Pneumatic driving device, flexible robot and driving method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a pneumatic driving device, a flexible robot and a driving method. In an embodiment of the present invention, a pneumatic driving device is proposed, which includes a driving layer, a liquid storage layer and a heating device. The liquid storage layer encloses and defines a liquid storage cavity, in which a driving liquid is accommodated. The driving liquid can generate driving gas after being heated, and the driving gas can be converted into driving liquid after cooling down; the heating device is located in the liquid storage cavity, and an insulating layer is sleeved outside the heating device. The heating device is used to generate heat after being powered on. In the driving method of the embodiment of the present invention, driving can be achieved by supplying power to the heating device to heat the heating device, and the response time is fast. As the heating device continuously generates heat, the pneumatic driving device can achieve continuous driving, with a long driving time, and can achieve cyclic driving, having good applicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of flexible driving, and in particular to a pneumatic driving device, a flexible robot and a driving method. Background Art

[0002] Flexible robots offer the advantage of deformability over traditional rigid robots and are widely used in fields such as medical treatment, rescue, and human-machine interaction. However, flexible robots are typically driven by pneumatic or hydraulic actuators, requiring numerous electrical lines to connect to bulky pumps. This prevents the flexible robots from operating independently without the pumps, significantly limiting their flexibility. Related technologies also employ methods such as optical actuation and gas combustion actuation to power flexible robots.

[0003] For example, light-driven methods can use light to drive liquid crystal elastomers to perform actions such as grasping. However, this type of driving method has a slow response time and cannot be driven by ambient light, which means that additional hardware is required to provide a light source.

[0004] For example, the gas combustion drive method ignites the high-density gas fuel in the driver, generating a huge driving force in an instant, which can even enable the robot to jump over obstacles. Only a small amount of additional energy is needed for ignition. However, this drive method has low cycle efficiency, a single movement mode, and a short driving time.

[0005] In summary, the existing flexible driving method has technical problems such as the need to connect to an external driving source (such as a power supply, an air pump, etc.), slow response time, and short driving time. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes a pneumatic drive device with a fast response time and a long driving time. The device can be installed inside a flexible robot and can be driven by simply connecting to a power source, thereby reducing the restrictions imposed by the drive device on the movement of the flexible robot.

[0007] The present invention also provides a flexible robot and a driving method applied to the above-mentioned pneumatic drive device.

[0008] The pneumatic drive device according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0009] a driving layer, made of flexible material;

[0010] The liquid storage layer is made of a flexible material. The liquid storage layer encloses and defines a liquid storage cavity, in which a driving liquid is accommodated. The driving liquid can generate driving gas after being heated, and the driving gas can be converted into the driving liquid after cooling. The liquid storage layer is connected to the driving layer and is used to drive the driving layer to move.

[0011] The heating device is located in the liquid storage cavity. An insulating layer is sleeved outside the heating device. The insulating layer is made of an insulating flexible material. The heating device is used to generate heat after being powered on.

[0012] The pneumatic driving device according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: After the heating device is powered on, it can generate heat and transfer it to the driving liquid in the liquid storage cavity. The driving liquid generates driving gas after being heated, the inside of the liquid storage cavity expands, the air pressure in the liquid storage cavity increases, and the liquid storage layer is flexible. Therefore, the part of the liquid storage layer covering the liquid storage cavity will expand and deform. When the liquid storage layer deforms, the liquid storage layer generates a pulling force on the driving layer connected thereto. The driving layer is flexible, so the liquid storage layer will drive the driving layer to move. When the heating device stops heating, the temperature in the liquid storage cavity will gradually decrease, so the driving gas is converted into the driving liquid. As a result, the air pressure in the liquid storage cavity will gradually decrease, and the part of the liquid storage layer covering the liquid storage cavity will also gradually contract. The pulling force generated by the deformation of the liquid storage layer on the driving layer gradually decreases to zero. When the temperature drops to the temperature before heating, the liquid storage layer and the driving layer will return to their original states. By changing the temperature in the liquid storage cavity through the heating device, the next driving can be realized.

[0013] Compared with the driving device that needs to connect large driving equipment such as pumps, in the pneumatic driving device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the driving layer can be arranged on the joints of the flexible robot. As long as the heating device is connected to the power supply, driving can be realized, thereby reducing the limitation of the driving equipment on the movement of the flexible robot. Compared with the light driving device, the pneumatic driving device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be driven by connecting the power supply, the driving response time is faster, and there is no need to additionally set up structures such as light source components. Compared with the gas combustion driving device, the pneumatic driving device according to the embodiment of the present invention can realize cyclic driving through the mutual conversion between the driving gas and the driving liquid, and the driving time is long.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the driving layer is located on one side of the liquid storage layer, and the driving layer and the liquid storage layer enclose to form the liquid storage cavity.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the stiffness of the driving layer is greater than the stiffness of the liquid storage layer.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, one surface of the heating device is attached to the driving layer, another surface of the heating device is attached to the liquid storage layer, and other surfaces of the heating device are attached to the insulating layer.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the driving layer is sleeved on the liquid storage layer.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the driving layer has anisotropic stiffness. When the liquid storage layer expands, the driving layer undergoes expansion in the first direction and stretching in the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pneumatic driving device further includes an energy supply device, which is electrically connected to the heating device. The energy supply device is used to provide power for the heating device so that the heating device generates heat.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the energy supply device is connected to the driving layer and is on the same side of the driving layer as the liquid storage layer.

[0021] A flexible robot according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention includes:

[0022] The pneumatic driving device in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention;

[0023] A flexible joint, which is connected to the driving layer, and the driving layer is used to drive the flexible joint.

[0024] A driving method according to an embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, applied to the pneumatic driving device in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, includes the following steps:

[0025] Supply power to the heating device so that the heating device generates heat after being powered on;

[0026] The temperature of the liquid storage cavity rises, driving the liquid to generate driving gas. The generated driving gas causes the liquid storage layer to expand, and the expanded liquid storage layer drives the driving layer, and the driving layer generates a set deformation and driving force.

[0027] According to some embodiments of the present invention, adjust the magnitude of the current passing through the heating device and the heating time to change the driving force of the pneumatic driving device.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the driving liquid uses an aqueous solution of ammonium bicarbonate.

[0029] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, will become apparent in part from the following description, or will be understood through the practice of the present invention. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments, where:

[0031] Figure 1 is a pneumatic drive device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic drive device in a driving state in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the pneumatic drive device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 is a driving schematic diagram of the pneumatic drive device in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Reference Numerals:

[0036] Driving layer 100, liquid storage layer 200, liquid storage cavity 310, insulating layer 320, heating device 400, energy supply device 500, electric wire 510. Detailed Embodiments

[0037] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. The examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar energy supply from beginning to end. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, the meaning of several is more than one, the meaning of multiple is more than two, greater than, less than, exceeding, etc. are understood as not including the present number, and above, below, within, etc. are understood as including the present number. If there is a description of first and second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the sequence relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0040] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as "set", "installed", "connected", etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0042] Referring to Figure 1 , in one embodiment of the present invention, a pneumatic driving device is proposed, which includes a driving layer 100, a liquid storage layer 200, an insulating layer 320, and a heating device 400. Among them, the driving layer 100, the liquid storage layer 200, and the insulating layer 320 are all flexible and can be deformed after being acted upon by an external force, and can return to the state before the external force acts after the external force disappears. Both the driving layer 100 and the liquid storage layer 200 can be thin film structures made of flexible materials. The flexible materials include but are not limited to materials such as polyimide, flexible polymer resin, and flexible polymer rubber. The insulating layer 320 is a thin film structure made of a flexible material with insulating properties, such as a thin film structure made of polyimide material.

[0043] The liquid storage layer 200 encloses and defines a liquid storage cavity 310, in which a driving liquid is accommodated. The driving liquid can generate a driving gas after being heated, and the driving gas can be converted into a driving liquid after cooling. The liquid storage layer 200 is connected to the driving layer 100 and is used to drive the driving layer 100 to move; the heating device 400 is located in the liquid storage cavity, and an insulating layer 320 is sleeved outside the heating device 400. The heating device 400 is used to generate heat after being energized.

[0044] The insulating layer 320 is disposed between the liquid storage cavity 310 and the heating device 400 to separate the two and has insulating properties to prevent the driving liquid in the liquid storage cavity 310 from coming into contact with the heating device 400 and causing a short circuit. The insulating layer 320 and the liquid storage layer 200 can be connected to the driving layer 100 by means of gluing, hot pressing, etc. The driving layer 100 can be set into a corresponding structure according to the mechanical structure to be actually driven to complete corresponding deformation. For example, one side of the driving layer 100 is connected to the liquid storage layer 200, so that the driving layer 100 will deform towards the side where the liquid storage layer 200 is located under the drive of the liquid storage layer 200. The driving layer 100 can also be sleeved on the liquid storage layer 200 and thus expand as the liquid storage layer 200 expands.

[0045] The heating device 400 includes, but is not limited to, a heating structure made of copper, copper alloy, FeCrAl electrothermal alloy, NiCr electrothermal alloy, PCT (positive temperature coefficient effect) ceramic, or composite polymer conductive material. After being powered on, the heating device 400 can convert electrical energy into heat energy. The heating device 400 is connected to the driving layer 100 and fixed on the driving layer 100. The connection method between the heating device 400 and the driving layer 100 can be adhesive bonding, hot melting, etc. The heating device 400 and the liquid storage cavity 310 are respectively located on both sides of the insulating layer 320, and the heat generated by the heating device 400 can be transferred to the liquid storage cavity 310 through the insulating layer 320.

[0046] The process of driving the liquid to generate the driving gas and the process of converting the driving gas into the driving liquid can be physical processes. For example, the driving liquid is a substance such as ethanol or ether that is easy to volatilize and liquefy. After the driving liquid is heated, it undergoes physical evaporation to generate steam, and the steam liquefies into a liquid again after the temperature drops.

[0047] The process of driving the liquid to generate the driving gas can also be a reversible chemical reaction process. A reversible chemical reaction refers to a reaction that can proceed in the forward reaction direction and at the same time in the reverse reaction direction under the same conditions. For example, in the reversible chemical reaction of driving the liquid to generate the driving gas, the forward reaction is that the driving liquid generates the driving gas, and its reverse reaction is that the driving gas turns into the driving liquid. At a certain temperature, the reversible chemical reaction in the liquid storage cavity 310 reaches equilibrium. After the heating device 400 is heated, the temperature in the liquid storage cavity 310 rises, and the reversible chemical reaction moves in the forward reaction direction. The mass fraction of the driving gas in the liquid storage cavity 310 increases, and the mass fraction of the driving liquid decreases. As a result, the air pressure in the liquid storage cavity 310 increases, and the liquid storage layer 200 expands and deforms; after the reversible chemical reaction reaches equilibrium again at this temperature, the heating device 400 stops heating or reduces the heating power, the temperature in the liquid storage cavity 310 drops, and the reversible chemical reaction in the liquid storage cavity 310 will move in the reverse reaction direction. The mass fraction of the driving gas in the liquid storage cavity 310 decreases, and the mass fraction of the driving liquid increases. As a result, the air pressure in the liquid storage cavity 310 decreases, and the liquid storage layer 200 contracts and deforms.

[0048] For example, in some embodiments, the driving liquid is an aqueous solution of ammonium bicarbonate. Thus, in the liquid storage cavity 310, the forward reaction in the reversible reaction between the driving liquid and the driving gas is:

[0049]

[0050] The reverse reaction is:

[0051]

[0052] When the aqueous solution of ammonium bicarbonate is heated, the reversible reaction proceeds in the forward reaction direction, decomposing into ammonia and carbon dioxide. When the temperature of the liquid storage cavity 310 drops, the reversible reaction proceeds in the reverse reaction direction, and ammonia and carbon dioxide dissolve in water to convert into ammonium bicarbonate. The aqueous solution of ammonium bicarbonate is easily decomposed when heated, and a large amount of gas is generated. In addition, the reverse reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide proceeds quickly, and the driving response time is short. It can be understood that the driving liquid can also be a solution of other single substances or mixed substances that can generate gas after heating and convert the gas into liquid after cooling, such as ammonia solution.

[0053] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , in some embodiments of the present invention, the driving layer 100 is located on one side of the liquid storage layer 200. The process of driving the flexible robot is as follows: After the heating device 400 is powered on, it generates heat and transfers it to the driving liquid in the liquid storage cavity 310. The driving liquid generates driving gas when heated, the air pressure inside the liquid storage cavity 310 increases, the liquid storage cavity 310 expands, and the liquid storage layer 200 is flexible. Therefore, the part of the liquid storage layer 200 covering the liquid storage cavity 310 will expand and deform. While the liquid storage layer 200 deforms, the liquid storage layer 200 generates a pulling force on the driving layer 100 connected thereto. The driving layer 100 is flexible, so the liquid storage layer 200 will drive the driving layer 100 to move. For example, referring to Figure 2 , the liquid storage layer 200 will drive the end of the driving layer 100 connected to the liquid storage layer 200 to move toward the side where the liquid storage layer 200 deforms. Connect the driving layer 100 to the joint of the flexible robot so that the driving layer 100 provides corresponding driving force for the joint of the flexible robot. When the heating device 400 stops heating or reduces the heating power, the temperature in the liquid storage cavity 310 will gradually decrease, so that the driving gas is converted into the driving liquid. As a result, the air pressure in the liquid storage cavity 310 will gradually decrease, and the part of the liquid storage layer 200 covering the liquid storage cavity 310 will also gradually contract. The pulling force generated by the deformation of the liquid storage layer 200 on the driving layer 100 gradually decreases to zero. When the temperature drops to the temperature before heating, the liquid storage layer 200 and the driving layer 100 will return to their original states. Heating the heating device 400 again can achieve the next drive.

[0054] The following is an example of the use of the pneumatic drive device in the embodiments of the present invention: After the heating device 400 is powered on, it starts to heat up. When the internal temperature of the liquid storage cavity 310 reaches the set temperature, a set driving force is generated. During this process, the driving liquid is heated to generate driving gas, and as the driving gas increases, the liquid storage layer 200 expands. When the heating device 400 is powered off or the heating power is reduced, the internal temperature of the liquid storage cavity 310 drops to another temperature. During this process, the driving gas is converted into driving liquid, the driving gas decreases, the liquid storage layer 200 contracts, and the driving force generated by the liquid storage layer 200 on the driving layer 100 decreases. When the internal temperature of the liquid storage cavity 310 drops to the temperature before the heating device 400 is powered on, the liquid storage layer 200 returns to the state before the heating device 400 heats up.

[0055] Referring to Figure 4 , in some other embodiments of the present invention, the driving layer 100 is sleeved on the liquid storage layer 200. A heating device 400 with an insulating layer 320 sleeved on the outside is provided in the liquid storage cavity 310 inside the liquid storage layer 200. When the heating device 400 heats up, the driving liquid in the liquid storage cavity 310 is heated to generate driving gas, the air pressure in the liquid storage cavity 310 increases, the liquid storage layer 200 expands, and the driving layer 100 is sleeved on the liquid storage layer 200, so that the driving layer 100 will also expand, thus realizing driving. Similarly, when the liquid storage layer 200 contracts, the driving layer 100 will also contract along with the liquid storage layer 200. The driving layer 100 can be sleeved on the liquid storage layer 200 by means such as gluing and hot melting. Conductive screws can be provided on the heating layer 400 to enable the heating device to be connected to an external power source.

[0056] In some embodiments, the stiffness of the driving layer 100 is anisotropic. When the liquid storage layer 200 expands, the driving layer 100 undergoes telescopic deformation in the first direction and stretching deformation in the second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. Specifically, referring to Figure 4 , the first direction is the up-down direction, and the second direction is the left-right direction. When the liquid storage layer 200 expands, the driving layer 100 contracts in the up-down direction and stretches in the left-right direction to limit the expansion of the liquid storage layer 200 in an unspecified direction, so as to achieve driving in a specific direction, which is more conducive to controlling the movement direction of the driven flexible robot or other devices. The driving layer 100 can be a braided tube in the related art, and the braided structure of the braided tube has stiffness anisotropy.

[0057] Compared to drive devices that require connection to large drive equipment such as pumps, the pneumatic drive device in the embodiment of the present invention can be provided with a drive layer 100 on the joints of the flexible robot. This allows for drive to be achieved simply by connecting the heating device 400 to a power source, thereby reducing the restrictions imposed by the drive equipment on the movement of the flexible robot. Compared to optical drive devices, the pneumatic drive device in the embodiment of the present invention can be driven simply by connecting to a power source, resulting in a faster drive response time and no need for additional structures such as light sources. Compared to gas combustion drive devices, the pneumatic drive device in the embodiment of the present invention can achieve cyclic drive through the mutual conversion between the drive gas and the drive liquid, and the drive time is long.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present invention, the rigidity of the drive layer 100 is greater than that of the liquid reservoir layer 200. Rigidity is the ability of an object to resist elastic deformation when subjected to force. Both the drive layer 100 and the liquid reservoir layer 200 are flexible and will deform as the driving gas in the liquid reservoir chamber 310 expands or contracts. When the rigidity of the drive layer 100 is greater than that of the liquid reservoir layer 200, the liquid reservoir layer 200 will undergo a larger deformation. Only when there is sufficient driving gas and sufficient driving force will the drive layer 100 deform, and at this time, the drive layer 100 will deform toward the side where the liquid reservoir layer 200 is located, thereby controlling the direction of deformation of the drive layer 100. The rigidity of the drive layer 100 can be increased by making the rigidity of the material making the drive layer 100 greater than the rigidity of the material making the liquid reservoir layer 200, or by making the thickness and area of the drive layer 100 greater than those of the liquid reservoir layer 200 using the same materials.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, at least one surface of the heating device 400 is in contact with the insulating layer 320. The contact area between the heating device 400 and the insulating layer 320 is increased, and the heat generated by the heating device 400 can be transferred to the driving liquid in the liquid storage chamber 310 more quickly through the insulating layer 320. The more the surface of the heating device 400 is in contact with the insulating layer 320, the more efficient the insulating layer 320 is in transferring heat. For example, referring to Figure 1 The heating device 400 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure. The lower surface of the heating device 400 is in contact with the driving layer 100 to be fixed on the driving layer 100. The left surface of the heating device 400 is in contact with the liquid storage layer 200 to facilitate the electrical wire connecting the power supply to directly pass through the liquid storage layer and electrically connect to the heating device 400. The other surfaces of the heating device 400 are in contact with the insulating layer 320 so that the heat generated by the heating device 400 can be transferred to the insulating layer 320 through multiple surfaces.

[0060] In some embodiments of the present invention, at least one end of the insulating layer 320 is connected to the liquid storage layer 200, for example, referring to Figure 1, the left end of the insulating layer 320 is connected to the liquid storage layer 200, facilitating the access of the electrical circuit of the heating device 400 from the left end of the liquid storage layer 200. It can be understood that one end of the insulating layer 320 in other directions can also be connected to the liquid storage layer 200.

[0061] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , in some embodiments of the present invention, the pneumatic driving device further includes an energy supply device 500. The energy supply device 500 and the heating device 400 can be electrically connected through an electric wire 510. The energy supply device 500 is used to provide power for the heating device 400 so that the heating device 400 generates heat. The energy supply device 500 can be a lithium-ion battery module. The lithium-ion battery module is small in volume, light in weight and large in energy density, having little impact on the pneumatic driving device. A PLC (programmable logic controller) can be provided inside the energy supply device 500 to adjust the voltage provided by the energy supply device 500 to the heating device 400. The energy supply device 500 can directly provide power for the heating device 400 in the pneumatic driving device, enabling the flexible robot not to require an electrical circuit to connect to an external power source for driving, thus effectively reducing the restrictions of the electrical circuit and the external power source on the movement of the flexible robot and improving the flexibility of the flexible robot.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present invention, the energy supply device 500 is connected to the driving layer 100 and is located on the same side of the driving layer 100 as the liquid storage layer 200, facilitating the connection of the electric wire 510 between the energy supply device 500 and the heating device 400.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present invention, a flexible robot is also proposed, including the pneumatic driving device in the above embodiment and a plurality of flexible joints. The flexible joints are connected to the driving layer, and the driving layer is used to drive the flexible joints. After the heating device 400 in the pneumatic driving device is heated, the liquid storage layer 200 expands and deforms, generating a pulling force, i.e., a driving force, on the connected driving layer 100. The driving layer 100 transmits the driving force to the flexible joints and deforms, thereby driving the joints of the flexible robot to move.

[0064] The flexible robot in the embodiments of the present invention does not need to be connected to large driving devices such as pumps and motors, reduces the setting of electrical circuits and the restrictions of electrical circuits on the movement of the flexible robot, and has good flexibility.

[0065] Referring to Figures 1 to 3 , in an embodiment of the present invention, a driving method is also proposed, including the following steps:

[0066] Prepare the pneumatic driving device in any of the above embodiments;

[0067] Supply power to the heating device 400 so that the heating device 400 generates heat after being powered on;

[0068] When the temperature of the liquid storage cavity 310 rises, it drives the liquid to generate driving gas. The generated driving gas causes the liquid storage layer 200 to expand, and the expanded liquid storage layer 200 drives the driving layer 100, and the driving layer 100 generates a set deformation and driving force.

[0069] The heating device 400 can be connected to an external power source of the pneumatic driving device through an electric wire 510 and be powered by the external power source. An energy supply device 500, such as a lithium-ion battery module, can also be provided inside the pneumatic driving device to provide electric energy for the heating device 400.

[0070] The conversion process between the driving gas and the driving liquid can be a physical process or a reversible chemical reaction process. The heat generated by the heating device 400 is transferred to the liquid storage cavity 310. The driving liquid in the liquid storage cavity 310 generates driving gas after being heated, and the cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity 310 in the liquid storage layer 200 expands and deforms. The expanded liquid storage layer 200 generates deformation stress on the driving layer 100 connected to the liquid storage layer 200. The driving layer 100 can be arranged on the joint of the flexible robot. The driving layer 100 transfers the deformation stress generated by the liquid storage layer 200 to the joint of the flexible robot, and the deformation stress generated by the liquid storage layer 200 is the driving force that drives the joint of the flexible robot to move.

[0071] In some embodiments, the driving liquid is a solution that can undergo a reversible chemical reaction and precipitate gas when heated. Compared with physical changes, the reversible chemical reaction can have a faster reaction rate at the same temperature, thereby shortening the response time required for driving.

[0072] For example, in some embodiments, the driving liquid is ammonium bicarbonate solution. Thus, in the liquid storage cavity 310, the forward reaction in the reversible reaction between the driving liquid and the driving gas is:

[0073]

[0074] The reverse reaction is:

[0075]

[0076] When the aqueous solution of ammonium bicarbonate is heated, the reversible reaction proceeds in the forward reaction, decomposing into ammonia and carbon dioxide. When the temperature of the liquid storage cavity 310 drops, the reversible reaction proceeds in the reverse reaction, and ammonia and carbon dioxide dissolve in water to convert into ammonium bicarbonate. The aqueous solution of ammonium bicarbonate is easily decomposed when heated and generates a lot of driving gas. In addition, the reverse reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide has a fast reaction rate and is suitable for flexible robots with fast driving times.

[0077] In some other embodiments, the driving liquid is ammonia solution, and the forward reaction for generating gas is:

[0078]

[0079] The reverse reaction is:

[0080]

[0081] It can be understood that the solution that undergoes a reversible chemical reaction and releases gas after being heated is not limited to ammonium bicarbonate solution and ammonia solution.

[0082] Under ideal conditions, the temperature change of the driving liquid in the embodiment of the present application per unit time is:

[0083] ;

[0084] wherein, is the electric heat energy obtained by the heating layer from the energy supply module per unit time, c is the specific heat capacity of the driving liquid, is the density of the solution, is the volume of the solution.

[0085] The electric heat energy obtained by the heating layer from the energy supply module per unit time is:

[0086] ;

[0087] wherein, is the current passing through the heating device 400, is the resistance value of the heating device 400, is the unit time.

[0088] From the above-listed formulas, under ideal conditions, the temperature change of the driving liquid in the embodiment of the present application per unit time is:

[0089] .

[0090] In a driving state, the pressure generated by the driving gas pressure in the liquid storage cavity 310 is:

[0091] ;

[0092] wherein, is the area of the cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity 310 in the liquid storage layer 200 in this driving state.

[0093] According to the ideal gas state equation:

[0094] ;

[0095] Among them, is the volume of the driving gas, is the amount of substance of the gas in the liquid storage layer, is the molar gas constant, is the temperature.

[0096] Under a specific driving state, are all constants. Substituting them into the temperature change of the driving liquid per unit time , the driving gas pressure generates a pressure The amount of change per unit time is:

[0097] ;

[0098] Among them, c is the specific heat capacity of the driving liquid, is the density of the solution, is the volume of the solution, is the current passing through the heating device 400, is the resistance value of the heating device 400, is the unit time, is the volume of the driving gas, is the amount of substance of the gas in the liquid storage layer, is the molar gas constant, is the area of the cavity wall of the liquid storage cavity 310 in the liquid storage layer 200 under this driving state.

[0099] According to the pressure of the driving gas generates a pressure The amount of change per unit time , the driving gas pressure generates a pressure is:

[0100] ;

[0101] Among them, t is the heating time of the heating device 400.

[0102] The pressure of the driving gas generates a pressure , which is the driving force of the pneumatic driving device on the flexible robot in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] In some embodiments, by adjusting the magnitude of the current passing through the heating device 400 and the heating time t, the driving force of the pneumatic driving device is changed. According to the pressure of the driving gas generates a pressure The calculation formula for the current passing through the heating device 400 The greater the pressure generated by the driving gas the greater the pressure generated, that is, the greater the driving force of the pneumatic driving device on the flexible robot. The current passing through the heating device 400 can be adjusted by changing the voltage connected to the heating device 400. Therefore, during different driving processes, the driving force provided by the pneumatic driving device can be made appropriate by changing the magnitude of the current passing through the heating device 400 .

[0104] According to the calculation formula for the pressure generated by the driving gas , the longer the heating time t of the heating device 400, the greater the pressure generated by the driving gas . Therefore, during different driving processes, the driving force provided by the pneumatic driving device can be made appropriate by changing the heating time t of the heating device 400

[0105] The following is an example of the driving method in the embodiment of the present invention: The driving force required during a movement process of a flexible joint of a flexible robot is F1. The heating device 400 is powered on to start heating. During the heating process, the driving liquid continuously generates the driving gas. During the heating process, the current remains unchanged. When the heating time reaches the calculated value, the driving force generated by the pneumatic driving device is F1. During the next movement process of the flexible joint in the flexible robot, the driving force required is F2, and F2 < F1. By stopping the heating of the heating device 400 or reducing the heating power, the heat generating the driving force is reduced, the temperature in the liquid storage part 310 starts to drop, and the liquid storage layer 200 shrinks until the driving force is reduced to F2

[0106] When the driving process ends, the heating device 400 stops heating. As a result, the liquid storage cavity 310 will gradually cool down. During the cooling process, the driving gas is converted into the driving liquid, and the liquid storage layer 200 gradually shrinks. Thus, the liquid storage layer 200 and the driving layer 100 finally return to the state before driving, and the joint of the flexible robot connected to the driving layer 100 returns to the position before driving. By connecting the power supply of the heating device 400 again for heating, the pneumatic driving device can drive the flexible robot for the next time, thereby realizing the cyclic driving of the flexible robot

[0107] The driving method in the embodiment of the present invention can be realized by supplying power to the heating device 400 to heat the heating device 400, and has a fast response time. As the heating device 400 continuously generates heat, the pneumatic driving device can achieve continuous driving and has a long driving time. In addition, the driving method in the embodiment of the present invention can achieve cyclic driving and has good applicability

[0108] In the above embodiments of the present invention, the pneumatic driving device and method are exemplified by driving a flexible robot. It can be understood that in actual use, the pneumatic driving device and method can also be used to drive other mechanical structures.

[0109] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention within the scope of knowledge of those of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. A pneumatic drive device, characterized in that, Comprising: A driving layer, made of a flexible material, having anisotropic stiffness. A liquid storage layer, made of a flexible material, enclosing and defining a liquid storage cavity. A driving liquid is contained in the liquid storage cavity. The driving liquid can generate a driving gas after being heated, and the driving gas can be converted into the driving liquid after cooling. The liquid storage layer is connected to the driving layer and is used to drive the driving layer to move. The stiffness of the driving layer is greater than that of the liquid storage layer. When the liquid storage layer expands, the driving layer undergoes contraction in a first direction and extension in a second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. A heating device, located in the liquid storage cavity. An insulating layer is sleeved outside the heating device. The insulating layer is made of an insulating flexible material. At least one surface of the heating device is attached to the insulating layer. The lower surface of the heating device is attached to the driving layer. The left surface of the heating device is attached to the liquid storage layer. The right surface of the heating device is spaced from the liquid storage layer. The heating device is used to generate heat after being powered on.

2. The pneumatic drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving layer is located on one side of the liquid storage layer.

3. The pneumatic drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that The driving layer is sleeved on the liquid storage layer.

4. The pneumatic drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving liquid is an aqueous solution of ammonium bicarbonate.

5. The pneumatic drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The pneumatic driving device further includes an energy supply device, which is electrically connected to the heating device. The energy supply device is used to provide power for the heating device so that the heating device generates heat.

6. Flexible robot, characterized in that, Comprising: The pneumatic driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A plurality of flexible joints, connected to the driving layer, and the driving layer is used to drive the flexible joints.

7. Driving method, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Prepare the pneumatic driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Supply power to the heating device to heat the liquid storage cavity, so that the temperature of the driving liquid rises to generate a driving gas. The generated driving gas causes the liquid storage layer to expand, and the expanded liquid storage layer drives the driving layer, and the driving layer generates a set deformation and driving force.

8. The driving method according to claim 7, wherein Adjust the magnitude of the current passing through the heating device and the heating time to change the driving force of the pneumatic driving device.

9. The driving method according to claim 7, wherein The driving liquid uses a solution that can undergo a reversible chemical reaction and precipitate gas after being heated.

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