A ball-wheel-leg hybrid robot for narrow and unstructured environments

Abstract

The invention relates to a ball-wheel-leg composite robot, comprising a central support; a left side portion, the left side portion comprising a left side frame and a left side base plate, the left side base plate being provided with a first motor, a left side first thigh and a left side first calf, the left side base plate being further provided with a second motor, a left side second thigh and a left side second calf; a right side portion, the right side portion comprising a right side frame and a right side base plate, the right side base plate being provided with a third motor, a right side first thigh and a right side first calf, the right side base plate being further provided with a fourth motor, a right side second thigh and a right side second calf; a central support motion device, the central support motion device comprising a fifth motor, a shaft system, a steering gear, a heavy hammer connecting rod and a heavy hammer; and a ball shell, the left side portion and the right side portion being respectively connected to the ball shell. The organic combination of the three motion functions of ball, wheel and leg is realized, so that the robot has the ability of multi-mode motion, rapid motion and rapid mode switching.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow and unstructured environments. Background Art

[0002] Mobile robots are an important branch of the robotics field. They can replace humans to complete a variety of tasks and are widely used in logistics, household cleaning, disinfection, etc., reducing people's labor burden. At the same time, mobile robots also play an important role in field detection, military infiltration, disaster relief, etc., which can prevent people from directly participating in dangerous tasks and ensure the life safety of task participants.

[0003] Currently, the commonly used mobile robots include wheeled robots, tracked robots, and multi-legged robots. Traditional wheeled mobile robots were developed earlier, and their technology is relatively mature and widely used. They have simple structures, fast moving speeds, and high movement efficiency, but they are only suitable for relatively flat artificial roads and are difficult to apply to complex terrains, making them unable to complete complex tasks in environments such as ruins and caves. Tracked mobile robots have strong ditch crossing and climbing capabilities, but they are heavy, slow, and have poor maneuverability. Legged robots can flexibly select contact points with the ground by swinging their legs, which helps them cross potholes and obstacles. The legs can also continuously adjust their postures, so they have stronger environmental adaptability and are more suitable for working on complex terrains. However, quadruped robots are slow and inefficient, and also require complex control algorithms and a long development cycle. Spherical robots are a new type of mobile robot developed in the past decade. Spherical robots generally have a closed spherical shell, which contains a control system, a power system, a motion actuator, a sensor, etc. It achieves movement through the principles of center of mass offset and momentum conservation. Compared with traditional mobile robots, spherical robots have strong balance and flexible movements, and can adapt to a variety of road surfaces and harsh environments. In addition, spherical robots can use their spherical shells to effectively buffer impact forces, thereby protecting the internal structure of the robot. Therefore, spherical robots have significant advantages and broad application prospects in the fields of planetary exploration, hazardous environment detection, and pipeline internal detection.

[0004] In actual applications, the terrain is often complex and changeable, and there will be rugged, narrow, and closed environments. Quadcopter drones are limited by some narrow and closed environments and cannot enter the interior for close reconnaissance. The above common mobile robots either have low terrain adaptability or low efficiency and slow speed. They are difficult to play an effective role in urban street fighting and anti-terrorism close reconnaissance environments with narrow space, changeable terrain, and good concealment. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop an intelligent mobile robot with high mobility and strong environmental adaptability. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides a ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments, aiming to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. In particular, the reconfigurable multimodal mobile robot can be applied to military reconnaissance, field detection, disaster relief and other fields.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is a ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments, comprising a central support; a left side portion, the left side portion comprising a left side frame and a left side base plate connected in sequence, the left side frame is connected to the central support through a rotating pair, the left side base plate is provided with a first motor, a left side first thigh and a left side first calf connected in sequence, the left side base plate is also provided with a second motor, a left side second thigh and a left side second calf connected in sequence, the end of the left side first calf and the end of the left side second calf are also provided with a left side wheel, a left side wheel motor and a left side connecting member, the end of the left side second calf, the left side connecting member, the end of the left side first calf and the left side wheel motor are connected in sequence, and the left side wheel is fixedly connected to the rotor of the left side wheel motor; a right side portion, the right side portion comprising a right side frame and a right side base plate connected in sequence, the right side frame is connected to the central support through a rotating pair, the right side base plate is provided with a The third motor, the right first thigh and the right first calf connected to the right side are connected, the right base plate is also provided with a fourth motor, the right second thigh and the right second calf connected in sequence, the end of the right first calf and the end of the right second calf are also provided with a right wheel, a right wheel motor and a right connecting piece, the end of the right second calf, the right connecting piece, the end of the right first calf and the right wheel motor are connected in sequence, and the right wheel is fixedly connected to the rotor of the right wheel motor; a central support motion device, the central support motion device includes a fifth motor fixedly connected to the central support, a shaft system arranged inside the central support, a steering gear connected to the shaft system through a flange, a heavy hammer connecting rod connected to the shaft system through a flat key and a heavy hammer arranged at the bottom end of the heavy hammer connecting rod, the fifth motor is arranged on the inner side of the left frame, and the steering gear is arranged at the front end of the central frame; a spherical shell, the left side part and the right side part are respectively fixedly connected to the spherical shell.

[0007] Furthermore, it also includes a model aircraft battery for powering the steering gear, and the model aircraft battery is arranged at the rear end of the central support.

[0008] Furthermore, the spherical shell includes a first hemispherical shell, a second hemispherical shell, a left ear spherical shell and a right ear spherical shell, the first hemispherical shell is respectively fixed to the left base plate and the right base plate, the second hemispherical shell is respectively fixed to the left base plate and the right base plate, the left ear spherical shell is fixed to the left base plate, and the right ear spherical shell is fixed to the right base plate.

[0009] Furthermore, inner walls of the first hemispherical shell, the second hemispherical shell, the left ear spherical shell and the right ear spherical shell are all provided with reinforcing ribs.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a controller, which is arranged on the inner side of the right frame, and the first motor, the second motor, the left wheel motor, the third motor, the fourth motor, the right wheel motor, the fifth motor and the steering gear are electrically connected to the controller respectively.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a first battery arranged on the inner side of the top of the right frame and a second battery arranged on the inner side of the top of the left frame, the first motor, the second motor, the fifth motor and the left wheel motor are electrically connected to the second battery respectively, and the third motor, the fourth motor, the right wheel motor and the controller are electrically connected to the first battery respectively.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a CAN master station arranged on the inner side of the bottom of the right frame, and the CAN master station is electrically connected to the controller.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes an inertial navigation system arranged at the bottom of the left frame, and the inertial navigation system is electrically connected to the controller.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes an external device interface expander arranged on the inner side of the bottom of the left side rack, and the external device interface expander is electrically connected to the controller respectively.

[0015] Furthermore, the weight is made of tungsten alloy material.

[0016] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is to compactly combine the ball, wheels and legs into a robot through structural design, so that the robot has three movement modes and can switch to a favorable movement mode for different terrains to improve maneuverability and environmental adaptability.

[0017] The robot is wrapped inside the spherical shell, which has a diameter of 40 cm. A two-degree-of-freedom weight is installed at the center of the spherical shell, which can rotate relative to the spherical shell at a pitch angle and a roll angle, and is driven by the fifth motor and the servo respectively, so that the center of mass of the robot is offset, thereby causing the robot to roll. The pitch rotation of the weight causes the robot to roll forward and backward, and the rotation of the weight connecting rod in the rolling direction causes the robot to tilt in the direction of its roll angle, and continuous turning motion can be achieved by cooperating with the forward and backward rolling. The left ear spherical shell and the right ear spherical shell on the side of the robot can assist the robot to return to the normal working position after rolling over. The left ear spherical shell and the right ear spherical shell also play a role in preventing the legs from moving to a singular position. At the same time, as a mass block, the weight can also adjust the center of gravity of the robot to make it close to the center of the ball; the left ear spherical shell and the right ear spherical shell can adjust the mass distribution of the robot to make its center of gravity other than the weight close to the center of the ball.

[0018] The legs on the left and right sides of the robot are two-degree-of-freedom five-link closed chain mechanisms, which are installed on both sides of the robot body and fixed to the left base plate and the right base plate respectively. The legs on one side are driven by two motors, and the driving motor of the wheel on one side is installed at the end of a branch chain of the closed chain mechanism, and then connected to the wheel. Compared with the common serial leg structure, the closed chain mechanism has a larger stroke, so that the end mass of the leg is very close to the center of the ball when the leg is contracted, reducing the influence of the eccentric effect caused by the end mass of the leg on the rolling of the ball, and at the same time ensuring that the leg has sufficient activity length after extension. By reasonably distributing the mass of the robot parts, when the leg is contracted to the shortest, the center of mass of the entire robot except the weight is very close to the center of the ball, and the influence of the eccentric mass except the weight can be basically ignored when rolling, which greatly simplifies the control. When the legs are extended and touch the ground, the robot can be regarded as a highly variable two-wheeled balancing car, and the legs become an active suspension system that can actively adjust the leg length to adapt to the environment. In addition, the closed-chain mechanism has good symmetry, which reduces the change of the center of mass in the front-to-back direction when the leg length changes, and reduces the impact on balance control when the leg length changes; the high rigidity and strong carrying capacity enable the robot to have a strong load capacity and explosive jumping ability. At the same time, because the legs omit the locking device of other transformable robots, the robot can quickly switch the movement mode.

[0019] Since the weight needs to rotate 360° relative to the spherical shell, in order to solve the problem of line entanglement, a micro electric slip ring is embedded in the supporting shaft of the pitch axis of the weight, and the signal line of the servo of the weight roll joint is led out through the micro electric slip ring, thereby connecting the robot's electronic control system and realizing control by a single controller.

[0020] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: while meeting the requirements of compact size and high integration, it realizes the organic combination of the three movement functions of ball, wheels and legs, so that it has the ability of multi-mode movement, rapid movement, and rapid mode switching, and provides a solution for a mobile robot that can complete high-mobility tasks under complex and changeable terrains, expanding the application scenarios of traditional mobile robots, and can be used in military scenarios such as urban street fighting and close reconnaissance, as well as in civilian scenarios such as disaster relief, and has broad application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 Shown is a perspective view of a spherical configuration according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 Shown is a three-dimensional view of a spherical configuration according to the present invention (the spherical shell is hidden);

[0023] Figure 3 Shown is a perspective view of the left side portion according to the present invention (hiding the left side frame);

[0024] Figure 4 Shown is a perspective view of the back side of the left side portion according to the present invention (hiding the left side frame);

[0025] Figure 5 Shown is a perspective view of the right side according to the present invention (hiding the right side frame);

[0026] Figure 6 Shown is a perspective view of the back side of the right side portion of the present invention (hiding the right side frame);

[0027] Figure 7 The figure is a top perspective schematic diagram of the present invention (the first hemispherical shell and the second hemispherical shell are hidden);

[0028] Figure 8 Shown is a perspective view of the inner side of a first hemispherical shell according to the present invention;

[0029] Fig. 9 Shown is an exploded schematic diagram of the left side portion according to the present invention (the left side frame is hidden);

[0030] Fig.10 The figure shows an exploded schematic diagram of the right side according to the present invention (the right side frame is hidden);

[0031] Fig.11 Shown is a three-dimensional view of the wheel leg configuration according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure numerals: 100, center support; 200, left side; 210, left side frame; 220, left side base plate; 230, first motor; 240, left side first thigh; 250, left side first calf; 260, second motor; 270, left side second thigh; 280, left side second calf; 290, left side wheel; 291, left side wheel motor; 292, left side connecting member; 300, right side; 310, right side frame; 320, right side base plate; 330, third motor; 340, right side first thigh; 350, right side first calf; 360, fourth motor; 370, right side second thigh; 380 , the second calf on the right side; 390, the right wheel; 391, the right wheel motor; 392, the right connecting piece; 400, the central bracket movement device; 410, the fifth motor; 420, the shaft system; 430, the servo; 431, the battery of the model aircraft; 440, the weight connecting rod; 450, the weight; 500, the spherical shell; 510, the first hemispherical shell; 520, the second hemispherical shell; 530, the left ear spherical shell; 540, the right ear spherical shell; 550, the reinforcing rib; 600, the controller; 610, the first battery; 620, the second battery; 700, the CAN master station; 800, the inertial navigation unit; 900, the peripheral interface expander. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the embodiments and drawings to clearly and completely describe the concept, specific structure and technical effects of the present invention, so as to fully understand the purpose, scheme and effect of the present invention. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0034] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, when a feature is referred to as being "fixed" or "connected" to another feature, it may be directly fixed or connected to the other feature, or it may be indirectly fixed or connected to the other feature. In addition, the descriptions of up, down, left, right, top, bottom, etc. used in the present invention are only relative to the relative positional relationship of the components of the present invention in the drawings.

[0035] In addition, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used in this specification are only for describing specific embodiments, not for limiting the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any combination of one or more related listed items.

[0036] It should be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements in the present disclosure, these elements should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish elements of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first element may also be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may also be referred to as the first element.

[0037] Reference Figures 1 to 11In some embodiments, the ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to the present invention includes a central support 100; a left side portion 200, wherein the left side portion 200 includes a left frame 210 and a left base plate 220 connected in sequence, wherein the left frame 210 is connected to the central support 100 through a revolute pair, and the left base plate 220 is provided with a first motor 230, a left first thigh 240 and a left first calf 250 connected in sequence, and the left base plate 220 is also provided with a second motor 260, a left second thigh 270 and a left second calf 280 connected in sequence, and the left first calf 250 is connected to the left base plate 220. The end of the left second calf 280 and the end of the left second calf 280 are also provided with a left wheel 290, a left wheel motor 291 and a left connecting piece 292. The end of the left second calf 280, the left connecting piece 292, the end of the left first calf 250 and the left wheel motor 291 are connected in sequence, and the left wheel 290 is fixedly connected to the rotor of the left wheel motor 291; the right side part 300, the right side part 300 includes a right frame 310 and a right base plate 320 connected in sequence, the right frame 310 is connected to the central bracket 100 through a rotating pair, and the right base plate 320 is provided with a third Motor 330, right first thigh 340 and right first calf 350, the right base plate 320 is also provided with a fourth motor 360, a right second thigh 370 and a right second calf 380 connected in sequence, the end of the right first calf 350 and the end of the right second calf 380 are also provided with a right wheel 390, a right wheel motor 391 and a right connecting piece 392, the end of the right second calf 380, the right connecting piece 392, the end of the right first calf 350 and the right wheel motor 391 are connected in sequence, and the right wheel 390 is fixedly connected to the rotor of the right wheel motor 391; center A support motion device 400, wherein the center support motion device 400 comprises a fifth motor 410 fixedly connected to the center support 100, a shaft system 420 arranged inside the center support 100, a servo 430 connected to the shaft system 420 via a flange, a weight connecting rod 440 connected to the shaft system 420 via a flat key, and a weight 450 arranged at the bottom end of the weight connecting rod 440, wherein the fifth motor 410 is arranged on the inner side of the left frame 210, and the servo 430 is arranged at the front end of the center frame; a spherical shell 500, wherein the left side portion 200 and the right side portion 300 are respectively fixedly connected to the spherical shell 500.The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow and unstructured environments achieves an organic combination of the three movement functions of ball, wheels and legs while meeting the requirements of compact size and high integration, enabling it to have the ability of multi-mode movement, rapid movement, and rapid mode switching. It provides a solution for a mobile robot that can complete high-mobility tasks in complex and changeable terrains, expands the application scenarios of traditional mobile robots, and can be used in military scenarios such as urban street fighting and close reconnaissance, as well as in civilian scenarios such as disaster relief, and has broad application prospects.

[0038] In the ball form, the robot's legs are retracted to the shortest, the spherical shell 500 contacts the ground, and enters the ball rolling mode. When the weight 450 pitches and swings, due to the change in the center of gravity and the generation of inertial force, the ball obtains driving force and begins to roll back and forth. When the weight 450 swings in the rolling direction, the ball tilts left and right, and cooperates with the forward and backward rolling to achieve continuous turning. In the wheel-leg form, the legs are extended until the wheels touch the ground, and the spherical shell 500 leaves the ground and enters the wheel-leg movement mode. At this time, the robot can be regarded as a height-adjustable two-wheeled balancing car with an active suspension system. It is worth noting that the weight 450 used to drive the ball to roll can assist the robot in adjusting the center of gravity, thereby achieving a more stable and flexible movement effect. The internal structure connection relationship of the present invention is that the components are tightly connected together through the mounting bracket.

[0039] The wheel and leg parts on both sides of the robot are symmetrical, and the left base plate 220 is not completely the same as the right base plate 320.

[0040] The first motor 230 and the second motor 260 are mounted on the left base plate 220, the left first thigh 240 and the left second thigh 270 are fixedly connected to the rotors of the first motor 230 and the second motor 260, respectively, and the left first shank 250 and the left second shank 280 are connected to the left first thigh 240 and the left second thigh 270 through a revolute pair, respectively. The left connecting member 292, the end of the left first shank 250 and the left wheel motor 291 are connected in sequence, the left wheel 290 is fixedly connected to the rotor of the left wheel motor 291, and the left first shank 250 and the left second shank 280 are also connected through a revolute pair on the left connecting member 292, thereby forming a closed chain. The rotation of the rotors of the first motor 230 and the second motor 260 controls the rotation of the first left thigh 240 and the second left thigh 270. The first left calf 250 and the second left calf 280 will produce corresponding movements due to the closed chain relationship. The final position and speed of the leg end can be uniquely determined by the position and speed of the rotors of the first motor 230 and the second motor 260. In this way, the position of the left wheel 290 relative to the center of the robot sphere can be determined by controlling the first motor 230 and the second motor 260, so that the robot can adjust the leg length according to different needs. The left wheel 290 is directly driven by the left wheel motor 291 at the end of the leg, and the robot can move at high speed through the wheels on both sides. Since the wheel leg part adopts a closed chain two-degree-of-freedom five-link structure, compared with the series leg, it has high rigidity, strong load-bearing capacity, good symmetry, and large travel, which is conducive to load-bearing, motion mode switching, and flexible motion control.

[0041] The third motor 330 and the fourth motor 360 are mounted on the right base plate 320, the right first thigh 340 and the right second thigh 370 are fixedly connected to the rotors of the third motor 330 and the fourth motor 360, respectively, and the right first shank 350 and the right second shank 380 are connected to the right first thigh 340 and the right second thigh 370, respectively, through a revolute pair. The right connecting member 392, the end of the right first shank 350 and the right wheel motor 391 are connected in sequence, the right wheel 390 is fixedly connected to the rotor of the right wheel motor 391, and the right first shank 350 and the right second shank 380 are also connected through a revolute pair on the right connecting member 392, thereby forming a closed chain. The rotation of the rotors of the third motor 330 and the fourth motor 360 controls the rotation of the first thigh 340 and the second thigh 370 on the right side. The first calf 350 and the second calf 380 on the right side will produce corresponding movements due to the closed chain relationship. The final position and speed of the end of the leg can be uniquely determined by the position and speed of the rotors of the third motor 330 and the fourth motor 360. In this way, the position of the right wheel 390 relative to the center of the robot sphere can be determined by controlling the third motor 330 and the fourth motor 360, so that the robot can adjust the leg length according to different needs. The right wheel 390 is directly driven by the right wheel motor 391 at the end of the leg, and the robot can move at high speed through the wheels on both sides. Since the wheel leg part adopts a closed chain two-degree-of-freedom five-link structure, compared with the series leg, it has high rigidity, strong load-bearing capacity, good symmetry, and large travel, which is conducive to load-bearing, motion mode switching, and flexible motion control.

[0042] The left frame 210 and the right frame 310 are fixed on the left base plate 220 and the right base plate 320 respectively. The fifth motor 410 is fixed on the left frame 210. The rotor of the fifth motor 410 is fixedly connected to the central support 100. The right frame 310 is connected to the central support 100 through a revolute pair, which plays a supporting role and reduces the radial load of the motor shaft. The servo 430 is fixed on the central support 100. The rotor of the servo 430 is fixedly connected to the shaft system 420 through a flange. The other end of the shaft system 420 is connected to the central support 100 through a revolute pair, which plays a supporting role. The shaft system 420 drives the heavy pendulum connecting rod to rotate through a flat key. The heavy hammer 450 is fixed to the end of the heavy pendulum connecting rod by bolts. The heavy hammer 450 is made of high-density tungsten alloy, which compresses the volume while ensuring the driving force. The model aircraft battery 431 is fixed on the central support 100 to power the servo 430.

[0043] Movement principle of the heavy swing part: by controlling the rotation of the rotor of the fifth motor 410, the central support 100 rotates around the axis of the fifth motor 410, that is, the pitch axis around the center of the ball rotates, and the weight connecting rod 440 swings back and forth. The servo 430 controls the rotation of the shaft system 420 to make the weight connecting rod 440 swing left and right around the center line of the shaft system 420, thereby realizing two-degree-of-freedom movement. Since the central support 100 and the parts thereon need to rotate 360 ​​degrees relative to the spherical shell 500, in order to solve the problem of line winding, the protruding shaft of the right frame 310 is designed as a hollow shaft and embedded with a micro electric slip ring. Due to the existence of the micro electric slip ring, no matter what angle the weight 450 rotates to, there will be no problem of line winding, which ensures the free rotation of the weight 450 around the pitch axis.

[0044] In order to facilitate debugging and installation, the spherical shell 500 is split into two parts, namely the first hemispherical shell 510 and the second hemispherical shell 520. In order to increase the strength of the spherical shell 500, a raised reinforcing rib 550 is arranged on the inner wall of the spherical shell 500. The first spherical shell is fixedly connected to the left base plate and the right base plate respectively, and the second spherical shell is also fixedly connected to the left base plate and the right base plate respectively, so as to form a complete spherical shell. At the same time, the spherical shell 500 also fixes the relative position of the left base plate 220 and the right base plate 320. The left base plate 220 and the right base plate 320 are respectively installed with a left ear spherical shell 530 and a right ear spherical shell 540, which are used to limit the range of motion of the legs, prevent the legs from moving to a singular configuration, and enable the robot to use heavy swing after flipping to return to a normal working state through its arc surface, and adjust the center of gravity of the robot to make it close to the center of the ball. The spherical shell 500 is both the body of the robot, which plays a role in fixing the positions of parts, and the part of the robot that contacts the environment. When rolling, the spherical shell 500 maintains contact with the ground.

[0045] The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments is powered by the first battery 610 and the second battery 620, ensuring the mass balance on the left and right sides. The CAN master station 700, the inertial navigation unit 800, the peripheral interface expander 900 and the controller 600 are all fixed inside the robot through a bracket and arranged compactly.

[0046] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is to compactly combine the ball, wheels and legs into a robot through structural design, so that the robot has three movement modes and can switch to a favorable movement mode for different terrains to improve maneuverability and environmental adaptability.

[0047] The robot is wrapped inside the spherical shell 500, and the diameter of the spherical shell 500 is 40 cm. A two-degree-of-freedom weight 450 is installed at the center of the spherical shell 500, which can rotate relative to the spherical shell 500 in pitch angle and roll angle, and is driven by the fifth motor 410 and the servo 430 respectively, so that the center of mass of the robot is offset, thereby causing the robot to roll. The pitch rotation of the weight 450 causes the robot to roll forward and backward, and the rotation of the connecting rod of the weight 450 in the rolling direction causes the robot to tilt in the direction of its roll angle, and continuous turning motion can be achieved in conjunction with the forward and backward rolling. The left ear spherical shell 530 and the right ear spherical shell 540 on the side of the robot can assist the robot to return to a normal working position after rolling over. The left ear spherical shell 530 and the right ear spherical shell 540 also play a role in preventing the legs from moving to a singular position. At the same time, as a mass block, the weight 450 can also adjust the center of gravity of the robot to make it close to the center of the ball; the left ear spherical shell 530 and the right ear spherical shell 540 can adjust the mass distribution of the robot to make its center of gravity except the weight 450 close to the center of the ball.

[0048] The legs on the left and right sides of the robot are two-degree-of-freedom five-link closed chain mechanisms, which are installed on both sides of the robot body and are fixed to the left base plate 220 and the right base plate 320 respectively. The legs on one side are driven by two motors, and the driving motor of the wheel on one side is installed at the end of a branch chain of the closed chain mechanism, and then connected to the wheel. Compared with the common serial leg structure, the closed chain mechanism has a larger stroke, so that the end mass is very close to the center of the ball when the leg is contracted, reducing the influence of the eccentric effect caused by the end mass of the leg on the rolling of the ball, and at the same time ensuring that the leg has sufficient activity length after extension. By reasonably distributing the mass of the robot parts, when the leg is contracted to the shortest, the center of mass of the entire robot except the weight 450 is very close to the center of the ball, and the influence of the eccentric mass except the weight 450 can be basically ignored when rolling, which greatly simplifies the control. When the legs are extended and touch the ground, the robot can be regarded as a highly variable two-wheeled balancing car, and the legs become an active suspension system that can actively adjust the leg length to adapt to the environment. In addition, the closed-chain mechanism has good symmetry, which reduces the change of the center of mass in the front-to-back direction when the leg length changes, and reduces the impact on balance control when the leg length changes; the high rigidity and strong carrying capacity enable the robot to have a strong load capacity and explosive jumping ability. At the same time, because the legs omit the locking device of other transformable robots, the robot can quickly switch the movement mode.

[0049] Since the weight 450 needs to rotate 360 ​​degrees relative to the spherical shell 500, in order to solve the problem of line entanglement, a micro electric slip ring is embedded in the support shaft of the pitch axis of the weight 450, and the signal line of the servo 430 of the roll joint of the weight 450 is led out through the micro electric slip ring, thereby connecting the robot's electronic control system and realizing the control of a single controller 600.

[0050] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 7 , further comprising an aircraft model battery 431 for powering the steering engine 430, wherein the aircraft model battery 431 is disposed at the rear end of the central support 100. The aircraft model battery 431 is electrically connected to the steering engine 430, and the aircraft model battery 431 powers the steering engine 430.

[0051] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 7 Further, the ball shell 500 includes a first hemispherical shell 510, a second hemispherical shell 520, a left ear ball shell 530 and a right ear ball shell 540, the first hemispherical shell 510 is respectively fixed to the left base plate 220 and the right base plate 320, the second hemispherical shell 520 is respectively fixed to the left base plate 220 and the right base plate 320, the left ear ball shell 530 is fixed to the left base plate 220, and the right ear ball shell 540 is fixed to the right base plate 320.

[0052] Reference Figure 7 Further, the inner walls of the first hemispherical shell 510, the second hemispherical shell 520, the left ear shell 530 and the right ear shell 540 are all provided with reinforcing ribs 550. The inner walls of the first hemispherical shell 510, the second hemispherical shell 520, the left ear shell 530 and the right ear shell 540 are provided with raised reinforcing ribs 550 to achieve the technical effect of increasing the strength of the shell 500.

[0053] Reference Figure 2 , further comprising a controller 600, the controller 600 is arranged on the inner side of the right frame 310, and the first motor 230, the second motor 260, the left wheel motor 291, the third motor 330, the fourth motor 360, the right wheel motor 391, the fifth motor 410 and the steering gear 430 are respectively electrically connected to the controller 600. The controller 600 is used to control the movement of the first motor 230, the second motor 260, the left wheel motor 291, the third motor 330, the fourth motor 360, the right wheel motor 391, the fifth motor 410 and the steering gear 430.

[0054] Reference Figure 2, further comprising a first battery 610 disposed on the inner side of the top of the right frame 310 and a second battery 620 disposed on the inner side of the top of the left frame 210, the first motor 230, the second motor 260, the fifth motor 410 and the left wheel motor 291 are electrically connected to the second battery 620 respectively, and the third motor 330, the fourth motor 360, the right wheel motor 391 and the controller 600 are electrically connected to the first battery 610 respectively. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments is powered by the first battery 610 and the second battery 620, ensuring the balance of mass on the left and right sides.

[0055] In a specific embodiment, the first battery 610 and the second battery 620 are electrically connected to the controller 600 and a driver for driving the corresponding motor, respectively, and the controller 600 is electrically connected to the driver for the corresponding motor.

[0056] Reference Figure 2 , further comprising a CAN master station 700 disposed on the inner side of the bottom of the right frame 310, the CAN master station 700 being electrically connected to the controller 600. The CAN master station 700 is electrically connected to the host computer, and the CAN master station 700 is used for communication between the controller 600 and the left wheel motor 291 and the right wheel motor 391.

[0057] Reference Figure 2 , further comprising an inertial navigation system 800 disposed at the bottom of the left frame 310, wherein the inertial navigation system 800 is electrically connected to the controller 600. The inertial navigation system 800 is used to obtain navigation information such as acceleration, angular velocity and posture of the robot.

[0058] Reference Figure 2 , further comprising an external device interface expander 900 disposed on the inner side of the bottom of the left frame 310, and the external device interface expander 900 is electrically connected to the controller 600. The external device interface expander 900 is used to connect the ball-wheel-leg composite robot facing a narrow unstructured environment with an external device interface.

[0059] Reference Figure 2 Furthermore, the weight 450 is made of tungsten alloy material. The weight 450 is made of high-density tungsten alloy, which can ensure the driving force while compressing the volume.

[0060] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above implementation. As long as the technical effect of the present invention is achieved by the same means, any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure. All should belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Within the protection scope of the present invention, its technical scheme and / or implementation method can have various modifications and changes.

Claims

1. A ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments, characterized in that: include: Center support (100); The left side portion (200) comprises a left side frame (210) and a left side base plate (220) connected in sequence, the left side frame (210) is connected to the central support (100) via a rotating pair, the left side base plate (220) is provided with a first motor (230), a left side first thigh (240) and a left side first calf (250) connected in sequence, and the left side base plate (220) is also provided with a second motor (260), a left side second thigh (270) connected in sequence and a left second calf (280), the ends of the left first calf (250) and the ends of the left second calf (280) are also provided with a left wheel (290), a left wheel motor (291) and a left connecting piece (292), the end of the left second calf (280), the left connecting piece (292), the end of the left first calf (250) and the left wheel motor (291) are connected in sequence, and the left wheel (290) is fixedly connected to the rotor of the left wheel motor (291); The right side portion (300) comprises a right side frame (310) and a right side base plate (320) connected in sequence, the right side frame (310) is connected to the central support (100) via a rotating pair, the right side base plate (320) is provided with a third motor (330), a right side first thigh (340) and a right side first calf (350) connected in sequence, and the right side base plate (320) is also provided with a fourth motor (360), a right side second thigh (370) connected in sequence and a right second calf (380), the ends of the right first calf (350) and the ends of the right second calf (380) are also provided with a right wheel (390), a right wheel motor (391) and a right connecting member (392), the end of the right second calf (380), the right connecting member (392), the end of the right first calf (350) and the right wheel motor (391) are connected in sequence, and the right wheel (390) is fixedly connected to the rotor of the right wheel motor (391); A center support motion device (400), the center support motion device (400) comprising a fifth motor (410) fixedly connected to the center support (100), a shaft system (420) arranged inside the center support (100), a steering gear (430) connected to the shaft system (420) via a flange, a weight connecting rod (440) connected to the shaft system (420) via a flat key, and a weight (450) arranged at the bottom end of the weight connecting rod (440), the fifth motor (410) being arranged on the inner side of the left frame (210), and the steering gear (430) being arranged at the front end of the center frame; The spherical shell (500) is fixedly connected to the spherical shell (500) respectively. The left side portion (200) and the right side portion (300) are fixedly connected to the spherical shell (500) respectively.

2. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an aircraft model battery (431) for supplying power to the steering engine (430), and the aircraft model battery (431) is arranged at the rear end of the central support (100).

3. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spherical shell (500) comprises a first hemispherical shell (510), a second hemispherical shell (520), a left ear spherical shell (530) and a right ear spherical shell (540); the first hemispherical shell (510) is fixed to the left base plate (220) and the right base plate (320) respectively; the second hemispherical shell (520) is fixed to the left base plate (220) and the right base plate (320) respectively; the left ear spherical shell (530) is fixed to the left base plate (220); and the right ear spherical shell (540) is fixed to the right base plate (320).

4. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner walls of the first hemispherical shell (510), the second hemispherical shell (520), the left ear spherical shell (530) and the right ear spherical shell (540) are all provided with reinforcing ribs (550).

5. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle further comprises a controller (600), wherein the controller (600) is arranged on the inner side of the right frame (310), and the first motor (230), the second motor (260), the left wheel motor (291), the third motor (330), the fourth motor (360), the right wheel motor (391), the fifth motor (410) and the steering gear (430) are electrically connected to the controller (600) respectively.

6. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vehicle further comprises a first battery (610) arranged on the inner side of the top of the right frame (310) and a second battery (620) arranged on the inner side of the top of the left frame (210); the first motor (230), the second motor (260), the fifth motor (410) and the left wheel motor (291) are respectively electrically connected to the second battery (620); and the third motor (330), the fourth motor (360), the right wheel motor (391) and the controller (600) are respectively electrically connected to the first battery (610).

7. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a CAN master station (700) arranged on the inner side of the bottom of the right frame (310), and the CAN master station (700) is electrically connected to the controller (600).

8. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes an inertial navigation device (800) arranged at the bottom of the left frame (210), and the inertial navigation device (800) is electrically connected to the controller (600).

9. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes an external device interface expander (900) arranged on the inner side of the bottom of the left frame (210), and the external device interface expander (900) is electrically connected to the controller (600) respectively.

10. The ball-wheel-leg composite robot for narrow unstructured environments according to claim 1, characterized in that: The weight (450) is made of tungsten alloy material.

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