Wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a wheel-fin hybrid obstacle-crossing robot, comprising a frame, a fin-arm system, a running mechanism, a transmission system, a control device box, a mechanical arm, and a power unit. The frame serves as a carrier for the fin-arm system, the running mechanism, and the transmission system, with front and rear fin swing arms located at the front and rear of the frame. The power unit comprises two track drive motors mounted at the front of the frame, a front fin motor that controls the swing arms, two rear wheel motors mounted at the rear of the frame, and a rear fin motor that controls the swing of the rear fin. This robot has the advantages of a simple structure, diverse and easily switchable motion modes, and all-terrain traversal capabilities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot. Background Art

[0002] Currently, several different types of unmanned ground platform systems have emerged. Based on their operating principles and design concepts, they can be broadly categorized into four types: wheeled robots, tracked robots, legged robots, and hybrid robots. These robots have broad application prospects in dangerous and harsh environments, such as reconnaissance, patrol, surveillance, and mine clearance. Each type of robot has its own unique characteristics and varying scopes of application.

[0003] Wheeled robots have outstanding performance in various fields such as civil, aviation and military. They have the advantages of simple structure, relatively convenient driving and control, flexible walking and high work efficiency. However, they have poor obstacle crossing ability and terrain adaptability and are suitable for driving on relatively flat roads.

[0004] Tracked robots are widely used in the military field due to their strong obstacle-crossing capabilities. Tracked robots have a large contact area with the ground, good traction and adhesion performance, and strong terrain adaptability. They have high obstacle-crossing capabilities and good environmental adaptability in steep terrain and complex conditions, but their speed is relatively low, and their energy consumption is very high during long-distance, high-speed movement or when turning.

[0005] Although legged robots can meet certain special performance requirements and adapt to complex terrain, due to their complex structure, there are still many problems that need to be solved in order to achieve stable and high-speed walking.

[0006] Composite robots can effectively combine the advantages of wheeled movement, such as fast speed and high efficiency, tracked movement, good stability and strong obstacle crossing ability, and legged movement, to improve the overall performance of the robot.

[0007] As can be seen from the above, tracked robots are widely used within the ground mobile robot family due to their strong adaptability to terrain and ability to cope with harsh road conditions. Four-wheeled motion platforms fully utilize the advantages of wheeled motion, which are high speed and low power consumption, making them suitable for quickly reaching target locations on relatively flat surfaces. Articulated tracked robots are primarily used for reconnaissance in hazardous environments. Under certain conditions, they can navigate various obstacles such as steps, trenches, platforms, and stairs. In a state of static equilibrium, when the body weight, step height, and friction coefficient are the same, a mobile vehicle with a larger wheel diameter is more likely to climb steps. However, due to size and motor output power limitations, it is not possible to increase the wheel diameter indefinitely. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: in response to the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot with a simple structure, diversified and easy-to-switch motion modes, and all-terrain crossing capability.

[0009] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0010] A wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot comprises a vehicle frame, a fin-arm system, a traveling mechanism, a transmission system, a control device box, a mechanical arm and a power unit. The vehicle frame serves as a carrier for the fin-arm system, the traveling mechanism and the transmission system, and the front fin swing arm and the rear fin swing arm are distributed in front and behind the vehicle frame. The power unit comprises two track drive motors installed at the front of the vehicle frame, a front fin motor that controls the swing arm, two rear wheel motors installed at the rear of the vehicle frame, and a rear fin motor that controls the swing of the rear fin.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention: the frame is formed by welding aluminum square tubes, and reinforcing ribs are provided on the frame, and the rigidity of the frame is strengthened in the form of triangular diagonal rods.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention: the motor is connected to the vehicle frame via a motor seat, and the drive shaft is installed via a bearing seat.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention: the front fin swing arm assembly includes an omnidirectional wheel, an omnidirectional wheel mounting plate, a track, a front fin shaft, a track drive wheel, a support wheel, a front fin plate and a tensioning wheel; the omnidirectional wheel is fixed to the track drive wheel through the omnidirectional wheel mounting plate, and the rotation of the front fin shaft is used to control the omnidirectional wheel to support the ground or be suspended in the air, thereby switching the movement mode.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention: the crawler driving wheel is connected via a spline on the crawler driving shaft, thereby driving the rotation of the crawler.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention: the support wheel is used to support the tensioning track, and the tensioning wheel adopts a fixed tensioning method and is installed on the front fin through a tensioning sheet.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention: the rear fin swing arm assembly includes two sections of carbon fiber plates with an angle of 30° connected together, a rear fin middle wheel is installed in the middle, a ratchet is installed at the far end, and the swing arms on both sides are connected to the rear fin connecting rod as a whole through the middle carbon fiber tube.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention: the robot transmission system includes four wheel motors and two fin motors; the track drive motor transmits power to the track drive shaft through the track drive gear, thereby driving the track drive gear to rotate and the track rotates; the rear wheel motor drives the rear wheel axle to rotate through the rear wheel drive gear 15, causing the rear wheel to rotate.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention: the front fin swing arm system includes a front fin, a front fin plate, a front fin worm gear reducer and a front fin motor. The front fin motor transmits torque to the front fin plate through the front fin worm gear reducer, thereby driving the front fin to rotate and completing the mode switching function.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present invention: the rear fin swing arm system includes a rear fin, a rear fin motor, a rear fin worm gear reducer and a rear fin shaft. The rear fin shaft is rotated by the rear fin motor and the worm gear reducer, thereby swinging the rear fin installed thereon.

[0020] As a further improvement of the present invention: when the front fin is swung by controlling the front fin motor, the omnidirectional wheels support the entire robot, the omnidirectional wheel located at the front of the frame is the driven wheel, and the rear wheel is the driving wheel, and they move at high speed. At this time, it is a wheeled motion mode; when the front fin is swung by controlling the front fin motor, the tracks are all attached to the ground, supporting the robot and the rear wheels do not play a supporting role. At this time, it is a tracked motion mode; the front fin is swung by controlling the front fin motor, and the front fin is swung forward to improve the robot's obstacle crossing ability. At this time, it is a wheel-track combination mode; the front fin and the rear fin are coordinated to slowly adjust the center of gravity of the robot, which is a crawling mode.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0022] The present invention's wheel-fin hybrid obstacle-crossing robot is a multi-mode robot capable of converting between wheeled, tracked, and wheel-track modes. It possesses all-terrain traversal capabilities while also achieving high speed requirements. The robot boasts the advantages of being compact and lightweight, and can switch motion modes based on terrain characteristics, selecting the optimal mode of travel. On flat surfaces, it uses four-wheel mode to improve speed and efficiency, while on soft, rough terrain, it uses tracked mode to enhance platform maneuverability. The robot's front and rear fin swing arms provide enhanced obstacle-crossing capabilities.

[0023] 2. The wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot of the present invention is a small wheel-fin composite robot suitable for all-terrain obstacle crossing. It combines the advantages of wheeled, tracked and leg-footed robots, can change the motion mode according to the characteristics of the terrain, select the best travel mode, adopt a four-wheel mode to achieve high-speed movement, and improve the obstacle crossing performance by combining wheels and tracks.

[0024] 3. The wheel-fin hybrid obstacle-crossing robot of the present invention utilizes a front swing arm structure to increase the effective diameter of the wheels, reduce the robot's size, and enhance its obstacle-crossing capability. The rear swing arm mechanism prevents the robot from falling when crossing obstacles, increasing its stability and further improving its obstacle-crossing capability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1It is an axonometric diagram of the overall structure of the robot of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a top view schematic diagram of the overall structure of the robot of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of the front fin mechanism in a specific application example of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of the rear fin mechanism in a specific application example of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of the transmission mechanism of the present invention in a specific application example.

[0030] Legend:

[0031] 1. Omnidirectional wheel; 2. Omnidirectional wheel plate; 3. Track; 4. Front fin shaft; 5. Track drive wheel; 6. Support wheel; 7. Front fin plate; 8. Tensioner; 9. Rear wheel; 10. Rear fin; 11. Rear fin middle wheel; 12. Rear fin worm gear reducer; 13. Rear fin shaft; 14. Frame; 15. Rear wheel drive gear; 16. Rear wheel shaft; 17. Rear wheel motor; 18. Control device box; 19. Track drive gear; 20. Track drive shaft; 21. Robotic arm; 22. Track drive motor; 23. Front fin; 24. Front fin worm gear reducer; 25. Front fin motor; 26. Rear fin motor; 27. Rear fin ratchet; 28. Rear fin connecting rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] like Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot of the present invention includes a frame 14, a fin-arm system, a walking mechanism, a transmission system, a control device box, a mechanical arm and a power unit. The frame 14 is the carrier of the fin-arm system, the walking mechanism and the transmission system, and the front fin swing arm and the rear fin swing arm are distributed in front and behind the frame; the power unit includes two track drive motors 22 installed at the front of the frame, a front fin motor 25 for controlling the swing arm, two rear wheel motors 17 installed at the rear of the frame, and a rear fin motor 26 for controlling the swing of the rear fin.

[0034] In this specific application example, the frame 14 is welded from aluminum square tubes, resulting in a lightweight design. Reinforcement ribs are installed in locations prone to deformation, using triangular diagonal rods to enhance the frame's rigidity. The motor is connected to the frame via a motor mount, and the drive shaft is mounted via a bearing mount.

[0035] In a specific application example, the front fin swing arm assembly includes an omnidirectional wheel 1, an omnidirectional wheel mounting plate 2, a track 3, a front fin shaft 4, a track drive wheel 5, a support wheel 6, a front fin plate 7, and a tensioning wheel 8. The omnidirectional wheel 1 is fixed to the track drive wheel 5 via the omnidirectional wheel mounting plate 2. The rotation of the front fin shaft 4 controls the omnidirectional wheel 1 to support the ground or be suspended in the air, thereby switching the motion mode. The track drive wheel 5 is connected via a spline on the track drive shaft 20, thereby driving the rotation of the track 3. The support wheel 6 is used to support and tension the track 3. The tensioning wheel 8 is mounted on the front fin plate 7 via a tensioning plate in a fixed tensioning manner.

[0036] In a specific application example, the rear fin swing arm assembly is composed of two sections of carbon fiber plates with an angle of 30°, a rear fin middle wheel 11 is installed in the middle, a ratchet 27 is installed at the far end, and the swing arms on both sides are connected to the rear fin connecting rod 28 as a whole through the middle carbon fiber tube.

[0037] In this specific application example, the robot's transmission system includes four wheel motors and two fin motors. The track drive motor 22 transmits power to the track drive shaft 20 via the track drive gear 19, thereby driving the track drive gear 19 and rotating the tracks 3. The rear wheel motor 17 drives the rear wheel shaft 16 via the rear wheel drive gear 15, thereby rotating the rear wheels 9.

[0038] In a specific application example, the front fin swing arm system includes a front fin 23, a front fin plate 7, a front fin worm gear reducer 24 and a front fin motor 25. The front fin motor 25 transmits torque to the front fin plate 7 through the front fin worm gear reducer 24, thereby driving the front fin 23 to rotate, thereby achieving the function of mode switching.

[0039] In a specific application example, the rear fin swing arm system includes a rear fin 10, a rear fin motor 26, a rear fin worm gear reducer 12 and a rear fin shaft 13. The rear fin shaft 13 is rotated by the rear fin motor 26 and the worm gear reducer 12, thereby swinging the rear fin 10 mounted thereon.

[0040] In specific applications, the present invention has the following working modes:

[0041] When the robot is traveling on flat ground, the front fin 23 is swung by controlling the front fin motor 25, and the omnidirectional wheel 1 supports the entire robot. At this time, the omnidirectional wheel 1 located in the front of the frame 14 is the driven wheel, and the rear wheel 9 is the driving wheel, performing high-speed movement. This is the wheeled movement mode.

[0042] When the robot is moving on soft sand or gravel, the front fin 23 is swung by controlling the front fin motor 25, so that the crawler 3 is completely attached to the ground, and the rear wheel 9 does not play a supporting role to prop up the robot. At this time, it is in crawler motion mode.

[0043] When the robot is traveling in a rough soil environment, the front fin 23 is swung by controlling the front fin motor 25 so that the front fin 23 is swung forward, thereby improving the robot's obstacle-crossing capability. At this time, the robot is in the wheel-track combination mode.

[0044] When the robot climbs down from a higher obstacle, the center of gravity of the robot can be slowly lowered by coordinating the front fin 23 with the rear fin 10, and the rear fin motor 26 is controlled to lower the rear fin swing arm so that the rear fin ratchet 27 contacts the ground. By swinging the front fin 23 and the rear fin 10, the center of gravity is lowered, and the rear fin middle wheel 11 contacts the ground, thereby realizing the function of getting down from the platform.

[0045] When the robot climbs an obstacle, the center of gravity moves upward, which is the opposite of the process of going down the platform.

[0046] The present invention features a simple and compact structure, employing a modular, miniaturized, and lightweight design. It possesses the ability to overcome obstacles in a variety of terrains and can switch modes depending on the environment, effectively balancing high speed, high efficiency, and high passability. This invention utilizes a modular design concept for the detailed structural design of the robot, dividing it into multiple modules and designing each module separately. A composite wheel-fin locomotion scheme allows the robot to possess three motion modes, and front and rear fin arms enhance the platform's obstacle-crossing performance. This achieves a miniaturized, lightweight, and highly maneuverable ground obstacle-crossing robot, integrating the advantages of multiple motion modes to provide the robot with high environmental adaptability.

[0047] The robot of the present invention adopts the concept of modular design as a whole, and the overall design of the frame mainly considers the installation positions of the walking mechanism, control device box, transmission system and fin arm. Considering the overall weight requirement of the robot, the frame is welded with 3mm thick aluminum square tubes, which is relatively light. Reinforcing ribs are installed at positions where the frame 14 is easily deformed by stress, and the rigidity of the frame 14 is strengthened in the form of triangular diagonal rods. In order to reduce damage to the chassis during obstacle crossing, the robot adopts a strategy of increasing the chassis and fin arm support. By increasing the size of the drive wheel and installing the drive shaft as low as possible, the chassis height of the robot is relatively raised. The front and rear swing arm systems of the robot can also support the ground and lift the vehicle body over obstacles when the chassis height is insufficient.

[0048] In this invention, the control box is designed to facilitate debugging of the robot's control load, housing all necessary control components. During maintenance and debugging, the control box can be removed separately and repaired and debugged simultaneously with the mechanical components, reducing debugging time. Because the control box primarily bears the weight of the components, low strength and rigidity requirements are required. To reduce the robot's weight, the control box is constructed from 3mm-thick carbon fiber panels and aluminum connectors.

[0049] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions based on the principles of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, various improvements and modifications that do not depart from the principles of the present invention should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a frame, a fin arm system, a walking mechanism, a transmission system, a control device box, a mechanical arm and a power unit. The frame serves as a carrier of the fin arm system, the walking mechanism and the transmission system. The front fin swing arm assembly and the rear fin swing arm assembly of the fin arm system are distributed in the front and rear of the frame. The power unit comprises two track drive motors installed at the front of the frame, a front fin motor for controlling the swing arm, two rear wheel motors installed at the rear of the frame, and a rear fin motor for controlling the swing of the rear fin. The front fin swing arm assembly comprises an omnidirectional wheel, an omnidirectional wheel mounting plate, a track, a front fin shaft, a track drive wheel, a support wheel, a front fin plate and a tensioning wheel. The omnidirectional The wheel is fixed to the track drive wheel through the omnidirectional wheel mounting plate, and the omnidirectional wheel is controlled to support the ground or be suspended in the air through the rotation of the front fin shaft, thereby switching the movement mode; the track drive motor transmits power to the track drive shaft through the track drive gear, thereby driving the track drive gear to rotate and the track to rotate; the rear wheel motor drives the rear wheel shaft to rotate through the rear wheel transmission gear, so that the rear wheel rotates; the rear fin swing arm assembly includes two side swing arms, the swing arm is connected by two sections of carbon fiber plates with an angle, the rear fin middle wheel is installed in the middle, and the ratchet is installed at the far end. The two side swing arms are connected to the rear fin connecting rod as a whole through the middle carbon fiber tube.

2. The wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame is formed by welding square tubes. Reinforcement ribs are provided on the frame, and the rigidity of the frame is enhanced in the form of triangular diagonal rods.

3. The wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crawler driving wheel is connected via a spline on the crawler driving shaft, thereby driving the rotation of the crawler.

4. The wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support wheel is used to support the tensioning track. The tensioning wheel adopts a fixed tensioning method and is installed on the front fin through a tensioning sheet.

5. The wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The front fin swing arm assembly includes a front fin plate, a front fin worm gear reducer and a front fin motor. The front fin motor transmits torque to the front fin plate through the front fin worm gear reducer, thereby driving the front fin to rotate and completing the mode switching function.

6. The wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The rear fin swing arm assembly includes a rear fin motor, a rear fin worm gear reducer and a rear fin shaft. The rear fin shaft is rotated by the rear fin motor and the worm gear reducer, thereby swinging the rear fin installed thereon.

7. The wheel-fin composite obstacle-crossing robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: When the front fin is swung by controlling the front fin motor, the omnidirectional wheel supports the entire robot. The omnidirectional wheel at the front of the frame is the driven wheel, and the rear wheel is the driving wheel, performing high-speed movement. This is the wheeled motion mode. When the front fin is swung by controlling the front fin motor, the tracks are all attached to the ground, supporting the robot and the rear wheels do not play a supporting role. This is the tracked motion mode. The front fin is swung by controlling the front fin motor and the front fin is swung forward to improve the robot's obstacle crossing ability. This is the wheel-track combined mode. The front fin and the rear fin are coordinated to slowly adjust the center of gravity of the robot. This is the crawling mode.

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