A narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot and its control method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot and its control method, comprising: a slender torso module and leg modules. The leg modules include lifting arms, first rotating arms, second rotating arms and feet. The lifting arms are vertically connected to the torso module. The first rotating arms and the second rotating arms are horizontally arranged. The first rotating arms and the second rotating arms are rotationally connected through a second drive. The other end of the first rotating arm is rotationally connected to the lifting arm through a first drive. The other end of the second rotating arm is rotationally connected to the feet. Six leg modules are provided, and the six leg modules are arranged in three pairs along the length direction of the torso module. The structure of the present invention is simple. The obstacle-crossing for ground obstacles is realized through the setting of the lifting arms, and the obstacle avoidance for side obstacles is realized by using the settings of the first rotating arms and the second rotating arms, so that it is suitable for passing through narrow spaces; the working mode of the rotating arms is simplified, which is convenient to implement and easy to control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of industrial robots, and particularly to an obstacle-crossing robot for narrow spaces and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The construction of ports and high-speed railways in China is booming, the transportation network is becoming increasingly dense and perfect. With the continuous improvement of port and high-speed railway construction technologies, the proportion of steel box girder structures in port machinery and bridge construction is increasing. The state vigorously promotes the construction of ports and railways in mountainous areas in the west. The welding and manufacturing of steel box girders and the inspection tasks during operation and maintenance in port machinery and bridge construction are becoming increasingly heavy.

[0003] Currently, the welding and manufacturing of steel box girders and the inspection during operation and maintenance are usually carried out manually. On the one hand, the environment where the steel box girder is located is relatively harsh. On the other hand, the inside of the steel box girder is a closed space with long, deep and narrow structural characteristics, and the working environment is not friendly, resulting in unstable working quality of the staff and occasional work-related injury incidents. Also, due to the presence of a central partition in the box girder, existing crawler or roller robots cannot move for work and cannot work in a closed space with long, deep and narrow structural characteristics.

[0004] To fill the gap in the special operation field of welding and inspection in a closed space with long, deep and narrow structural characteristics, an obstacle-crossing robot for narrow spaces has been developed, which can completely replace manual welding and inspection, improving work efficiency and work stability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defect that it is inconvenient to move inside narrow spaces such as steel box girders in the prior art, and to provide an obstacle-crossing robot with a simple structure, suitable for crossing obstacles in narrow spaces and improving work efficiency.

[0006] To solve the above technical problem, the present invention provides an obstacle-crossing robot for narrow spaces, including:

[0007] A torso module, the torso module being of an elongated structure;

[0008] A leg module, the leg module including a lifting arm, a first rotating arm, a second rotating arm and a support foot. The lifting arm is vertically connected to the torso module. The first rotating arm and the second rotating arm are horizontally arranged. The first rotating arm and the second rotating arm are rotationally connected by a second drive. The other end of the first rotating arm is rotationally connected to the lifting arm by a first drive. The other end of the second rotating arm is rotationally connected to the support foot;

[0009] Six leg modules are provided, and the six leg modules are arranged in three pairs along the length direction of the torso module.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the torso module includes a support platform, the end of the lifting arm is installed on the lower surface of the support platform, and an electric control box is arranged on the support platform between two adjacent pairs of the leg modules.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first drive and the second drive are built into the first rotating arm.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, a vertical arm is arranged between the foot and the second rotating arm, one end of the vertical arm is fixedly connected to the second rotating arm, and the other end is movably connected to the foot through a ball joint.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the foot is a power-off type electromagnet.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, a lidar is installed above the end of the torso module.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, a six-axis robotic arm is arranged above the torso module, and the robotic arm is installed on the torso module in a side-mounted manner.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, a linear module is arranged on the torso module along its length direction, and the robotic arm is slidably connected to the linear module.

[0017] A control method for a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot, for the above-mentioned robot, includes the following steps:

[0018] S10: The lifting arm extends, and three pairs of leg modules support on a plane, and step S20 is executed;

[0019] S20: The lifting arm of the first pair of leg modules contracts, and the corresponding first drive drives the first rotating arm, the second rotating arm and the foot to rotate forward by θ, then the lifting arm extends until the foot touches the ground, and the second pair and the third pair of leg modules remain unchanged, and step S30 is executed;

[0020] S30: The lifting arm of the second pair of leg modules contracts, and the corresponding first drive drives the first rotating arm, the second rotating arm and the foot to rotate forward by θ, then the lifting arm extends until the foot touches the ground, and the first pair and the third pair of leg modules remain unchanged, and step S40 is executed;

[0021] S40: The lifting arm of the third pair of leg modules contracts, and the corresponding first drive drives the first rotating arm, the second rotating arm and the foot to rotate forward by θ, then the lifting arm extends until the foot touches the ground, and the first pair and the second pair of leg modules remain unchanged, and step S50 is executed;

[0022] S50: The three pairs of support legs remain unchanged, and the first drive and the second drive cooperate to drive the first rotating arm and the second rotating arm to rotate together by no more than 2θ. Repeat steps S10 - S50 until the target point is reached.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, in steps S20 - S40, when encountering a narrow space, after the corresponding second drive drives the second rotating arm to rotate to a position coinciding with the first rotating arm, the first drive drives the first rotating arm, the second rotating arm, and the support legs to rotate forward, and then the second drive drives the second rotating arm to unfold, and the lifting arm extends until the support legs touch the ground.

[0024] In an embodiment of the present invention,

[0025] The above technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0026] The obstacle - crossing robot described in the present invention has a simple structure. By setting the lifting arm, it can cross ground obstacles, and by setting the first rotating arm and the second rotating arm, it can avoid side obstacles, so it is suitable for passing through narrow spaces.

[0027] The robot control method described in the present invention simplifies the working mode of the rotating arm, so it is easy to implement and the control is simple. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to make the content of the present invention easier to be clearly understood, the following further details the present invention according to specific embodiments of the present invention and in conjunction with the drawings, where

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure when the present invention is moving forward;

[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the contracted state of the leg module of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the state when the present invention passes through a narrow space;

[0033] Figure 5 is a cross - sectional view of the leg module of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the initial state of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the movement of the leg module of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the movement of the torso module of the present invention.

[0037] Description of the reference numerals in the drawings: 100, torso module; 110, support platform; 120, electric control box; 130, lidar; 140, robotic arm; 150, linear module;

[0038] 200, leg module; 210, lifting arm; 211, first drive; 220, first rotating arm; 221, second drive; 230, second rotating arm; 240, support leg; 241, vertical arm; 242, ball joint. Detailed implementation manners

[0039] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand the present invention and be able to implement it, but the specific embodiments given are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0040] Refer to Figure 1 As shown, a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot of the present invention includes:

[0041] A torso module 100, and the torso module 100 is of an elongated structure. Thus, even if the space is relatively narrow, the torso module 100 can pass through smoothly.

[0042] A leg module 200, the leg module 200 includes a lifting arm 210, a first rotating arm 220, a second rotating arm 230 and a support leg 240. The lifting arm 210 is vertically connected to the torso module 100, so that the lifting arm 210 does not increase the width of the robot, ensuring that the width of the robot itself is narrow, and thus it can pass through the narrow space smoothly. Further, the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 are horizontally arranged, the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 are rotationally connected through a second drive 221, the other end of the first rotating arm 220 is rotationally connected to the lifting arm 210 through a first drive 211, and the other end of the second rotating arm 230 is rotationally connected to the support leg 240. During normal operation, the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 are unfolded outside the projection range of the torso module 100. At this time, the support width of the support leg 240 is relatively wide, so as to ensure the stability of the robot standing. When encountering a narrow space, the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 can rotate to below the projection range of the torso module 100 without increasing the width of the robot, and thus pass through the narrow space smoothly.

[0043] In this embodiment, six leg modules 200 are provided. The six leg modules 200 are arranged in three pairs along the length direction of the torso module 100. The three pairs of leg modules 200 move alternately to realize the movement of the robot. And during the movement, the robot can overcome ground obstacles by lifting the leg modules 200. Also, since the first rotary arm 220 and the second rotary arm 230 can rotate and contract, the robot can avoid side obstacles.

[0044] Specifically, the working principle of the obstacle-crossing robot of the present invention is as follows:

[0045] Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the initial state, to ensure the support of the robot, the first rotary arm 220 and the second rotary arm 230 are located on both sides of the torso in a posture perpendicular to the length direction of the torso module 100, and the lifting arm 210 extends. At this time, the robot stands stably.

[0046] When moving forward, the first pair of leg modules 200 act. The corresponding lifting arm 210 retracts, and the foot 240 leaves the support surface. When there is no obstacle on both sides, the first drive 211 drives the first rotary arm 220 to rotate, and the second rotary arm 230 and the foot 240 move together with the first rotary arm 220. Then the lifting arm 210 extends to make the foot 240 contact the support surface. At this time, the position of the foot 240 of the first pair of leg modules 200 changes. And since the foot 240 is in a lifted state during the position change process, it can avoid obstacles on the support surface. Secondly, the second pair of leg modules 200 act in the same steps, and the position of the foot 240 of the second pair of leg modules 200 changes. Then, the third pair of leg modules 200 act in the same steps, and the position of the foot 240 of the third pair of leg modules 200 changes. Finally, the positions of the three pairs of feet 240 remain unchanged, and both the first drive 211 and the second drive 221 are started. They cooperate to make the first rotary arm 220 rotate relative to the lifting arm 210, and the second rotary arm 230 rotate relative to the first rotary arm 220 and the foot 240, thereby driving the torso module 100 to move forward and realizing the overall forward movement of the robot. In this embodiment, the lifting arm 210 is preferably a voice coil linear motor.

[0047] Refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, when encountering a narrow space, the first leg module 200 operates, the corresponding lifting arm 210 retracts, the outrigger 240 disengages from the support surface, the second drive 221 drives the second rotating arm 230 to rotate, and the second rotating arm 230 rotates to coincide with the first rotating arm 220, thereby greatly reducing the length of the rotating arm extending out. That is, when the outrigger 240 moves forward, the requirement for the left and right space is greatly reduced, so that it can smoothly pass through the narrow space. Then the lifting arm 210 extends out, so that the outrigger 240 of the first leg module 200 lands on the other side of the narrow space. At this time, the second pair of leg modules 200 and the third pair of leg modules 200 have not moved in front of the narrow space, so they can move normally. When the second pair of leg modules 200 or the third pair of leg modules 200 move in front of the narrow space, the same actions as those of the first pair of leg modules 200 are performed. Thus, the robot can pass through the narrow space. In other embodiments of the present invention, if the widths of the first rotating arm 220, the second rotating arm 230 and the torso module 100 are set appropriately, when passing through the narrow space, the second rotating arm 230 rotates to coincide with the first rotating arm 220, and the first rotating arm 220 rotates forward between a pair of leg modules 200, and the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 do not expand outwards, so that the requirement of the robot for the space on both sides will not be increased, and the robot can pass through a narrower space; in this case, the two leg modules 200 of the first pair can rotate respectively to prevent interference.

[0048] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, to form protection for the first drive 211 and the second drive 221, the first drive 211 and the second drive 221 are built in the first rotating arm 220. To ensure the strength of the first rotating arm 220, the first rotating arm 220 has a certain thickness, so that it can well cover the first drive 211 and the second drive 221, and there are no other components in the second rotating arm 230, so it can be set smaller. The leg module 200 gradually decreases from the lifting arm 210, the first rotating arm 220, the second rotating arm 230 to the outrigger 240, which conforms to the conventional setting method of the limbs. Further, referring to Figure 5As shown in the figure, the road surface on which the robot walks may be uneven. To ensure that the supporting feet 240 can fully contact the road surface, a vertical arm 241 is provided between the supporting feet 240 and the second rotating arm 230. One end of the vertical arm 241 is fixedly connected to the second rotating arm 230, and the other end is movably connected to the supporting feet 240 through a ball joint 242. Since the ball joint 242 can rotate in all directions, even if the supporting feet 240 step on an uneven position, the supporting feet 240 can adjust their own angles according to the inclination angle of the road surface. In order to ensure that the supporting feet 240 have a certain range of movement, in this embodiment, the second rotating arm 230 and the supporting feet 240 are connected by the vertical arm 241, so that there is a certain distance between the supporting feet 240 and the second rotating arm 230. When the robot in this embodiment walks in the steel box girder, since the steel box girder is made of ferromagnetic material, to further improve the walking stability of the robot, the supporting feet 240 are set as power-off type electromagnets. When the supporting feet 240 contact the steel box girder, the supporting feet 240 are energized to generate magnetic force and adsorb the steel box girder. Thus, even if the steel box girder is in an inclined state or one side of the robot is unevenly stressed during work, the robot will not tip over, improving the safety of the robot operation. When the robot moves, the corresponding supporting feet 240 are powered off, and the supporting feet 240 no longer adsorb the steel box girder and can be smoothly lifted and moved forward.

[0049] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to make the robot small in size and make full use of the internal space of the robot, the torso module 100 includes a support platform 110. The end of the lifting arm 210 is installed on the lower surface of the support platform 110. An electric control box 120 is arranged on the support platform 110 between two adjacent pairs of the leg modules 200. The lifting arm 210 occupies a certain space below the support platform 110. Since the lifting arm 210 can only move up and down, the space between adjacent lifting arms 210 does not change during the movement of the leg modules 200. Therefore, in this embodiment, the electric control box 120 is arranged on the support platform 110 between the leg modules 200, making full use of the redundant space between the lifting arms 210. The arrangement of the electric control box 120 does not increase the volume of the robot additionally, making the robot structure compact. And the electric control box 120 is not arranged inside the support platform 110, the thickness of the support platform 110 is thin, and the overall volume of the robot is small. Also, since both the leg modules 200 and the electric control box 120 are arranged below the support platform 110, there is enough space above the support platform 110 to install operation tools. Specifically, in this embodiment, a lidar 130 is installed above the end of the torso module 100. That is, the lidar 130 is installed above the end of the support platform 110 to detect the situation of the robot's traveling path and judge in what way the leg modules 200 work; and to check the situation of the steel box girder to judge whether there are problems. Further, a six-axis robotic arm 140 is arranged above the torso module 100. The six-axis robotic arm 140 has a high degree of freedom, is quite flexible, and has strong versatility, and can repair the parts with problems in the steel box girder in time. To ensure that the robotic arm 140 does not exceed the width range of the robot when retracted, the robotic arm 140 is installed on the torso module 100 in a side-mounted manner. At the same time, a linear module 150 is arranged on the torso module 100 along its length direction, and the robotic arm 140 is slidably connected to the linear module 150. That is, the linear module 150 is arranged on the support platform 110. Through the arrangement of the linear module 150, the activity range of the robotic arm 140 is further increased. Thus, when there are problems in a certain section of the steel box girder, the repair area can be fully covered directly through the movement of the linear module 150 without the robot moving, improving the working efficiency of the robotic arm 140.

[0050] Referring to Figure 6 、 Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown, the present invention also provides a control method for a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot. For the above-mentioned robot, it includes the following steps:

[0051] S10: The lifting arm 210 extends out, and the three pairs of leg modules 200 support on a plane. At this time, the robot is in a standing state. When movement is required, step S20 is executed.

[0052] S20: The lifting arm 210 of the first pair of leg modules 200 contracts. After the corresponding first drive 211 drives the first rotating arm 220, the second rotating arm 230, and the support leg 240 to rotate forward by an angle θ, the lifting arm 210 extends until the support leg 240 touches the ground, and the second and third pairs of leg modules 200 remain unchanged. During the forward movement of the first pair of leg modules 200, the second and third pairs of leg modules 200 stay in place, and the four leg modules 200 are used to support the robot. At this time, the position of the first pair of leg modules 200 moves forward, while the position of the robot's torso module 100 remains temporarily unchanged. Since the telescoping of the leg modules 200 is controlled by the lifting arm 210, even if the first pair of leg modules 200 is no longer in the same straight line as the second and third pairs of leg modules 200, the robot's torso module 100 remains horizontal and does not tilt. Then, step S30 is continued.

[0053] S30: The lifting arm 210 of the second pair of leg modules 200 contracts. After the corresponding first drive 211 drives the first rotating arm 220, the second rotating arm 230, and the support leg 240 to rotate forward by θ, the lifting arm 210 extends until the support leg 240 touches the ground, and the first and third pairs of leg modules 200 remain unchanged. During the forward rotation of the second pair of leg modules 200, the moved first and third pairs of leg modules 200 support the robot, enabling the second pair of leg modules 200 to move smoothly. At this time, both the first and second pairs of leg modules 200 have moved, while the torso module 100 still remains in its original position. Then, step S40 is executed.

[0054] S40: The lifting arm 210 of the third pair of leg modules 200 contracts. After the corresponding first drive 211 drives the first rotating arm 220, the second rotating arm 230, and the support leg 240 to rotate forward by θ, the lifting arm 210 extends until the support leg 240 touches the ground, and the first and second pairs of leg modules 200 remain unchanged. During the forward movement of the third pair of leg modules 200, the moved first and second pairs of leg modules 200 support the robot. Since the support leg 240 in the leg module 200 is an electromagnet, even if there is a deviation between the support position and the center of gravity of the robot at this time, the stability of the support for the robot can still be ensured. At this time, although all three pairs of leg modules 200 have moved, the torso module 100 still remains in its original position. Therefore, step S50 is continued.

[0055] S50: The three pairs of supporting legs 240 remain unchanged and jointly form the support for the robot. The first drive 211 and the second drive 221 cooperate to drive the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 to jointly rotate by an angle not greater than 2θ. Because when the angle of rotation with the first ends of the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 as the fixed points is θ, and then when rotating with the second ends as the fixed points and the first ends always being on the same straight line, the maximum angle of rotation is 2θ. After the rotation is completed, the torso module 100 moves forward to achieve the overall movement of the robot. If the robot needs to continue moving forward, steps S10 - S50 are repeatedly executed until the robot reaches the target point.

[0056] In other embodiments of the present invention, for example, the action sequence of the first, second, and third pairs of leg modules 200 can be adjusted according to the actual situation, and is not limited to the above sequence number order. At the same time, in this embodiment, in order to simplify the working mode of the rotating arm, when the leg module 200 moves, the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 are in the same straight line, and at this time, only the first drive 211 needs to work to achieve movement. In other embodiments of the present invention, according to the space size where the robot is located, the first drive 211 and the second drive 221 can also work simultaneously to enable the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 to move at any angle.

[0057] In steps S20 - S40, when encountering a narrow space, in order to minimize the space required for the rotation of the leg module 200 as much as possible, after the corresponding second drive 221 drives the second rotating arm 230 to rotate to a position coinciding with the first rotating arm 220, the first drive 211 drives the first rotating arm 220, the second rotating arm 230, and the supporting legs 240 to rotate forward. At this time, even if the leg module 200 rotates outward, the space required on both sides is much smaller than the space required when both the first rotating arm 220 and the second rotating arm 230 rotate outward. When the first rotating arm 220 passes through the narrow space, the second drive 221 drives the second rotating arm 230 to unfold, and the lifting arm 210 extends until the supporting legs 240 touch the ground. The support range of the leg module 200 is large, and the robot stands stably.

[0058] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples given for clear illustration and are not limitations on the implementation manners. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other different forms of changes or variations can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all the implementation manners here. And the obvious changes or variations derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot, the narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot comprising: A torso module, the torso module being of an elongated structure; A leg module, the leg module including a lifting arm, a first rotating arm, a second rotating arm, and a foot. The lifting arm is vertically connected to the torso module. The first rotating arm and the second rotating arm are horizontally arranged. The first rotating arm and the second rotating arm are rotationally connected through a second drive. The other end of the first rotating arm is rotationally connected to the lifting arm through a first drive. The other end of the second rotating arm is rotationally connected to the foot; Six of the leg modules are provided, and the six leg modules are arranged in three pairs along the length direction of the torso module; Characterized in that the control method includes the following steps: S10: The lifting arm extends, and the three pairs of leg modules support on a plane, and step S20 is executed; S20: The lifting arm of the first pair of leg modules contracts. After the corresponding first drive drives the first rotating arm, the second rotating arm, and the foot to rotate forward by θ, the lifting arm extends until the foot touches the ground. The second and third pairs of leg modules remain unchanged, and step S30 is executed; S30: The lifting arm of the second pair of leg modules contracts. After the corresponding first drive drives the first rotating arm, the second rotating arm, and the foot to rotate forward by θ, the lifting arm extends until the foot touches the ground. The first and third pairs of leg modules remain unchanged, and step S40 is executed; S40: The lifting arm of the third pair of leg modules contracts. After the corresponding first drive drives the first rotating arm, the second rotating arm, and the foot to rotate forward by θ, the lifting arm extends until the foot touches the ground. The first and second pairs of leg modules remain unchanged, and step S50 is executed; S50: The three pairs of feet remain unchanged, and the first drive and the second drive cooperate to drive the first rotating arm and the second rotating arm to rotate together by no more than 2θ, and steps S10-S50 are repeated until the target point is reached.

2. The control method of a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The torso module includes a support platform. The end of the lifting arm is installed on the lower surface of the support platform. An electric control box is arranged on the support platform between two adjacent pairs of leg modules.

3. The control method of a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The first drive and the second drive are built into the first rotating arm.

4. The control method of a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, A vertical arm is arranged between the foot and the second rotating arm. One end of the vertical arm is fixedly connected to the second rotating arm, and the other end is movably connected to the foot through a ball joint.

5. The control method of a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The foot is a power-off type electromagnet.

6. The control method of a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, A lidar is installed above the end of the torso module.

7. The control method of a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, A six-axis robotic arm is arranged above the torso module, and the robotic arm is installed on the torso module in a side-mounted manner.

8. The control method of a narrow-space obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 7, characterized in that, A linear module is arranged on the torso module along its length direction, and the robotic arm is slidably connected to the linear module.

9. The control method of a narrow space obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, wherein: In steps S20-S40, when encountering a narrow space, the corresponding second drive drives the second rotating arm to rotate to a position where it coincides with the first rotating arm. Then, the first drive drives the first rotating arm, the second rotating arm, and the foot to rotate forward. Then, the second drive drives the second rotating arm to unfold, and the lifting arm extends until the foot touches the ground.

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