Robot, leg assembly and sole structure thereof

Abstract

The present application provides a robot, a leg assembly and a plantar structure thereof; the plantar structure includes: a plantar shell, a stress bracket and at least two stress sensors; the plantar shell is surrounded to form a receiving space; the stress bracket is arranged in the receiving space and fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the plantar shell; at least two stress sensors are arranged on the stress bracket, and the stress sensor detects the stress condition of the plantar shell by detecting the deformation of the stress bracket. The plantar structure for a robot provided in an embodiment of the present application can detect the force magnitude and force direction of the plantar shell at the same time by arranging a stress bracket in the plantar shell and arranging multiple stress sensors on the stress bracket; it has the characteristics of simple structure and high detection accuracy and reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robot sole structures, and in particular to a robot, a leg assembly and a sole structure thereof. Background Art

[0002] In conventional technology, most of the four-legged robot dog structures do not have mechanical sensors on the soles of the feet to detect the force on the soles of the feet. Some have sensors on the soles of the feet, but the current technical solutions for setting sensors on the soles of the feet often only detect the size of the sole pressure, but not the direction of the sole pressure. Summary of the invention

[0003] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a plantar structure for a robot, the plantar structure comprising:

[0004] The sole shell is surrounded to form a receiving space;

[0005] A stress support, disposed in the accommodation space and fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the sole shell;

[0006] At least two stress sensors are arranged on the stress bracket, and the stress sensors detect the stress condition of the sole shell by detecting the deformation of the stress bracket.

[0007] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a leg assembly for a robot, comprising a leg bracket and a plantar structure as described in any one of the above embodiments; the leg bracket is connected to a plantar shell of the plantar structure.

[0008] In addition, an embodiment of the present application provides a robot, the robot comprising a trunk and a plurality of leg assemblies connected to the trunk; the leg assemblies comprising a leg support and a sole structure;

[0009] The plantar structure includes:

[0010] The sole shell is surrounded to form a receiving space;

[0011] A stress support, disposed in the accommodation space and fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the sole shell;

[0012] At least two stress sensors are arranged on the stress bracket, and the stress sensors detect the stress condition of the sole shell by detecting the deformation of the stress bracket;

[0013] The leg support is connected to the sole shell.

[0014] The plantar structure for a robot provided in an embodiment of the present application can realize simultaneous detection of the force magnitude and force direction of the plantar shell by arranging a stress bracket inside the plantar shell and arranging multiple stress sensors on the stress bracket; it has the characteristics of simple structure and high detection accuracy and reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a leg assembly for a robot according to the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the interior of the plantar structure of the leg assembly of the robot in the embodiment;

[0018] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the partial structure disassembly of another embodiment of the leg assembly for a robot of the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the leg assembly in the embodiment;

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structural disassembly of the leg assembly in the embodiment;

[0021] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of the leg assembly at AA in the embodiment;

[0022] Figure 7 It is a structural diagram of the plantar structure from another perspective;

[0023] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of local structure decomposition;

[0024] Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a buffer pad in an unfolded state;

[0025] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the robot of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. It is particularly noted that the following examples are only used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Similarly, the following examples are only partial embodiments of the present invention rather than all embodiments, and all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0028] Please also read Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a leg assembly for a robot according to the present application, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the interior of the plantar structure of the leg assembly of the robot in an embodiment.

[0029] It should be noted that the leg assembly in the present application can be used on a robot including a trunk and several leg structures, and the robot has a mechanical device that can complete functions such as walking, running, and jumping under the control of a control system. A typical robot structure is a robot dog, that is, a robot structure including a trunk and four legs. Of course, the robot in this embodiment can also be a structure including two, three or more legs, or even a structure including one leg, which is not specifically limited here.

[0030] Among them, the leg assembly 10 for the robot in this embodiment includes but is not limited to a leg support 100 and a sole structure 200. It should be noted that the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the embodiments of the present application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device including a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or components inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0031] Specifically, the sole structure 200 includes a sole shell 210, a stress bracket 220, and at least two stress sensors 230. The sole shell 210 is surrounded to form a receiving space 2100, wherein the sole shell 210 may be in a spherical, teardrop-shaped, or spherical shape; the leg bracket 100 is connected to the sole shell 210. The sole shell 210 may be made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

[0032] Optionally, the stress bracket 220 is disposed in the accommodating space 2100 and fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the sole shell 210, wherein the stress bracket 220 may be a T-shaped structure as shown in the figure, or may be a straight shape or other shapes, which are not specifically limited here. The stress bracket 220 may be an independent detachable structure, fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the sole shell 210, or may be integrally formed with the sole shell 210 (including integral injection molding, integral CNC processing, etc.).

[0033] The stress sensor 230 is arranged on the stress bracket 220, and the number of stress sensors 230 can be two or more. The stress sensor 230 can sense the stress condition of the sole shell 210 by detecting the deformation of the stress bracket 220. The connection between the stress sensor 230 and the stress bracket 220 is a detachable connection, which is convenient for replacement when a problem occurs with the stress sensor 230; wherein, the connection between the stress sensor 230 and the stress bracket 220 can be bonding, screw connection, etc., which is not specifically limited here.

[0034] The plantar structure for a robot provided in an embodiment of the present application can realize simultaneous detection of the force magnitude and force direction of the plantar shell by arranging a stress bracket inside the plantar shell and arranging at least a stress sensor on the stress bracket (in order to sense pressure from different directions); it has the characteristics of simple structure and high detection accuracy and reliability (multiple stress sensors detect simultaneously, and the failure of a single stress sensor does not affect the detection performance of other stress sensors).

[0035] Please also read Figures 3 to 5 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure disassembly of the leg assembly of the robot used in this application. Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the leg assembly in the embodiment, Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structural disassembly of the leg assembly in the embodiment.

[0036] As can be seen from the figure, the leg assembly 10 may also include a leg support 100 and a plantar structure 200. The plantar structure 200 includes a plantar shell 210, a stress support 220 and a plurality of stress sensors 230. It can be understood that the stress support 220 in this embodiment may include a first stress support 221 and a second stress support 222; the first stress support 221 and the second stress support 222 are both arranged in the accommodating space 2100 of the plantar shell 210, and the two are arranged adjacent to each other, and the first stress support 221 and the second stress support 222 are both provided with the stress sensor 230. Optionally, the first stress support 221 and the second stress support 222 may be arranged in parallel. It should be noted that the terms "first", "second" and "third" in the embodiments of the present application are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first", "second" and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0037] Optionally, at least two stress sensors 230 are provided on each of the first stress bracket 221 and the second stress bracket 222. In the figure of this embodiment, two stress sensors 230 are provided on each of the first stress bracket 221 and the second stress bracket 222. After four strain sensors 230 are provided, the signals of the four directions of the sole can be transmitted to the control circuit for calculation. Based on the signal value, the control circuit can determine which side of the sole, the front, the back, the left, or the right, has a larger strain, and then determine the terrain or posture at this time, and feedback to the control end for motion control.

[0038] If you say Figure 2 The single stress support structure in the embodiment can only detect stress in one direction. In the embodiment of the present application, stress sensors are respectively arranged on different stress supports, so that stress conditions in multiple directions of the sole shell can be detected. This information is fed back to the control circuit to achieve better motion control.

[0039] Please also read Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of the leg assembly at AA in the embodiment, Figure 72 is a structural diagram of the plantar structure from another perspective; the plantar structure 200 in this embodiment may further include a control circuit board 240, and the stress sensor 230 is connected to the control circuit board 240 via a flexible circuit board 250. Optionally, the control circuit board 240 includes a first control circuit board 241 and a second control circuit board 242; the first control circuit board 241 and the second control circuit board 242 are respectively fixedly connected to the plantar shell 210, and specifically, the first control circuit board 241 and the second control circuit board 242 are respectively fixedly connected to the plantar shell 210 via screws 101 and 102.

[0040] See also Figure 4 and Figure 8 , Figure 8 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the partial structure disassembly, a positioning platform 211 is provided on the sole shell 210, and a positioning groove 2401 is provided on the control circuit board 240 (the first control circuit board 241 is taken as an example in the figure for explanation), and the positioning groove 2401 cooperates with the positioning platform 211 to realize the positioning and coordination between the control circuit board 240 and the sole shell 210.

[0041] Optionally, the first control circuit board 241 and the second control circuit board 242 are connected to the stress sensors 230 respectively arranged on the first stress bracket 221 and the second stress bracket 222 through the first flexible circuit board 251 and the second flexible circuit board 252. The two strain sensors 230 on each side can be integrated on a soft board (the first flexible circuit board 251 or the second flexible circuit board 252) to transmit the signal to the control circuit board (the first control circuit board 241 and the second control circuit board 242). The strain sensor 230 may also not be integrated with the flexible circuit board 240, but connected to the corresponding first control circuit board 241 and the second control circuit board 242 through the first flexible circuit board 251 or the second flexible circuit board 252. In this way, a sole structure 100 has four strain sensors 230 and four flexible circuit boards. A single combination (a strain sensor plus a flexible circuit board) can be replaced separately after failure, and the maintenance cost is lower.

[0042] Optionally, see Figure 3 and Figure 5In this embodiment, a sealing plate 260 is provided on the side of the sole shell 210, and the sealing plate 260 cooperates with the sole shell 210 to form a closed accommodation space 2100. The sealing plate 260 can be provided on opposite sides of the sole shell 210, and the material of the sealing plate 260 can be a soft material such as foam or rubber, or a hard plastic plate. The sealing plate 260 and the sole shell 210 can be bonded, and specifically, the inner surface of the sealing plate 260 can be covered with a layer of glue, and there are grooves 201 on both sides of the sole shell 210, and the sealing plate 260 is clamped in the grooves 201, which facilitates the positioning of the sealing plate 260.

[0043] Please continue reading Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 In this embodiment, a cushion pad 270 is provided on the surface of the sole shell 210 that contacts the ground. The cushion pad 270 is in direct contact with the ground to reduce the impact force, and the cushion pad 270 may be made of rubber. The cushion pad 270 may be connected to the sole shell 210 by a combination of adhesive and screw fixation. First, glue is applied to the inner surface of the cushion pad 270, and then the cushion pad 270 is bonded to the corresponding position of the sole shell 210 using a contouring jig. After the glue is cured, the corresponding screws 103 are locked.

[0044] Please also read Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of a buffer pad in an unfolded state. The buffer pad 270 may be provided with a certain texture to improve the anti-slip ability. Fig. 9 As shown, the surface of the buffer pad 270 can be provided with diamond patterns 271 (of course, in other embodiments, it can also be other anti-skid patterns, such as square, circular, etc., which are not specifically limited here) to increase the friction with the ground and improve the anti-skid degree. It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present application are only used to explain the relative position relationship and movement of various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0045] Optionally, see Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 8The sole structure 200 in this embodiment further includes a waterproof pad 280, which is disposed at the connection position between the sole shell 210 and the leg support 100, and is used to seal the accommodating space 2100 of the sole shell 210. The waterproof pad 280 may be made of a silicone material, and a mounting groove 212 is disposed on the sole shell 210. The waterproof pad 280 is directly assembled in the mounting groove 212. The ribs on both sides of the mounting groove 212 are limited, and the waterproof pad 280 and the sole shell 210 are tightly matched. Optionally, please continue to refer to Figure 8 A through hole 281 may also be provided in the middle of the waterproof pad 280. The through hole 281 is a control circuit board wiring outlet hole for passing the wiring connecting the control circuit board and the main control board in the robot body.

[0046] The leg assembly for a robot provided in the embodiment of the present application has a plantar structure in which two stress brackets are arranged inside a plantar shell, and a plurality of stress sensors are arranged on each stress bracket, so that the force magnitude and multiple force directions of the plantar shell can be detected simultaneously; it has the characteristics of simple structure and high detection accuracy and reliability (multiple stress sensors detect simultaneously, and the failure of a single stress sensor does not affect the detection performance of other stress sensors).

[0047] In addition, the present application also provides a robot structure, see Fig.10 , Fig.10 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the robot of the present application. The robot in this embodiment includes a trunk 20 and a plurality of leg assemblies 10 connected to the trunk 20 (the diagram of this embodiment is illustrated by taking the structure of four groups of robot dogs as an example). For the detailed structure of the leg assembly 10, please refer to the relevant description of the aforementioned embodiment. Among them, the trunk 20 of the robot may include a control circuit board and a device for driving the movement of the leg structure. The detailed features of this part are within the understanding of the skilled technicians and will not be repeated here.

[0048] The robot provided in the embodiment of the present application has a plantar structure of a leg assembly, in which a stress bracket is arranged inside a plantar shell, and a plurality of stress sensors are arranged on the stress bracket, so that the magnitude and direction of the force on the plantar shell can be detected simultaneously; the robot has the characteristics of simple structure and high detection accuracy and reliability.

[0049] The above descriptions are only some embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent device or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plantar structure for a robot, It is characterized in that The plantar structure includes: The sole shell is surrounded to form a receiving space; A stress bracket is arranged in the accommodation space and fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the sole shell; the stress bracket includes a first stress bracket and a second stress bracket; the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket are arranged adjacent to each other; the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket are both T-shaped structures; Multiple stress sensors, wherein at least two stress sensors are arranged on each of the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket, and the stress sensors are respectively arranged on different T-shaped beams of the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket; the stress sensors detect the deformation of the stress bracket and then detect the stress condition of the plantar shell.

2. The plantar structure according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The sole structure also includes a control circuit board, and the stress sensor is connected to the control circuit board via a flexible circuit board.

3. The plantar structure according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The control circuit board includes a first control circuit board and a second control circuit board; the first control circuit board and the second control circuit board are respectively fixedly connected to the sole shell, and are respectively connected to stress sensors respectively arranged on the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket through a first flexible circuit board and a second flexible circuit board.

4. The plantar structure according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first stress support and the second stress support are arranged in parallel.

5. The plantar structure according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The surface of the sole shell for contacting with the ground is provided with a cushioning pad.

6. The plantar structure according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A sealing plate is provided on the side of the sole shell, and the sealing plate cooperates with the sole shell to form a closed accommodating space.

7. A leg assembly for a robot, It is characterized in that It comprises a leg support and the plantar structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6; the leg support is connected to the plantar shell of the plantar structure.

8. The leg assembly according to claim 7, It is characterized in that The sole structure further comprises a waterproof pad, which is arranged at the connection position between the sole shell and the leg support and is used for sealing the accommodation space of the sole shell.

9. A robot, It is characterized in that The robot comprises a trunk and a plurality of leg assemblies connected to the trunk; the leg assemblies comprise a leg support and a sole structure; The plantar structure includes: The sole shell is surrounded to form a receiving space; A stress bracket is arranged in the accommodation space and fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the sole shell; the stress bracket includes a first stress bracket and a second stress bracket; the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket are arranged adjacent to each other; the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket are both T-shaped structures; A plurality of stress sensors, wherein at least two stress sensors are disposed on each of the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket, and the stress sensors are disposed on different T-shaped cross beams of the first stress bracket and the second stress bracket, respectively; the stress sensors detect the stress condition of the sole shell by detecting the deformation of the stress bracket; The leg support is connected to the sole shell.

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