Self-balancing wheeled robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a self-balancing wheeled robot, which includes a robot body, a bearing part and a traveling mechanism. Among them, the traveling mechanism includes a driving wheel installed on each side of the bearing part; a first lead screw transmission mechanism, a second lead screw transmission mechanism and a counterweight are arranged inside the bearing part. The robot body is limited between the first lead screw transmission mechanism and the second lead screw transmission mechanism. The first lead screw transmission mechanism and the second lead screw transmission mechanism are installed on both sides of the counterweight. Among them, the counterweight is rotatably arranged at the bottom of the bearing part; the first lead screw transmission mechanism is used to maintain the robot body in a vertical setting when touched by the counterweight; or, the second lead screw transmission mechanism is used to maintain the robot body in a vertical setting when touched by the counterweight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of autonomous mobile intelligent robots, in particular to self-balancing wheeled robots. Background Art

[0002] The tumbler is a structure with a low center of gravity and a curved bottom. When the tumbler is stationary, the line of action of gravity coincides with its support point. However, when the tumbler tips over, the center of gravity shifts to the other side as the support point (the point where the tumbler touches the ground) shifts, generating a lateral torque that forces the tumbler to swing in that direction. This is why, no matter how it sways, the tumbler never falls over.

[0003] Currently, most autonomous mobile intelligent robots use wheeled structures with flat chassis. When pushed by external forces, tripped by obstacles, or easily tipped over while climbing a slope, they cannot stand up on their own and require assistance. This limits the application of these mobile robots. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the above technical issues, the present invention provides a self-balancing wheeled robot. This is a two-wheeled self-balancing robot, also a spherical walking robot. It utilizes its own transmission mechanism to maintain balance in its main body. Specifically, it can be used in mobile scenarios where the robot's body is pushed down by external forces, tripped by obstacles, or toppled while climbing a slope. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0005] A self-balancing wheeled robot includes a robot body, a load-bearing part and a walking mechanism, wherein the walking mechanism includes a driving wheel installed on each side of the load-bearing part; a first screw transmission mechanism, a second screw transmission mechanism and a counterweight are arranged inside the load-bearing part, and the robot body is confined between the first screw transmission mechanism and the second screw transmission mechanism, and the first screw transmission mechanism and the second screw transmission mechanism are installed on both sides of the counterweight, wherein the counterweight is rotatably arranged at the bottom of the load-bearing part; the first screw transmission mechanism is used to maintain the robot body in a vertical setting when touched by the counterweight; or, the second screw transmission mechanism is used to maintain the robot body in a vertical setting when touched by the counterweight.

[0006] Furthermore, the first screw transmission mechanism and the second screw transmission mechanism are installed on both sides of the counterweight along the forward direction of the self-balancing wheeled robot; wherein, when the robot body is in a vertical setting, the counterweight does not touch the first screw transmission mechanism, and the counterweight does not touch the second screw transmission mechanism.

[0007] Further, when the self-balancing wheeled robot is vertically arranged, the outer tangent plane of the contact point between the counterweight and the bearing part is kept parallel to the traveling plane where the self-balancing wheeled robot is located; wherein, the counterweight is a hemispherical body, the bearing part is an elliptical shell, and the counterweight is rotatably installed in a sliding groove arranged on the bottom wall of the bearing part; wherein, the first lead screw transmission mechanism is arranged in a first fixed installation slot arranged in the bearing part, the second lead screw transmission mechanism is arranged in a second fixed installation slot arranged in the bearing part, and the sliding groove is arranged between the first fixed installation slot and the second fixed installation slot.

[0008] Further, the first lead screw transmission mechanism includes a first sensing element, a first stepping motor, a first lead screw, a first coupling, a first lead screw nut and a first receiving plate; the first sensing element is arranged on the bottom wall of the bearing part and on one side of the counterweight, and the first sensing element is connected to the first stepping motor through an electric wire; the output shaft of the first stepping motor is connected to one end of the first lead screw through the first coupling, the other end of the first lead screw is connected to the first receiving plate but does not penetrate the first receiving plate, one end of the first stepping motor is fixedly connected to the first fixed installation slot, the first lead screw is in clearance fit with the first lead screw nut, and the first lead screw nut is bolted to the first receiving plate; the first receiving plate is used to abut against or place the robot body; wherein, a first through hole is opened above the bearing part for accommodating the movement of the first lead screw and the first lead screw nut.

[0009] Further, the second lead screw transmission mechanism includes a second sensing element, a second stepping motor, a second lead screw, a second coupling, a second lead screw nut and a second receiving plate; the second sensing element is arranged on the bottom wall of the bearing part, and the second sensing element is connected to the second stepping motor through an electric wire, wherein, the first sensing element is arranged on one side of the counterweight, and the second sensing element is arranged on the other side of the counterweight; the output shaft of the second stepping motor is connected to one end of the second lead screw through the second coupling, the other end of the second lead screw is connected to the second receiving plate but does not penetrate the second receiving plate, one end of the second stepping motor is fixedly connected to the second fixed installation slot, the second lead screw is in clearance fit with the second lead screw nut, and the second lead screw nut is bolted to the second receiving plate; the second receiving plate is used to cooperate with the first receiving plate to place the robot body and plays a role in limiting the position of the robot body above the bearing part; wherein, a second through hole is opened above the bearing part for accommodating the movement of the second lead screw and the second lead screw nut.

[0010] Further, both the first sensing element and the second sensing element are pressure sensors or contact switches; wherein, when the bearing part tilts clockwise, the first sensing element receives the touching action of the counterweight, and the first stepping motor is started to drive the first lead screw nut to descend through the first lead screw until the robot body is restored from tilting to one side to being vertically arranged; wherein, when the bearing part tilts counterclockwise, the second sensing element receives the touching action of the counterweight, and the second stepping motor is started to drive the second lead screw nut to descend through the second lead screw until the robot body is restored from tilting to one side to being vertically arranged.

[0011] Further, when the self-balancing wheeled robot is in a static balance state or a walking balance state, the supporting point of the counterweight on the bottom wall of the bearing part is located on the gravity action line of the robot body, the center of gravity of the self-balancing wheeled robot is located directly below the geometric center of the curved surface where the bottom wall of the bearing part is located, and the weight of the counterweight matches the weight of the robot body, so that when the bearing part is lifted, the counterweight pulls the bearing part back to its original position, wherein the robot body remains vertically arranged during this process.

[0012] Further, a support rod is also hinged between the robot body and the bearing part. One end of the support rod is hinged to the bottom of the robot body, and the other end of the support rod is hinged to the top of the bearing part, so that the robot body and the bearing part are rotatably connected; the support rod is used to be limited to coincide with the gravity action line of the robot body during the process of the first lead screw driving the first lead screw nut to move up and down or during the process of the second lead screw driving the second lead screw nut to move up and down, and allows the bearing part and the robot body to shake.

[0013] Further, the distance from the central axes of the rotation shafts of the two driving wheels to the bottom wall of the bearing part is less than the diameters of the two driving wheels, so that the robot body does not touch the ground and supports the bearing part to freely rotate around the central axes of the two driving wheels; wherein, the diameters of one of the two driving wheels are equal to those of the other driving wheel.

[0014] Further, a display screen is detachably installed in the robot body. When the bearing part tilts, or the first lead screw nut makes a linear movement, or the second lead screw nut makes a linear movement, the robot body remains vertically arranged, and the viewing angle displayed by the display screen remains unchanged; wherein, the robot body is detachably installed in the self-balancing wheeled robot.

[0015] Further, a vision sensor is detachably mounted on the robot body. When the bearing part is tilted, or the first lead screw nut moves linearly, or the second lead screw nut moves linearly, the robot body remains vertically arranged, and the detection direction of the vision sensor remains unchanged. Among them, the robot body is detachably mounted in the self-balancing wheeled robot.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention combines the foregoing first lead screw transmission mechanism, second lead screw transmission mechanism and counterweight to form a self-balancing structure. When the counterweight at the bottom of the self-balancing wheeled robot topples and tilts to one side, two lead screw transmission structures are used to adjust the robot body to maintain a vertical arrangement, so that the self-balancing wheeled robot can maintain a vertically stable state when subjected to an external force, blocked or lifted due to changes in the traveling surface. Rely on the touch action of the counterweight and the mechanical cooperative adjustment action of the lead screw transmission structures on both sides of the counterweight to maintain the center of gravity stability of the entire robot, so as to ensure that the self-balancing wheeled robot can automatically return to the upright state when static in any tilted state, and can produce the technical effect of self-balancing; when a display screen or sensor is installed on the body of the robot, the foregoing mechanical structure can prevent the display screen or sensor from shaking significantly when the robot moves, and ensure the normal operation of the sensor or display screen. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a self-balancing wheeled robot disclosed by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic internal structure block diagram of the self-balancing wheeled robot disclosed by the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing that the self-balancing wheeled robot disclosed by the present invention autonomously returns to the upright state in the direction of arrow B when tilted in the direction of arrow A.

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing that the self-balancing wheeled robot disclosed by the present invention autonomously returns to the upright state in the direction of arrow A1 when tilted in the direction of arrow B1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. is 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 thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features.

[0022] A robot is a machine device that automatically performs work. It can not only accept human commands, but also run pre-programmed programs, or act according to the principles and guidelines formulated by artificial intelligence technology. Its task is to assist or replace human work, such as in the manufacturing industry, construction industry, or dangerous work. A robot is a machine device that automatically performs work. It can not only accept human commands, but also run pre-programmed programs, or act according to the principles and guidelines formulated by artificial intelligence technology. Its task is to assist or replace human work, such as in the manufacturing industry, construction industry, or dangerous work.

[0023] When a robot walks on a ground with a certain slope, it often cannot maintain balance. When walking on a horizontal ground, it is also easy to be tripped by small obstacles (such as small toys, steps, thresholds) and then fall easily. Then the main body part of the robot cannot maintain balance, affecting the normal function of the robot relying on its main body part. Therefore, in the present invention, without adjusting the height changes of the front and rear wheels, relying on the internal self-balancing structure, the balance effect of the entire robot main body is maintained, and the normal operation of the robot during walking on various planes is maintained.

[0024] As an embodiment, a self-balancing wheeled robot is disclosed. Combining Figure 1 and Figure 2 it can be known that the self-balancing wheeled robot includes a robot main body 1, a bearing part 2 and a walking mechanism. Among them, the walking mechanism includes a driving wheel installed on each side of the bearing part 2. The driving wheel 3 is Figure 1 the driving wheel on the left side of the bearing part 2 of Figure 2 and Figure 3Only a part of the structure of the drive wheel 3 at the bottom of the bearing part 2 is shown. It should be noted that, compared with the tumbler robot in the prior art, the robot body 1 of the self-balancing wheeled robot disclosed in this embodiment does not make point contact with the ground. Even during walking, the body part other than the drive wheel will not contact the ground surface, and there is no need to consider the friction problem between the housing of the body and the ground, especially the relationship between the specific shape, hardness, and surface smoothness of the housing of the body and the friction with the ground. A first lead screw transmission mechanism, a second lead screw transmission mechanism, and a counterweight 4 are arranged inside the bearing part 2. In this embodiment, the first lead screw transmission mechanism, the second lead screw transmission mechanism, and the counterweight 4 form a self-balancing structure. In this embodiment, the robot body 1 is respectively connected to the bearing part through the first lead screw transmission mechanism and the second lead screw transmission mechanism. The first lead screw transmission mechanism and the second lead screw transmission mechanism are installed on both sides of the counterweight. In some embodiments, the first lead screw transmission mechanism is installed on the left side of the counterweight 4, which is also equivalent to the rear side of the bearing part 2; the second lead screw transmission mechanism is installed on the right side of the counterweight 4, which is also equivalent to the front side of the bearing part 2. In this embodiment, the counterweight 4 is rotatably arranged at the bottom of the bearing part 2 so that the center of gravity of the self-balancing wheeled robot is below the central axis of the two drive wheels. Among them, the bottom of the counterweight 4 remains in contact with the bottom of the bearing part 2 to support its movement inside the bearing part 2 and can touch the first lead screw transmission mechanism or the second lead screw transmission mechanism. However, the center of gravity of the counterweight 4 is relatively stable and not easily toppled, unless the external force on the bearing part 2 or the robot body 1 is obvious or the degree of obstruction on a specific terrain surface is large.

[0025] In one embodiment, the second lead screw transmission mechanism is used to maintain the robot body 1 in a vertical position when touched by the counterweight 4. Specifically, when the self-balancing wheeled robot climbs a slope or goes up a step, corresponding to Figure 3 In the figure, the self-balancing wheeled robot is configured to move forward to its right and climb a slope. The bearing part 2 tilts to the left, that is, the bearing part 2 or the whole self-balancing wheeled robot starts to tilt counterclockwise and drives the robot body 1 to tilt counterclockwise. Then, the second lead screw transmission mechanism restores the robot body 1 to its original position by lowering the height, that is, adjusts the robot body 1 to be in a vertical position. At this time, the first lead screw transmission mechanism remains unchanged, that is, since it is not touched by the same counterweight 4, the height inside it has not changed, and it does not play an adjustment role by itself, but only cooperates with the second lead screw transmission mechanism to play an adjustment role to maintain the robot body 1 in a vertical position or restore the robot body 1 from tilting to the left to a vertical position.

[0026] In another embodiment, the first lead screw transmission mechanism is used to maintain the robot body 1 in a vertical position when touched by the counterweight 4. Specifically, when the self-balancing wheeled robot goes down a slope or down a step, corresponding to Figure 4Among them, the self-balancing wheeled robot is configured to step down or go downhill to its right side, and the bearing part 2 tilts to the right side, that is, the bearing part 2 or the whole self-balancing wheeled robot starts to tilt clockwise, and drives the robot body 1 to tilt clockwise. Then, the first lead screw transmission mechanism restores the robot body 1 to its original position by decreasing the height, that is, adjusts the robot body 1 to be vertically arranged. At this time, the second lead screw transmission mechanism remains unchanged, that is, since it is not touched by the same counterweight 4, the height inside it has not changed, and it does not play an adjusting role by itself. It only cooperates with the first lead screw transmission mechanism to play an adjusting role to maintain the robot body 1 in a vertically arranged state or restore the robot body 1 from tilting to the right side to a vertically arranged state.

[0027] In the foregoing embodiment, two through holes are provided above the bearing part 2, including a first through hole and a second through hole. Among them, the first through hole is used to accommodate the linear movement of the first lead screw transmission mechanism so that the first lead screw transmission mechanism penetrates the bearing part 2, and the second through hole is used to accommodate the linear movement of the second lead screw transmission mechanism so that the second lead screw transmission mechanism penetrates the bearing part 2.

[0028] It should be noted that in the above embodiment, the first lead screw transmission mechanism and the second lead screw transmission mechanism are installed on both sides of the counterweight 4 along the advancing direction of the self-balancing wheeled robot, corresponding to Figures 2 to 4 Among them, the second lead screw transmission mechanism is installed on the right side of the counterweight 4, that is, the installation direction of the second lead screw transmission mechanism relative to the counterweight 4 is the advancing direction of the self-balancing wheeled robot; the first lead screw transmission mechanism is installed on the left side of the counterweight 4, that is, the installation direction of the first lead screw transmission mechanism relative to the counterweight 4 is the reverse direction of the advancing direction of the self-balancing wheeled robot. In Figure 1In the case where the self-balancing wheeled robot is vertically arranged, the counterweight does not touch the first lead screw transmission mechanism, and the counterweight does not touch the second lead screw transmission mechanism. At this time, the robot body 1 is in a balanced state, and the bearing part 2 is also in a balanced state. Then, the entire self-balancing wheeled robot is in a balanced state. Specifically, the vertical arrangement of the self-balancing wheeled robot refers to the pose when the self-balancing wheeled robot is upright, including the pose when the robot body 1 is upright and the pose when the bearing part 2 is also upright. The self-balancing wheeled robot can maintain a stable stationary state or a walking and moving state. The self-balancing wheeled robot being pushed down by an external force, lifted by a step, tripped by an obstacle is relative to the self-standing stable state (vertically arranged) of the self-balancing wheeled robot. When the bearing part 2 or the robot body 1 deviates from the original vertical arrangement, it can be regarded as deviating from the self-standing stable state of the self-balancing wheeled robot. In this embodiment, under the adjustment of the second lead screw transmission mechanism and / or the first lead screw transmission mechanism, the robot body 1 first returns from any deviation from the vertical arrangement to the state of self-standing stable state, and then the bearing part 2 returns from any deviation from the vertical arrangement to the state of self-standing stable state, so that the self-balancing wheeled robot returns to the self-standing stable state (vertically arranged).

[0029] In the above embodiment, the outer tangent plane of the contact point between the counterweight 4 and the bearing part 2 is parallel to the traveling plane where the self-balancing wheeled robot is located when the self-balancing wheeled robot is vertically arranged; as Figures 2 to 4 shown, the counterweight 4 is a hemisphere, and the bearing part 2 is an elliptical shell, which is a kind of cavity body and is connected to the robot body 1 and the drive wheel at the same time; due to the gravitational force of the counterweight 4, the counterweight 4 is rotatably installed in the sliding groove provided on the bottom wall of the bearing part 2. Since the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 is an arc-shaped surface, the friction is small, which is convenient for the counterweight 4 to apply force and return to its original position in the sliding groove. Among them, the distance of a point of the counterweight 4 defined by the sliding groove can adapt to the maximum slope that the self-balancing wheeled robot can cross; the center of gravity of the bearing part 2 is pulled down by the counterweight 4 to be close to the ground. When the self-balancing wheeled robot is pushed down by an external force, lifted by a step, tripped by an obstacle or tilted around the rotation axis by itself, the bearing part 2 first tilts, causing the internal counterweight 4 to rotate to raise its center of gravity. Then, a moment is generated between the center of gravity of the counterweight 4 and the contact point (the contact point between the counterweight 4 and the bottom wall of the bearing part 2), and the center of gravity of the self-balancing wheeled robot rises. Due to the action of this moment, the bearing part 2 is to return to its original position state. Therefore, the balance of this state can ensure that the bearing part 2 will not tilt in one direction to the traveling ground.

[0030] It should be noted that the first lead screw drive mechanism is arranged in the first fixed installation slot provided in the bearing part 2, the second lead screw drive mechanism is arranged in the second fixed installation slot provided in the bearing part 2, and the sliding slot is arranged between the first fixed installation slot and the second fixed installation slot. The first fixed installation slot is a fixed slot opened inside the bearing part 2, and the relative installation position of the first lead screw drive mechanism in the bearing part 2 will not be changed due to the inclination of the bearing part 2 or the self-balancing wheeled robot in a certain direction; the second fixed installation slot is a fixed slot opened inside the bearing part 2, and the relative installation position of the second lead screw drive mechanism in the bearing part 2 will not be changed due to the inclination of the bearing part 2 or the self-balancing wheeled robot in a certain direction. This ensures precise and accurate structure.

[0031] As an embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, the first lead screw drive mechanism includes a first sensing element 21, a first stepping motor 23, a first lead screw 25, a first lead screw nut 27 and a first bearing plate 29; the first sensing element 21 is arranged on the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 and on one side of the counterweight 4, corresponding to Figure 2The first sensing element 21 is disposed on the left side of the counterweight 4. The first sensing element 21 is connected to the first stepping motor 23 through an electric wire. Both the first sensing element 21 and the first stepping motor 23 are also connected to a power source through electric wires. The output shaft of the first stepping motor 23 is connected to one end of the first lead screw 25 through a first coupling. Herein, the first coupling is used to connect the output shaft of the first stepping motor 23 (regarded as the driving shaft) and one end of the first lead screw 25 (regarded as the driven shaft) together for rotation, and to transmit motion and torque. The other end of the first lead screw 25 is connected to the first receiving plate 29 but does not penetrate the first receiving plate 29. One end of the first stepping motor 23 is fixedly connected to the first fixed installation slot. Herein, the first stepping motor 23 has two ends, one end is its output shaft, and the end of the first stepping motor 23 other than the output shaft is fixedly connected to the first fixed installation slot. In this embodiment, a motor support frame is provided in the first fixed installation slot, and the motor support frame is fixedly connected to the first stepping motor 23 and the first sensing element 21 through bolts. The first lead screw 25 is in clearance fit with the first lead screw nut 27. The first lead screw nut 27 is bolted to the first receiving plate 29. The first receiving plate 29 is used to abut against or place the robot main body 1. After the first stepping motor 23 is started, the output shaft of the first stepping motor 23 drives the first lead screw 25 to rotate or perform a rotary motion. According to the lead screw transmission principle, the first lead screw 25 drives the first lead screw nut 27 to move up and down linearly, and the first lead screw nut 27 drives the first receiving plate 29 to move in the corresponding direction, so that the robot main body 1 is vertically arranged when the first receiving plate 29 reaches the required height. Herein, when the carrying part 2 is in an upright posture (vertically arranged), the robot main body 1 is in an upright posture (vertically arranged), and the first receiving plate 29 completely places a part of the end face of the robot main body 1. When the carrying part 2 is not in an upright posture (not vertically arranged), the first receiving plate 29 abuts against a part of the end points of the robot main body 1 to maintain the robot main body 1 in an upright posture (vertically arranged).

[0032] In some embodiments, one end of the first lead screw nut 27 connected to the output shaft of the first stepper motor 23 is provided with an internal thread that mates with the external thread of the first lead screw nut 27. Then, a ball screw thread track is provided on the inner side of the first coupling and the remaining part of the inner side of the first lead screw nut 27. The first lead screw 25 passes through the center hole of the output shaft of the first stepper motor 23 through the first coupling. The first lead screw nut 27 is screwed onto the output shaft of the first stepper motor 23 and can be fixed with a set screw if desired. The output shaft of the first stepper motor 23 drives the first lead screw nut 27 to rotate through the first coupling. The first lead screw nut 27 slides through the balls in the ball screw thread track, so as to realize the linear movement of the first lead screw 25 driving the first lead screw nut 27. Furthermore, the first lead screw 25 drives the first bearing plate 29 to move, so that when the first bearing plate 29 tilts in one direction in the bearing part 2, the part of the bearing surface that abuts against the robot body 1 becomes the complete bearing surface to receive the bottom of the robot body 1, or the complete bearing surface that receives the bottom of the robot body 1 becomes the part of the bearing surface that abuts against the robot body 1. As Figures 2 to 4 shown, a trapezoidal bearing surface is provided on the side of the first bearing plate 29 facing the robot body 1.

[0033] Based on the above embodiments, as Figure 2 shown, the second lead screw transmission mechanism includes a second sensing element 22, a second stepper motor 24, a second lead screw 26, a second coupling, a second lead screw nut 28, and a second bearing plate 30. The second sensing element 22 is disposed on the bottom wall of the bearing part 2. The second sensing element 22 is connected to the second stepper motor 24 through an electric wire. Both the second sensing element 22 and the second stepper motor 24 are also connected to a power source through electric wires. Among them, the first sensing element 21 is disposed on one side surface of the counterweight 4, and the second sensing element 22 is disposed on the other side surface of the counterweight 4. Corresponding to Figure 2, the first sensing element 21 is disposed on the left side surface of the counterweight 4, and the second sensing element 22 is disposed on the right side surface of the counterweight 4; the output shaft of the second stepping motor 24 is connected to one end of the second lead screw 26 through a second coupling. Among them, the second coupling is used to connect the output shaft of the second stepping motor 24 (regarded as the driving shaft) and one end of the second lead screw 26 (regarded as the driven shaft) together to rotate, and transmit motion and torque; the other end of the second lead screw 26 is connected to the second receiving plate 30 but does not penetrate the second receiving plate 30. One end of the second stepping motor 24 is fixedly connected to the second fixed mounting slot. Among them, the second stepping motor 24 has two ends, one end is its output shaft, and the end of the second stepping motor 24 other than the output shaft is fixedly connected to the first fixed mounting slot; in this embodiment, a motor support frame is provided in the second fixed mounting slot, and the motor support frame is fixedly connected to the second stepping motor 24 and the second sensing element 22 through bolts; the second lead screw 26 is in clearance fit with the second lead screw nut 28, and the second lead screw nut 28 is bolted to the second receiving plate 30 to fixedly connect the second receiving plate 30 together, and stably receive the robot main body 1; after the second stepping motor 24 is started, the output shaft of the first stepping motor 24 drives the second lead screw 26 to perform a rotary motion. According to the lead screw transmission principle, the second lead screw 26 drives the second lead screw nut 28 to perform a linear movement (up and down linear movement), and the second lead screw nut 28 drives the second receiving plate 30 to move in the corresponding direction, so that the robot main body 1 is vertically arranged when the second receiving plate 30 reaches the required height; among them, when the carrying part 2 is in an upright posture (vertically arranged), the robot main body 1 is in an upright posture (vertically arranged), and the second receiving plate 30 is used to cooperate with the first receiving plate 29 to place the robot main body 1; when the carrying part 2 is not in an upright posture (not vertically arranged), the first receiving plate 29 and the second receiving plate 30 respectively abut against the two end parts of the robot main body 1 to maintain the robot main body 1 in an upright posture (vertically arranged), so as to play a role in limiting the position of the robot main body 1 above the carrying part 2.

[0034] In some embodiments, one end of the second lead screw nut 28 connected to the output shaft of the second stepper motor 24 is provided with an internal thread that mates with the external thread of the second lead screw nut 28. Then, a ball screw thread track is provided on the inner side of the second coupling and the remaining part of the inner side of the second lead screw nut 28. The second lead screw 26 is inserted into the central hole of the output shaft of the second stepper motor 24. The second lead screw nut 28 is screwed onto the output shaft of the second stepper motor 24 and fixed using a set screw. The rotation of the output shaft of the second stepper motor 24 drives the second lead screw nut 28 to rotate through the second coupling. The second lead screw nut 28 drives the second lead screw 26 to move by the sliding of the balls in the ball screw thread track, thereby realizing the linear downward movement of the second lead screw 26. Further, the second lead screw 26 drives the second receiving plate 30 to move downward along the axis of the second lead screw 26, so that when the bearing part 2 is inclined in one direction, the second receiving plate 30 and the first receiving plate 29 change from partially supporting the robot body 1 with a bearing surface to completely supporting the bottom of the robot body 1 with a bearing surface, or from completely supporting the bottom of the robot body 1 with a bearing surface to partially supporting the bottom of the robot body 1 with a bearing surface. As Figures 2 to 4 shown, a trapezoidal bearing surface is provided on the side of the second receiving plate 30 facing the robot body 1.

[0035] In the above embodiment, two through holes are provided above the bearing part 2, including a first through hole and a second through hole. Among them, the first through hole is used to accommodate the first lead screw nut 27 to move up and down along the first lead screw 25, so that the first lead screw 25 and the first lead screw nut 27 penetrate through the bearing part 2. The second through hole is used to accommodate the second lead screw nut 28 to move up and down along the second lead screw 26, so that the second lead screw 26 and the second lead screw nut 28 penetrate through the bearing part 2. Among them, the lower surface of the second lead screw nut 28 is supported to be completely embedded in the second through hole, and the lower surface of the first lead screw nut 27 is supported to be completely embedded in the first through hole.

[0036] Preferably, both the first sensing element 21 and the second sensing element 22 are pressure sensors or contact switches. Optionally, the first sensing element 21 and the second sensing element 22 are installed in the sliding grooves provided on the bottom wall of the bearing part 2. Among them, when the robot body is vertically arranged, the counterweight 4 does not touch the first sensing element 21, and the counterweight 4 also does not touch the second sensing element 22.

[0037] As an embodiment, as Figure 3As shown, when the bearing part 2 tilts counterclockwise, that is, when the bearing part 2 topples in the direction indicated by arrow A, the self-balancing wheeled robot is moving forward to its right and climbing a slope or tilting counterclockwise around the rotation axis of the driving wheel 3 (due to the action of gravity), which will drive the second receiving plate 30 and the robot body 1 placed above the first receiving plate 29 to also tilt counterclockwise. When the tilting angle increases to a certain extent, due to the action of gravity, in order to maintain the balance state of its center of gravity, the counterweight 4 will first come into contact with the second sensing element 22. Then, the second sensing element 22 receives the touch action of the counterweight 4, and the second stepping motor 24 starts to drive the second lead screw nut 28 to descend through the second lead screw 26, that is, the second lead screw nut 28 linearly descends along the second lead screw 26, and the second receiving plate 30 also descends. The height of one end of the robot body 1 abutted by the second receiving plate 30 relative to the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 (or relative to the geometric center of the bearing part 2) will also decrease until the robot body 1 is adjusted from tilting to one side to being vertically arranged. At this time, the robot body 1 maintains a vertical arrangement at an appropriate height, where the appropriate height can change with the height and slope of the slope climbed by the self-balancing wheeled robot, avoiding the center of gravity of the robot body 1 being unstable and directly rolling down from the slope or steps, causing damage to the body of the robot. It should be noted that during Figure 3 the adjustment process shown, since the first sensing element 21 is not touched by the same counterweight 4, the first lead screw 25 does not drive the first lead screw nut 27 to move linearly. Then, the height of one end of the robot body 1 abutted by the first receiving plate 29 relative to the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 remains unchanged, while the height of one end of the robot body 1 abutted by the second receiving plate 30 relative to the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 (or relative to the geometric center of the bearing part 2) will decrease. Therefore, the robot body 1 is driven to return to a vertical arrangement in the direction indicated by arrow B.

[0038] As an embodiment, as Figure 4As shown, when the bearing part 2 inclines clockwise, that is, when the bearing part 2 inclines along the direction indicated by arrow B1, the self-balancing wheeled robot is moving forward to its right and downhill or inclining clockwise around the rotation axis of the driving wheel 3 (due to the action of gravity), which will drive the first bearing plate 30 and the robot body 1 placed above the first bearing plate 29 to also incline clockwise. When the inclination angle increases to a certain extent, due to the action of gravity, in order to maintain the balance state of its center of gravity position, the counterweight 4 will first come into contact with the first sensing element 21. Then, the first sensing element 21 receives the touching action of the counterweight 4, and the first stepping motor 23 starts to drive the first lead screw nut 27 to descend through the first lead screw 25, that is, the first lead screw nut 27 linearly descends along the first lead screw 25, and the first bearing plate 29 also linearly descends along the first lead screw 25 until the robot body 1 is restored from inclining in the direction indicated by arrow B1 to being vertically arranged, so as to adjust the robot body 1 to be restored from inclining to one side to being vertically arranged during the process of the self-balancing wheeled robot going downhill or down the steps; at this time, the robot body 1 maintains a vertical setting at an appropriate height, where the appropriate height can change with the height and slope of the self-balancing wheeled robot going downhill or down the steps, avoiding the center of gravity of the robot body 1 being unstable and directly rolling down from the slope or the steps, causing damage to the body of the robot. It should be noted that, in Figure 4 During the adjustment process shown, since the second sensing element 22 is not touched by the same counterweight 4, the second lead screw 26 does not drive the second lead screw nut 28 to move linearly, so the height of one end of the robot body 1 abutted by the second bearing plate 30 relative to the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 remains unchanged, while the height of one end of the robot body 1 abutted by the first bearing plate 29 relative to the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 (or relative to the geometric center of the bearing part 2) will decrease. Therefore, the robot body 1 is driven to return to the vertical setting along the direction indicated by arrow A1.

[0039] As an embodiment, when the self-balancing wheeled robot is in a static balance state or a walking balance state, as Figure 2 shown, the supporting point of the counterweight 4 on the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 is located on the gravity action line of the robot body 1, the center of gravity of the self-balancing wheeled robot is directly below the geometric center of the curved surface where the bottom wall of the bearing part 2 is located, and the weight of the counterweight 4 matches the weight of the robot body 1. Among them, the weight of the counterweight 4 is relatively heavy, so that when the bearing part 2 is lifted, the counterweight 4 pulls the bearing part 2 back to its original position, and naturally the counterweight 4 will not touch the first sensing element 21 either, nor will it touch the second sensing element 22. Then, the robot body 1 remains vertically arranged during this process. Combining Figure 3It can be seen that when the self-balancing wheeled robot climbs a slope or steps or is blocked by an obstacle, and the right side of the bearing part 2 is lifted, when the self-balancing wheeled robot crosses the slope or steps and returns to the horizontal ground, the counterweight 4 pulls the bearing part 2 back to the vertical position. According to the adjustment method of the second lead screw transmission mechanism in the foregoing embodiment, the robot body 1 remains vertical during this process; combined with Figure 4 It can be seen that when the self-balancing wheeled robot goes downhill or down steps, and the left side of the bearing part 2 is lifted, when the self-balancing wheeled robot crosses the slope or steps and returns to the horizontal ground, the counterweight 4 pulls the bearing part 2 back to the vertical position. According to the adjustment method of the first lead screw transmission mechanism in the foregoing embodiment, the robot body 1 remains vertical during this process.

[0040] Preferably, a support rod is also hinged between the robot body 1 and the bearing part 2. One end of the support rod is hinged to the bottom of the robot body 1, and the other end of the support rod is hinged to the top of the bearing part 2, so that the robot body 1 and the bearing part 2 are rotatably connected; the support rod is used to be limited to coincide with the gravity action line of the robot body 1 during the process of the first lead screw 25 driving the first lead screw nut 27 to move up and down (equivalent to up and down linear motion) or during the process of the second lead screw 26 driving the second lead screw nut 28 to move up and down (equivalent to up and down linear motion), and allows the bearing part 2 and the robot body 1 to shake, including the relative shaking between the bearing part 2 and the robot body 1. The support rod plays a role in assisting the counterweight 4 to maintain the center of gravity stability of the robot body 1 during the linear movement of the first lead screw nut 27 or the second lead screw nut 28, and can also limit the relative installation position between the robot body 1 and the bearing part 2, so that the robot body 1 is stably installed on the top of the bearing part 2, and also enables the second receiving plate 30 and the first receiving plate 29 to stably abut against and hold the robot body 1, and the robot body 1 is not easily toppled to the ground from the second receiving plate 30 and the first receiving plate 29, avoiding damage to the robot body 1, and also making it easy for the whole self-balancing wheeled robot to return to the vertical position.

[0041] It should be added that the walking mechanism includes two drive wheels installed on both sides of the bearing part, and drive motors for controlling the drive wheels. The drive motors are divided into a drive motor installed on one side of the bearing part and a drive motor installed on the other side of the bearing part; each drive wheel is controlled to rotate by a corresponding drive motor. Among them, the diameters of one of the two drive wheels are equal to those of the other drive wheel. The two drive wheels roll under the drive of the drive motors. When the two drive motors rotate forward at the same speed simultaneously, the self-balancing wheeled robot moves forward. When the two drive motors rotate backward at the same speed simultaneously, the self-balancing wheeled robot moves backward. When the drive motor on the first side rotates forward and the motor on the second side rotates backward at the same speed, the self-balancing wheeled robot rotates in place in the direction indicated by the first side. When the drive motor on the second side rotates forward and the motor on the first side rotates backward at the same speed, the self-balancing wheeled robot rotates in place in the direction indicated by the second side. Among them, the direction indicated by the first side and the direction indicated by the second side are a pair of directions that are geometrically symmetric with respect to the geometric center of the curved surface where the bottom wall of the bearing part is located. Preferably, the distance from the axis center of the two drive wheels to the bottom wall of the bearing part is less than the diameters of the two drive wheels, so that the robot body 1 does not contact the ground and supports the bearing part 2 to freely rotate around the axes of the two drive wheels, transferring the landing point of the self-balancing wheeled robot to the drive wheels and reducing the risk of the robot body 1 contacting the ground.

[0042] As an embodiment, a display screen is detachably installed in the robot body 1; among them, the robot body 1 is detachably installed in the self-balancing wheeled robot and forms a self-balancing structure with the bearing part 2, so that the display screen is not easily inclined in a certain direction and also forms an open self-balancing robot development platform. As Figure 1 shown, the display screen is arranged on the front side of the housing of the robot body 1, and the planar shape of the display screen is preferably set as a rounded rectangle; when the bearing part 2 tilts, or the first screw nut 27 moves linearly, or the second screw nut 28 moves linearly, the robot body 1 remains vertically arranged, and the viewing angle of the display screen for external display remains unchanged. Preferably, when the robot body 1 is vertically arranged, the display screen is also vertically arranged, and the interface of the display screen is perpendicular to the ground; thus, the display screen can display the content of the information at a fixed viewing angle (or regarded as a uniformly shaking viewing angle) in the case of the self-balancing wheeled robot going uphill or downhill or being tripped by an obstacle, without reducing the user's visual experience and increasing the user experience favorability.

[0043] As another embodiment, the robot body 1 is detachably mounted with a visual sensor, wherein the robot body 1 is detachably mounted in the self-balancing wheeled robot and forms a self-balancing structure with the bearing portion 2, so that the detection direction of the visual sensor is not easily tilted in a certain direction. When the bearing portion 2 tilts, or the first screw nut 27 moves linearly, or the second screw nut 28 moves linearly, the robot body 1 is not affected and remains vertically set or is allowed to shake evenly left and right, and the detection direction of the visual sensor remains unchanged within the range of the detection error. In this way, the self-balancing wheeled robot will not only detect a wall due to climbing a slope or only detect the ground surface due to going downhill. This is conducive to maintaining the normal navigation of the self-balancing wheeled robot in real time. The visual sensor of the self-balancing wheeled robot keeps detecting the environmental information in front of it horizontally, and obtains the actual working area for subsequent path planning.

[0044] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clarity of explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations or modifications based on the above descriptions are possible. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation methods here. Obvious variations or modifications arising therefrom remain within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. Self-balancing wheeled robot, characterized in that, The self-balancing wheeled robot includes a robot main body, a bearing part, and a traveling mechanism. Among them, the traveling mechanism includes drive wheels respectively installed on both sides of the bearing part; A first lead screw transmission mechanism, a second lead screw transmission mechanism, and a counterweight are arranged inside the bearing part. The robot main body is limited between the first lead screw transmission mechanism and the second lead screw transmission mechanism. The first lead screw transmission mechanism and the second lead screw transmission mechanism are installed on both sides of the counterweight. Among them, the counterweight is rotatably arranged at the bottom of the bearing part; The first lead screw transmission mechanism is used to maintain the robot main body in a vertical setting when touched by the counterweight; or, the second lead screw transmission mechanism is used to maintain the robot main body in a vertical setting when touched by the counterweight; The first lead screw transmission mechanism includes a first sensing element (21), a first stepping motor (23), a first lead screw (25), a first coupling, a first lead screw nut (27), and a first receiving plate (29); The first sensing element (21) is arranged on the bottom wall of the bearing part (2) and on one side of the counterweight (4). The first sensing element (21) is connected to the first stepping motor (23) through an electric wire; The first lead screw transmission mechanism is arranged in a first fixed installation slot provided inside the bearing part, and the second lead screw transmission mechanism is arranged in a second fixed installation slot provided inside the bearing part; The output shaft of the first stepping motor (23) is connected to one end of the first lead screw (25) through a first coupling. The other end of the first lead screw (25) is connected to the first receiving plate (29) but does not penetrate the first receiving plate (29). One end of the first stepping motor (23) is fixedly connected to the first fixed installation slot. The first lead screw (25) is in clearance fit with the first lead screw nut (27), and the first lead screw nut (27) is bolted to the first receiving plate (29); The first receiving plate (29) is used to abut against or place the robot main body (1); Among them, a first through hole is opened above the bearing part (2) for accommodating the movement of the first lead screw (25) and the first lead screw nut (27); The second lead screw transmission mechanism includes a second sensing element (22), a second stepping motor (24), a second lead screw (26), a second coupling, a second lead screw nut (28), and a second receiving plate (30); The second sensing element (22) is arranged on the bottom wall of the bearing part (2). The second sensing element (22) is connected to the second stepping motor (24) through an electric wire. Among them, the first sensing element (21) is arranged on one side of the counterweight (4), and the second sensing element (22) is arranged on the other side of the counterweight (4); The output shaft of the second stepping motor (24) is connected to one end of the second lead screw (26) through a second coupling. The other end of the second lead screw (26) is connected to the second receiving plate (30) but does not penetrate the second receiving plate (30). One end of the second stepping motor (24) is fixedly connected to the second fixed installation slot. The second lead screw (26) is in clearance fit with the second lead screw nut (28), and the second lead screw nut (28) is bolted to the second receiving plate (30); The second receiving plate (30) is used to cooperate with the first receiving plate (29) to place the robot body (1); Wherein, a second through hole is formed above the bearing part (2) for accommodating the movement of the second lead screw (26) and the second lead screw nut (28); A display screen is detachably installed in the robot body (1). When the bearing part (2) is tilted, or the first lead screw nut (27) moves linearly, or the second lead screw nut (28) moves linearly, the robot body (1) remains vertically arranged, and the viewing angle of the display screen for external display remains unchanged; A vision sensor is detachably installed on the robot body (1). When the bearing part (2) is tilted, or the first lead screw nut (27) moves linearly, or the second lead screw nut (28) moves linearly, the robot body (1) remains vertically arranged, and the detection direction of the vision sensor remains unchanged; Wherein, the robot body (1) is detachably installed in the self-balancing wheeled robot.

2. The self-balancing wheeled robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first lead screw transmission mechanism and the second lead screw transmission mechanism are installed on both sides of the counterweight along the advancing direction of the self-balancing wheeled robot; Wherein, when the robot body is vertically arranged, the counterweight does not touch the first lead screw transmission mechanism, and the counterweight does not touch the second lead screw transmission mechanism.

3. The self-balancing wheeled robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The outer tangent plane of the contact point between the counterweight and the bearing part remains parallel to the traveling plane where the self-balancing wheeled robot is located when the self-balancing wheeled robot is vertically arranged; Wherein, the counterweight is a hemisphere, the bearing part is an elliptical shell, and the counterweight is rotatably installed in a sliding groove arranged on the bottom wall of the bearing part; Wherein, the sliding groove is arranged between the first fixed installation slot and the second fixed installation slot.

4. The self-balancing wheeled robot according to claim 3, wherein Both the first sensing element (21) and the second sensing element (22) are pressure sensors or contact switches; Wherein, when the bearing part (2) is tilted clockwise, the first sensing element (21) receives the touching action of the counterweight (4), and the first stepping motor (23) is started to drive the first lead screw nut (27) to descend through the first lead screw (25) until the robot body (1) is restored from tilting to one side to a vertical arrangement; Wherein, when the bearing part (2) is tilted counterclockwise, the second sensing element (22) receives the touching action of the counterweight (4), and the second stepping motor (24) is started to drive the second lead screw nut (28) to descend through the second lead screw (26) until the robot body (1) is restored from tilting to one side to a vertical arrangement.

5. The self-balancing wheeled robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the self-balancing wheeled robot is in a static balance state or a walking balance state, the support point of the counterweight (4) on the bottom wall of the bearing part (2) is located on the gravity action line of the robot body, the center of gravity of the self-balancing wheeled robot is directly below the geometric center of the curved surface where the bottom wall of the bearing part (2) is located, and the weight of the counterweight (4) matches the weight of the robot body (1), so that when the bearing part (2) is lifted, the counterweight (4) pulls the bearing part (2) back to its original position, wherein the robot body (1) remains vertically arranged during this process.

6. The self-balancing wheeled robot according to claim 5, wherein A support rod is also hinged between the robot body (1) and the bearing part (2), one end of the support rod is hinged to the bottom of the robot body (1), and the other end of the support rod is hinged to the top of the bearing part (2), so that the robot body (1) and the bearing part (2) are rotatably connected; The support rod is configured to be kept coincident with the gravity action line of the robot body during the process of the first lead screw (25) driving the first lead screw nut (27) to move up and down or during the process of the second lead screw (26) driving the second lead screw nut (28) to move up and down, and allows the bearing part (2) and the robot body (1) to shake.

7. The self-balancing wheeled robot according to claim 6, wherein, The distance from the center of the rotation axes of the two drive wheels to the bottom wall of the bearing part (2) is less than the diameters of the two drive wheels, so that the robot body (1) does not contact the ground and supports the bearing part (2) to freely rotate around the rotation axes of the two drive wheels; Wherein, the diameters of one of the two drive wheels are equal to those of the other drive wheel.

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