Foot structure of robot and robot

Abstract

This application discloses a foot structure for a robot and a robot. The foot structure of the robot according to an embodiment of this application includes an elastic foot sole, a mating component, a structural component, and a sensor. The mating component is connected to the foot sole. The mating component is movable according to the elastic deformation of the foot sole. The structural component is independently disposed relative to the foot sole. The sensor is connected to the structural component. The sensor and the mating component are spaced apart, and the sensor is used to detect the distance between the mating component and the sensor. In the foot structure of the robot according to an embodiment of this application, the sensor is disposed on the structural component, which avoids direct contact between the sensor and the foot sole, thus improving the lifespan of the sensor. Furthermore, the sensor and the mating component work together to detect the distance between them, and thus the pressure on the foot sole can be determined based on this distance.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

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

[0002] With the development of bionic technology, a foot-type robot has become a hot research object. Motion control and balance control of the foot-type robot are important in the technology of the foot-type robot. In the related technology, a pressure sensor is installed on the foot bottom of the foot-type robot, and the foot-type robot collects the pressure of the foot bottom through the pressure sensor, so as to control the posture of the foot-type robot according to the pressure. However, the pressure sensor is easy to be damaged, and the maintenance difficulty is high. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application provides a robot and a foot structure of the robot.

[0004] The foot structure of the robot of the present application includes an elastic foot bottom piece, a matching piece, a structure piece and a sensor. The matching piece is connected with the foot bottom piece. The matching piece can move along with the elastic deformation of the foot bottom piece. The structure piece is independently arranged relative to the foot bottom piece. The sensor is connected with the structure piece. The sensor is arranged in a spaced manner with the matching piece, and the sensor is used to detect the distance between the matching piece and the sensor.

[0005] The robot of the present application includes a body and the foot structure of the above embodiment, and the foot structure is connected with the body.

[0006] In the foot structure of the robot and the robot of the present application, the sensor is arranged on the structure piece, so that the sensor can be prevented from directly contacting the foot bottom piece, and the service life of the sensor is improved. In addition, the sensor and the matching piece can detect the distance between the matching piece and the sensor, and then the pressure received by the foot bottom piece can be determined according to the distance.

[0007] Additional aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present application will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and be readily appreciated from the following description, including the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a robot of an embodiment of the present application;

[0010] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a foot structure of an embodiment of the present application;

[0011] Figure 3 is an exploded schematic view of a foot structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a foot structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 5 is another cross-sectional schematic view of a foot structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 6 is a perspective schematic view of a sole piece of a foot structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a connecting piece of a foot structure according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0016] Explanation of Main Element Symbols:

[0017] Robot 200, Body 210, Foot structure 100, Sole piece 10, Second step structure 11, Mating piece 20, End surface 21, First portion 22, Second portion 23, Structure piece 30, Connecting groove 31, Sensor 40, Connecting piece 50, Connecting lug 51, First step structure 52, First hole 53, Second hole 54, First screw 60, Second screw 70, Elastic piece 80. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The embodiments of the present application will be further described with reference to the drawings. Like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. The drawings are as follows:

[0019] In addition, the embodiments of the present application described below are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the present application. Further, the present application can repeat the reference numerals and / or reference letters in various examples, and such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0020] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different structures of the present application. For purposes of explanation and ease of understanding, specific examples of the components and arrangements are described. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. Furthermore, the present application can repeat the reference numerals and / or reference letters in different examples, and such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0021] Reference will now be made to Figure 1The robot 200 of the embodiment of the present application comprises a body 210 and a foot structure 100, and the foot structure 100 is connected to the body 210. For example, the foot structure 100 is rotatably arranged on the body 210. The robot 200 can be a foot robot, for example, the robot 200 is a four-foot robot 200. The present application does not limit the number of feet of the robot 200.

[0022] Please refer to Figures 2-4 The foot structure 100 of the robot 200 of the embodiment of the present application comprises a resilient foot bottom piece 10, a matching piece 20, a structure piece 30 and a sensor 40, and the matching piece 20 is connected to the foot bottom piece 10. The matching piece 20 can move with the elastic deformation of the foot bottom piece 10. The structure piece 30 is independently arranged relative to the foot bottom piece 10. The sensor 40 is connected to the structure piece 30. The sensor 40 is arranged in a spaced manner with the matching piece 20, and the sensor 40 is used to detect the distance between the matching piece 20 and the sensor 40.

[0023] In the foot structure 100 and the robot 200 of the embodiment of the present application, the sensor 40 is arranged on the structure piece 30, which can avoid the direct contact between the sensor 40 and the foot bottom piece 10, and improve the service life of the sensor 40. In addition, the sensor 40 and the matching piece 20 can detect the distance between the matching piece 20 and the sensor 40, and then the pressure received by the foot bottom piece 10 can be determined according to the distance.

[0024] Specifically, the foot bottom piece 10 is a force receiving component of the robot 200, and the foot bottom piece 10 generally contacts with a support surface (for example, a table surface or a ground surface) to support the overall weight of the robot 200. The elasticity of the foot bottom piece 10 means that the foot bottom piece 10 can be elastically deformed under the action of an external force, and can restore the original shape after the external force is removed.

[0025] In order to make the foot bottom piece 10 have elasticity, the foot bottom piece 10 can be made of elastic material, or can be formed by an elastic structure. For example, the foot bottom piece 10 can be made of elastic materials such as rubber and silica gel, or can be formed by elastic structures such as springs. In the case that the foot bottom piece 10 is made of elastic material, the foot bottom piece 10 can be a hollow structure or a solid structure, and the present application does not specifically limit the specific structure of the foot bottom piece 10.

[0026] The elastic foot bottom piece 10 also has a buffering effect, which can reduce the impact received by the robot 200, reduce the risk of damage of the robot 200, and improve the service life of the robot 200.

[0027] The outer contour surface of the foot bottom piece 10 can be a plane or a curved surface. For example, Figure 6In the shown example, the outer surface of the sole piece 10 is spherical. The spherical outer contour can result in less edges of the sole piece 10, which can reduce the probability of collision with ground obstacles.

[0028] The connection of the fitting piece 20 to the sole piece 10 can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection. In addition, the fitting piece 20 and the sole piece 10 can be integrally connected or detachably connected. The present application does not limit the specific connection structure of the fitting piece 20 and the sole piece 10.

[0029] In the present application, the fitting piece 20 is arranged in the stress direction of the sole piece 10, or in other words, the fitting piece 20 is arranged in the direction of the external force received by the sole piece 10. For example, if the external force received by the sole piece 10 is the reaction force in the upward direction applied by the ground to the sole piece 10, then the fitting piece 20 is arranged in the upward direction of the sole piece 10.

[0030] Due to the connection of the fitting piece 20 to the sole piece 10, the fitting piece 20 can move with the elastic deformation of the sole piece 10. It should be noted that the movement amount of the fitting piece 20 can be consistent with the elastic deformation amount of the sole piece 10, or can have a certain relationship. For example, in the case that the elastic deformation amount of the sole piece 10 is 5 mm, the movement amount of the fitting piece 20 can also be 5 mm.

[0031] It can be understood that the greater the external force received by the sole piece 10, the greater the elastic deformation amount of the sole piece 10, and the greater the movement amount of the fitting piece 20. Therefore, the size of the external force received by the sole piece 10 can be determined according to the movement amount of the fitting piece 20.

[0032] The fitting piece 20 can be a regular shape structure or an irregular shape structure. In the present application, the fitting piece 20 is in a columnar shape. In other embodiments, the fitting piece 20 can also be in other shapes.

[0033] In the present application, the structural piece 30 is arranged independently relative to the sole piece 10, or in other words, the structural piece 30 and the sole piece 10 are two different elements. In the present application, the structural piece 30 and the sole piece 10 do not directly contact each other and have a certain distance therebetween. Of course, in other embodiments, the structural piece 30 can also contact the sole piece 10.

[0034] The structural piece 30 can make the sensor 40 more stable, and ensure the normal operation of the sensor 40. The structural piece 30 can be connected to the sensor 40 by clamping, bonding or the like.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present application, the sensor 40 is spaced apart from the fitting member 20, which means that the sensor 40 is spaced apart from the fitting member 20 by a certain distance, and the distance can change with the movement of the fitting member 20. In the embodiments of the present application, the position of the sensor 40 relative to the structural member 30 is fixed, and the sensor 40 can move relative to the structural member 30. Thus, during the movement of the fitting member 20, the sensor 40 can detect that the distance between the fitting member 20 and the sensor 40 is changing.

[0036] As discussed above, the deformation amount of the foot bottom member 10 is generally positively correlated with the movement amount of the fitting member 20, and the external force received by the foot bottom member 10 is generally positively correlated with the deformation amount of the foot bottom member 10. Therefore, by detecting the distance between the fitting member 20 and the sensor 40, the size of the external force received by the foot bottom member 10 can be determined.

[0037] In the embodiments of the present application, the sensor 40 can detect the distance between the sensor 40 and the fitting member 20 by using light, magnetic field, etc. For example, the sensor 40 can be an infrared sensor 40 using light principle, or a Hall sensor 40 using magnetic field principle.

[0038] Referring to Figure 4 In some embodiments, one end of the fitting member 20 is inserted into the foot bottom member 10. Thus, the fitting member 20 and the foot bottom member 10 can be connected more closely, so that the fitting member 20 can move with the deformation of the foot bottom member 10. In order to prevent the fitting member 20 from moving relative to the foot bottom member 10, the fitting member 20 can be connected with the foot bottom member 10 by interference fit, threaded connection, adhesion, etc.

[0039] In the embodiments of the present application, the other end of the fitting member 20 protrudes from the foot bottom member 10, so that the sensor 40 can accurately detect the distance between the fitting member 20 and the sensor 40, and improve the detection accuracy.

[0040] Referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the fitting member 20 includes an end face 21 facing the sensor 40, and the sensor 40 is configured to emit light to the end face 21 and receive the light reflected by the end face 21 to detect the distance between the fitting member 20 and the sensor 40. Thus, the sensor 40 can detect the distance between the sensor 40 and the fitting member 20 by using light.

[0041] Specifically, the sensor 40 can include a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter is configured to emit light, and the receiver is configured to receive the light reflected by the end face 21 of the fitting member 20. The light emitted by the transmitter can be infrared light or laser. It can be understood that, in the case that the light emitted by the transmitter is infrared light, the sensor 40 is an infrared distance sensor.

[0042] It should be noted that the end surface 21 of the fitting member 20 can be a flat surface and has light reflecting ability. The end surface 21 of the fitting member 20 can diffuse the light to emit the light back into the sensor 40.

[0043] It can be understood that the distance between the sensor 40 and the fitting member 20 can be determined according to the time difference between the emission and reception of the light by the sensor 40 and the propagation speed of the light.

[0044] In other embodiments, the sensor 40 can be a Hall sensor. In this case, the fitting member 20 is at least partially made of magnetic material. Alternatively, the fitting member 20 can be made of magnetic material as a whole, for example, the fitting member 20 is made of iron as a whole. Of course, the fitting member 20 can be partially made of magnetic material, for example, the fitting member 20 can be formed by arranging a magnet on a plastic member. The present application does not limit the specific formation of the fitting member 20.

[0045] Referring to Figure 4 In some embodiments, the sensor 40 is at least partially accommodated in the structural member 30. In other words, the sensor 40 can be partially accommodated in the structural member 30 or completely accommodated in the structural member 30. In this way, the structural member 30 can prevent the sensor 40 from being impacted by external objects, thereby improving the service life of the sensor 40.

[0046] Specifically, the structural member 30 can be formed with an accommodation hole, and the sensor 40 can be mounted in the accommodation hole. The sensor 40 can be bonded to the hole wall of the accommodation hole by adhesive.

[0047] Of course, in other embodiments, the sensor 40 can be arranged outside the structural member 30. For example, the sensor 40 can be mounted on the outside of the structural member 30 by a bracket.

[0048] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the foot structure 100 includes a connecting member 50 connecting the structural member 30 and the foot bottom member 10. In this way, the connecting member 50 can connect the structural member 30 and the foot bottom member 10 to form a whole, which is conducive to the installation of the foot structure 100 on the body 210 of the robot 200.

[0049] Specifically, the connecting member 50 can be made of plastic or other materials. Since the connecting member 50 needs to transmit the force received by the foot bottom member 10 to the structural member 30, the material of the connecting member 50 is preferably selected to be a material with sufficient strength to avoid damage to the connecting member 50 during the operation of the robot 200.

[0050] Referring to Figure 7The connecting piece 50 has a structure of being small in the upper part and large in the lower part. The outer surface of the upper part of the connecting piece 50 is smoothly connected to the outer surface of the structural piece 30, and the outer surface of the lower part of the connecting piece 50 is smoothly connected to the outer surface of the structural piece 30. The connecting piece 50 and the structural piece 30 can be connected by screws, threads, or the like. Similarly, the connecting piece 50 and the foot bottom piece 10 can also be connected by screws, threads, or the like.

[0051] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 7 In the embodiments, the connecting piece 50 is provided with a plurality of connecting ears 51 which are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the connecting piece 50. The structural piece 30 is formed with a plurality of connecting grooves 31, and the connecting ears 51 and the connecting grooves 31 correspond to each other. The connecting piece 50 is installed with the structural piece 30 by the first screw 60 passing through the connecting ear 51. The outer circumference of the foot bottom piece 10 is provided with a screw hole, and the foot bottom piece 10 is installed with the connecting piece 50 by the second screw 70 passing through the screw hole, so that the foot bottom piece 10, the connecting piece 50, and the structural piece 30 are connected into one whole.

[0052] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the connecting piece 50 is formed with a first step structure 52, and the foot bottom piece 10 is formed with a second step structure 11. The connecting piece 50 and the foot bottom piece 10 are connected by the first step structure 52 and the second step structure 11.

[0053] In this way, the first step structure 52 and the second step structure 11 make the connecting piece 50 and the foot bottom piece 10 easier to position, which is beneficial to improve the assembly efficiency of the foot bottom piece 10 and the connecting piece 50. In addition, the first step structure 52 and the second step structure 11 can have a sealing effect, preventing liquid from entering the connecting piece 50 from the gap between the foot bottom piece 10 and the connecting piece 50, and improving the service life of the connecting piece 50.

[0054] Referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the cooperating piece 20 is partially accommodated in the connecting piece 50. The cooperating piece 20 can move relative to the connecting piece 50. In this way, the cooperating structure of the cooperating piece 20 and the connecting piece 50 is compact, so that the volume of the foot structure 100 is smaller, and the connecting piece 50 can reduce the impact on the cooperating piece 20.

[0055] Of course, in other embodiments, the cooperating piece 20 can also be arranged outside the connecting piece 50. For example, the cooperating piece 20 can be arranged outside the connecting piece 50 by a support.

[0056] Specifically, referring to Figure 4 and Figure 7In the embodiment, the connecting piece 50 is formed with a first hole 53 and a second hole 54 in communication with the first hole 53, the first hole 53 has a larger diameter than the second hole 54, the fitting piece 20 includes a first part 22 and a second part 23 connected with the first part 22, the first part 22 is located in the first hole 53, and the second part 23 passes through the second hole 54 and is connected with the foot bottom piece 10.

[0057] In this way, the first hole 53 and the second hole 54 enable the fitting piece 20 to move relative to the connecting piece 50 and to be connected with the foot bottom piece 10. The first hole 53 has a larger diameter than the second hole 54, which can limit the moving range of the fitting piece 20 and avoid the fitting piece 20 applying force to the foot bottom piece 10, thereby reducing the detection accuracy of the sensor 40.

[0058] Specifically, the first hole 53 and the second hole 54 can both be circular holes or both be square holes. The application does not limit the specific shape of the first hole 53 and the second hole 54, as long as the fitting piece 20 can move relative to the connecting piece 50.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the foot structure 100 includes an elastic piece 80, and the two ends of the elastic piece 80 abut against the fitting piece 20 and the structural piece 30, respectively. In this way, the elastic piece 80 can drive the fitting piece 20 to reset after the external force applied to the foot bottom piece 10 is removed, which is conducive to the sensor 40 to detect the distance between the fitting piece 20 and the sensor 40 in real time and improve the detection accuracy of the sensor 40.

[0060] Specifically, in the embodiment, the elastic piece 80 is accommodated in the first hole 53, that is, the elastic piece 80 is accommodated in the connecting piece 50, which makes the cooperation between the elastic piece 80 and the connecting piece 50 more compact. The elastic piece 80 can be a spring or an elastic piece made of elastic materials such as rubber.

[0061] In summary, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4In one embodiment, the mounting process of the foot structure 100 is as follows: firstly, glue is applied on the second step structure 11 of the sole piece 10, the first step structure 52 of the connecting piece 50 is matched with the second step, so that the connecting piece 50 is mounted on the sole piece 10, and then the sole piece 10 and the connecting piece 50 are locked by the second screw 70; then, one end of the matching piece 20 is inserted into the sole piece 10 along the first hole 53 and the second hole 54 in the connecting piece 50; the elastic piece 80 is mounted in the first hole 53 along the first hole 53 and one end of the elastic piece 80 abuts against the matching piece 20; then, the sensor 40 is mounted in the structure piece 30; finally, the structure piece 30 with the sensor 40 is mounted on the connecting piece, and the structure piece 30 and the connecting piece 50 are locked by the first screw 60, so that the mounting of the foot structure 100 is completed.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 In one example, the working principle of the foot structure 100 is as follows: when the sole piece 10 is not in contact with the ground, the state of the foot structure 100 is as shown in Figure 4 , the sensor 40 strikes a light beam on the end surface 21 of the matching piece 20 and reflects it back, and the distance at this time can be calculated as a zero position distance; as shown in Figure 5 , when the sole piece 10 is in contact with the ground, the ground has a ground force F on the sole piece 10, which causes the sole piece 10 to be compressed, and after the compression of the sole piece 10, the sole piece 10 drives the matching piece 20 to slide in the first hole 53 and the second hole 54, and the elastic piece 80 is compressed, at this time, the distance detected by the sensor 40 changes, and the value is transmitted to the mainboard end of the body 210, and the change of the force is perceived through calculation. By calibrating the sensor 40 in advance, the approximate range of the force value can be calculated. When the sole piece 10 is lifted away from the ground, the elastic force of the elastic piece 80 presses the matching piece 20 back to the initial position.

[0063] In the description of the present specification, the description of the terms "certain embodiments", "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the described embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present specification, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily mean the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the described specific features, structures, materials or characteristics can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0064] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present application, and that changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present application, which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A foot structure of a robot characterized by comprising: The application relates to a foot structure, comprising: a flexible sole piece; a matching piece connected with the sole piece and capable of moving along with the elastic deformation of the sole piece; a structure piece independently arranged relative to the sole piece; a connecting piece connecting the structure piece and the sole piece, so that the structure piece and the sole piece are connected as a whole, and the matching piece can move relative to the connecting piece; a spring piece, two ends of the spring piece abutting against the matching piece and the structure piece respectively; a sensor connected with the structure piece, the sensor being arranged in a spaced mode relative to the matching piece, and the sensor being used for detecting the distance between the matching piece and the sensor; wherein the connecting piece is formed with a first hole and a second hole, the second hole being in communication with the first hole, and the aperture of the first hole being larger than that of the second hole; the matching piece comprises a first part and a second part, the first part being located in the first hole, and the second part being connected with the first part and penetrating through the second hole and connecting the sole piece; the first hole and the second hole cooperate to limit the moving range of the matching piece, so as to avoid the matching piece from exerting an acting force on the sole piece; the spring piece is accommodated in the first hole, and the spring piece is used for driving the matching piece to reset after the external force applied on the sole piece is removed, so that the sensor can detect the distance between the matching piece and the sensor in real time; the matching piece comprises an end face facing the sensor, the sensor is used for emitting light to the end face and receiving the reflected light of the end face to detect the distance between the matching piece and the sensor. One end of the matching piece is inserted into the sole piece.

2. The foot structure of claim 1, wherein The sensor is at least partially accommodated in the structure piece.

3. The foot structure of claim 1, wherein The connecting piece is formed with a first step structure, the sole piece is formed with a second step structure, and the connecting piece and the sole piece are clamped through the first step structure and the second step structure.

4. The foot structure of claim 1, wherein The application relates to a foot structure, comprising:

5. A robot, characterized in that a body and the foot structure as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, the foot structure being connected with the body. ​

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