An automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device for a contact line wear detection robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic obstacle avoidance and running device for a contact line wear detection robot. The device comprises two auxiliary running wheels (12), a main running wheel (11), an obstacle avoidance component, a stepper motor 1 (13), a stepper motor 2 (14), a stepper motor controller, a central control unit (15), two line laser instruments (10), and a line laser controller. The execution unit of the obstacle avoidance function is mainly composed of the obstacle avoidance component, which is composed of a crank rocker mechanism and a crank slider mechanism and is controlled by the central control unit. The automatic obstacle avoidance function is achieved by the cooperation of various units. First, the line laser instrument detects the obstacle and feeds back a signal to the line laser controller. Then, the line laser controller transmits the information to the central control unit. Finally, an obstacle avoidance instruction is issued to the obstacle avoidance component to complete the entire obstacle avoidance process. In this way, the contact line wear detection robot is fully automated, which can effectively protect the personal safety of workers along the railway.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of high-speed railway inspection, and in particular to a device applied to a contact line wear detection robot to enable the robot to realize automatic walking and obstacle avoidance functions on the contact line. Background Art

[0002] As high-speed trains continue to operate at increasingly faster speeds, contact wires experience accelerated wear during operation. Existing wear detection methods are outdated or inefficient. Traditional methods rely on manual measurement of contact wire wear using a vernier caliper. This approach is inefficient, produces single-point measurements, and poses safety risks because the measurement personnel must climb high. Furthermore, contact wire wear detection must be performed during operating hours, which are often short and occur at night on high-speed rail lines. Therefore, a fully automatic, obstacle-avoiding, climbing robot was developed to continuously measure contact wire wear without human intervention. This is crucial for contact wire maintenance and worker safety.

[0003] The present invention is proposed in response to the above-mentioned problems. The purpose of the present invention is to design and manufacture an automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device that can be applied to a contact wire wear detection robot, thereby making the contact wire wear detection robot intelligent. The contact wire wear detection robot can travel on the contact wire without human control and automatically avoid obstacles such as contact wire clamps when encountering them, allowing the detection robot to continuously and uninterruptedly collect wear information on the contact wire. The operating speed of the contact wire wear detection robot is adjustable and can be adjusted according to actual needs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions:

[0005] An automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device for a contact line wear detection robot comprises: two auxiliary travel wheels (12), a main travel wheel (11), an obstacle avoidance component, a stepper motor 1 (13), a stepper motor 2 (14), a stepper motor controller, a central control unit (15), two line lasers (10), and a line laser controller. The two auxiliary travel wheels (12), the main travel wheel (11), the obstacle avoidance component, the stepper motor 1 (13), the stepper motor 2 (14), and the stepper motor controller constitute an obstacle avoidance and travel module. The stepper motor 1 (13) drives the main travel wheel (11) to realize autonomous movement of the detection robot along the contact line direction.

[0006] The automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device of the contact line wear detection robot is provided with four groups of obstacle avoidance and walking modules, which are arranged in a cross-shaped layout on both sides. A certain distance is set between each two groups of modules so that the contact line wear detection robot can maintain stability during the walking and obstacle avoidance process. The main walking wheels (11) of each group of obstacle avoidance and walking modules can allow the contact line wear detection robot to be suspended on the contact line, and the two auxiliary walking wheels (12) cooperate with the lower surface of the contact line. The cooperation between the main walking wheels (11) and the auxiliary walking wheels (12) can clamp the contact line; the auxiliary walking wheels (12) are installed on the frame to ensure that their relative positions with the frame remain unchanged. The automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device of the contact line wear detection robot is equipped with two groups of line lasers (10), and the line lasers are symmetrically arranged at the front end of the housing; the detection range of the line lasers is adjustable to detect different obstacles.

[0007] The obstacle avoidance component is a combined mechanism, which is composed of the following mechanisms: a crank rocker mechanism composed of rod No. 1 (1), rod No. 2 (2) and rod No. 5 (5), and a slider mechanism composed of rod No. 2 (2), rod No. 3 (3), rod No. 4 (4) and rod No. 5 (5); the two ends of rod No. 2 (2) are hinged to rod No. 1 (1) and rod No. 3 (3), the middle part of rod No. 2 (2) is hinged to the middle part of rod No. 5 (5), and one end of rod No. 5 is hinged to the casing; the active part is rod No. 1 (1), and the driven parts are rod No. 2 (2), rod No. 3 (3), rod No. 4 (4) and rod No. 5 (5); rod No. 1 (1) is driven by a stepper motor 2 (14) fixed on the casing, and one end of rod No. 4 is equipped with a built-in stepper motor 1 (13) to drive the main walking wheel (11).

[0008] When no obstacle is detected, the built-in stepper motor 1 (13) of the No. 4 pole (4) drives the main travel wheel (11) to move normally. When an obstacle is detected, the main travel wheel is lifted, and the stepper motor 1 (13) driving it to move is stopped. After being reset, the stepper motor 1 (13) is turned on again, so that the main travel wheel resumes operation.

[0009] The line laser instrument (10) is symmetrically arranged and fixed at the front end of the housing. It emits a line laser to detect the cross-sectional direction of the contact line and transmits the detected information to the line laser controller. The controller then processes the information and determines whether there is an obstacle. The signal is then transmitted to the central control unit (15). The central control unit (15) issues a command to the obstacle avoidance and walking module. By controlling the stepper motor 2 (14), it drives the No. 1 rod (1) to move so that the No. 5 rod (5) swings to a certain set angle, thereby completing the obstacle avoidance action of the obstacle avoidance and walking module. The four groups of obstacle avoidance and walking modules execute the obstacle avoidance program in sequence, and finally realize the automatic obstacle avoidance function of the contact line wear detection robot.

[0010] The contact line wear detection robot with automatic obstacle avoidance function can eliminate the step of manually overcoming obstacles during its movement, thereby realizing the functions of unmanned operation and uninterrupted measurement during its movement; in addition, the climbing speed of the contact line wear detection robot can be adjusted by changing the speed of the driving motor of the main walking wheel (11) in the device; the swing angle of the No. 5 rod (5) can be changed as needed to adapt to contact lines with different wire diameters. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of the overall appearance of an automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device of a contact wire wear detection robot;

[0013] Figure 2 : Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device of a contact line wear detection robot;

[0014] Figure 3 : A front view of the obstacle avoidance and walking module of the automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device of a contact line wear detection robot;

[0015] Figure 4 : Axonometric view of the obstacle avoidance and walking module of an automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device of a contact line wear detection robot;

[0016] Figure 5 : A schematic diagram of the obstacle avoidance state of the automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device of a contact line wear detection robot and the obstacle avoidance module of the walking device;

[0017] Figure 6 : Schematic diagram of the positions of the stepping motor and central control unit of the obstacle avoidance and walking module of the automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device of a contact line wear detection robot.

[0018] The numbers corresponding to the component names in the figure are as follows:

[0019] Pole No. 1 (1); Pole No. 2 (2); Pole No. 3 (3); Pole No. 4 (4); Pole No. 5 (5); first group of obstacle avoidance and walking modules (6); second group of obstacle avoidance and walking modules (7); third group of obstacle avoidance and walking modules (8); fourth group of obstacle avoidance and walking modules (9); line laser (10); main walking wheels (11); auxiliary walking wheels (12); stepper motor 1 (13); stepper motor 2 (14); central control unit (15). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present invention is further described below:

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the features and purposes of the present invention, the features and working mode of the device will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the structural diagram of the device.

[0022] The present invention describes an automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device for a contact line wear detection robot, comprising two auxiliary travel wheels (12), a main travel wheel (11), an obstacle avoidance component, a stepper motor 1 (13), a stepper motor 2 (14), a stepper motor controller, a central control unit (15), two line lasers (10), and a line laser controller. The two auxiliary travel wheels (12), the main travel wheel (11), the obstacle avoidance component, the stepper motor 1 (13), the stepper motor 2 (14), and the stepper motor controller constitute an obstacle avoidance and travel module.

[0023] When the contact line wear detection robot walks on the contact line without obstacles, the main walking wheel (11) is driven by the stepper motor 2 (14) built into the No. 4 rod (4) to walk on the contact line. The main walking wheel (11) and the auxiliary walking wheel (12) tighten the contact line to prevent the contact line wear detection robot from falling off. When the contact line wear detection robot walks on the contact line and an obstacle such as a contact line clamp appears in front of it, the specific steps for automatically avoiding the obstacle are as follows:

[0024] After the line laser instrument (10) fixed to the front end of the housing and arranged symmetrically scans and detects an obstacle in front of the contact line wear detection robot's walking route, the information of the obstacle detected is transmitted to the line laser controller. After receiving the information, the line laser controller organizes and sends digital information indicating that there is an obstacle in front to the central control unit (15).

[0025] After the central control unit (15) receives the digital signal that there is an obstacle ahead, it issues an active obstacle avoidance command, controls the first set of obstacle avoidance and walking modules to start, and turns on the driving stepper motor 1 (13) of the obstacle avoidance component. The stepper motor 1 (13) drives the No. 1 rod (1) in the obstacle avoidance component to swing with one end as the center of the circle, thereby driving the crank rocker mechanism and the crank slider mechanism.

[0026] The No. 1 rod (1) in the obstacle avoidance component makes a circular motion, which drives the No. 5 rod (5) to swing through the No. 2 rod (2). When the No. 5 rod (5) swings to the maximum swing position, the stepper motor 1 (13) that drives the movement of the obstacle avoidance component stops, and the No. 5 rod (5) stops swinging and maintains its posture waiting for the current obstacle avoidance and walking module to pass the obstacle. This is the first stage of the obstacle avoidance action of the obstacle avoidance component, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 shown.

[0027] When the crank rocker mechanism performs the first movement, the crank slider mechanism moves simultaneously. In the process of the No. 5 rod (5) swinging to the maximum swing position, the No. 4 rod (4) in the crank slider mechanism, i.e., the slider part, moves to the maximum push position.

[0028] When the first obstacle avoidance and walking module (6) passes the obstacle, the driving stepper motor 1 (13) of the obstacle avoidance component is turned on, and the obstacle avoidance component works to reset the walking wheel. After the walking wheel is reset, its driving motor is turned on to resume the working of the walking wheel. This is the second stage of the obstacle avoidance action of the obstacle avoidance component, and the obstacle avoidance action of the group is completed at this time.

[0029] After the first obstacle avoidance and walking module (6) completes the obstacle avoidance action, the second obstacle avoidance and walking module (7) starts to execute the obstacle avoidance action. The obstacle avoidance action implementation steps are the same as steps 3, 4, and 5. The third obstacle avoidance and walking module (8) and the fourth obstacle avoidance and walking module (9) have the same working mode.

[0030] When the fourth group of obstacle avoidance and walking modules (9) completes the obstacle avoidance action, the contact line wear detection robot resumes normal walking on the contact line, and activates the automatic obstacle avoidance function again when it detects the next obstacle, and repeats this process, ultimately completing the contact line wear detection task without human intervention.

Claims

1. An automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device for a contact line wear detection robot, characterized by: The invention comprises two auxiliary running wheels (12), a main running wheel (11), an obstacle avoidance component, a stepper motor 1 (13), a stepper motor 2 (14), a stepper motor controller, a central control unit (15), two line laser instruments (10) and a line laser controller, wherein the running wheels run on the contact line through the stepper motor, the obstacle avoidance component is fixed to the housing through a hinge connection, and the obstacle avoidance component consists of a No. 1 rod (1) and a No. 2 rod (2), a No. 3 rod (3), a No. 4 rod (4) and a No. 5 rod (5), wherein the No. 1 rod (1) is driven by the stepper motor fixed to the housing, one end of the No. 5 rod is hinged to the housing, and one end of the No. 4 rod is hinged to the housing. A stepper motor is provided to drive the main travel wheel. The two ends of the No. 2 rod (2) are respectively hinged to the No. 1 rod (1) and the No. 3 rod (3). The middle part of the No. 2 rod (2) is hinged to the No. 5 rod (5). The line laser is fixed to the front end of the housing and scans the contact line. The battery is placed in the housing and supplies energy to the obstacle avoidance and walking devices. The line laser controller receives the signal sent by the line laser and converts it into machine language. The central control unit makes relevant instructions according to the machine language to control the movement of the obstacle avoidance component, controls the movement of the No. 1 rod (1) and makes the No. 5 rod (5) swing to a certain angle through the crank rocker mechanism, thereby completing the obstacle avoidance program of the obstacle avoidance and walking module.

2. The automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device of a contact line wear detection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two auxiliary walking wheels (12), one main walking wheel (11), an obstacle avoidance component, a stepper motor 1 (13), a stepper motor 2 (14) and a stepper motor controller constitute an obstacle avoidance and walking module. The automatic obstacle avoidance and walking device includes four groups of obstacle avoidance and walking modules and two groups of line lasers.

3. The automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device of the contact line wear detection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The four groups of obstacle avoidance and walking modules are arranged in a cross-layout on both sides, and a certain distance is set between each two groups of modules, so that the contact line wear detection robot can remain stable during the walking and obstacle avoidance process.

4. The automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device of a contact line wear detection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The obstacle avoidance and walking module has a main walking wheel and two auxiliary walking wheels. The main walking wheel cooperates with the upper surface of the contact line, and the auxiliary walking wheel cooperates with the lower surface of the contact line, so that the contact line wear detection robot can be hung on the contact line and clamped to ensure that the contact line wear detection robot does not fall off. The bearing seat of the auxiliary walking wheel shaft is the casing.

5. The automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device of a contact line wear detection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stepper motor is lifted and then stopped during the obstacle avoidance process, so that the main running wheel driven by the stepper motor stops rotating. After being reset, the stepper motor is started to provide power for the main running wheel.

6. The automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device of a contact line wear detection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The obstacle avoidance assembly is a combination of a crank rocker mechanism and a crank slider mechanism, wherein rod No. 1 (1), rod No. 2 (2) and rod No. 5 (5) form the crank rocker mechanism, and rod No. 2 (2), rod No. 3 (3), rod No. 4 (4) and rod No. 5 (5) form the slider mechanism.

7. The automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device of a contact line wear detection robot according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The line laser instrument transmits the information of detected obstacles to the central control unit, and the central control unit issues instructions to the obstacle avoidance and walking modules. The four groups of obstacle avoidance and walking modules, from the first group to the fourth group, execute the obstacle avoidance program according to the settings, and finally realize the automatic obstacle avoidance function of the contact line wear detection robot.

8. The automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device of a contact line wear detection robot according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: The crank rocker mechanism and the crank slider mechanism of the obstacle avoidance component can press the main walking wheel toward the contact line from the upper side of the contact line when resetting, so as to prevent the main walking wheel from resetting and hanging the contact line due to the change of the center of gravity caused by the change of force on the contact line wear detection robot.

9. The automatic obstacle avoidance and travel device of a contact line wear detection robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The line laser is symmetrically arranged and fixed at the front end of the casing, sending out a signal to scan the cross-sectional direction of the contact line, and transmitting the scanning signal to the line laser controller. The controller processes the information and determines whether there is an obstacle, and then transmits the signal to the central control unit.

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