive and negative acceleration and deceleration rotation of the rotating mass block work together to change the robot's roll angle, thereby achieving roll angle posture control of the robot and achieving posture stability control of the rolling robot's arc turning and linear motion.

3. The rolling robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The shape of the rotational mass is rotationally symmetric about the rotational axis and wherein more mass is distributed at a portion of the rotational mass further away from the rotational axis than at a portion of the rotational mass closer to the rotational axis.

4. The rolling robot according to claim 3, wherein: The rotational mass is formed in the form of a rigid wheel having a circumferentially arranged ring and a plurality of spokes connecting the ring to the rotation axis.

5. The rolling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The circumscribed sphere radius of the rotating mass block is 30%-80% of the circumscribed sphere radius of the shell.

6. The rolling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The mounting axis of the rotating mass block is on the central axis plane of the shell, and the mounting height is 30%-70% of the total height of the rolling robot. The mounting axis defines the rotation axis.

7. The rolling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The rotating mass block is made of die steel.

8. The rolling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The heavy-swing lower end is arranged adjacent to the bottom surface of the inner wall of the shell.

9. The rolling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The mass of the re-swinging device is more than 30% of the total mass of the rolling robot, and the mass of the rotating mass block is more than 5% of the total mass of the rolling robot.

10. The rolling robot according to any one of claims 1-9 further comprises a power module for supplying power to the main drive motor, the weight pendulum drive motor, and the rotating mass block drive motor, wherein the power module is embedded in the weight pendulum as a part of the weight pendulum.

11. The rolling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising an external hanging warehouse, the external hanging warehouse being fixed to the main supporting structure at the outer side of the supporting wheel hub, the external hanging warehouse comprising an external hanging plate and a shield fixed to the external hanging plate, the shield and the outer surface of the supporting wheel hub and the shell forming a rolling shape of the rolling robot, The external storage compartment is provided with an external sensor, and the external sensor is selected from one or more of the following: a GPS positioning module, a six-axis gyro attitude sensor module, a wheel speed meter, a camera, a laser radar , millimeter wave radar, The housing is provided with a built-in sensor, and the built-in sensor is selected from one or more of the following: a GPS positioning module, a six-axis gyro attitude sensor module, and a wheel speed meter.

12. The rolling robot according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The shell has a bilaterally symmetrical structure, and is formed in the following shapes or a part of the following shapes: a sphere, an ellipsoid, or a horizontally placed drum.

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