Pipeline robot

The pipeline robot, driven by wireless excitation mode and phase change materials, solves the problems of battery power supply and structural complexity in existing technologies, and achieves efficient movement in complex pipelines and viscous carriers.

CN115405803BActive Publication Date: 2026-02-06NANJING LINGJI YIDONG DRIVING TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202211040482.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-08-29
Publication Date
2026-02-06
Estimated Expiration
2042-08-29

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing pipeline robots require battery power, have complex structures, are difficult to adapt to curved pipes and viscous environments, and have poor robustness.

Method used

It adopts a wireless excitation mode, using the volume change of phase change materials or fluids to drive the robot's movement. The exciter emits electromagnetic waves to control the expansion and contraction of various parts of the robot, achieving battery-free operation. It uses flexible structures such as elastic membrane structures and bellows to adapt to various environments.

Benefits of technology

It achieves battery-free operation, has a simple structure, precise control, and can move efficiently in various pipes and viscous carriers, adapting to complex pipe environments.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of robots, and provides a pipeline robot, which comprises an exciter for generating electromagnetic waves; a robot body with a middle section, a forefoot connected to the front end of the middle section, and a hind foot connected to the rear end of the middle section; and at least two receivers for receiving the electromagnetic waves and capable of generating Joule heat so that the forefoot, the middle section and the hind foot can be switched between an initial state and an expanded state, thereby enabling the robot body to move forward, stop or move backward. The application controls the movement of the robot in the pipeline through a wireless excitation mode, does not need to install a battery, and relies on the volume change of a phase change material or a fluid to realize driving and advancing, so that the pipeline robot has the advantages of simple structure, accurate control and the ability to solve various complex task requirements in the pipeline, and provides a new control mode for the pipeline robot.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a pipeline robot. BACKGROUND

[0002] Pipeline robots are increasingly widely used in industry and medicine, and are widely used in medical monitoring, micro-pipeline safety detection, underwater detection and other fields. For example, in the medical field, a blood vessel robot is a micro robot that can enter a blood vessel and move freely in the blood vessel. It can perform tasks such as removing blood clots, removing tumors, and delivering drugs in the blood vessel, and has important significance for preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases. It is a hot spot in the field of micro robots at home and abroad, but the existing pipeline robots generally need to be powered by batteries, have relatively complex structures, and cannot adapt to curved pipelines and viscous travel environments, and have poor robustness. SUMMARY

[0003] In view of the defects in the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a pipeline robot.

[0004] According to the pipeline robot provided by the present application, the pipeline robot comprises:

[0005] An exciter generates electromagnetic waves;

[0006] A robot body has a middle section, a front foot connected to the front end of the middle section, and a rear foot connected to the rear end of the middle section;

[0007] At least two receivers are used to receive electromagnetic waves and generate heat to enable the front foot, middle section, and rear foot to switch between an initial state and an expanded state, thereby enabling the robot body to move forward, stop, or move backward, wherein:

[0008] When the rear foot is in the expanded state and the front foot is in the initial state, the rear foot is positioned in the pipeline, and driving the middle section to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the front foot to move forward or backward;

[0009] When the front foot is in the expanded state and the rear foot is in the initial state, the front foot is positioned in the pipeline, and driving the middle section to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the rear foot to move forward or backward.

[0010] Preferably, the receiver comprises a receiver shell filled with a volume-changing material, the inside of the receiver shell is configured with an induction conductor and a receiving coil arranged circumferentially along the induction conductor, the induction conductor is in the volume-changing material and can generate Joule heat under the induction of the receiver to cause the volume-changing material to expand or the induction conductor no longer generates Joule heat after the volume-changing material expands to cause the volume-changing material to shrink in volume.

[0011] Preferably, the receiving coils in the forefoot, middle section and hindfoot have different resonant frequencies respectively, so that the state of any one of the forefoot, middle section and hindfoot can be controlled by exciting the resonant frequency emitted by the exciter.

[0012] Preferably, the middle section is in communication with or not in communication with the forefoot and hindfoot respectively.

[0013] Preferably, the middle section is in communication with the forefoot through two one-way valves respectively, and the middle section is in communication with the hindfoot through two one-way valves respectively.

[0014] Preferably, the pipe robot can move in a thick carrier.

[0015] Preferably, the corresponding receivers are located inside the forefoot, middle section and hindfoot respectively; or

[0016] The corresponding receivers are located outside the pipe and adopt any one of the following structures:

[0017] The corresponding receivers are in communication with the forefoot, middle section and hindfoot respectively;

[0018] The corresponding receivers are in communication with the forefoot and hindfoot respectively.

[0019] Preferably, the forefoot, middle section and hindfoot adopt a bellows structure; or

[0020] The forefoot and hindfoot adopt an elastic membrane structure.

[0021] Preferably, the forefoot is divided into a third chamber and a fourth chamber by a forefoot elastic membrane inside the forefoot, and the hindfoot is divided into a first chamber and a second chamber by a hindfoot elastic membrane inside the hindfoot, wherein the second chamber and the fourth chamber are in communication with the middle section through one-way valves respectively.

[0022] Preferably, the receiver shell of the receiver itself is replaced by the shell of the forefoot, middle section and hindfoot itself.

[0023] Preferably, the receiver shell is deformable or non-deformable;

[0024] The relative position of the receiving coil and the transmitting coil of the exciter is fixed or in a changeable state.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] 1. The application controls the movement of the robot in the pipeline through wireless excitation mode, does not need to install the battery, relies on the volume change of the phase change material or fluid to realize the driving travel, has simple structure, accurate control, can solve the task requirements in various pipelines, and provides a new control mode for the pipeline robot.

[0027] 2. The robot body in the application can adopt various structures such as elastic film structure, bellows, and can be applied to various environments.

[0028] 3. In addition to the travel in the pipeline, the application can also travel in some thick carriers and thick fluids.

[0029] 4. The exciter in the application transmits electromagnetic waves of different frequencies through the transmitting coil to realize accurate control of each part of the robot, has ingenious design, and simple control mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] Other features, objects and advantages of the application will become more apparent through reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic view of the application, wherein the forefoot, the middle section and the hind foot are all bellows structures;

[0032] Figure 2 It is a sectional view of the receiver;

[0033] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic view of the application when turning in the pipeline;

[0034] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic view of the robot body completing a cycle action;

[0035] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic view of the receiver arranged outside the pipeline and connected with the robot through the pipeline respectively;

[0036] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic view of the receiver arranged outside the pipeline and connected with the robot through the pipeline respectively;

[0037] Figure 7 It is a schematic view of the fluid flow direction, wherein the dotted arrow is the fluid flow direction when the hind foot advances, and the solid arrow is the fluid flow direction when the forefoot advances;

[0038] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic view of embodiment 5;

[0039] Figure 9 It is a structural schematic view of the hind foot elastic wall expansion in embodiment 5;

[0040] Figure 10 Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the flow of fluid through the one-way valve of Example 5;

[0041] Figure 11 Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot of Example 5, with the hind leg shown in an exploded view;

[0042] Figure 12 Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the principle of motion of the robot of Example 5;

[0043] Figure 13 Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot when in a thick carrier;

[0044] Figure 14 Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the two states of the fore and hind legs of the robot in a thick carrier, with the dashed line showing the inflated state and the solid line showing the initial state;

[0045] Figure 15 Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the one-way valve, with the left-hand valve shown in the closed state and the right-hand valve shown in the open state.

[0046] Figure 11 shows:

[0047] Exciter 1 third chamber 232

[0048] Robot body 2 fourth chamber 233

[0049] Hind leg 21 fore leg elastic wall 234

[0050] Hind leg elastic membrane 211 one-way valve 24

[0051] First chamber 212 cantilever beam 241

[0052] Second chamber 213 central plate 242

[0053] Hind leg elastic wall 214 annular support shell 243

[0054] Hind leg rear shell 215 valve seat 25

[0055] First tab 2151 receiver 3

[0056] Hind leg front shell 216 receiver housing 31

[0057] Second tab 2161 induction conductor 32

[0058] End cap 217 receiver coil 33

[0059] Intermediate section 22 volume-changing material 34

[0060] Fore leg 23 conduit 4

[0061] Front foot elastic film 231 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The application will be described in detail below with specific examples. The following examples will help those skilled in the art to further understand the application, but do not limit the application in any form. It should be pointed out that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the application. These are within the scope of protection of the application.

[0063] Example 1:

[0064] The application provides a pipeline robot, characterized in that it comprises an exciter 1, a robot body 2 and a receiver 3, the robot body 2 being capable of moving in a pipeline 4, wherein the exciter 1 generates electromagnetic waves; the robot body 2 has a middle section 22, a front foot 23 connected to the front end of the middle section 22, and a rear foot 21 connected to the rear end of the middle section 22; the receiver 3 receives electromagnetic waves and can generate heat to enable the front foot 23, the middle section 22 and the rear foot 21 to switch between an initial state and an expanded state, thereby enabling the robot body 2 to move forward, stop or move backward, wherein the heat is preferably Joule heat, and in some scenarios, it can also be other heat, which is designed flexibly according to the actual scene.

[0065] The pipeline robot in this embodiment is positioned in the pipeline 4 when the rear foot 21 is in the expanded state and the front foot 23 is in the initial state, and driving the middle section 22 to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the front foot 23 to move forward or backward; when the front foot 23 is in the expanded state and the rear foot 21 is in the initial state, the front foot 23 is positioned in the pipeline 4, and driving the middle section 22 to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the rear foot 21 to move forward or backward.

[0066] As shown in Figure 2 The receiver 3 comprises a receiver shell 31 filled with a volume-changing material 34, which preferably adopts a phase change material or a phase change composite material, such as paraffin, and further adopts a material including expanded graphite, paraffin and nickel powder. The inside of the receiver shell 31 is configured with an induction conductor 32 and a receiving coil 33 arranged circumferentially along the induction conductor 32, the induction conductor 32 being in the volume-changing material 34 and being capable of generating Joule heat under the induction of the receiver 2, specifically, an alternating excitation generates an alternating magnetic field on the transmitting coil of the exciter 1, which is coupled to the receiving coil 33 of the receiver 2, and a high-frequency current is generated inside the receiving coil 33, causing the surface temperature of the induction conductor 32 to rise sharply, further causing the volume-changing material 34 to expand in state.

[0067] Further, the volume changing material 34 expands when the inductive conductor 32 generates Joule heat, and the volume of the volume changing material 34 decreases if the inductive conductor 32 no longer generates Joule heat after the volume changing material 34 expands.

[0068] It should be noted that the respective receiving coils 33 in the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 have different resonant frequencies respectively, so that the state of any one of the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 can be controlled by exciting the exciter 1 to emit different resonant frequencies. That is, the state of the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 is controlled by exciting the exciter 1 to emit different resonant frequencies according to the movement path of the robot, so that the robot moves forward, stops or moves backward.

[0069] Embodiment 2:

[0070] This embodiment is a preferred embodiment of embodiment 1.

[0071] As shown in Figure 1 , the pipe robot in this embodiment is a cable-free driven pipe robot, the exciter 1 is located outside the pipe 4, the robot body 2 includes the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 connected in sequence, the forefoot 23 and the hind foot 21 are arranged perpendicular to the pipe 4, the middle section 22 is arranged along the axial direction of the pipe 4, the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 are preferably corrugated pipe structures, the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 are not connected, one receiver 3 is arranged in the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 respectively, and each receiver 3 has a different resonant frequency, the receiver shell 31 is a deformable structure, such as an elastic film structure.

[0072] The robot body 2 is a flexible structure as a whole, which can not only deform in the length direction of the pipe 4, but also bend when passing through a curved pipe 4, so that the whole robot body 2 can turn in the pipe 4, as shown in Figure 3 , the main deformation direction of the forefoot 23 and the hind foot 21 is along the radial direction of the pipe, the main deformation direction of the middle section 22 is along the axial direction of the pipe, the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 are connected orthogonally in sequence and are not connected in sequence.

[0073] As shown in Figure 4 , the principle of the movement of the robot body 2 in the pipe 4 in this embodiment is as follows:

[0074] Initial state: the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 are all in the initial state, and the robot body 2 has not deformed;

[0075] Driving step 1: the transmitting coil of the energy input exciter 1 sends out a signal f1 matching the receiving coil 33 in the hind foot 21, the composite material corresponding to f1 undergoes volume expansion, the hind foot 21 deforms and expands in the radial direction of the pipe 4, and the two ends of the hind foot 21 are in contact with the inner wall of the pipe 4 and are pressed to be positioned, so that the hind foot 21 cannot move inside the pipe 4.

[0076] Driving step 2: the transmitting coil of the energy input exciter 1 sends out a signal f2 matching the receiving coil 33 in the middle section 22, the middle section 22 deforms in the length direction, and pushes the forefoot 23 to move forward.

[0077] Driving step 3: the transmitting coil of the energy input exciter 1 sends out a signal f3 matching the receiving coil 33 in the forefoot 23, the forefoot 23 deforms in the radial direction of the pipe 4, and the two ends of the forefoot 23 are in contact with the inner wall of the pipe 4 and are pressed to be positioned, so that the forefoot 23 cannot move inside the pipe 4. Stop energy transmission to the receiving coil 33 with frequency f1 and f2, and the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 return to the initial state. The hind foot 21 moves forward corresponding to the signal f1, so that the whole robot body 2 completes a period of action.

[0078] Repeat steps 1-3 to realize continuous stepping motion of the robot body 2 in the pipe 4.

[0079] It should be noted that different exciter 1 can be used to emit electromagnetic waves with different signals, or the same exciter 1 can be used to emit electromagnetic waves with different signals, so as to realize the control of the deformation of different parts of the robot body 2. In addition, for the cavities between the forefoot 23, the middle section 22, the hind foot 21 and the receiver 3, fluid can be added in the cavities to cause the deformation of the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 when the receiver 3 deforms. The shape of the receiver 3 can also be designed to be similar to the shape of the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21, so that the deformation of the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21 can be directly caused when the receiver 3 deforms.

[0080] In some specific scenarios, the receiver shell 31 of the receiver 3 can be replaced by the shell of the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21, and the volume change material 34 is directly filled into the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hind foot 21.

[0081] It should be noted that the robot structure in the embodiment can move in the thick carrier 5, and the thick carrier 5 is a fluid, a fluid-solid coexistence body, a paddle-shaped body or a micro-particle assembly, etc. Figure 13 、 Figure 14As shown, the outer shell of the forefoot 23 and the hindfoot 21 are preferably large deformation thin film structure, the middle section 22 adopts corrugated structure, the receiver 3 is respectively located in the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hindfoot 21, based on the principle in the embodiment, the movement in the thick carrier 5 can also be realized, specifically, when the hindfoot 21 is in the inflated state and the forefoot 23 is in the initial state, because the cross-sectional area of the hindfoot 21 is larger than that of the forefoot 23, the elongation of the middle section 22 can drive the forefoot 23 to move forward, based on the difference of the travel resistance caused by the difference of the cross-sectional area of the forefoot 23 and the hindfoot 21 in different states, the whole robot can move forward or backward in the thick carrier 5, but it should be noted that the forefoot 23 and the hindfoot 21 cannot be completely positioned before moving in the thick carrier 5, but the overall forward or backward movement can be realized.

[0082] Further, the robot in the embodiment can move in the thick body fluid and blood of the human body to achieve the purpose of medical treatment.

[0083] Embodiment 3:

[0084] This embodiment is a variation of embodiment 2.

[0085] Compared with embodiment 2, three receivers 3 are placed outside the pipe 4, the receiver shell 31 of the three receivers 3 is not deformable, and the receiver shell 31 of the three receivers 3 is respectively connected with the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hindfoot 21 through the pipeline, as shown in Figure 5 As shown, by controlling the three receivers 3, the pressure in the forefoot 23, the middle section 22 and the hindfoot 21 can be adjusted, and in the embodiment, the relative position of the receiving coil 33 and the transmitting coil is fixed, so that a high-power and continuous stable driving process can be realized.

[0086] The robot in the embodiment can also realize the effect of moving in the thick carrier 5.

[0087] Embodiment 4:

[0088] This embodiment is another variation of embodiment 1.

[0089] Compared with embodiment 2, one end of the middle section 22 is respectively communicated with the forefoot 23 through two one-way valves 24, the other end of the middle section 22 is respectively communicated with the hindfoot 21 through two one-way valves 24, two receivers 3 are adopted, the receiver shell 31 of the two receivers 3 is respectively connected with the forefoot 23 and the hindfoot 21 through the pipeline, or the two receivers 3 are respectively placed inside the forefoot 23 and the hindfoot 21, as shown in Figure 6 Figure 7 .

[0090] ​In this embodiment, when two receivers 3 are respectively placed outside the forefoot 23 and the hind foot 21, the receiver shell 31 is not deformable, and valve seats 25 are arranged on both sides of the forefoot 23 and the hind foot 21, wherein one receiver shell 31 is connected to the valve seat 25 on the forefoot 23 through a pipeline, and the other receiver shell 31 is connected to the valve seat 25 on the hind foot 21 through a pipeline, and the forefoot 23 and the hind foot 21 are also connected to the middle section 22 through the valve seats 25, and two one-way valves 24 are arranged on the valve seat 25 between the forefoot 23 and the middle section 22, and the valve directions of the two one-way valves 24 are opposite; two one-way valves 24 are arranged on the valve seat 25 between the hind foot 21 and the middle section 22, and the valve directions of the two one-way valves 24 are opposite; the fluid exchange between the hind foot 21, the forefoot 23 and the middle section 22 is controlled through the one-way valves 24.

[0091] In this embodiment, the one-way flexible cantilever beam valve plate is preferably a one-way flexible cantilever beam valve plate, as shown in Figure 15 The one-way flexible cantilever beam valve plate includes a center plate 242, an annular support shell 243 arranged circumferentially around the center plate 242, and a plurality of spaced-apart cantilever beams 241 connecting the annular support shell 243 and the center plate 242, and a gap is formed between each adjacent two cantilever beams, Figure 15 The left and right valve seats 25 in the gap have one-way flexible cantilever beam valve plates installed thereon, and the valve seat 25 has a flow passage through hole, the center plate 242 on the left valve seat 25 blocks the flow passage through hole, and the one-way flexible cantilever beam valve plate is in a closed state, and the center plate 242 on the right valve seat 25 is pushed away from the valve seat 25 by the fluid, and the fluid flows to the other side of the valve seat 25 through the gap between the cantilever beams 241, and the one-way flexible cantilever beam valve plate is in an open state.

[0092] Further, the two valve plate cantilever beams 242 have different width sizes, and the corresponding one-way valves 24 have different opening pressures (as shown in Figure 10 The width of the cantilever beam 241 of the two one-way valves 24 in the middle is smaller than the width of the cantilever beam 241 of the two one-way valves 24 on the sides), and as shown in

[0093] The driving principle of the embodiment is as follows: Figure 6 Figure 7 As shown in

[0094] Initial state: the hind foot 21, the middle section 22 and the forefoot 23 are not deformed;

[0095] ​Forward movement: energy input into the transmitting coil, the transmitting coil sends a signal f1 matching the receiving coil 33 in the receiver 3 connected with the hind leg 21, the phase change material in the receiver 3 corresponding to f1 changes phase and expands in volume, the phase change material in the hind leg 21 flows into the interior of the hind leg 21 along the pipeline, causing the hind leg 21 to expand and deform in the radial direction, and the two ends of the hind leg 21 are in contact with the inner wall of the pipeline 4 and are positioned and thus cannot move. At this time, the internal pressure of the hind leg 21 is P1 < PO1; with continuous energy input, the internal pressure of the hind leg 21 is PO1 < P1 < PO2, the one-way valve 24 of the hind leg 21 to the intermediate section 22 opens, and the fluid flows from the hind leg 21 to the intermediate section 22, the internal pressure of the intermediate section 22 increases, PO1 < P1 = P2 < PO2, the intermediate section 22 deforms along its length direction, and pushes the front leg 23 on the right side of the intermediate section 22 to move forward; with continuous energy input, P1 = P2 > PO2, the one-way valve 24 of the intermediate section 22 to the front leg 23 opens, and the fluid flows from the intermediate section 22 to the front leg 23, causing the front leg 23 to deform in the radial direction of the pipeline 4, and the two ends of the front leg 23 are in contact with the inner wall of the pipeline 4 and are positioned and thus cannot move in the pipeline 4; the energy input into the exciter 1 corresponding to the frequency f1 is stopped, the volume of the composite material in the receiver 3 connected with the hind leg 21 decreases to form a negative pressure, the fluid in the hind leg 21 flows into the interior of the receiver 3 through the pipeline, and the hind leg 21 returns to the initial state and is not positioned. At this time, because the pressure in the intermediate section 22 is greater than that in the hind leg 21, the one-way valve 24 of the intermediate section 22 to the hind leg 21 opens, the fluid flows from the intermediate section 22 back to the hind leg 21, causing the intermediate section 22 to shorten along the length direction to return to the initial state and thus driving the hind leg 21 to move forward, so that the entire robot body 2 completes a cycle of actuation.

[0096] Backward movement: similarly, energy input into the transmitting coil in the exciter 1 sends a signal f2 matching the receiving coil 33 in the receiver 3 connected with the front leg 23, which can achieve the backward movement of the driver.

[0097] The robot in this embodiment can also achieve the effect of moving in the thick carrier 5.

[0098] Embodiment 5:

[0099] This embodiment is a variation of embodiment 4.

[0100] This embodiment provides a pipeline robot, which is different from embodiment 4 in that the hind leg 21 is provided with a hind leg elastic film 211 and is divided into a first chamber 212 and a second chamber 213 by the hind leg elastic film 211, the receiver 3 is arranged in the first chamber 212, the circumferential wall surface of the second chamber 213 is a hind leg elastic wall surface 214, and the hind leg elastic wall surface 214 can deform outward when the internal pressure of the second chamber 213 increases, like Figure 8 、 Figure 9 ,Figure 10 、 Figure 12 When the volume of the receiver 3 is increased, the elastic membrane 211 is driven to bulge towards the side of the second chamber 213, and the rear foot elastic wall 214 is bulged outwards, at this time, the rear foot 21 is positioned inside the pipe 4. When the pressure of the second chamber 213 is gradually increased, the fluid in the second chamber 213 can enter into the middle section 22 through the one-way valve 24. The same principle as in the embodiment 4 can drive the front foot 23 to move forward.

[0101] The front foot 23 is divided into a third chamber 232 and a fourth chamber 233 by the elastic membrane 231 inside the front foot 23. The receiver 3 is arranged in the third chamber 232, and the circumferential wall of the fourth chamber 233 is the front foot elastic wall 234. When the pressure inside the fourth chamber 233 is increased, the front foot elastic wall 234 is bulged outwards. When the volume of the receiver 3 is increased, the elastic membrane 231 is driven to bulge towards the side of the fourth chamber 233, and the front foot elastic wall 234 is bulged outwards, at this time, the front foot 23 is positioned inside the pipe 4. The same principle as in the embodiment 4 can drive the rear foot 21 to move forward.

[0102] In actual application, the two receivers 3 have different resonant frequencies, and the receiver shell 31 is a deformable structure. The rear foot 21 includes a rear foot front shell 216, a rear foot rear shell 215 matched with the rear foot front shell 216, and an end cap 217. The end cap 217 is a rigid structure, and the first chamber 212 is formed between the end cap 217 and the rear foot rear shell 215. The second chamber 213 is formed between the rear foot rear shell 215 and the rear foot front shell 216, as shown in FIG. 6. Figure 11 As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of first protrusions 2151 are arranged on one side of the rear foot rear shell 215, and a plurality of second protrusions 2161 matched with the first protrusions 2151 are arranged on one side of the rear foot front shell 216. The side of the first protrusion 2151 away from the axis of the rear foot rear shell 215 is concave, and the side of the second protrusion 2161 towards the axis of the rear foot front shell 216 is convex. The rear foot elastic wall 214 is arranged between the first protrusion 2151 and the second protrusion 2161 and has a ring structure. The rear foot elastic wall 214 can bulge outwards between every two adjacent second protrusions 2161 to contact the inner wall of the pipe 4 and position the rear foot 21. The structure of the front foot 23 is symmetrical to the structure of the rear foot 21 and the middle section 22, which will not be described here.

[0103] The robot in this embodiment can also achieve the effect of moving in the thick carrier 5.

[0104] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only intended to facilitate the description of the present application and simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0105] The specific embodiments of the present application are described above. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and various changes or modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essential content of the present application. The embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other without conflict, provided that they do not conflict.

Claims

1. A pipe robot, characterized in that, Comprising: an exciter (1) generating electromagnetic waves; a robot body (2) having a middle section (22), a front foot (23) connected to the front end of the middle section (22), and a rear foot (21) connected to the rear end of the middle section (22); receivers (3) at least two, for receiving electromagnetic waves and capable of generating heat so that the front foot (23), the middle section (22), and the rear foot (21) can switch between an initial state and an expanded state, thereby enabling the robot body (2) to move forward, stop, or move backward, wherein: when the rear foot (21) is in the expanded state and the front foot (23) is in the initial state, the rear foot (21) is positioned in the pipeline (4), and driving the middle section (22) to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the front foot (23) to move forward or backward; when the front foot (23) is in the expanded state and the rear foot (21) is in the initial state, the front foot (23) is positioned in the pipeline (4), and driving the middle section (22) to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the rear foot (21) to move forward or backward; the receivers (3) include receiver housings (31) filled with volume-changing materials (34); corresponding receivers (3) are located outside the pipeline (4), and the receiver housings (31) of the corresponding receivers (3) are respectively connected to the front foot (23), the middle section (22), and the rear foot (21) through pipelines.

2. A pipe robot, characterized in that Comprising: an exciter (1) generating electromagnetic waves; a robot body (2) having a middle section (22), a front foot (23) connected to the front end of the middle section (22), and a rear foot (21) connected to the rear end of the middle section (22); receivers (3) at least two, for receiving electromagnetic waves and capable of generating heat so that the front foot (23), the middle section (22), and the rear foot (21) can switch between an initial state and an expanded state, thereby enabling the robot body (2) to move forward, stop, or move backward, wherein: when the rear foot (21) is in the expanded state and the front foot (23) is in the initial state, the rear foot (21) is positioned in the pipeline (4), and driving the middle section (22) to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the front foot (23) to move forward or backward; when the front foot (23) is in the expanded state and the rear foot (21) is in the initial state, the front foot (23) is positioned in the pipeline (4), and driving the middle section (22) to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the rear foot (21) to move forward or backward; the receivers (3) include receiver housings (31) filled with volume-changing materials (34); two receivers (3) are used, and the two receivers (3) are respectively placed outside the front foot (23) and the rear foot (21), and the receiver housings (31) of the two receivers (3) are respectively connected to the front foot (23) and the rear foot (21) through pipelines; or the two receivers (3) are respectively placed inside the front foot (23) and the rear foot (21). Two one-way valves (24) are arranged on the valve seat (25) between the forefoot (23) and the middle section (22), and the valve directions of the two one-way valves (24) are opposite; two one-way valves (24) are arranged on the valve seat (25) between the hind foot (21) and the middle section (22), and the valve directions of the two one-way valves (24) are opposite; the fluid exchange between the hind foot (21) and the middle section (22) and the fluid exchange between the forefoot (23) and the middle section (22) are controlled by the one-way valves (24).

3. A pipe robot, characterized in that It comprises: An exciter (1) for generating electromagnetic waves; A robot body (2) having a middle section (22), a forefoot (23) connected to the front end of the middle section (22), and a hind foot (21) connected to the rear end of the middle section (22); At least two receivers (3) for receiving electromagnetic waves and capable of generating heat to enable the forefoot (23), the middle section (22), and the hind foot (21) to switch between an initial state and an expanded state, thereby enabling the robot body (2) to move forward, stop, or move backward, wherein: When the hind foot (21) is in the expanded state and the forefoot (23) is in the initial state, the hind foot (21) is positioned in the pipeline (4), and driving the middle section (22) to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the forefoot (23) to move forward or backward; When the forefoot (23) is in the expanded state and the hind foot (21) is in the initial state, the forefoot (23) is positioned in the pipeline (4), and driving the middle section (22) to switch between the initial state and the expanded state can drive the hind foot (21) to move forward or backward; The receiver (3) comprises a receiver shell (31) filled with a volume-changing material (34); The forefoot (23) and the hind foot (21) each adopt an elastic membrane structure, the forefoot (23) is internally provided with a forefoot elastic membrane (231) having a third chamber (232) and a fourth chamber (233), and the hind foot (21) is internally provided with a hind foot elastic membrane (211) divided into a first chamber (212) and a second chamber (213) by the elastic membrane, wherein the second chamber (213) and the fourth chamber (233) respectively communicate with the middle section (22) through one-way valves (24).

4. The pipe robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The inside of the receiver shell (31) is configured with an induction conductor (32) and a receiving coil (33) arranged circumferentially along the induction conductor (32), the induction conductor (32) is in the volume-changing material (34) and can generate Joule heat under the induction of the receiver (2) to cause the volume-changing material (7) to expand or stop generating Joule heat after the volume-changing material (7) expands to cause the volume-changing material (7) to shrink.

5. The pipe robot of claim 4, wherein, The receiving coils (33) in the forefoot (23), the middle section (22), and the hind foot (21) respectively have different resonant frequencies, thereby enabling the exciter (1) to emit different resonant frequencies to control the state of any one of the forefoot (23), the middle section (22), and the hind foot (21).

6. The pipe robot of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The intermediate section (22) is in communication or not in communication with the forefoot (23) and the hindfoot (21) respectively; The forefoot (23), the intermediate section (22) and the hindfoot (21) all adopt bellows structure.

7. The pipe robot of claim 2, wherein, The intermediate section (22) is in communication with the forefoot (23) and the hindfoot (21) through two one-way valves (24) respectively.

8. The pipe robot of claim 1, wherein, The pipeline robot can move in the thick carrier (5).

9. The pipe robot of claim 2 or 3, wherein, The receiver shell (31) of the receiver (3) itself is replaced by the shell of the forefoot (23), the intermediate section (22) and the hindfoot (21) themselves.

10. The pipe robot of claim 4, wherein, The receiver shell (31) can be deformable or not deformable; The relative position of the receiver coil (33) and the transmitting coil of the exciter (1) is fixed or variable.

Citation Information

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