Space target surface flexible crawling robot and crawling method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a space target surface flexible body crawling robot and a crawling method thereof, which comprises a head unit, a middle unit and a tail unit connected in sequence; the head unit, the middle unit and the tail unit all comprise a flexible body structure and a driver, and the head unit and the tail unit further comprise a flexible hinge for connecting with the middle unit; the flexible body structure in the head unit and the tail unit is provided with an adhesive material for connecting with a target surface; the driver in the head unit, the middle unit and the tail unit respectively drives the flexible body structure in the head unit, the middle unit and the tail unit to bend and deform, separate from the target surface or release the bending deformation and contact with the target surface, so that the crawling on the target surface is realized. The motion function of the robot is realized through the deformation capacity of the flexible device body, and the adaptability to a complex unstructured environment is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of spacecraft on-orbit servicing technology, and specifically relates to a soft-body crawling robot that can walk on the surface of a space target and its crawling method. Background Technology

[0002] To maximize the effectiveness of spacecraft, zero on-orbit failures are the ideal goal in spacecraft design and development. However, due to technological and economic limitations, especially the unique operating environment of spacecraft, on-orbit failures are difficult to avoid. These include fuel depletion, control and propulsion subsystem failures, payload subsystem failures, and power supply and distribution subsystem failures. These spacecraft typically have high development costs, and on-orbit failures that prevent them from completing their missions result in a huge waste of space resources and can even have serious impacts on national politics, economy, and other aspects.

[0003] To mitigate losses or eliminate impacts, on-orbit maintenance and repair operations are effective measures for recovering spacecraft from malfunctions. Looking ahead, developing on-orbit maintenance capabilities and implementing such operations is an inevitable trend in order to improve the efficiency of space asset utilization and fully utilize orbital resources. Especially for the comprehensive application of on-orbit maintenance and high-value spacecraft, on-orbit repair and maintenance can enable on-orbit fault recovery, extended on-orbit lifespan, and expanded on-orbit functionality, fully realizing the on-orbit value of spacecraft.

[0004] The prerequisite for carrying out on-orbit maintenance and repair operations is that the service spacecraft and the target spacecraft must first achieve a rigid connection, and then the operation tools carried on the service spacecraft can perform the specific operation tasks. However, the specific part to be maintained or repaired is often not in the same area as the connection point between the two spacecraft, and the two may even be far apart. This poses a significant challenge to carrying out on-orbit maintenance and repair operations, and may even prevent the completion of the operation tasks. Therefore, designing and developing a robot capable of crawling on the surface of the target spacecraft, carrying operation tools, and crawling from the connection point between the two spacecraft to the vicinity of the specific part to be maintained or repaired, and then performing the specific operation tasks, can solve the problem of the specific part to be maintained or repaired not being in the same area as the connection point between the two spacecraft.

[0005] Currently, a typical example of a space crawling robot abroad is the Abigaille project designed by the European Space Agency. The Abigaille robot has six legs, each with four degrees of freedom, allowing it to transition from horizontal to vertical environments during crawling. It can be used for spacecraft hull climbing, cleaning, and maintenance. However, the Abigaille robot's crawling method is leg-based. This leg-based crawling method has a relatively simple gait and limited adaptability to the complex morphology of target spacecraft surfaces, thus restricting its mission execution capabilities. To further improve the on-orbit maintenance capabilities of spacecraft, it is necessary to design a flexible crawling robot capable of adapting to the complex morphological features of target spacecraft surfaces. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects and provide a soft-body crawling robot for space target surfaces and its crawling method. This invention solves the technical problem that traditional robots have a single gait and are difficult to adapt to the complex morphology of target spacecraft surfaces. This invention realizes the robot's motion function through the deformation capability of the flexible device body and has the ability to adapt to complex unstructured environments.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A flexible body crawling robot for space target surfaces includes a head unit, a middle unit, and a tail unit connected in sequence.

[0009] The head unit, middle unit, and tail unit all include a flexible body structure and an actuator. The head unit and tail unit also include flexible hinges for connection with the middle unit.

[0010] The flexible structures in the head unit and tail unit are provided with adhesive material for connecting with the target surface; the actuators in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit respectively drive the flexible structures in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit to bend and deform to separate from the target surface or release the bending deformation to contact the target surface, so as to achieve crawling on the target surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the cross-section of the flexible structure perpendicular to the axial direction is rectangular, the flexible structure has serrated grooves in the circumference, and the flexible structure has wire holes parallel to the axial direction.

[0012] The actuator includes a first rope and a first drive motor; the first rope is embedded in a threading hole, and the first drive motor drives the rope to move, causing the flexible structure to bend or release the bending deformation.

[0013] Furthermore, there are four sets of threading holes and four sets of the first rope;

[0014] The four sets of thread holes are located at the midpoints of the four sides of the rectangular cross-section of the flexible structure. Connect the positions of the four sets of thread holes on the rectangular cross-section with the centroid of the rectangular cross-section to form four line segments, where the included angle between two adjacent line segments is 90°.

[0015] Furthermore, the flexible structure is made of silicone rubber.

[0016] Furthermore, the drivers in the head unit, middle unit, and tail unit are respectively referred to as head unit driver, middle unit driver, and tail unit driver; the flexible body structures in the head unit, middle unit, and tail unit are respectively referred to as head unit flexible body structure, middle unit flexible body structure, and tail unit flexible body structure; and the flexible hinges in the head unit and tail unit are respectively referred to as head unit flexible hinge and tail unit flexible hinge.

[0017] The head unit flexible structure, head unit actuator, head unit flexible hinge, middle unit actuator, middle unit flexible structure, tail unit flexible hinge, tail unit actuator, and tail unit flexible structure are connected in sequence.

[0018] Furthermore, the flexible hinge includes a flexible hinge leaf spring, a second rope, a second drive motor, and a second motor housing;

[0019] The second drive motor is located inside the second motor housing. The second motor housing in the head unit flexible hinge and the tail unit flexible hinge are respectively connected to the head unit driver and the rear end of the middle unit flexible structure.

[0020] The flexible hinge leaf spring is a flexible short-arm beam structure, and the flexible hinge leaf spring is set parallel to the rope;

[0021] In the head unit's flexible hinge, the flexible hinge leaf spring is connected to the second motor housing and the intermediate unit driver at both ends, and the second rope end is connected to the second drive motor and the intermediate unit. In the tail unit's flexible hinge, the flexible hinge leaf spring is connected to the second motor housing and the tail unit at both ends, and the second rope end is connected to the second drive motor and the tail unit. The second drive motor in the head unit's flexible hinge pulls the second rope, causing the flexible hinge leaf spring to deform, thus achieving relative rotation between the intermediate unit and the head unit. Similarly, the second drive motor in the tail unit's flexible hinge pulls the second rope, causing the flexible hinge leaf spring to deform, thus achieving relative rotation between the tail unit and the intermediate unit.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes a head unit central system located at the front end of the head unit;

[0023] The head unit's central system includes a detection subunit, a control subunit, and a central processing subunit;

[0024] The detection subunit is used to acquire target surface information and output the target surface information to the central processing subunit. The central processing subunit generates control commands based on the target surface information and outputs the control commands to the control subunit. The control subunit controls the actuators in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit according to the control commands to enable the robot to crawl to the repair position on the target surface.

[0025] Furthermore, the head unit's central system also includes a wireless power transmission subunit;

[0026] The wireless power transfer subunit is used to enable wireless power transfer between the external environment and the robot.

[0027] A crawling method for a soft-body crawling robot on a space target surface includes:

[0028] The actuators in the head unit, middle unit, and tail unit are respectively referred to as head unit actuator, middle unit actuator, and tail unit actuator. The flexible body structures in the head unit, middle unit, and tail unit are respectively referred to as head unit flexible body structure, middle unit flexible body structure, and tail unit flexible body structure. The flexible hinges in the head unit and tail unit are respectively referred to as head unit flexible hinge and tail unit flexible hinge.

[0029] In the initial state of S1, the head unit driver, the middle unit driver, and the tail unit driver are not working, and the head unit flexible structure, the middle unit flexible structure, and the tail unit flexible structure are in a straight line state.

[0030] The S2 tail unit actuator operates, driving the tail unit flexible structure to overcome its own elasticity and the adhesive force between the tail unit flexible structure and the target surface, causing it to bend and deform, thereby achieving separation of the tail unit flexible structure from the target surface.

[0031] The S3 tail unit's flexible hinge drives the tail unit's flexible structure to rotate in the first direction.

[0032] The S4 tail unit driver is unloaded, and the tail unit flexible structure returns to a straight state under its own elastic force.

[0033] The S5 head unit's flexible hinge drives the middle and tail units to rotate in the first direction.

[0034] The S6 intermediate unit driver operates, driving the intermediate unit flexible structure to overcome its own elasticity and undergo bending deformation, thereby separating the intermediate unit flexible structure from the target surface, while simultaneously bringing the front end of the tail unit flexible structure into contact with the target surface.

[0035] The S7 tail unit flexible hinge releases, and the tail unit flexible hinge drives the tail unit flexible structure to rotate in the second direction under its own elastic force until the entire tail unit flexible structure is connected to the target surface through the adhesive material, and the tail unit flexible hinge stops releasing.

[0036] The S8 head unit driver operates, driving the head unit flexible structure to overcome its own elasticity and the adhesive force between the head unit flexible structure and the target surface, causing it to bend and deform, thereby achieving separation of the head unit flexible structure from the target surface.

[0037] The S9 intermediate unit driver is unloaded, the head unit driver is unloaded, and the intermediate unit flexible structure and the head unit flexible structure return to a straight state under their own elastic force.

[0038] The S10 tail unit's flexible hinge is fully released, and the middle unit's flexible structure comes into contact with the target surface.

[0039] The S11 head unit flexible hinge is released, and the head unit flexible hinge drives the head unit flexible structure to rotate in the first direction under its own elastic force. The head unit flexible structure is connected to the target surface through adhesive material.

[0040] The first direction and the second direction are opposite.

[0041] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0042] Repeat steps S1 to S11 until the robot crawls to the target position.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least one of the following advantages:

[0044] (1) This invention creatively proposes a soft-body crawling robot that can walk on the surface of a space target. It has strong crawling ability, can move in a straight line, and can also cross obstacles. It can adapt to the walking requirements under complex star surface topography conditions.

[0045] (2) The present invention is based on the bending deformation of a flexible structure driven by a rope with an eccentric configuration pulled by a motor, and the bending deformation of a short-arm beam structure driven by a rope with an eccentric configuration pulled by a motor. The deformation motion mechanism is simple, the design is highly flexible, the structure is easy to implement, and the operation is convenient.

[0046] (3) In this invention, the soft-body crawling robot realizes the crawling function through the flexible deformation of the soft body structure according to a certain time sequence, and has the ability to crawl along the surface of the satellite.

[0047] (4) The soft-body crawling robot in this invention carries operating tools to perform on-orbit maintenance and other operation tasks, which further enhances the on-orbit maintenance and operation capabilities of spacecraft. The robot of this invention can crawl along the surface of the spacecraft to reach the designated position on the star surface, and can support the control of its own spacecraft, as well as the confirmation and recovery of on-orbit faults of its own spacecraft, the extension of on-orbit life, the expansion of functions and the improvement of performance. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the flexible body crawling robot on the surface of a space target in this invention;

[0049] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the soft-body movement principle of the head unit of the soft-body crawling robot of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the movement mode of the soft-body crawling robot of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the flexible body structure of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible hinge of the present invention;

[0053] In the diagram, 1-detection subunit, 2-communication subunit, 3-wireless power transmission subunit, 4-head unit flexible structure, 5-head unit driver, 6-head unit adhesive material, 7-head unit flexible hinge, 8-middle unit flexible structure, 9-middle unit driver, 10-tail unit flexible structure, 11-tail unit driver, 12-tail unit adhesive material, 13-tail unit flexible hinge, 51-head unit driver rope, 52-head unit driver drive motor, 53-head unit driver motor housing, 71-head unit flexible hinge leaf spring, 72-head unit flexible hinge rope, 73-head unit flexible hinge drive motor, 74-head unit flexible hinge motor housing. Detailed Implementation

[0054] The features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer and more explicit from the following detailed description.

[0055] The term “exemplary” as used herein means “serving as an example, embodiment, or illustration.” Any embodiment illustrated herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other embodiments. Although various aspects of embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated otherwise.

[0056] This invention provides a flexible crawling robot capable of walking on the surface of a spatial target. It comprises a head unit, a middle unit, and a tail unit, which are sequentially connected by screws. The head unit includes a central system, a flexible body structure, actuators, adhesive material, and flexible hinges. It serves two purposes: firstly, it enables the robot's own detection and control, as well as communication and wireless power transmission with the external environment; secondly, it allows for flexible deformation and connection / separation from the target surface. The middle unit mainly consists of the flexible body structure and actuators, enabling the flexible deformation and movement of the flexible body structure. The tail unit includes a flexible body structure, actuators, adhesive material, and flexible hinges, enabling the flexible deformation of the flexible body structure and connection / separation from the target surface.

[0057] Each of the head unit, middle unit, and tail unit contains a flexible body structure and a driver.

[0058] Both the head unit and the tail unit contain flexible hinges.

[0059] Adhesive material is installed at the connection between the flexible structure in the head unit and the surface of the target satellite.

[0060] Adhesive material is installed at the connection point between the flexible structure in the tail unit and the surface of the target satellite.

[0061] The actuator includes a rope, a drive motor, and a motor housing; the flexible structure is made of a deformable silicone rubber flexible material, with a rectangular cross-section and circumferential sawtooth grooves. There are four sets of threading holes at equal angles within the rectangular cross-section; the rope is embedded in the threading holes, also in four sets; using the flexible structure as a carrier, the motor drives the rope, which is eccentrically positioned relative to the rectangular cross-section of the flexible structure, causing the flexible structure to bend and deform under tension.

[0062] The flexible hinge consists of a flexible short-arm beam structure, ropes, a drive motor, and a motor housing. Its bending deformation principle is similar to that of a flexible body structure.

[0063] This invention is based on the bending deformation of a flexible structure driven by a motor-driven eccentric configuration and the bending deformation of a short-arm beam structure driven by a motor-driven eccentric configuration. It has the ability to crawl along the satellite surface, can adapt to the walking requirements under complex satellite surface topography conditions, and further enhances the ability to carry out on-orbit maintenance and other operational tasks.

[0064] Example:

[0065] 1. Star-shaped soft-body crawling robot technical solution

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown, a soft-body crawling robot for walking on the surface of a space target includes a head unit, a middle unit, and a tail unit, which are connected in sequence by screwing. The overall shape is slender.

[0067] (1) Head unit

[0068] The head unit specifically includes a detection subunit 1, a communication subunit 2, a wireless power transmission subunit 3, a head unit flexible body structure 4, a head unit actuator 5, a head unit adhesive material 6, and a head unit flexible hinge 7. The main components of the detection subunit 1, wireless power transmission subunit 3, and communication subunit 2 are located on the exterior of the front end of the head unit, while the control subunit and central processing subunit are located inside the front end of the head unit. Their main functions include robot self-detection and control, communication between the robot and the external environment, and wireless power transmission, ensuring the robot's normal operation. The detection subunit 1 primarily acquires geometric / topographical information about the crawling area on the target surface. This information is then sent to the control subunit, which performs tasks such as path planning. The communication subunit 2 generally needs to receive commands from other satellites / ground stations.

[0069] The head unit flexible structure 4 has bending and deformation capabilities, with one end fixed to the rear of the structural shell used to install the detection subunit 1, communication subunit 2, and wireless power transmission subunit 3. Head unit adhesive material 6 is installed at the connection point between the head unit flexible structure 4 and the target satellite surface. The head unit actuator 5 is fixed to the other end of the head unit flexible structure 4, driving the head unit flexible structure 4 to bend and deform, allowing it to separate from the target surface. After the bending deformation is released, it can reconnect with the target surface, thus solving the problem of the lack of gravity-assisted connection between the two bodies (referring to the flexible crawling robot and the target satellite) in space applications of the flexible crawling robot.

[0070] One end of the head unit flexible hinge 7 is fixed to the head unit actuator 5, and the other end is fixed to the intermediate unit actuator 9. The main functions of the head unit flexible hinge 7 are, on the one hand, to prevent interference between the head unit and the target satellite surface when the intermediate unit moves, and on the other hand, to apply a quasi-static normal force to the adhesive material when the head unit flexible structure is connected to the target satellite surface.

[0071] (2) Intermediate Unit

[0072] The intermediate unit includes an intermediate unit flexible body structure 8 and an intermediate unit actuator 9. One end of the intermediate unit actuator 9 is connected to the head unit flexible hinge 7, and the other end is connected to the intermediate unit flexible body structure 8. The intermediate unit flexible body structure has bending and deformation capabilities. The intermediate unit actuator drives the intermediate unit flexible body structure, causing it to bend and deform, thereby realizing the forward movement of the flexible crawling robot.

[0073] (3) Tail unit

[0074] The tail unit specifically includes a tail unit flexible body structure 10, a tail unit actuator 11, a tail unit adhesive material 12, and a tail unit flexible hinge 13.

[0075] One end of the tail unit actuator 11 is connected to the tail unit flexible hinge 13, and the other end is connected to the tail unit flexible body structure 10. The tail unit flexible body structure 10 has bending and deformation capabilities. A tail unit adhesive material 12 is installed at the connection between the tail unit flexible body structure 10 and the target satellite surface. The adhesive material can be a gecko-like foot adsorption array or other adhesive materials. The tail unit actuator 11 drives the tail unit flexible body structure 10 to bend and deform, allowing it to separate from the target surface. After the bending deformation is released, it can connect with the target surface, thus solving the problem of the lack of gravity-assisted two-body connection in the space application of the flexible body crawling robot.

[0076] One end of the tail unit flexible hinge 13 is fixed to the tail unit actuator 11, and the other end is fixed to the intermediate unit flexible structure 8. The main functions of the tail unit flexible hinge 13 are, on the one hand, to prevent interference between the tail unit and the target satellite surface when the intermediate unit moves, and on the other hand, to apply a quasi-static normal force to the adhesive material when the tail unit flexible structure 10 is connected to the target satellite surface.

[0077] 2. Principle of Flexible Body Deformation Motion of Star-Surface Flexible Crawling Robot

[0078] The soft-body structure and flexible hinges of the soft-body crawling robot are core components of the star-surface soft-body crawling robot. Seven examples are described, using the head unit soft-body structure 4 and the head flexible hinge as examples. For instance... Figure 2 As shown, the principle of the soft-body deformable motion of the soft-body crawling robot is as follows:

[0079] (1) Achieving bending deformation of flexible structures

[0080] The bending deformation of the flexible structure is achieved by an actuator. The flexible structure is made of a flexible silicone rubber material with deformability; silicone rubber possesses both shape retention and elastic deformation capabilities. The flexible structure has a rectangular cross-section with circumferential serrated grooves. Within the rectangular cross-section, four line segments are formed at equal angles (the lines connecting the four holes to the centroid of the cross-section form four line segments, with adjacent line segments forming an angle of 90 degrees). Figure 4 The actuator has four sets of cable threading holes. It consists of a rope, a drive motor, and a motor housing. The actuator has four sets of ropes, which are embedded in the cable threading holes of the flexible structure, such as... Figure 4 The head unit driver 5 includes a head unit driver rope 51, a head unit driver drive motor 52, and a head unit driver motor housing 53.

[0081] The flexible structure adopts an eccentric traction method. Specifically, the traction hole is offset from the centroid of the rectangular cross-section. There are a total of 4 holes / ropes in the rectangular cross-section. Tightening any one of the ropes will drive the flexible structure to bend and deform. The flexible structure is bent and deformed by opening serrated grooves around its circumference, that is, bending the silicone rubber rod at a certain eccentric angle.

[0082] In one specific embodiment, the rectangular cross-section of the flexible structure is square with a side length of 60mm, and the distance between the threading hole and the centroid of the rectangular cross-section is 15-20mm.

[0083] Drill a through hole (threading hole), thread the rope through the hole, and fix one end of the rope, leaving the other end to emerge from the bottom. When the rope is pulled from the bottom, the flexible structure will bend due to the eccentric force. The circumferential sawtooth grooves in the flexible structure are designed to reduce the bending section modulus, making the flexible structure more prone to bending deformation under tension.

[0084] Flexible structures allow for bending freedom in two directions.

[0085] (2) Flexible hinge bending deformation is achieved

[0086] The flexible hinge consists of a flexible hinge leaf spring, a rope, a drive motor, and a motor housing. For the head unit flexible hinge 7, it includes a head unit flexible hinge leaf spring 71, a head unit flexible hinge rope 72, a head unit flexible hinge drive motor 73, and a head unit flexible hinge motor housing 74. The flexible hinge leaf spring is a flexible short-arm beam structure. In one specific embodiment, the flexible hinge leaf spring is a metal sheet approximately 1 mm thick (such as a stainless steel sheet that is prone to elastic deformation).

[0087] The bending deformation principle of a flexible hinge is similar to that of a flexible body structure; that is, a rope is used to eccentrically pull the flexible hinge leaf spring, causing the flexible hinge leaf spring to bend and deform, such as... Figure 5 .

[0088] 3. Movement Modes of the Star-Surface Soft-Body Crawling Robot

[0089] like Figure 3 As shown, the crawling motion pattern of the soft-body crawling robot is as follows:

[0090] (a) Initial state.

[0091] (b) The tail unit actuator 11 operates, driving the tail unit flexible structure 10 to bend and deform (driving the rear end of the tail unit flexible structure 10 to tilt upward), overcoming the elastic force of the tail unit flexible structure 10 itself and the adhesive force between the flexible structure and the target satellite surface, thereby realizing the separation of the tail unit flexible structure from the target satellite surface.

[0092] (c) The flexible hinge 13 of the tail unit bends and contracts, causing the flexible body structure 10 of the tail unit to rotate clockwise by a certain angle (as shown by the dotted line in the figure). To ensure safety, this angle is between 90 and 180 degrees, ensuring that the tail unit does not interfere with the surface of the target satellite when the middle unit moves; the tail unit actuator 11 is unloaded, and the flexible body structure 10 of the tail unit returns to a straight state under its own elastic force.

[0093] (d) The flexible hinge 7 of the head unit bends and contracts, so that the tail unit and the middle unit rotate clockwise by a certain angle, preferably 90°, to form the maximum travel displacement.

[0094] (e) The intermediate unit driver 9 operates, driving the intermediate unit flexible structure 8 to bend and deform (arch), overcoming the elastic force of the intermediate unit flexible structure 8 itself, realizing the bending and deformation of the intermediate unit flexible structure 8, while ensuring that the right end (front end) of the tail unit flexible structure 10 is in contact with the surface of the target satellite.

[0095] (f) The tail unit flexible hinge 13 is released, driving the tail unit to rotate counterclockwise, and applying a quasi-static normal force to the adhesive material on the tail unit flexible structure 10. Under the action of the adhesive force of the adhesive material, the tail unit flexible structure 10 achieves connection with the surface of the target satellite.

[0096] (g) The head unit actuator 5 operates. It drives the head unit flexible structure 4 to bend and deform (the front end of the head unit flexible structure 4 tilts upward), overcoming the elastic force of the head unit flexible structure 4 itself and the adhesive force between the head unit flexible structure 4 and the target satellite surface, thereby achieving the separation of the head unit flexible structure 4 from the target satellite surface.

[0097] (h) Unload intermediate unit driver 9; unload head unit driver 5.

[0098] (i) The tail unit flexible hinge 13 is further released.

[0099] (j) Final state: The flexible hinge 7 of the head unit is further released, driving the head unit to rotate clockwise and applying a quasi-static normal force to the adhesive material on the flexible body structure 4 of the head unit. Under the action of the adhesive force of the adhesive material, the flexible body structure 4 of the head unit achieves connection with the surface of the target satellite. At this time, one cycle is completed, and the flexible crawling robot has taken a step forward.

[0100] This invention, with on-orbit maintenance of spacecraft as its application background, proposes a flexible robot solution capable of freely crawling along the surface of a target spacecraft. It possesses the unique advantage of reconfiguring its shape to adapt to complex spacecraft surface topography. Its motion function is achieved through the deformability of the flexible device itself. By employing multiple deformation modes and their organic integration, it gains adaptability to complex unstructured environments, providing strong support for multi-method on-orbit maintenance and other tasks. This invention achieves forward motion and connection / decoupling with the target surface during the crawling process of the flexible robot, meeting the walking requirements under complex morphological conditions on the target spacecraft surface.

[0101] The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments and exemplary examples; however, these descriptions should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that various equivalent substitutions, modifications, or improvements can be made to the technical solutions and embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0102] The contents not described in detail in this specification are common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A flexible crawling robot for space target surfaces, characterized in that, It includes a head unit, a middle unit, and a tail unit connected in sequence; The head unit, middle unit, and tail unit all include a flexible body structure and an actuator. The head unit and tail unit also include flexible hinges for connection with the middle unit. The flexible structures in the head unit and tail unit are provided with adhesive material for connecting with the target surface; the actuators in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit respectively drive the flexible structures in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit to bend and deform to separate from the target surface or release the bending deformation to contact the target surface, so as to achieve crawling on the target surface; The drivers in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit are respectively called head unit driver (5), middle unit driver (9) and tail unit driver (11). The flexible structures in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit are respectively called head unit flexible structure (4), middle unit flexible structure (8) and tail unit flexible structure (10). The flexible hinges in the head unit and tail unit are respectively called head unit flexible hinge (7) and tail unit flexible hinge (13). The head unit flexible body structure (4), head unit driver (5), head unit flexible hinge (7), middle unit driver (9), middle unit flexible body structure (8), tail unit flexible hinge (13), tail unit driver (11), and tail unit flexible body structure (10) are connected in sequence. The flexible hinge includes a flexible hinge leaf spring, a second rope, a second drive motor, and a second motor housing; The second drive motor is located inside the second motor housing. The second motor housings in the head unit flexible hinge (7) and the tail unit flexible hinge (13) are respectively connected to the head unit driver (5) and the rear end of the middle unit flexible structure (8). The flexible hinge leaf spring is a flexible short-arm beam structure, and the flexible hinge leaf spring is set parallel to the rope; The flexible hinge leaf spring in the head unit flexible hinge (7) is connected to the second motor box and the intermediate unit driver (9) at both ends, and the second rope end is connected to the second drive motor and the intermediate unit. The flexible hinge leaf spring in the tail unit flexible hinge (13) is connected to the second motor box and the tail unit at both ends, and the second rope end is connected to the second drive motor and the tail unit. The second drive motor in the head unit flexible hinge (7) pulls the second rope to deform the flexible hinge leaf spring, realizing the relative rotation between the intermediate unit and the head unit. The second drive motor in the tail unit flexible hinge (13) pulls the second rope to deform the flexible hinge leaf spring, realizing the relative rotation between the tail unit and the intermediate unit.

2. The flexible body crawling robot for a space target surface according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible structure has a rectangular cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction, and serrated grooves are opened in the circumference of the flexible structure. The flexible structure is provided with threading holes parallel to the axial direction. The actuator includes a first rope and a first drive motor; the first rope is embedded in a threading hole, and the first drive motor drives the first rope to move, causing the flexible structure to bend or release the bending deformation.

3. The flexible body crawling robot for a space target surface according to claim 2, characterized in that, There are four sets of threading holes and four sets of the first rope; The four sets of thread holes are located at the midpoints of the four sides of the rectangular cross-section of the flexible structure. Connect the positions of the four sets of thread holes on the rectangular cross-section with the centroid of the rectangular cross-section to form four line segments, where the included angle between two adjacent line segments is 90°.

4. The flexible body crawling robot for a space target surface according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flexible structure is made of silicone rubber.

5. A flexible body crawling robot for a space target surface according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes the head unit central system located at the front end of the head unit; The head unit's central system includes a detection subunit (1), a control subunit, and a central processing subunit; The detection subunit (1) is used to acquire target surface information and output the target surface information to the central processing subunit. The central processing subunit generates control instructions based on the target surface information and outputs the control instructions to the control subunit. The control subunit controls the actuators in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit according to the control instructions to realize the robot crawling to the repair position on the target surface.

6. A flexible body crawling robot for a space target surface according to claim 5, characterized in that, The head unit central system also includes a wireless power transmission subunit (3); The wireless power transfer subunit (3) is used to realize wireless power transfer between the external environment and the robot.

7. A crawling method for a soft-bodied crawling robot on a space target surface according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, include: The drivers in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit are respectively called head unit driver (5), middle unit driver (9) and tail unit driver (11). The flexible structures in the head unit, middle unit and tail unit are respectively called head unit flexible structure (4), middle unit flexible structure (8) and tail unit flexible structure (10). The flexible hinges in the head unit and tail unit are respectively called head unit flexible hinge (7) and tail unit flexible hinge (13). In the initial state of S1, the head unit driver (5), the middle unit driver (9) and the tail unit driver (11) are not working, and the head unit flexible structure (4), the middle unit flexible structure (8) and the tail unit flexible structure (10) are in a straight line state. The S2 tail unit driver (11) operates, driving the tail unit flexible structure (10) to overcome its own elasticity and the adhesion between the tail unit flexible structure (10) and the target surface, causing bending deformation, and realizing the separation of the tail unit flexible structure (10) from the target surface; The S3 tail unit flexible hinge (13) drives the tail unit flexible structure (10) to rotate in the first direction; The S4 tail unit driver (11) is unloaded, and the tail unit flexible structure (10) returns to a straight state under its own elastic force. The S5 head unit flexible hinge (7) drives the middle unit and tail unit to rotate in the first direction; The S6 intermediate unit driver (9) works, driving the intermediate unit flexible structure (8) to overcome its own elasticity and undergo bending deformation, thereby separating the intermediate unit flexible structure (8) from the target surface, while making the front end of the tail unit flexible structure (10) contact the target surface. S7 tail unit flexible hinge (13) releases, tail unit flexible hinge (13) drives tail unit flexible structure (10) to rotate in the second direction under its own elastic force until the tail unit flexible structure (10) is connected to the target surface by the adhesive material, tail unit flexible hinge (13) stops releasing. The S8 head unit driver (5) works to drive the head unit flexible structure (4) to overcome its own elasticity and the adhesion between the head unit flexible structure (4) and the target surface, and to bend and deform, thereby realizing the separation of the head unit flexible structure (4) from the target surface. The S9 intermediate unit driver (9) is unloaded, the head unit driver (5) is unloaded, and the intermediate unit flexible structure (8) and the head unit flexible structure (4) are restored to a straight state under their own elastic force. The S10 tail unit flexible hinge (13) is fully released, and the middle unit flexible structure (8) comes into contact with the target surface; S11 The head unit flexible hinge (7) is released, and the head unit flexible hinge (7) drives the head unit flexible structure (4) to rotate in the first direction under its own elastic force. The head unit flexible structure (4) is connected to the target surface through adhesive material. The first direction and the second direction are opposite.

8. The crawling method of a soft-body crawling robot on a space target surface according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: Repeat steps S1 to S11 until the robot crawls to the target position.

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