Legged amphibious robot based on heteromorphic spokes

Abstract

The application discloses a leg type amphibious robot based on special-shaped spoke, which comprises a chassis, forelegs, hind legs, a steering mechanism and a transmission mechanism; the transmission mechanism is connected with the forelegs and the hind legs respectively, and the steering mechanism is connected with the forelegs; the bottom of the chassis is provided with an inflatable air cushion; wherein the forelegs and the hind legs each comprise two special-shaped spoke legs, each special-shaped spoke leg comprises a connecting seat, a special-shaped spoke, a foot end and a special-shaped paddle; a plurality of special-shaped spokes in an umbrella shape are uniformly arranged on the circumferential edge of the connecting seat, that is, the special-shaped spoke has a certain included angle with the height direction of the robot; the end of each special-shaped spoke is connected with an arc-shaped long strip-shaped foot end; the two sides of each special-shaped spoke are symmetrically provided with special-shaped paddles, the width of the special-shaped paddles gradually increases in the direction away from the center of the special-shaped spoke leg, and the blade surface of the special-shaped paddle extends to the rear of the robot in an arc shape. Land and water movement are realized by driving the forelegs and the hind legs through the transmission mechanism, and the movement in the two environments does not need additional switching structure, and the robot structure is simple and compact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of amphibious robot technology, specifically a legged amphibious robot based on irregularly shaped spokes. Background Technology

[0002] Amphibious robots are capable of moving on both water and land, and can switch between amphibious movement in the water-land interface. They can perform tasks in both water and land environments, such as marine resource exploration and marine environmental monitoring, as well as military reconnaissance missions in the transition zone between the ocean and land. Therefore, amphibious robots are of great significance for environmental monitoring and military reconnaissance.

[0003] Existing amphibious robots are mainly divided into wheeled amphibious robots, snake-like amphibious robots, and legged amphibious robots. Wheeled amphibious robots have poor obstacle-crossing ability, snake-like amphibious robots have complex structures, and legged amphibious robots have poor stability. In addition, existing amphibious robots separate land and water movement, using a separate set of drive and actuator mechanisms to enable the robot to move in different working environments. When changing between land and water, the robot structure needs to change simultaneously, making the robot structure complex and its movement efficiency low. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a legged amphibious robot based on irregular spokes.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A legged amphibious robot based on irregular spokes includes a chassis, front legs, hind legs, a steering mechanism, and a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is connected to both the front and hind legs, and the steering mechanism is connected to the front legs. An inflatable air cushion is provided at the bottom of the chassis. Each front and hind leg includes two irregular spoke legs, and each irregular spoke leg includes a connecting seat, an irregular spoke, a foot end, and an irregular blade. Multiple umbrella-shaped irregular spokes are evenly arranged around the perimeter of the connecting seat, i.e., the irregular spokes form a certain angle with the height direction of the robot. Each irregular spoke is connected to an arc-shaped, elongated foot end. Irregular blades are symmetrically arranged on both sides of each irregular spoke, and the width of the irregular blades gradually increases along the direction away from the center of the irregular spoke leg. The blade surface of the irregular blades extends in an arc towards the rear of the robot.

[0007] Furthermore, the irregular spoke leg includes three irregular spokes, with an included angle of 120° between adjacent irregular spokes; during installation, the irregular spokes of two irregular spoke legs of the same foot are staggered by an included angle of 60°, and the irregular spokes of two irregular spoke legs located on the diagonal of the chassis are installed at the same angle.

[0008] Furthermore, the angle between the irregular spokes and the robot's height direction is 10-15°.

[0009] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism includes a DC geared motor, a driving spur gear, a driven spur gear, a first bevel gear, a second bevel gear, a drive shaft, a linkage shaft, and a universal joint. The two drive shafts are located at the front and rear ends of the chassis, respectively. The two ends of the drive shaft at the front end of the chassis are connected to the two irregularly shaped spoke legs of the front foot via universal joints, and the two ends of the drive shaft at the rear end of the chassis are rotatably connected to the two irregularly shaped spoke legs of the rear foot. The DC geared motor is mounted at the rear of the chassis. The driving spur gear is located on the output shaft of the DC geared motor, and the driven spur gear is located on the drive shaft at the rear end of the chassis, meshing with the driving spur gear. Second bevel gears are installed at the front and rear ends of the linkage shaft, each second bevel gear meshing with a corresponding first bevel gear. The first bevel gear located at the front end of the linkage shaft is mounted on the drive shaft at the front end of the chassis, and the first bevel gear located at the rear end of the linkage shaft is mounted on the drive shaft at the rear end of the chassis.

[0010] Furthermore, the steering mechanism includes a servo motor, a short connecting rod, a long connecting rod, a steering coupling seat, and a sleeve; two steering coupling seats are respectively fitted onto two universal joints, one end of each steering coupling seat is connected to a corresponding irregular spoke leg, and an end lug extends horizontally from the outer surface of the steering coupling seat; the upper and lower parts of both ends of the sleeve are respectively provided with end lugs, and the sleeve is fitted onto the drive shaft at the front end of the chassis without interfering with the rotation of the drive shaft, and the end lugs at both ends of the sleeve are rotatably connected to the corresponding steering coupling seat through a first pin; the servo motor is connected to the chassis, and the output shaft of the servo motor is hinged to one end of the short connecting rod through a second pin, and the short connecting rod... The other end is fixed with a No. 3 pin. One end of the long connecting rod and the end lug of the steering connector located on the left side of the front foot are rotatably connected to the No. 3 pin. The other end of the long connecting rod is rotatably connected to the end lug of the steering connector located on the right side of the front foot through a No. 4 pin. The long connecting rod, the part between the steering connector located on the left side of the front foot and the two connection points of the long connecting rod and the sleeve, the part between the steering connector located on the right side of the front foot and the two connection points of the long connecting rod and the sleeve, and the part between the connection points of the sleeve and the two steering connectors together form a parallelogram. The robot turns by deforming the parallelogram.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0012] 1. This invention enables both land and water movement by driving the forelegs and hind legs through a transmission mechanism. Movement in both environments does not require an additional switching structure, making the entire robot simple and compact. When moving on land, the robot stands on the ground through the feet of its irregularly shaped spoked legs. When moving on water, the transmission mechanism drives the irregularly shaped spoked legs to rotate, and the irregularly shaped blades on the legs propel the water backward. The irregularly shaped spoked legs are similar to the paddle wheels of a sail, using the irregularly shaped blades to provide power. Therefore, this robot is suitable for land, water, and water-land interface environments.

[0013] 2. Because each irregularly shaped spoked leg has three irregularly shaped spokes, with an angle of 120 degrees between adjacent spokes and a gap between adjacent foot ends, the irregularly shaped spoked legs can traverse small-scale obstacles, giving the robot a certain obstacle-crossing capability. The robot can be equipped with devices such as cameras and sensors, enabling it to perform tasks such as monitoring, reconnaissance, and exploration. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the chassis structure of the present invention with the top cover removed;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the irregular spoke leg structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 4 This is a right view of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the transmission mechanism and the front and rear feet of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the steering mechanism and the forefoot of the present invention;

[0020] In the diagram: 1-Chassis; 2-Front feet; 3-Rear feet; 4-Steering mechanism; 5-Transmission mechanism; 6-Inflatable air cushion;

[0021] 201-Connecting seat; 202-Irregular spoke; 203-Foot end; 204-Irregular blade; 401-Servo motor; 402-Short connecting rod; 403-Long connecting rod; 404-Steering connecting seat; 405-Sleeve; 501-DC geared motor; 502-Driving spur gear; 503-Driven spur gear; 504-First bevel gear; 505-Second bevel gear; 506-Drive shaft; 507-Linkage shaft; 508-Universal joint. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this does not limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] This invention relates to a legged amphibious robot based on irregularly shaped spokes (hereinafter referred to as the robot, see below). Figures 1-6 It includes a chassis 1, front feet 2, rear feet 3, steering mechanism 4, and transmission mechanism 5;

[0024] The front legs 2 and rear legs 3 are located at the front and rear ends of the chassis 1, respectively. The transmission mechanism 5 is installed on the chassis 1 and connected to the front legs 2 and rear legs 3, respectively. The steering mechanism 4 is located in the middle of the chassis 1 and is connected to the front legs 2. The bottom of the chassis 1 is provided with an inflatable air cushion 6, which provides buoyancy when the robot moves in the water.

[0025] Both the forelegs 2 and hind legs 3 include two irregularly shaped spoke legs. Each irregularly shaped spoke leg includes a connecting seat 201, an irregularly shaped spoke 202, a foot end 203, and an irregularly shaped blade 204. Three irregularly shaped spokes 202 are evenly arranged circumferentially around the perimeter of the connecting seat 201. The irregularly shaped spokes 202 are umbrella-shaped and form a certain angle with the robot's height direction, i.e., the irregularly shaped spokes 202 are turned outwards at 10-15°. A foot end 203 is connected to the end of each irregularly shaped spoke 202. The spokes 203 are elongated and curved, which helps to increase the contact area with the ground. Each spoke 202 has symmetrically arranged shaped blades 204 on both sides. One side of the blade 204 is connected to the spoke 202. The width of the blades 204 gradually increases along the direction away from the center of the spoke leg, which increases the contact area with the water surface and provides greater power to the robot. The blade surface of the blades 204 extends backward in an arc (opposite to forward movement in water), which is beneficial for water propulsion. During installation, the spokes 202 of the two spoke legs of the same foot are staggered by 60°. The spokes 202 of the two spoke legs located on the diagonal of the chassis 1 are installed at the same angle, ensuring that both the front and rear feet of the robot have sufficient contact area with the ground, guaranteeing good stability for the robot. When the robot moves on land, its feet 203 contact the ground. The width of the feet 203 enhances the robot's stability. The length of the irregularly shaped spoked legs is 1.5 times the height of the chassis 1. The irregularly shaped spokes 202 are relatively long, and there is a 120° angle between adjacent spokes 202. There are also gaps between adjacent feet 203. Therefore, the irregularly shaped spoked legs can traverse small-scale obstacles, giving the robot a certain obstacle-crossing ability. When the robot moves in water, the irregularly shaped spoked legs rotate, causing the irregularly shaped propellers 204 to paddle backward. The propellers 204 ensure that the irregularly shaped spoked legs act like paddle wheels when rotating in water, propelling the robot forward on the water surface.

[0026] like Figure 5As shown, the transmission mechanism 5 includes a DC geared motor 501, a driving spur gear 502, a driven spur gear 503, a first bevel gear 504, a second bevel gear 505, a transmission shaft 506, a linkage shaft 507, and a universal joint 508. The two transmission shafts 506 are located at the front and rear ends of the chassis 1, respectively. The two ends of the transmission shaft 506 at the front end of the chassis 1 are connected to the two irregularly shaped spoke legs of the front foot 2 via universal joints 508. Due to the presence of the universal joints, the robot can achieve steering while moving forward. The two ends of the transmission shaft 506 at the rear end of the chassis 1 are rotatably connected to the two irregularly shaped spoke legs of the rear foot 3 via bearings. The DC geared motor 501 is fixedly mounted at the rear of the chassis 1. The driving spur gear 502 is fixed on the output shaft of the DC geared motor 501, and the driven spur gear 503 is fixed on the transmission shaft 506 at the rear end of the chassis 1. Gear 503 meshes with the active spur gear 502; the front and rear ends of the linkage shaft 507 are respectively equipped with second bevel gears 505, each second bevel gear 505 meshes with the corresponding first bevel gear 504, the first bevel gear 504 located at the front end of the linkage shaft 507 is fixedly mounted on the drive shaft 506 at the front end of the chassis 1, and the first bevel gear 504 located at the rear end of the linkage shaft 506 is fixedly mounted on the drive shaft 506 at the rear end of the chassis 1; the DC geared motor 501 drives the active spur gear 502 to rotate, and the active spur gear 502 drives the drive shaft 506 at the rear end of the chassis 1 to rotate through the driven spur gear 503. The drive shaft 506 at the rear end of the chassis 1 transmits power to the drive shaft 506 at the front end of the chassis 1 through gear meshing and the linkage shaft 507, so that the two drive shafts 506 rotate synchronously, thereby causing the front legs 2 and the rear legs 3 to rotate, realizing the robot's walking movement.

[0027] like Figure 6As shown, the steering mechanism 4 includes a servo motor 401, a short connecting rod 402, a long connecting rod 403, a steering connecting seat 404, and a sleeve 405. Two steering connecting seats 404 are respectively fitted onto two universal joints 508. One end of each steering connecting seat 404 is threaded to a corresponding irregular spoke leg, and an end lug extends horizontally from the outer surface of the steering connecting seat 404. The upper and lower parts of both ends of the sleeve 405 are respectively provided with end lugs. The sleeve 405 is fitted onto the drive shaft 506 at the front end of the chassis 1 without interfering with the rotation of the drive shaft 506. The end lugs at both ends of the sleeve 405 are rotatably connected to the corresponding steering connecting seat 404 via a first pin. The servo motor 401 is fixedly connected to the chassis 1. The output shaft of the servo motor 401 is hinged to one end of the short connecting rod 402 via a second pin. The other end of the short connecting rod 402 is fixed with a third pin. The long connecting rod 403... One end of the steering connector 404 located on the left side of the forefoot is rotatably connected to the third pin. The other end of the long connecting rod 403 is rotatably connected to the end of the steering connector 404 located on the right side of the forefoot via the fourth pin. The long connecting rod 403, the portion between the two connection points of the steering connector 404 located on the left side of the forefoot and the long connecting rod 403 and the sleeve 405, the portion between the two connection points of the steering connector 404 located on the right side of the forefoot and the long connecting rod 403 and the sleeve 405, and the portion between the connection points of the sleeve 405 and the two steering connectors 404 together form a parallelogram. The short connecting rod 402 is rotated by the servo motor 401, causing the long connecting rod 403 and the steering connector 404 located on the left side of the forefoot to rotate relative to the third pin, thereby deforming the parallelogram to achieve the deflection of the forefoot and thus the steering of the robot.

[0028] The working principle and workflow of this invention are as follows:

[0029] Both land and water movement are achieved through a transmission mechanism. Starting the DC geared motor 501 causes the active spur gear 502 to rotate, which in turn drives the transmission shaft 506 at the rear of the chassis 1 to rotate. This causes the first bevel gear 504 on the transmission shaft 506 to rotate, and through gear transmission, the transmission shaft 506 at the front of the chassis 1 rotates synchronously, enabling the robot to walk. When turning is required, the servo motor 401 is activated, causing the short connecting rod 402 to rotate. This causes the long connecting rod 403 and the steering connecting seat 404 located on the left side of the front foot to rotate relative to the third pin, thereby deforming the parallelogram to deflect the front foot 2, thus achieving the robot's turning. When the robot moves on land, its irregularly shaped spoked legs contact the ground through foot ends 203, providing support for the robot. When moving on water, it uses an inflatable air cushion 6 to provide buoyancy, and drives the irregularly shaped spoked legs to rotate through a DC geared motor 501. During the rotation of the irregularly shaped spoked legs, the irregularly shaped propellers 204 push the water backward. The irregularly shaped propellers 204 act like paddle wheels, driving the robot forward in the water.

[0030] Robots can be equipped with devices such as cameras and sensors, enabling them to perform tasks such as monitoring, reconnaissance, and exploration.

[0031] Any aspects not covered in this invention are applicable to existing technologies.

Claims

1. A legged amphibious robot based on irregularly shaped spokes, comprising a chassis, forelegs, hindlegs, a steering mechanism, and a transmission mechanism; the transmission mechanism is connected to both the forelegs and hindlegs, and the steering mechanism is connected to the forelegs; an inflatable air cushion is provided at the bottom of the chassis; characterized in that, Both the forelegs and hindlegs include two irregularly shaped spoke legs. Each irregularly shaped spoke leg includes a connecting seat, an irregularly shaped spoke, a foot end, and an irregularly shaped blade. The connecting seat has multiple umbrella-shaped irregularly shaped spokes evenly arranged around its perimeter, i.e., the irregularly shaped spokes have a certain angle with the height direction of the robot. Each irregularly shaped spoke is connected to an arc-shaped long foot end. Each irregularly shaped spoke has irregularly shaped blades symmetrically arranged on both sides. The width of the irregularly shaped blades gradually increases along the direction away from the center of the irregularly shaped spoke leg, and the blade surface of the irregularly shaped blades extends backward in an arc shape towards the rear of the robot. The irregular spoke leg includes three irregular spokes, with an included angle of 120° between adjacent irregular spokes; during installation, the irregular spokes of two irregular spoke legs of the same foot are staggered by an included angle of 60°, and the irregular spokes of two irregular spoke legs located on the diagonal of the chassis are installed at the same angle; The steering mechanism includes a servo motor, a short connecting rod, a long connecting rod, a steering coupling seat, and a sleeve. Two steering coupling seats are respectively fitted onto two universal joints. One end of each steering coupling seat is connected to a corresponding irregularly shaped spoke leg, and an end lug extends horizontally from the outer surface of the steering coupling seat. The upper and lower parts of both ends of the sleeve are respectively provided with end lugs. The sleeve is fitted onto the drive shaft at the front end of the chassis without interfering with the rotation of the drive shaft. The end lugs at both ends of the sleeve are rotatably connected to the corresponding steering coupling seat via a first pin. The servo motor is connected to the chassis, and the output shaft of the servo motor is hinged to one end of the short connecting rod via a second pin. The other end of the short connecting rod... One end is fixed with a No. 3 pin. One end of the long connecting rod and the end lug of the steering connector located on the left side of the front foot are rotatably connected to the No. 3 pin. The other end of the long connecting rod is rotatably connected to the end lug of the steering connector located on the right side of the front foot through a No. 4 pin. The long connecting rod, the part between the steering connector located on the left side of the front foot and the two connection points of the long connecting rod and the sleeve, the part between the steering connector located on the right side of the front foot and the two connection points of the long connecting rod and the sleeve, and the part between the sleeve and the two connection points of the steering connectors together form a parallelogram. The robot turns by deforming the parallelogram.

2. The legged amphibious robot based on irregularly shaped spokes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle between the irregular spokes and the robot's height direction is 10-15°.

3. The legged amphibious robot based on irregularly shaped spokes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism includes a DC geared motor, a driving spur gear, a driven spur gear, a first bevel gear, a second bevel gear, a drive shaft, a linkage shaft, and a universal joint. Two drive shafts are located at the front and rear ends of the chassis, respectively. The two ends of the drive shaft at the front end of the chassis are connected to two irregularly shaped spoke legs of the front foot via universal joints, and the two ends of the drive shaft at the rear end of the chassis are rotatably connected to two irregularly shaped spoke legs of the rear foot. The DC geared motor is mounted at the rear of the chassis. The driving spur gear is located on the output shaft of the DC geared motor, and the driven spur gear is located on the drive shaft at the rear end of the chassis, meshing with the driving spur gear. Second bevel gears are mounted at the front and rear ends of the linkage shaft, each meshing with a corresponding first bevel gear. The first bevel gear located at the front end of the linkage shaft is mounted on the drive shaft at the front end of the chassis, and the first bevel gear located at the rear end of the linkage shaft is mounted on the drive shaft at the rear end of the chassis.

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