An adaptive foldable robot for deep-sea pipeline exploration

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular discloses an adaptive foldable and expandable robot for deep-sea pipeline exploration, comprising a body and a foldable and expandable mechanism; the foldable and expandable mechanisms are provided on both sides of the body, and a plurality of foldable and expandable mechanisms are slidably connected to the body along the same axial direction; the foldable and expandable mechanism comprises a planetary gear set and a connecting rod unit; the planetary gear set is rotatably connected to a plurality of connecting rod units, the plurality of connecting rod units are circumferentially arranged around the planetary gear set, and adjacent connecting rod units are rotatably connected to form an annular structure; the planetary gear set is used to control the selective rotation of the plurality of connecting rod units to drive the annular structure to fold, contract, or expand and expand; through the sliding connection between the body and the foldable and expandable mechanism, in conjunction with the rotational coordination of the planetary gear set and the connecting rod unit of the foldable and expandable mechanism itself, the robot can rotate and retract tangentially, thereby achieving smooth and slow adaptation to the pipe diameter, and completely solving the problem that existing retractable pipeline robots cannot smoothly change diameter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robotics technology, and in particular to an adaptive foldable robot for deep-sea pipeline exploration. Background Art

[0002] The maintenance and inspection of deep-sea pipelines are crucial for the extraction and transportation of resources such as oil and natural gas. However, due to the harsh deep-sea environment, huge water pressure, low temperature, and lack of light, it is difficult for humans to directly enter the pipelines to carry out operations. Therefore, robotic technology has become the main means to solve this problem.

[0003] In actual applications of pipeline robots, there are usually depressions and protrusions on the inner wall of the pipeline, and there are also reducer lines on the pipeline. The pipeline robot is required to have the function of adapting to different pipe diameters. However, the flexibility of the existing pipeline robot in changing diameters is not ideal enough. Specifically, the diameter change of the existing robot is achieved by directly extending and retracting the mechanical foot in the radial direction of the pipe wall, but the supporting force of the mechanical foot extension and retraction can easily damage the coating or structure of the pipe wall, thereby affecting the safety and integrity of the pipeline. If the robot adapts to the expansion and contraction of the pipe diameter by tangential expansion and contraction, because its process is relatively slow and smooth, it is not easy to damage the coating or structure of the pipe wall, which is a more ideal flexible expansion and contraction method.

[0004] Therefore, it is of great significance to study a pipeline robot that can adaptively expand and contract according to the pipe diameter and can tangentially change its diameter flexibly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an adaptive foldable robot for deep-sea pipeline exploration, so as to solve the problem that the existing retractable pipeline robot cannot change its diameter smoothly.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an adaptive folding and unfolding robot for deep-sea pipeline exploration, comprising a body and a folding and unfolding mechanism; the folding and unfolding mechanism is provided on both sides of the body, and multiple folding and unfolding mechanisms are slidingly connected to the body along the same axial direction; the folding and unfolding mechanism includes a planetary gear set and a connecting rod unit; the planetary gear set is rotatably connected to multiple connecting rod units, and multiple connecting rod units are arranged circumferentially around the planetary gear set, and adjacent connecting rod units are rotatably connected to form an annular structure; the planetary gear set is used to control the selective rotation of multiple connecting rod units to drive the annular structure to fold and shrink or unfold and expand.

[0007] In one embodiment, the planetary gear set includes a planetary transmission motor, a driving gear, a driven gear and a gear ring; the planetary transmission motor is transmission-connected to the driving gear, the driving gear is placed in the gear ring, and a plurality of the driven gears are meshedly connected between the driving gear and the gear ring, and the plurality of the driven gears are all rotationally connected to the connecting rod unit.

[0008] In one embodiment, the connecting rod unit is a foldable structure, and the planetary gear set is used to drive the plurality of connecting rod units to rotate to retract or expand.

[0009] In one embodiment, the connecting rod unit includes an active connecting rod, a rotatable first driven connecting rod and a rotatable second driven connecting rod, the first driven connecting rod and the second driven connecting rod are rotatably connected to form a diamond structure; the first driven connecting rod is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod, and the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent second driven connecting rod; the second driven connecting rod is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven connecting rod; the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod; the first driven connecting rod is rotatably connected to the active connecting rod, and the active connecting rod is rotatably connected to the driven gear, and the active connecting rod is used to drive the diamond structure to contract or expand under the rotation of the driven gear.

[0010] In one embodiment, the active connecting rod includes a first active rod body and a second active rod body; one end of the first active rod body is rotatably connected to the first driven connecting rod, the other end of the first active rod body is staggeredly connected to one end of the second active rod body, and the other end of the second active rod body is rotatably connected to the driven gear.

[0011] In one embodiment, a rotating hole is provided at the end of the second active rod body away from the first driven rod, and an axial rod is fixedly connected to the axis of the driven gear; the rotational connection between the driven gear and the second active rod body is configured to sleeve the rotating hole on the axial rod.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first driven link and the second driven link are both formed by a V-shaped link rotatably connected.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first driven connecting rod includes a first V-shaped rod body and a second V-shaped rod body, and the V-shaped orientation of the first V-shaped rod body and the V-shaped orientation of the second V-shaped rod body are both aligned with the planetary gear set; one end of the first V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to one end of the second V-shaped rod body; the other end of the first V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod, and the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent second driven connecting rod; the other end of the second V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod, and the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent second driven connecting rod; the first V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to the second driven connecting rod of the same connecting rod unit, and the second V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to the second driven connecting rod of the same connecting rod unit; the connection between the first V-shaped rod body and the second V-shaped rod body of the same first driven connecting rod is rotatably connected to the planetary gear set.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second driven connecting rod includes a third V-shaped rod body and a fourth V-shaped rod body, and the V-shaped orientation of the third V-shaped rod body and the V-shaped orientation of the fourth V-shaped rod body are both aligned with the planetary gear set; one end of the third V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to one end of the fourth V-shaped rod body; the other end of the third V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven connecting rod; the other end of the fourth V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven connecting rod; the third V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to the first driven connecting rod of the same connecting rod unit, and the fourth V-shaped rod body is rotatably connected to the first driven connecting rod of the same connecting rod unit.

[0015] In one embodiment, a sliding motor is provided in the body; the folding and unfolding mechanism is connected to a rack; the rack is meshedly connected to the sliding motor, and the sliding motor is used to control the folding and unfolding mechanism to move closer to or farther from the body.

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

[0017] Since the folding and unfolding mechanisms are provided on both sides of the body, and multiple folding and unfolding mechanisms are slidably connected to the body along the same axial direction, when in use, the folding and unfolding mechanisms can slide along the axial direction of the body, that is, they can slide along the horizontal radial direction of the pipeline to adapt to the horizontal radial length of the pipeline, and the two folding and unfolding mechanisms are controlled to slide close to the inner wall of the pipeline, and then the folding and unfolding mechanisms are controlled to perform tangential flexible expansion and contraction until they abut the inner wall of the pipeline, so as to avoid the folding and unfolding mechanisms directly expanding and contracting radially on the pipe wall, thereby avoiding damage to the pipe wall by the supporting force caused by the expansion and contraction.

[0018] And because the folding and unfolding mechanism includes a planetary gear set and a connecting rod unit; the planetary gear set is rotatably connected to a plurality of the connecting rod units, the plurality of connecting rod units are circumferentially arranged around the planetary gear set, and adjacent connecting rod units are rotatably connected to form an annular structure; the planetary gear set is used to control the selective rotation of the plurality of connecting rod units to drive the annular structure to fold and shrink or unfold and expand, so when used, the folding and unfolding mechanism can drive the annular structure composed of the connecting rod units to shrink or expand through the selective rotation of the planetary gear set, so that it can perform tangential rotation and expansion along the radial direction of the pipeline, that is, the contraction or expansion of the entire annular structure is achieved through slowly loaded tangential rotation, which can effectively avoid damage to the pipe wall coating or pipe wall structure caused by the direct radial expansion and contraction force when the mechanical foot is expanded and contracted, and can also adapt to the radial length of the pipeline.

[0019] To sum up, through the sliding connection between the body and the folding and unfolding mechanism, and the rotational coordination of the planetary gear set and the connecting rod unit of the folding and unfolding mechanism itself, the robot can rotate and retract tangentially, achieving smooth and slow adaptation to the pipe diameter, and completely solving the problem that existing retractable pipeline robots cannot change diameter smoothly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the implementation. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a top view of the overall structure provided by the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the body provided by the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 is a top view of the sliding mechanism provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the folding and unfolding mechanism structure provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a planetary gear set of a folding and unfolding mechanism provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7is a top view of a planetary gear set of a folding and unfolding mechanism provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 1 is a front view of a planetary gear set of a folding and unfolding mechanism provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 1 is a front view of a connecting rod unit, a first connecting rod, and a second connecting rod of a folding and unfolding mechanism provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 10 This is a structural schematic diagram of the folding and unfolding mechanism provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention in an unfolded state;

[0031] Figure 11 This is a structural schematic diagram of the folding and unfolding mechanism provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a retracted state;

[0032] Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram of a partial connecting rod unit in a contracted state provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0034] 1. Body;

[0035] 2. Folding and unfolding mechanism; 20. Planetary gear set; 200. Planetary transmission motor; 201. Driving gear; 202. Driven gear; 203. Gear ring; 21. Connecting rod unit; 210. Driving connecting rod; 2100. First driving rod; 2101. Second driving rod; 211. First driven connecting rod; 2110. First V-shaped rod; 2111. Second V-shaped rod; 212. Second driven connecting rod; 2120. Third V-shaped rod; 2121. Fourth V-shaped rod; 22. First connecting rod; 23. Second connecting rod;

[0036] 3. Sliding mechanism; 30. Sliding motor; 31. Rack; 32. Sliding support plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] In the existing technology, pipeline robots have two major problems. The first is that the flexibility of diameter change is not ideal enough. Specifically, the diameter change of existing robots is achieved by directly extending and retracting the mechanical feet in the radial direction of the pipe wall, but the supporting force of the extension and retraction of the mechanical feet can easily damage the coating or structure of the pipe wall, thereby affecting the safety and integrity of the pipeline; the second is that the telescopic support structure of the variable-diameter pipeline robot is relatively linear, which is prone to unstable support problems.

[0039] In order to solve the above problems, this solution proposes an adaptive folding and unfolding robot for deep-sea pipeline exploration. The core of this solution is that, firstly, a smooth and slow diameter change process is achieved through the tangential rotation and extension of the folding and unfolding mechanism, so that the adaptive folding and unfolding robot of this solution can flexibly adapt to pipelines of various diameters; secondly, the supporting structure is strengthened through the connecting rod mechanism of the folding and unfolding mechanism.

[0040] Specifically, this solution will be described below with reference to preferred implementation methods.

[0041] Please refer to Figures 1 to 11 The present invention provides an adaptive folding and unfolding robot for deep-sea pipeline exploration, including a body 1, a folding and unfolding mechanism 2 and a sliding mechanism 3. Both ends of the body 1 are provided with a retractable folding and unfolding mechanism 2. Along the same axial direction, the two folding and unfolding mechanisms 2 are slidably connected to the body 1 through the sliding mechanism 3. Through such a setting, the robot can achieve telescopic expansion and contraction of different pipe diameters through two degrees of freedom: tangential rotation expansion and contraction and sliding expansion and contraction.

[0042] For the above-mentioned sliding mechanism 3, please refer to Figure 3 The two sliding mechanisms 3 are placed in the body 1, and the slidable ends of the two sliding mechanisms 3 are arranged in opposite directions, that is, the sliding tracks of the two sliding mechanisms 3 pass through the two ends of the body 1 respectively; the sliding mechanism 3 includes a sliding motor 30, a sliding support plate 32 and a rack 31; the sliding motor 30 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the body 1, the transmission shaft of the sliding motor 30 is meshed with one end of the rack 31, and the other end of the rack 31 is fixedly connected to the folding and unfolding mechanism 2, the arrangement direction of the rack 31 is parallel to the axial direction of the body 1, the sliding support plate 32 is fixedly connected to the folding and unfolding mechanism 2, and the sliding support plate 32 slides on the inner wall of the body 1, and its sliding direction is parallel to the axial direction of the body 1. Through such an arrangement, the sliding motor 30 can control the rack 31 to slide in and out in the axial direction of the body 1, thereby driving the folding and unfolding mechanism 2 to move closer to or farther away from the body 1.

[0043] Among them, the interior of the folding and unfolding mechanism 2 at both ends is respectively connected to two semicircular sliding support plates 32, and the two sliding support plates 32 are respectively connected and fixed to the top and bottom of the folding and unfolding mechanism 2. The top sliding surface of the top sliding support plate 32 slides and abuts against the inner wall of the top of the body 1, and the bottom sliding surface of the bottom sliding support plate 32 slides and abuts against the inner wall of the bottom of the body 1. Through such an arrangement, the folding and unfolding mechanism 2 is driven by the rack 31 and cooperates with the support of the sliding support plate 32 in the body 1 to slide in and out in the axial direction of the body 1.

[0044] During application, when the robot needs to adapt to a pipe with a larger diameter, the adaptive folding robot controls the sliding motor 30 to start and controls the rack 31 to move in the axial direction, thereby controlling the folding mechanism 2 to approach the wall of the pipe, and then controls the folding mechanism 2 to slowly expand and contract tangentially to achieve a smooth expansion and contraction process, avoiding the problem in the prior art (application number CN201811045046.X) that when the mechanical foot directly expands and contracts the pipe wall, the supporting force of the expansion and contraction is too large, which may cause damage to the coating or structure of the pipe wall.

[0045] For the above two-fold mechanism 2, please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 5 to 11 The folding and unfolding mechanism 2 includes a planetary gear set 20 and four connecting rod units 21. The planetary gear sets 20 are rotatably connected to the four connecting rod units 21. Multiple connecting rod units 21 are circumferentially arranged around the planetary gear set 20, and adjacent connecting rod units 21 are rotatably connected to form an annular structure. Through such an arrangement, the planetary gear set 20 is used to control the selective rotation of the four connecting rod units 21. The tangential force generated can flexibly and slowly control the annular structure to expand and contract to adapt to the size of the pipe diameter, that is, by driving the annular structure to tangentially fold and shrink or tangentially expand and expand, the purpose of soft and slow diameter change is achieved.

[0046] For the planetary gear set 20, if Figures 3 to 8 As shown, the planetary gear set 20 includes a planetary transmission motor 200, a driving gear 201, four driven gears 202 and a gear ring 203; the planetary transmission motor 200 is transmission-connected to the driving gear 201, the driving gear 201 is placed in the gear ring 203, and four driven gears 202 are meshed and connected between the driving gear 201 and the gear ring 203. The four driven gears 202 are all rotationally connected to the connecting rod unit 21. Through such an arrangement, the four driven gears 202 drive the four connecting rod units 21 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise under the rotation control of the driving gear 201. The four connecting rod units 21 fold and contract during the rotation process to achieve a tangential slow loading process, which contributes to the structural stability of the robot.

[0047] The sliding support plate 32 and the planetary transmission motor 200 are fixedly connected to a side of the gear ring 203 adjacent to the body 1 , which can effectively realize the moving out and in of the planetary gear set 20 .

[0048] Of course, the planetary gear set 20 drives the four connecting rod units 21 to contract or expand in the following manner: Figure 10 The maximum expanded state shown and Figure 11 In the minimum contraction state shown, the four link units 21 are Figure 11 The maximum expanded state shown is converted to Figure 11The minimum contraction state shown requires the driven gear 202 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise to the minimum contraction state. Similarly, the four connecting rod units 21 can be converted from the minimum contraction state to the maximum expansion state by performing the reverse steps.

[0049] For the connecting rod unit 21, Figure 9 As shown, the connecting rod unit 21 is a foldable structure. The connecting rod unit 21 will adaptively shrink or expand under the drive of the driven gear 202. The connecting rod unit 21 includes an active connecting rod 210, a rotatable first driven connecting rod 211 and a rotatable second driven connecting rod 212. The first driven connecting rod 211 is rotatably connected to the second driven connecting rod 212 to form a diamond structure; the first driven connecting rod 211 is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod 22, and the other end of the first connecting rod 22 is rotatably connected to the adjacent second driven connecting rod 212; the second driven connecting rod 212 is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod 23, and the other end of the second connecting rod 23 is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven connecting rod 211; the first connecting rod 22 is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod 23; the first driven connecting rod 211 is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod 23; The rod 211 is rotationally connected to the active connecting rod 210, and the active connecting rod 210 is rotationally connected to the driven gear 202. The active connecting rod 210 is used to drive the diamond structure to contract or expand under the rotation of the driven gear 202. Through such a setting, the first driven connecting rod 211 and the second driven connecting rod 212 in the connecting rod unit 21 are driven by the active connecting rod 210. The first driven connecting rod 211 and the second driven connecting rod 212 will rotate away from each other, so that the diamond structure formed by the two is transformed from a longer and narrower diamond to a shorter and wider diamond structure. Moreover, since the connecting rod unit 21 is an annular structure connected to each other by the first connecting rod 22 and the second connecting rod 23, the annular structure will move tangentially under the drive of the active connecting rod 210, and contract and expand slowly and smoothly.

[0050] The active connecting rod 210 mentioned above, such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the active connecting rod 210 includes a first active rod body 2100 and a second active rod body 2101; one end of the first active rod body 2100 is rotatably connected to the first driven connecting rod 211, the other end of the first active rod body 2100 is staggeredly connected to one end of the second active rod body 2101, and the other end of the second active rod body 2101 is rotatably connected to the driven gear 202. Through such an arrangement, the active connecting rod 210 drives the connecting rod unit 21 to move tangentially under the rotation of the driven gear 202, thereby driving its contraction and expansion deformation, so as to adapt to the pipe diameter, and then stably adsorbed and fixed.

[0051] The second active rod 2101 has a rotating hole at its end away from the first driven connecting rod 211 , and an axial rod is fixed to the axis of the driven gear 202 ; the rotation connection between the driven gear 202 and the second active rod 2101 is configured by sleeve-mounting the rotating hole on the axial rod.

[0052] The first driven connecting rod 211 is as follows Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the first driven connecting rod 211 is composed of a V-shaped connecting rod rotatably connected, and the first driven connecting rod 211 includes a first V-shaped rod body 2110 and a second V-shaped rod body 2111. The V-shaped orientation of the first V-shaped rod body 2110 and the V-shaped orientation of the second V-shaped rod body 2111 are both aligned with the planetary gear set 20; one end of the first V-shaped rod body 2110 is rotatably connected to one end of the second V-shaped rod body 2111; the other end of the first V-shaped rod body 2110 is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod 22, and the other end of the first connecting rod 22 is rotatably connected to the adjacent second driven connecting rod 212; the other end of the second V-shaped rod body 2111 is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod 22 Then, the other end of the first connecting rod 22 is rotationally connected to the adjacent second driven connecting rod 212; the first V-shaped rod body 2110 is rotationally connected to the second driven connecting rod 212 of the same connecting rod unit 21, and the second V-shaped rod body 2111 is rotationally connected to the second driven connecting rod 212 of the same connecting rod unit 21; the connection between the first V-shaped rod body 2110 and the second V-shaped rod body 2111 of the same first driven connecting rod 211 is rotationally connected to the planetary gear set 20. Through such an arrangement, the four first driven connecting rods 211 connected into a ring by the first connecting rod 22 will shrink or expand under the drive of the active connecting rod 210.

[0053] It should be noted that the V-shaped rod's own included angle is preferably 150 degrees, at which the structure can perform circumferential contraction. In addition, the V-shaped rods need to all be oriented toward the planetary gear set in order to ensure that the included angle of the end extension lines of the structure formed by the two V-shaped rods is constant at 30 degrees during circumferential expansion and contraction. Figure 12 .

[0054] The second driven connecting rod 212 is as follows Figure 9 and Figure 10As shown, the second driven connecting rod 212 is composed of a V-shaped connecting rod rotatably connected, and the second driven connecting rod 212 includes a third V-shaped rod body 2120 and a fourth V-shaped rod body 2121. The V-shaped orientation of the third V-shaped rod body 2120 and the V-shaped orientation of the fourth V-shaped rod body 2121 are both aligned with the planetary gear set 20; one end of the third V-shaped rod body 2120 is rotatably connected to one end of the fourth V-shaped rod body 2121; the other end of the third V-shaped rod body 2120 is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod 23, and the other end of the second connecting rod 23 is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven connecting rod 211; the fourth V The other end of the V-shaped rod body 2121 is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod 23, and the other end of the second connecting rod 23 is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven link 211; the third V-shaped rod body 2120 is rotatably connected to the first driven link 211 of the same connecting rod unit 21, and the fourth V-shaped rod body 2121 is rotatably connected to the first driven link 211 of the same connecting rod unit 21. Through such an arrangement, the four second driven links 212 connected into a ring by the second connecting rod 23 will shrink or expand under the drive of the active link 210.

[0055] It should be noted that the annular structure of the folding and unfolding mechanism 2 is formed by the rotational connection between the ring composed of the first driven link 211 and the ring composed of the second driven link 212. The annular structure will form multiple points of contact with the pipe wall, making the robot climbing more stable. The formed annular structure can improve the structural strength of the entire support with the inner wall of the pipe, and can avoid the instability of the support structure caused by the thin support mechanism. Specifically, the push-piece support structure of publication number CN110584569B uses three arc-shaped push-pieces to achieve support in the pipe. However, since the arc-shaped push-pieces are pushed, pulled and slidable by the track groove, the transmission of the supporting force depends only on the push rod. In the case of continuous movement, the push rod and the arc-shaped push-piece are easily misaligned, resulting in the problem of unstable support structure. The present solution effectively improves the support strength by the rotational connection between the four annular first driven links 211 and the four annular second driven links 212.

[0056] During application, when it is necessary to adapt to a larger pipe diameter, the folding and unfolding mechanism 2 moves close to the pipe wall under the movement of the sliding mechanism 3, and then the planetary transmission motor 200 of the folding and unfolding mechanism 2 is started, and the transmission controls the driving gear 201. The driving gear 201 controls the driven gear 202 to rotate between the gear ring 203 and the driving gear 201, and the driven gear 202 drives the active connecting rod 210 to move tangentially. The tangential movement of the active connecting rod 210 drives the rod bodies in the first driven connecting rod 211 and the second driven connecting rod 212 to fold and contract or fold and unfold, so that the entire annular structure can be contracted or expanded during the tangential rotation.

[0057] It is particularly pointed out that the retractable folding and unfolding mechanism 2, in conjunction with distance sensors, inertial sensors or visual sensors, can effectively collect environmental information around the robot; in conjunction with AI algorithms and machine learning technology, the robot can self-adjust according to the collected data, change its posture and speed to adapt to different conditions in the pipeline; in conjunction with the scroll wheel and control device, it can realize the autonomous completion of the detection task in the pipeline without power outage and remote control. Technical personnel in this field can combine the structure of this solution with different functions according to their actual needs.

[0058] The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An adaptive foldable robot for deep-sea pipeline exploration, characterized in that: Including a body and a folding and unfolding mechanism; The folding and unfolding mechanisms are provided on both sides of the machine body, and a plurality of the folding and unfolding mechanisms are slidably connected to the machine body along the same axis direction; The folding and unfolding mechanism includes a planetary gear set and a connecting rod unit; The planetary gear sets are all rotatably connected to a plurality of connecting rod units, the plurality of connecting rod units are circumferentially arranged around the planetary gear sets, and adjacent connecting rod units are rotatably connected to form an annular structure; The planetary gear set is used to control the selective rotation of the plurality of connecting rod units to drive the annular structure to fold and shrink or unfold and expand; The planetary gear set includes a planetary transmission motor, a driving gear, a driven gear and a gear ring; The planetary transmission motor is in transmission connection with the driving gear, the driving gear is placed in the gear ring, a plurality of driven gears are meshedly connected between the driving gear and the gear ring, and the plurality of driven gears are all rotatably connected to the connecting rod unit; The connecting rod unit is a foldable structure, and the planetary gear set is used to drive the plurality of connecting rod units to rotate to retract or expand; The connecting rod unit includes an active connecting rod, a rotatable first driven connecting rod and a rotatable second driven connecting rod, wherein the first driven connecting rod and the second driven connecting rod are rotatably connected to form a diamond structure; The first driven link is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod, and the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent second driven link; The second driven link is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven link; The first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the second connecting rod; The first driven connecting rod is rotatably connected to the active connecting rod, and the active connecting rod is rotatably connected to the driven gear. The active connecting rod is used to drive the diamond structure to contract or expand under the rotation of the driven gear. The active connecting rod includes a first active rod body and a second active rod body; One end of the first active rod body is rotatably connected to the first driven connecting rod, the other end of the first active rod body is staggeredly connected to one end of the second active rod body, and the other end of the second active rod body is rotatably connected to the driven gear.

2. The adaptive folding and unfolding robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the second active rod body away from the first driven connecting rod is provided with a rotation hole, and the axis of the driven gear is fixedly connected with a shaft rod; The rotation connection configuration between the driven gear and the second active rod body is to sleeve the rotation hole on the shaft rod.

3. The adaptive folding and unfolding robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driven connecting rod and the second driven connecting rod are both formed by rotating connection of V-shaped connecting rods.

4. The adaptive folding and unfolding robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first driven connecting rod includes a first V-shaped rod and a second V-shaped rod, wherein the V-shaped orientation of the first V-shaped rod and the V-shaped orientation of the second V-shaped rod are both aligned with the planetary gear set; One end of the first V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to one end of the second V-shaped rod; The other end of the first V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod, and the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent second driven connecting rod; The other end of the second V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod, and the other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent second driven connecting rod; The first V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to the second driven connecting rod of the same connecting rod unit, and the second V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to the second driven connecting rod of the same connecting rod unit; The connection between the first V-shaped rod body and the second V-shaped rod body of the same first driven connecting rod is rotationally connected to the planetary gear set.

5. The adaptive folding and unfolding robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second driven connecting rod includes a third V-shaped rod and a fourth V-shaped rod, and the V-shaped orientation of the third V-shaped rod and the V-shaped orientation of the fourth V-shaped rod are both aligned with the planetary gear set; One end of the third V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to one end of the fourth V-shaped rod; The other end of the third V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven connecting rod; The other end of the fourth V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the adjacent first driven connecting rod; The third V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to the first driven link of the same connecting rod unit, and the fourth V-shaped rod is rotatably connected to the first driven link of the same connecting rod unit.

6. The adaptive folding and unfolding robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sliding motor is provided in the body; The folding and unfolding mechanism is connected with a rack; The rack is meshedly connected to the sliding motor, and the sliding motor is used to control the folding and unfolding mechanism to move closer to or farther from the machine body.

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