A quadruped robot and its flexible spine joint

Abstract

The present invention provides a quadruped robot and a flexible spinal joint thereof. The quadruped robot comprises: a front trunk and a rear trunk in a convex shape, with two legs for movement, two steering gears and a flexible spinal joint at the bottom edge, and the flexible spinal joint comprises: a front joint portion connected to the front trunk; a rear joint portion connected to the rear trunk; a middle joint portion arranged between the front joint portion and the rear joint portion, and rotatably connected with the front joint portion and the rear joint portion to form a front rotation pair and a rear rotation pair; a front torsion spring arranged at the connection between the middle joint portion and the front joint portion; a rear torsion spring arranged at the connection between the middle joint portion and the rear joint portion; two gyroscopes, respectively fixed at the center of gravity of the front trunk and the center of gravity of the rear trunk, for acceleration detection; and two motors, respectively connected to the front joint portion and the rear joint portion through a coupling, for receiving feedback signals, thereby automatically adjusting the landing direction of the quadruped robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a robot, in particular to a quadruped robot and a flexible spinal joint thereof. Background Art

[0002] In complex terrain, the traditional rigid quadruped robot has low flexibility and cannot automatically adjust its landing posture in the air. In addition, it has certain limitations when walking, which makes the robot's body relatively limited when walking, and it cannot adjust its posture in time when falling, so it cannot adjust its landing posture in time when accidentally falling or jumping from the air. It also makes it inconvenient for the robot to perform tasks in complex terrain and has poor adaptability. Therefore, it is necessary to design a robot that can solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a quadruped robot and a flexible spinal joint thereof.

[0004] The present invention provides a flexible spine joint of a quadruped robot, which is used for automatically adjusting the landing posture of the quadruped robot, and has the following characteristics: the front part of the joint is connected to the front trunk of the quadruped robot; the rear part of the joint is connected to the rear trunk of the quadruped robot; the middle part of the joint is arranged between the front part of the joint and the rear part of the joint, and is rotationally connected with the front part of the joint and the rear part of the joint to form two rotation pairs, namely the front rotation pair and the rear rotation pair; the front torsion spring is arranged at the connection between the middle part of the joint and the front part of the joint; the rear torsion spring is arranged between the middle part of the joint and the rear part of the joint The connection at the rear of the joint; two gyroscopes, respectively fixed at the center of gravity of the front trunk and the center of gravity of the rear trunk, for acceleration detection, thereby providing the quadruped robot with spatial position feedback signals of the front trunk and the rear trunk; and two motors, respectively connected to the front and rear of the joint through couplings, for receiving feedback signals, thereby automatically adjusting the landing direction of the quadruped robot, wherein the axis of the front torsion spring is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the axis of the rear torsion spring is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the front torsion spring and the rear torsion spring rotate in coordination with each other.

[0005] The flexible spinal joint of the quadruped robot provided by the present invention may also have the following characteristics: wherein the front revolute joint is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and when the quadruped robot is in a hunched back state in the air, at this time, the torsion angle of the front torsion spring is 0°.

[0006] The flexible spinal joint of the quadruped robot provided by the present invention may also have the following characteristics: wherein, the rear revolute pair is parallel to the horizontal plane, and when the quadruped robot is stationary, the center lines of the front trunk and the rear trunk are coplanar and perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and at this time, the torsion angle of the rear torsion spring is 0°.

[0007] The flexible spinal joint of the quadruped robot provided by the present invention may also have the following features: wherein the two couplings pass through the front trunk and the rear trunk respectively, and are connected to the front part and the rear part of the joint respectively by bolts,

[0008] When the flexible spine joint twists, torque is transmitted through the bolts, causing the flexible spine joint to twist and the body of the quadruped robot to adjust its posture.

[0009] The flexible spinal joint of the quadruped robot provided by the present invention may also have the following feature: the motor is a micro DC motor or a rotary motor.

[0010] The present invention also provides a quadruped robot having the following characteristics, including: a front trunk in a convex shape, with two legs for movement connected on both sides; a rear trunk in a convex shape, with two legs for movement connected on both sides; two servos, respectively arranged inside the front trunk and inside the rear trunk, for controlling the movement of the legs; and a flexible spinal joint for automatically adjusting the landing posture of the quadruped robot, wherein the flexible spinal joint is the flexible spinal joint of the quadruped robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0011] Functions and Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the quadruped robot and its flexible spinal joint involved in the present invention, a simple torsion spring and a revolute pair are combined to form a shock-absorbing mechanism, which has a simple structure, strong parts rigidity, reliable structure, and is simple and easy to maintain and replace; a micro DC motor or a rotary motor is used as a rotational power source, and automatic adjustment of the aerial posture is achieved through a gyroscope and related electronic components. The principle is clear, the structure is simple and the feasibility is high; the torsion spring and the motor are built into the revolute pair or the body, ensuring that dust and other debris are difficult to enter the internal space of the quadruped robot when it is moving, thereby further improving durability and safety.

[0013] Therefore, the flexible spinal joint of the present invention realizes the shock-absorbing function through the combination of a simple torsion spring and a rotating pair, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the mechanism during control and operation, so that the robot can automatically adjust its landing posture in the air and store and utilize energy while walking, making it easier for the quadruped robot to have stronger adaptability when performing tasks in complex terrain. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3is a schematic diagram of a flexible spinal joint of a quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a flexible spinal joint of a quadruped robot installed on the quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 5 The present invention Figure 4 Projection diagram of

[0019] Figure 6 is a posture diagram of the flexible spine joint of the quadruped robot in the air in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 7 is a posture diagram of the flexible spine joint of the quadruped robot after landing in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 8 is a final posture diagram of the flexible spinal joints of the quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the technical means and effects achieved by the present invention easier to understand, the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with embodiments and drawings.

[0023] Example:

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a quadruped robot 100 of this embodiment includes: a front trunk 10 , a rear trunk 20 , two steering gears 30 and a flexible spinal joint 40 .

[0026] The front trunk 10 is in a convex shape, with two legs for movement connected to both sides.

[0027] The rear trunk 20 is in a convex shape, with two legs for movement connected to both sides.

[0028] Two steering gears 30 are respectively disposed inside the front trunk 10 and inside the rear trunk 20 to control the movement of the legs.

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a flexible spinal joint of a quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a flexible spine joint of a quadruped robot installed on a quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 The present invention Figure 4 Projection diagram.

[0030] like Figure 3-Figure 5 As shown, the flexible spinal joint 40 is arranged in a chain-like manner, which is used to automatically adjust the landing posture of the quadruped robot 100, including: a front joint 41, a rear joint 42, a middle joint 43, a front torsion spring 44, a rear torsion spring 45, two gyroscopes 46, 47 and two motors 48, 49.

[0031] The front joint portion 41 is disc-shaped and is connected to the front trunk 10 via a first motor 48 and a first coupling 410 .

[0032] The rear part 42 of the joint is disc-shaped and is connected to the rear trunk 20 via a second motor 49 and a second coupling 411 .

[0033] The middle joint part 43 is arranged between the front joint part 41 and the rear joint part 42, and is used to connect the front joint part 41 and the rear joint part 42, and is rotationally connected with the front joint part 41 and the rear joint part 42 to form two rotation pairs, namely a front rotation pair and a rear rotation pair.

[0034] In this embodiment, the front revolving joint is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. When the quadruped robot 100 is in the air, it is in a hunched back state. At this time, the torsion angle of the front torsion spring 44 is 0°; the rear revolving joint is parallel to the horizontal plane. When the quadruped robot 100 is stationary, the center lines of the front trunk 10 and the rear trunk 20 are coplanar and perpendicular to the horizontal plane. At this time, the torsion angle of the rear torsion spring 45 is 0°.

[0035] The front torsion spring 44 is disposed at the connection between the joint middle portion 43 and the joint front portion 41 .

[0036] The rear torsion spring 45 is disposed at the connection between the joint middle portion 43 and the joint rear portion 42 .

[0037] In this embodiment, the axis of the front torsion spring 44 is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the axis of the rear torsion spring 45 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the front torsion spring 44 and the rear torsion spring 45 rotate in coordination with each other.

[0038] The first gyroscope 46 and the second gyroscope 47 are respectively fixed at the center of gravity of the front trunk 10 and the center of gravity of the rear trunk 20 for acceleration detection, thereby providing spatial position feedback signals of the front trunk 10 and the rear trunk 20 for the quadruped robot 100 .

[0039] In this embodiment, the gyroscope used is the mpu6050 gyroscope, which can detect the acceleration values ​​in the x, y, and z directions based on the gyroscope's own coordinate system, and then use a pre-programmed program and a conditional algorithm. When the detected acceleration value does not meet the conditions, it proves that it is not an ideal posture at this time. Then the microcontroller transmits signals to the two motors and the two motors start to rotate.

[0040] The first motor 48 and the second motor 49 are connected to the joint front part 41 and the joint rear part 42 through the first coupling 410 and the second coupling 411 respectively, and are used to receive feedback signals, so as to automatically adjust the landing direction of the quadruped robot 100.

[0041] In this embodiment, the first motor 48 and the second motor 49 are miniature DC motors or rotary motors, and the shock-absorbing function is realized by combining a simple torsion spring and a rotating pair, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the mechanism during control and operation.

[0042] In this embodiment, the first coupling 410 and the second coupling 411 pass through the front trunk 10 and the rear trunk 20 respectively, and are respectively connected to the front joint 41 and the rear joint 42 by bolts. When the flexible spinal joint 40 is twisted, the torque is transmitted through the bolts, thereby causing the flexible spinal joint 40 to twist, and the posture of the body of the quadruped robot 100 is adjusted.

[0043] Figure 6 is a posture diagram of the flexible spine joint of the quadruped robot in the air in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7 is a posture diagram of the flexible spine joint of the quadruped robot after landing in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 is a final posture diagram of the flexible spinal joints of the quadruped robot in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Furthermore, if Figure 6 As shown, when the quadruped robot 100 falls from a height and the posture is not with the four limbs facing downward, at this time, the first gyroscope 46 and the second gyroscope 47 detect the acceleration signal, and automatically analyze the signal to control the first motor 48 and the second motor 49 to perform the next twisting action, and finally adjust the body to a suitable position through continuous twisting and feedback. Figure 7 The landing posture shown in the figure, and in the air, in order to realize the preparatory buffering action of "arch back", at this time, the torsion angle of the rear torsion spring 45 whose axis is perpendicular to the horizontal plane is 0°; during normal walking, the body uses the rear rotation pair and the rear torsion spring 45 between the middle and rear parts of the joint, so that the robot body can effectively store and release energy when walking, thereby improving the energy utilization efficiency of the robot.

[0045] In addition, when the quadruped robot 100 falls sideways, the front torsion spring 44 is used to achieve an arched back movement first, and then the first gyroscope 46 and the second gyroscope 47 detect acceleration signals, and automatically analyze that the posture of the quadruped robot 100 is not an ideal landing posture at this time, so the first motor 48 of the front trunk 10 and the second motor 49 of the rear trunk 20 are automatically controlled to twist. The acceleration value changes during the twisting process, and feedback and automatic control are continuously performed. Finally, when the acceleration value is within a certain range, the twisting stops, the quadruped robot 100 falls to the ground, and the front torsion spring 44 of the front part of the joint 41 compresses the energy storage buffer, and then the front torsion spring 44 is continuously compressed and rebounded, and finally the walking posture is restored. Figure 8 shown.

[0046] When the quadruped robot 100 walks normally, referring to the crawling posture of vertebrates, there is a periodic relative torsion between the front trunk 10 and the rear trunk 20. When the quadruped robot 100 steps out the right front paw and the left hind leg, the front trunk 10 twists a certain angle counterclockwise relative to the rear trunk 20. At this time, the rear torsion spring 45 of the rear part 42 of the joint twists and compresses energy storage; when the quadruped robot 100 steps out the left front leg and the right hind leg again, the front trunk 10 twists a certain angle clockwise relative to the rear trunk 20, and the torsion angle of the rear torsion spring 45 first returns to 0° to release energy and then twists to store energy. Through the periodic torsion of the rear torsion spring 45, the quadruped robot 100 achieves a reduction in energy consumption during walking. Due to the existence of the spinal joint, the turning action of the quadruped robot 100 only needs to change the gait, and the selection of torsion springs with appropriate elastic coefficients and damping coefficients can change the minimum turning radius and change the energy utilization efficiency.

[0047] Functions and Effects of the Embodiments

[0048] According to the quadruped robot and its flexible spinal joint involved in this embodiment, a simple torsion spring and a revolute pair are combined to form a shock-absorbing mechanism, which has a simple structure, strong parts rigidity, reliable structure, and is simple and easy to maintain and replace; a micro DC motor or a rotary motor is used as a rotational power source, and a gyroscope and related electronic components are used to achieve automatic adjustment of the aerial posture, with a clear principle, a simple structure and high feasibility; the torsion spring and the motor are built into the revolute pair or the body to ensure that dust and other debris are difficult to enter the internal space of the quadruped robot when it is moving, thereby further improving durability and safety.

[0049] Therefore, the flexible spinal joint of this embodiment realizes the shock-absorbing function through the combination of a simple torsion spring and a rotating pair, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the mechanism during control and operation, so that the robot can automatically adjust its landing posture in the air and store and utilize energy while walking, making it easier for the quadruped robot to have stronger adaptability when performing tasks in complex terrain.

[0050] The above-mentioned embodiments are preferred examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A quadruped robot, characterized in that: include: The front torso is in the shape of a convex letter "U", with two legs attached to the sides for movement; The rear torso is in the shape of a convex letter "U", with two legs attached on either side for movement; two servos, respectively disposed inside the front trunk and inside the rear trunk, for controlling the movement of the legs; as well as A flexible spinal joint is used to automatically adjust the landing posture of the quadruped robot. Wherein, the flexible spinal joint comprises: The front part of the joint is connected to the front trunk of the quadruped robot; The rear part of the joint is connected to the rear trunk of the quadruped robot; The middle part of the joint is arranged between the front part of the joint and the rear part of the joint, and is rotationally connected with the front part of the joint and the rear part of the joint to form two rotation pairs, namely a front rotation pair and a rear rotation pair; A front torsion spring is arranged at the connection between the middle part of the joint and the front part of the joint; a rear torsion spring, arranged at the connection between the middle part of the joint and the rear part of the joint; A first gyroscope and a second gyroscope are respectively fixed at the center of gravity of the front trunk and the center of gravity of the rear trunk, and are used for acceleration detection, so as to provide the quadruped robot with acceleration signals of the front trunk and the rear trunk; and The first motor and the second motor are connected to the front part of the joint and the rear part of the joint through the first coupling and the second coupling, respectively, and are used to receive the acceleration signal, so as to automatically adjust the landing direction of the quadruped robot. The axis of the front torsion spring is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the axis of the rear torsion spring is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the front torsion spring and the rear torsion spring rotate in coordination with each other. The front revolute joint is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. When the quadruped robot is in the air, it is in a hunched back state. At this time, the torsion angle of the front torsion spring is 0°. The rear revolute pair is parallel to the horizontal plane. When the quadruped robot is stationary, the center lines of the front trunk and the rear trunk are coplanar and perpendicular to the horizontal plane. At this time, the torsion angle of the rear torsion spring is 0°. The first coupling and the second coupling respectively pass through the front trunk and the rear trunk, and are respectively connected to the front part of the joint and the rear part of the joint by bolts. When the flexible spinal joint is twisted, the torque is transmitted through the bolt, thereby causing the flexible spinal joint to twist, and the body of the quadruped robot to adjust its posture. The motor is a micro DC motor or a rotary motor. The control process of the quadruped robot is: When the quadruped robot falls from a height and the posture is not that the four limbs are facing directly downward, the first gyroscope and the second gyroscope detect the acceleration signal, automatically analyze the signal, and control the first motor and the second motor to perform the next twisting action. Through continuous twisting and feedback, the quadruped robot is finally adjusted to a suitable landing posture, and in the air, in order to achieve a preparatory buffering action of "arched back", at this time, the torsion angle of the rear torsion spring with the axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane is 0°, During normal walking, the quadruped robot can effectively store and release energy through the rear rotation pair and the rear torsion spring between the middle part of the joint and the rear part of the joint, thereby improving the energy utilization efficiency of the robot. When the quadruped robot falls sideways, the front torsion spring is used to achieve an arched back action first, and then the first gyroscope and the second gyroscope detect the acceleration signal, automatically analyzing that the posture of the quadruped robot is not an ideal landing posture at this time, and then automatically controlling the first motor of the front trunk and the second motor of the rear trunk to twist. During the twisting process, the acceleration signal changes, and feedback and automatic control are continuously performed. Finally, when the acceleration signal is within a certain range, the twisting is stopped, the quadruped robot lands, and the front torsion spring at the front of the joint is compressed to store energy for buffering. After that, the front torsion spring is continuously compressed and rebounded, and finally the walking posture is restored. When the quadruped robot walks normally, there is a periodic relative torsion between the front trunk and the rear trunk. When the quadruped robot steps out its right front paw and left hind leg, the front trunk twists counterclockwise by a certain angle relative to the rear trunk. At this time, the rear torsion spring at the rear of the joint twists and compresses to store energy. When the quadruped robot steps out its left front leg and right hind leg again, the front trunk twists clockwise by a certain angle relative to the rear trunk. The torsion angle of the rear torsion spring first returns to 0° to release energy and then twists to store energy. Through the periodic torsion of the rear torsion spring, the quadruped robot achieves a reduction in energy consumption during walking. Due to the presence of the flexible spinal joint, the turning action of the quadruped robot only needs to change the gait. By selecting a torsion spring with a suitable elastic coefficient and damping coefficient, the minimum turning radius and the energy utilization efficiency can be changed.

Images