A reconfigurable biped robot with a multi-link structure

Abstract

The present invention discloses a reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure. The mechanical structure of the bipedal robot is symmetrical left and right, and includes a torso component, a left leg component, and a right leg component. The torso component is rotatably connected to the left leg component and the right leg component symmetrically arranged on both sides of the torso component; the left leg component includes a hip rotation component, a hip connection component, a thigh component, a calf component, a foot sole component, a passive swing rod component, a passive connection component, an active wheel component, a driven wheel component, a link drive component, a link connection component, a link receiving component, and a link lower end component. The left leg component and the right leg component have the same structure. By changing the driving joints and the configuration of the robot, the present invention realizes the free switching of the bipedal robot between the bipedal and wheeled motion modes, and realizes the efficient movement of the legged robot under different working conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of biped robot design, and in particular relates to a reconfigurable biped robot with a multi-link structure. Background Art

[0002] Compared with traditional wheeled robots, legged robots have better terrain adaptability. Through legged locomotion, they can cross gullies and actively avoid obstacles. Therefore, legged robots have great application prospects in field exploration, post-disaster rescue, material transportation and other scenarios. However, wheeled robots have great advantages in energy utilization and speed. Existing bipedal robots have low speed, low energy utilization and the drive motor is directly arranged at the drive component, resulting in excessive leg weight. How to combine the advantages of the two robots to design a reconfigurable bipedal robot with good terrain adaptability, high speed and high energy utilization has become a hot research direction for bipedal robots. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a reconfigurable biped robot with a multi-link structure in view of the deficiencies of the prior art.

[0004] The object of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solution: a reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure, characterized in that the bipedal robot is a bilaterally symmetrical structure, comprising a trunk component, a left leg assembly and a right leg assembly, wherein the trunk component is rotatably connected to the left leg assembly and the right leg assembly symmetrically arranged on both sides of the trunk component;

[0005] The left leg assembly includes a hip rotating component, a hip connecting component, a thigh component, a calf component, a sole component, a passive swing rod component, a passive connecting component, a driving wheel component, a driven wheel component, a connecting rod driving component, a connecting rod connecting component, a connecting rod receiving component and a connecting rod lower end component;

[0006] One end of the hip rotating component is connected to the trunk component through a rotating pair, and the other end is connected to the hip connecting component through a rotating pair. The thigh component is connected to the hip connecting component through a rotating pair, and the other end is connected to the calf component through a rotating pair. The calf component is connected to the sole component through a rotating pair, and the driven wheel component is installed on the sole component through a rotating pair.

[0007] One end of the passive swing rod component is connected to the hip connection component through a rotating pair, and the other end is connected to the passive connection component through a moving pair. The passive connection component is connected to the calf component through a rotating pair, and the driving wheel component is installed at the end of the passive swing rod component through a rotating pair.

[0008] One end of the described connecting rod driving component is connected to the hip connecting component through a revolute pair, and the other end is connected to the connecting rod connecting component through a revolute pair. The connecting rod receiving component is respectively connected to the thigh component, the calf component, the connecting rod connecting component, and the lower end component of the connecting rod through revolute pairs; the lower end component of the connecting rod is connected to the sole component through a revolute pair;

[0009] The left leg assembly and the right leg assembly have the same structure.

[0010] Further, the axes of the two revolute pairs on the hip rotating component are perpendicular to each other.

[0011] Further, the hip connecting component, the thigh component, the calf component, the passive swing rod component, and the passive connecting component form a first planar five-bar linkage; the hip connecting component, the thigh component, the connecting rod driving component, the connecting rod connecting component, and the connecting rod receiving component form a second planar five-bar linkage; the calf component, the sole component, the connecting rod receiving component, and the lower end component of the connecting rod form a planar four-bar linkage.

[0012] Further, the driving motors of the thigh component and the calf component are coaxially arranged at the revolute pair between the thigh component and the hip connecting component, and the driving motor of the calf component is connected to the revolute pair between the thigh component and the calf component through a synchronous belt.

[0013] Further, the driving motors of the hip are respectively arranged at the revolute pairs between the hip rotating component and the trunk component and between the hip rotating component and the hip connecting component.

[0014] Further, the driving motor of the sole component is arranged on the revolute pair between the hip connecting component and the connecting rod driving component through the transmission mode of the second planar five-bar linkage and the planar four-bar linkage.

[0015] Further, at least one of the first planar five-bar linkages is a flexible rod.

[0016] Further, when the sole component touches the ground and the active wheel component leaves the ground, it is a bipedal motion mode, and the driving joints are the revolute pair between the hip connecting component and the thigh component, the revolute pair between the thigh component and the calf component, and the revolute pair between the calf component and the sole component.

[0017] Further, when the active wheel component and the driven wheel component touch the ground and the sole component leaves the ground, it is a wheeled motion mode, and the driving joints are the active wheel components of the left and right legs.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The bipedal robot designed by the present invention can select wheeled or legged movement modes according to the external situation, improving the adaptability and speed of the robot to the terrain, combining the advantages of bipedal robots and wheeled robots, with strong environmental adaptability and high work efficiency. At the same time, through the transmission mode of the synchronous belt, the driving motors of the calf components and the thigh components are arranged coaxially. Meanwhile, through the designed multi-link transmission mode, the driving motor of the foot components is arranged on the hip connection components, which can greatly reduce the leg mass of the bipedal robot and improve the movement performance of the bipedal robot in the bipedal movement mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the legged movement mode of the bipedal robot;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the wheeled movement mode of the bipedal robot;

[0021] Figure 3 is a simplified diagram of the leg mechanism of the bipedal robot;

[0022] In the figure, the torso component 1, the hip rotating component 2, the hip connecting component 3, the thigh component 4, the calf component 5, the foot component 6, the passive swing rod component 7, the passive connecting component 8, the driving wheel component 9, the driven wheel component 10, the link driving component 11, the link connecting component 12, the link receiving component 13, and the lower end component 14 of the link. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The present invention will be described in detail below according to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. The purpose and effects of the present invention will become clearer. The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0024] As Figure 1 shown, a reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure according to the present invention includes a torso component 1, a left leg assembly, and a right leg assembly; the left leg assembly and the right leg assembly are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the torso component, and the torso component is respectively rotatably connected to the left leg assembly and the right leg assembly. Taking the left leg assembly as an example, it includes a hip rotating component 2, a hip connecting component 3, a thigh component 4, a calf component 5, a foot component 6, a passive swing rod component 7, a passive connecting component 8, a driving wheel component 9, a driven wheel component 10, a link driving component 11, a link connecting component 12, a link receiving component 13, and a lower end component 14 of the link.

[0025] The hip rotation component 2 is respectively connected to the trunk component 1 and the hip connection component 3 through rotating pairs with mutually perpendicular axes, providing degrees of freedom for the biped robot to rotate around the y-axis and z-axis. By driving the motors arranged on the rotating pairs, the left and right leg components of the biped robot can be appropriately rotated relative to the trunk component 1 around the y-axis and z-axis. The hip connection component 3 is connected to the thigh component 4 through a rotating pair. By driving this rotating pair, the thigh component 4 of the biped robot can be rotated around the x-axis relative to the trunk component 1. Without being limited to this method, connecting the trunk component 1 and the thigh component 4 through a spherical pair will also have the same gain effect.

[0026] The calf component 5 is respectively connected to the thigh component 4 and the foot component 6 through rotating pairs; the passive swing rod component 7 is connected to the hip connection component 3 through a rotating pair, and the passive swing rod component 7 is connected to the passive connection component 8 through a sliding pair; furthermore, the hip connection component 3, the thigh component 4, the calf component 5, the passive swing rod component 7 and the passive connection component 8 form a first planar five-bar linkage mechanism. Through this planar five-bar linkage mechanism, the stiffness of the biped robot can be greatly improved, and by using flexible rods to replace one or more rods in the five-bar linkage mechanism, it can play a role in buffering and shock absorption. The driving wheel component 9 is installed at the end of the passive swing rod component 7, while the driven wheel component 10 is installed at one end of the foot component 6.

[0027] Both ends of the connecting rod driving component 11 are respectively connected to the hip connecting component 3 and the connecting rod connecting component 12 through revolute pairs; the other end of the connecting rod connecting component 12 is connected to the connecting rod receiving component 13 through a revolute pair, and the other end of the connecting rod receiving component 13 is simultaneously connected to the thigh component 4 and the calf component 5 through revolute pairs; at this time, the hip connecting component 3, the thigh component 4, the connecting rod driving component 11, the connecting rod connecting component 12 and the connecting rod receiving component 13 form a second planar five-bar linkage; for the second planar five-bar linkage, its input ends are two driving motors on the revolute pairs between the thigh component 4 and the hip connecting component 3, and between the connecting rod driving component 11 and the hip connecting component 3, and the output end is the connecting rod receiving component 13. Both ends of the lower connecting rod component 14 are respectively connected to the connecting rod receiving component 13 and the foot component 6 through revolute pairs; at this time, the calf component 5, the foot component 6, the connecting rod receiving component 13 and the lower connecting rod component 14 form a planar four-bar linkage; for this planar four-bar linkage, its input end is the connecting rod receiving component 13, and the output end is the foot component 6. Through the coupled motion of the second planar five-bar linkage and the planar four-bar linkage, the driving motor of the foot component 6 can be arranged on the revolute pair of the hip connecting component 3 and the connecting rod driving component 11 of the biped robot; at the same time, the driving motors of the calf component 5 and the thigh component 4 are arranged coaxially, that is, the driving motor of the calf component 5 is moved up to the revolute pair between the hip connecting component 3 and the thigh component 4, and the driving motor of the calf component 5 adopts a belt drive transmission method, and the revolute pair between the calf component 5 and the thigh component 4 is connected through a synchronous belt. By introducing planar multi-linkages, the leg mass of the biped robot can be greatly reduced, and the motion performance and control performance of the biped robot can be improved.

[0028] Figure 1 For the foot motion mode of the biped robot, the foot component 6 touches the ground and the driving wheel component 9 leaves the ground, and the driving joints are the revolute pairs between the hip connecting component 3 and the thigh component 4, between the thigh component 4 and the calf component 5, and between the calf component 5 and the foot component 6. Figure 2 For the wheeled motion mode of the biped robot, the driving wheel component 9 and the driven wheel component 10 touch the ground and the foot component 6 leaves the ground, and the driving joints are the driving wheel components 9 of the left and right legs. Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the leg mechanism of the biped robot. By adjusting the configuration of the first planar five-bar linkage and, at the same time, appropriately driving the driving joints of the biped robot, the biped robot can be switched between the biped motion mode and the wheeled motion mode; by making adaptive changes for different external terrains, the motion performance of the biped robot can be greatly improved.

[0029] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that the above are only preferred examples of the invention and are not used to limit the invention. Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing examples, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing examples or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the invention shall be included within the protection scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure, characterized in that, The bipedal robot has a left-right symmetric structure and includes a torso component, a left leg component, and a right leg component; the torso component is rotatably connected to the left leg component and the right leg component symmetrically arranged on both sides of the torso component; The left leg component includes a hip rotation component, a hip connection component, a thigh component, a calf component, a foot component, a passive swing rod component, a passive connection component, an active wheel component, a driven wheel component, a link drive component, a link connection component, a link receiving component, and a link lower end component; One end of the hip rotation component is connected to the torso component through a revolute joint, and the other end is connected to the hip connection component through a revolute joint. The thigh component is connected to the hip connection component through a revolute joint, and the other end is connected to the calf component through a revolute joint. The calf component is connected to the foot component through a revolute joint. The driven wheel component is installed on the foot component through a revolute joint; One end of the passive swing rod component is connected to the hip connection component through a revolute joint, and the other end is connected to the passive connection component through a prismatic joint. The passive connection component is connected to the calf component through a revolute joint. The active wheel component is installed at the end of the passive swing rod component through a revolute joint; One end of the link drive component is connected to the hip connection component through a revolute joint, and the other end is connected to the link connection component through a revolute joint. The link receiving component is respectively connected to the thigh component, the calf component, the link connection component, and the link lower end component through revolute joints; the link lower end component is connected to the foot component through a revolute joint; The left leg component and the right leg component have the same structure.

2. The reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axes of the two revolute joints on the hip rotation component are perpendicular to each other.

3. The reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hip connection component, the thigh component, the calf component, the passive swing rod component, and the passive connection component form a first planar five-bar linkage; the hip connection component, the thigh component, the link drive component, the link connection component, and the link receiving component form a second planar five-bar linkage; the calf component, the foot component, the link receiving component, and the link lower end component form a planar four-bar linkage.

4. The reconfigurable biped robot with a multi-link structure according to claim 3, wherein, The drive motors of the thigh component and the calf component are coaxially arranged at the revolute joint between the thigh component and the hip connection component. The drive motor of the calf component is connected to the revolute joint between the thigh component and the calf component through a synchronous belt.

5. The reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive motors of the hip are respectively arranged at the revolute joints of the hip rotation component with the torso component and the hip rotation component with the hip connection component.

6. The reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive motor of the foot component is arranged at the revolute joint between the hip connection component and the link drive component through the transmission mode of the second planar five-bar linkage and the planar four-bar linkage.

7. The reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one of the first planar five-bar linkages is a flexible rod.

8. The reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the foot component touches the ground and the active wheel component leaves the ground, it is in the bipedal motion mode, and the drive joints are the revolute joint between the hip connection component and the thigh component, the revolute joint between the thigh component and the calf component, and the revolute joint between the calf component and the foot component.

9. The reconfigurable bipedal robot with a multi-link structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the active wheel component and the driven wheel component touch the ground and the foot component leaves the ground, it is in the wheeled motion mode, and the drive joints are the active wheel components of the left and right legs.

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