A multi-pneumatic muscle-based cat-like falling robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cat - like robot based on multiple pneumatic muscles. Both ends of the robot's waist are connected to the head and the tail through corresponding flexible spines. The circuit control system is installed in the waist. Corresponding pressure control components are installed in both the head and the tail. Each pressure control component is connected to the corresponding flexible spine, and the circuit control system is connected to the pressure control components in both the head and the tail. Legs are installed on the end faces of the head and the tail far from the waist. The expansion and contraction of the flexible spine are used to control the bending and rotation of the front half - body and the rear half - body relative to the waist. The legs play the role of supporting the robot after the cat - like robot completes the righting action and can swing freely. The present invention can provide buffering for the robot's body when the cat - like robot lands, realizing a more flexible and stable flipping motion process; it can give full play to the advantages of pneumatic muscles and their parallel joints, and has many advantages such as a compact structure, low cost, and smooth motion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot in the field of robot technology, and specifically to a cat-like robot based on multiple pneumatic muscles. Background Art

[0002] During the falling process, a cat has the characteristics of flexible movement, fast righting speed, light landing, and little self-harm. For the "falling cat phenomenon", various falling cat righting models have certain applicability and limitations. Currently, the main righting principles include the "curved spine theory", the "limb opening and closing theory", and the "tail rotation theory". Among them, the "curved spine theory" has better theoretical proof, a larger righting rotation angle, and may have better adaptability. Studying the principle structure and dynamic characteristics of the righting process of a falling cat and developing a cat-like robot have important research significance for the landing of extraterrestrial detectors, the landing of deep well rescue robots, the buffer legs of jumping robots, and high-altitude rescue robots. At the same time, studying the body rotation movement of a cat during free fall has important reference value for exploring the space movement law of astronauts in the space weightless state.

[0003] Existing cat-like robots still have many deficiencies in the design of the righting principle, joint drive form, and control system. In terms of the righting principle, most of them develop prototypes based on the double-rigid-body model, without considering the influence of other components such as limbs, tail, and head on the righting of the cat-like robot; in terms of the joint drive form, most are motor-driven, and the rigid body cannot provide buffering during landing, easily causing damage to the motor; in terms of the control system, basically all are based on feedforward trajectory fitting, without using sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes to monitor the real-time pose changes during the flipping process of the prototype. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the existing technology, the present invention provides a cat-like robot driven by pneumatic muscles. The present invention provides a three-rigid-body structure consisting of a head, a waist, and a tail. The three-rigid-body structures are connected by pneumatic muscles to form a flexible spine of the robot. The stretching and contraction of the pneumatic muscles are used to control the bending and rotation of the front half and the rear half relative to the waist. The inflation pressure of the pneumatic muscles is controlled by a pressure control component to realize the contraction of the pneumatic muscles and the rotation of the parallel platform, thereby controlling the righting movement of the cat-like robot.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present invention includes a head, a waist, a tail, legs, a circuit control system, a pressure control component, and a flexible spine. Both ends of the waist are connected to the head and the tail through corresponding flexible spines. The circuit control system is installed in the waist. Corresponding pressure control components are installed in both the head and the tail. Each pressure control component is connected to the corresponding flexible spine. The circuit control system is connected to the pressure control components in both the head and the tail. Legs are installed on the end faces of the head and the tail away from the waist.

[0007] The flexible spine between the waist and the head has the same structure as the flexible spine between the waist and the tail, and both include a long-axis seat, a ball joint, a long axis, a pneumatic muscle, a ball hinge joint, and a ball hinge base.

[0008] The long-axis seat is fixedly installed in the middle of one end of the head. The ball hinge base is fixedly installed in the middle of one end of the waist close to the head. One end of the long axis is fixedly installed in the long-axis seat, and the other end of the long axis is hinged to the ball hinge base through the ball hinge joint. A plurality of pneumatic muscles are arranged at intervals along the circumference on the circumferential side of the long axis. Both ends of the pneumatic muscle are connected to one end of the head and one end of the waist through corresponding ball joints. Each pneumatic muscle is connected to the corresponding pressure control component.

[0009] The pneumatic muscles are at least 3 in number.

[0010] The head and the tail are symmetrically arranged and have the same structure, and both include a rigid platform and long aluminum tubes. The two rigid platforms are connected by a plurality of long aluminum tubes. The plurality of long aluminum tubes are arranged at intervals along the circumference. The pressure control component is installed in the rigid platform close to the waist or on the long aluminum tube.

[0011] The waist includes a flexible platform and short aluminum tubes. The two flexible platforms are connected by a plurality of short aluminum tubes. The plurality of short aluminum tubes are arranged at intervals along the circumference. The circuit control system is fixedly installed on the short aluminum tubes.

[0012] The legs include two legs and a leg connector. The two legs are symmetrically arranged on the end face of the head or the tail away from the waist. The two legs are connected to the end face of the head or the tail through the corresponding leg connector.

[0013] The legs are rigid joint legs, and an angle is formed between the upper and lower joints, and they are fixedly connected between the upper and lower joints.

[0014] The legs are driveable joint legs, and the driveable joint legs are sequentially hinged by 3 joints. Each joint is driven by a corresponding motor or each joint is a pneumatic muscle.

[0015] The present invention may include any combination of the features and / or structures mentioned herein, unless the combinations of these features are mutually exclusive.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0017] The present invention can give full play to the advantages of pneumatic muscles and their parallel joints, and has many advantages such as compact structure, low cost, and smooth movement, providing a beneficial exploration for expanding the application of pneumatic muscle systems.

[0018] Compared with the previous rigid body driven by motors, pneumatic muscles can provide buffering for the body of the cat-like robot during landing, realizing a more flexible and stable flipping motion process. At the same time, in order to improve the control system of the existing cat-like robot, attitude sensors are added for dynamic monitoring of the robot's righting motion, providing a reference solution for the safe landing problem of legged robots falling from high altitudes. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention from the first perspective.

[0022] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention from the second perspective.

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the parallel joint of the pneumatic muscle of the present invention.

[0024] Reference Signs: 1, head; 2, waist; 3, tail; 11, long-axis seat; 12, rigid platform; 13, ball joint; 14, ball joint base; 15, ball head joint; 16, flexible platform; 17, ball joint upper cover; 18, ball joint; 19, long axis; 110, leg connecting piece; 111, leg; 112, long aluminum tube; 113, short aluminum tube; 114, pneumatic muscle. Detailed Embodiments

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, the present invention includes a head 1, a waist 2, a tail 3, legs, a circuit control system, a pressure control component, and a flexible spine. Both ends of the waist 2 are connected to the head 1 and the tail 3 through corresponding flexible spines. The circuit control system is installed in the waist 2 and includes equipment such as an electric control box. Corresponding pressure control components are installed in both the head 1 and the tail 3. The pressure control component includes equipment such as a pressure proportional valve or a switching valve. Each pressure control component is connected to the corresponding flexible spine, and the circuit control system is connected to the pressure control components in both the head 1 and the tail 3. Legs are installed on the end faces of the head 1 and the tail 3 away from the waist 2. The head 1, the waist 2, the tail 3, the legs, and the flexible spine form a cat-like structure, and the head 1, the waist 2, and the tail 3 form a cage structure, which is convenient for the installation of equipment such as pressure proportional valves and electric control boxes and for overall weight reduction.

[0027] As Figure 4 shown, the flexible spine in the falling cat-like robot can act as both a driving element and a joint element, giving full play to the advantages of pneumatic muscles. The flexible spines between the waist 2 and the head 1 and between the waist 2 and the tail 3 have the same structure, and both include a long-axis seat 11, a ball joint 15, a long axis 19, a pneumatic muscle 114, a ball hinge joint 13, and a ball hinge base 14;

[0028] The long-axis seat 11 is fixedly installed in the middle of the rigid platform 12 at one end of the head 1. The ball hinge base 14 is fixedly installed in the middle of the flexible platform 16 at one end of the waist 2 close to the head 1. One end of the long axis 19 is fixedly installed in the long-axis seat 11, which is a rigid connection. The other end of the long axis 19 is hinged to the ball hinge base 14 through the ball hinge joint 13, which is a ball hinge connection. A plurality of pneumatic muscles 114 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference on the circumferential side of the long axis 19. Both ends of the pneumatic muscle 114 are connected to the rigid platform 12 at one end of the head 1 and the flexible platform 16 at one end of the waist 2 through corresponding ball joints 15, and the ball joint 15 is connected to the corresponding ball hinge upper cover 17. Each pneumatic muscle 114 is controlled by a pressure control component to realize the free contraction of the pneumatic muscle, thereby controlling the relative rotation of the two platforms of the rigid platform and the flexible platform, and finally controlling the righting movement of the overall structure.

[0029] There are at least 3 pneumatic muscles 114, and the number of pressure control components in the head 1 or the tail 3 is the same as the number of pneumatic muscles 114 on one side. The expansion and contraction of six pneumatic muscles are used to control the bending and rotation of the front half and the rear half relative to the waist. By controlling the inflation pressure of the pneumatic muscles through the pressure control component, the contraction of the pneumatic muscles and the rotation of the parallel platform are realized, thereby controlling the righting movement of the falling cat-like robot.

[0030] The head 1 and the tail 3 are symmetrically arranged and have the same structure, both including a rigid platform 12 and a long aluminum tube 112; the two rigid platforms 12 are connected by multiple long aluminum tubes 112, and the multiple long aluminum tubes 112 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference. A pressure control component is installed in the rigid platform 12 near the waist 2 or on the long aluminum tube 112.

[0031] As Figure 3 shown, the waist 2 includes a flexible platform 16 and a short aluminum tube 113; the two flexible platforms 16 are connected by multiple short aluminum tubes 113, and the multiple short aluminum tubes 113 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference. A circuit control system is fixedly installed on the short aluminum tube 113 through a mounting plate.

[0032] The legs include two legs 111 and a leg connector 110; the two legs 111 are symmetrically arranged on one end face of the head 1 or the tail 3 far from the waist 2, and the two legs 111 are connected to the end face of the head 1 or the tail 3 through the corresponding leg connector 110.

[0033] The leg 111 is a rigid joint leg, and the upper and lower joints are arranged at an angle. In a specific implementation, the angle is 30°, and the upper and lower joints are fixedly connected; the upper part is welded by aluminum plates, and the middle position of the lower part is hollowed out on the basis of ensuring stiffness, so as to reduce the overall structural mass.

[0034] Or the leg 111 is a drivable joint leg, and the drivable joint leg is composed of 3 joints hinged in sequence, and each joint is driven by a corresponding motor or each joint is driven by a pneumatic muscle.

[0035] The front legs and the rear legs play the role of supporting the cat-like robot after it completes the righting action, and the legs can distinguish the abdomen and the back of the cat-like robot.

[0036] The above is only the preferred implementation mode of the present invention. The present invention has been described in detail with general descriptions and specific embodiments above, but on the basis of the present invention, some modifications or improvements can be made, which are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention all fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

Claims

1. A cat - like robot based on multiple pneumatic muscles, characterized in that, It includes a head (1), a waist (2), a tail (3), legs, a circuit control system, a pressure control component, and a flexible spine. Both ends of the waist (2) are connected to the head (1) and the tail (3) through corresponding flexible spines. The circuit control system is installed in the waist (2). Corresponding pressure control components are installed in both the head (1) and the tail (3). Each pressure control component is connected to the corresponding flexible spine. The circuit control system is connected to the pressure control components in both the head (1) and the tail (3). Legs are installed on the end faces of the head (1) and the tail (3) far from the waist (2). The flexible spines between the waist (2) and the head (1) and between the waist (2) and the tail (3) have the same structure, and both include a long-axis seat (11), a ball joint (15), a long axis (19), a pneumatic muscle (114), a ball hinge joint (13), and a ball hinge base (14). In the flexible spine between the waist (2) and the head (1), the long-axis seat (11) is fixedly installed in the middle of one end of the head (1). The ball hinge base (14) is fixedly installed in the middle of one end of the waist (2) close to the head (1). One end of the long axis (19) is fixedly installed in the long-axis seat (11). The other end of the long axis (19) is hinged to the ball hinge base (14) through the ball hinge joint (13). A plurality of pneumatic muscles (114) are arranged at intervals along the circumference on the circumferential side of the long axis (19). Both ends of the pneumatic muscle (114) are connected to one end of the head (1) and one end of the waist (2) through corresponding ball joints (15). Each pneumatic muscle (114) is connected to the corresponding pressure control component. The head (1) and the tail (3) are symmetrically arranged and have the same structure, and both include a rigid platform (12) and long aluminum tubes (112). The two rigid platforms (12) are connected by a plurality of long aluminum tubes (112). The plurality of long aluminum tubes (112) are arranged at intervals along the circumference. The pressure control component is installed in the rigid platform (12) close to the waist (2) or on the long aluminum tube (112). The waist (2) includes a flexible platform (16) and short aluminum tubes (113). The two flexible platforms (16) are connected by a plurality of short aluminum tubes (113). The plurality of short aluminum tubes (113) are arranged at intervals along the circumference. The circuit control system is fixedly installed on the short aluminum tubes (113).

2. The cat - like robot based on multiple pneumatic muscles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pneumatic muscle (114) is at least 3.

3. The cat - like robot based on multiple pneumatic muscles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The legs include two legs (111) and leg connectors (110). The two legs (111) are symmetrically arranged on the end face of the head (1) or the tail (3) far from the waist (2). The two legs (111) are connected to the end face of the head (1) or the tail (3) through corresponding leg connectors (110).

4. The cat - like robot based on multiple pneumatic muscles according to claim 3, characterized in that, The leg (111) is a rigid joint leg, and the upper and lower joints are arranged at an angle and are fixedly connected between the upper and lower joints.

5. The cat - like robot based on multiple pneumatic muscles according to claim 3, characterized in that, The leg (111) is a drivable joint leg. The drivable joint leg is composed of 3 joints hinged in sequence. Each joint is driven by a corresponding motor or each joint is driven by a pneumatic muscle.

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