A soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator

Abstract

The present invention relates to a soft bionic salp intima water jet propulsion flexible actuator, comprising a silicone rubber elastic matrix and an annular artificial muscle; the silicone rubber elastic matrix has a cavity that is transparent from front to back; the central rotation axis of the annular artificial muscle coincides with the central rotation axis of the silicone rubber elastic matrix; the annular artificial muscle is formed by a plurality of soft units connected in series, each of which comprises a soft unit elastic layer, a sealing joint, and a soft unit wrapping layer; the sealing joint is located at both ends of the soft unit elastic layer and is used for sealing connection with adjacent soft units; a plurality of braided fibers and a soft unit cavity are provided inside the soft unit elastic layer, the soft unit cavity is used for accommodating or draining hydraulic oil to cause the annular artificial muscle to contract or recover, and hydraulic oil flow channels are provided at both ends of the soft unit cavity. The present invention has high flexibility and reasonable bionics; low cost; strong environmental adaptability, and has high application value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of underwater soft robots, in particular to a soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator. Background Art

[0002] Underwater robots are widely used in the exploration of ocean floor resources, environments, and topography. However, currently deployed underwater robots generally use propellers for propulsion. These problems, such as high noise, high disturbance, slow acceleration and deceleration, and high power consumption, restrict their application in marine scientific exploration missions, such as exploring rugged seafloor environments, observing marine communities in low-disturbance conditions, and exploring the underwater environment of polar sea ice. Salps are marine organisms that swim using jet propulsion, and their water jet mechanism is highly efficient. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator, which takes the salp as the bionic object and can better achieve underwater flexible water absorption and water jet propulsion.

[0004] The object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0005] A soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator, comprising a silicone rubber elastic matrix and a ring-shaped artificial muscle; the silicone rubber elastic matrix has a front-to-back transparent cavity, a front end being a water inlet, and a rear end being a water outlet;

[0006] A plurality of circular artificial muscles are fixed in the cavity;

[0007] The central rotation axis of the annular artificial muscle coincides with the central rotation axis of the silicone rubber elastic matrix;

[0008] The annular artificial muscle is composed of multiple soft units connected in series, and each soft unit includes a soft unit elastic layer, a sealing joint, and a soft unit wrapping layer; the sealing joints are located at both ends of the soft unit elastic layer and are used to seal and connect with adjacent soft units; the interior of the soft unit elastic layer is provided with multiple woven fibers and a soft unit cavity, and the soft unit cavity is used to accommodate or empty hydraulic oil so that the annular artificial muscle can contract or recover, and hydraulic oil flow channels are provided at both ends of the soft unit cavity to facilitate connection with the hydraulic power source of the underwater soft robot; the soft unit wrapping layer is used to wrap the soft unit elastic layer and the sealing joint.

[0009] The silicone rubber elastic matrix is ​​cylindrical, the cross section of the soft unit elastic layer is rectangular, and the cross section of the soft unit wrapping layer is rectangular.

[0010] The number of the silicone rubber elastic matrix is ​​1, and the number of the soft unit elastic layers is 32.

[0011] The silicone rubber elastic matrix and the annular artificial muscle are bonded by room temperature curing vulcanized silicone rubber; the soft unit wrapping layer and the soft unit elastic layer are bonded by room temperature curing vulcanized silicone rubber, the sealing joint is connected to the soft unit elastic layer, and the braided fiber is embedded in the soft unit elastic layer.

[0012] The described soft bionic salp intima water jet propulsion flexible actuator, when pressure fluid is introduced, the soft unit elastic layer is restricted by the woven fibers, the soft unit elastic layer and the soft unit wrapping layer expand and deform radially, the soft unit elastic layer and the soft unit wrapping layer shrink and deform axially, the annular artificial muscle shrinks and deforms radially, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix shrinks and deforms radially; when pressure fluid is introduced, the annular artificial muscle shrinks and deforms radially from front to back in sequence, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix shrinks and deforms radially from front to back in sequence, and the volume of the internal cavity of the silicone rubber elastic matrix gradually decreases from front to back, squeezing the water in the internal cavity out from the rear end of the silicone rubber elastic matrix.

[0013] After the pressure fluid in the elastic layer of the soft unit is released, the annular artificial muscle recovers its radial deformation from front to back, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix recovers its radial deformation from front to back. The volume of the internal cavity of the silicone rubber elastic matrix gradually increases from front to back, and external water is sucked into the internal cavity from the front end of the silicone rubber elastic matrix.

[0014] The advantages and positive effects of the present invention are:

[0015] 1. Strong flexibility: The present invention uses silicone rubber as the main material, which undergoes elastic deformation through hydraulic drive to complete water absorption and water spraying propulsion, and has strong flexibility during propulsion.

[0016] 2. Bionic and reasonable: The soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator designed by the present invention takes the salp as the bionic object, imitating the openings at both ends of its body, one end is the water inlet and the other end is the water outlet. Circular artificial muscles are distributed in sequence on the front and back of the flexible actuator to achieve bionic water jet propulsion.

[0017] 3. Low cost: The soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator designed by the present invention can be made of silicone rubber as the main material, and the material cost is relatively low.

[0018] 4. Strong adaptability to deep-sea environment: The soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator designed by the present invention can be fully exposed in seawater and is hydraulically driven. Pressure compensation technology can be used to balance internal and external pressures in the subsequent application in the deep sea.

[0019] 5. The bionic water jet propulsion technology of marine robots has application value in marine scientific exploration missions in environments with high flexibility requirements, such as rugged seabed terrain and narrow crevices. Its flexibility, maneuverability and propulsion efficiency have advantages over propeller propulsion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the hydraulically driven bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a front view of the soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a left view of the soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator of the present invention.

[0023] Among them: 1 is the silicone rubber elastic matrix, 2 is the soft unit elastic layer, 3 is the sealing joint, 4 is the braided fiber, 5 is the soft unit wrapping layer, and 6 is the ring-shaped artificial muscle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0025] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator includes a silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 and an annular artificial muscle 6; the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 has a cavity that is transparent from front to back, with the front end being a water inlet and the rear end being a water outlet; a plurality of annular artificial muscles 6 are fixed in the cavity.

[0026] The central rotation axis of the annular artificial muscle 6 coincides with the central rotation axis of the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 .

[0027] The annular artificial muscle 6 is composed of multiple soft units connected in series, and each soft unit includes a soft unit elastic layer 2, a sealing joint 3, and a soft unit wrapping layer 5; the sealing joint 3 is located at both ends of the soft unit elastic layer 2, and is used to seal and connect with adjacent soft units; the interior of the soft unit elastic layer 2 is provided with multiple woven fibers 4 and a soft unit cavity, and the soft unit cavity is used to accommodate or empty hydraulic oil so that the annular artificial muscle 6 can contract or recover, and hydraulic oil flow channels are provided at both ends of the soft unit cavity to facilitate connection with the hydraulic power source of the underwater soft robot; the soft unit wrapping layer 5 is used to wrap the soft unit elastic layer 2 and the sealing joint 3.

[0028] The silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 is cylindrical, the cross-section of the soft unit elastic layer 2 is rectangular, and the cross-section of the soft unit wrapping layer 5 is rectangular.

[0029] The number of the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 is 1, and the number of the soft unit elastic layers 2 is 32.

[0030] The silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 and the annular artificial muscle 6 are bonded by room temperature curing vulcanized silicone rubber; the soft unit wrapping layer 5 and the soft unit elastic layer 2 are bonded by room temperature curing vulcanized silicone rubber, the sealing joint 3 is connected to the soft unit elastic layer 2, and the braided fiber 4 is embedded in the soft unit elastic layer 2.

[0031] The working principle of the present invention is:

[0032] The soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator is described. When pressure fluid is introduced, the soft unit elastic layer 2 is restricted by the woven fiber 4, the soft unit elastic layer 2 and the soft unit wrapping layer 5 expand and deform radially, the soft unit elastic layer 2 and the soft unit wrapping layer 5 shrink and deform axially, the annular artificial muscle 6 shrinks and deforms radially, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 shrinks and deforms radially; when pressure fluid is introduced, the annular artificial muscle 6 shrinks and deforms radially from front to back, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 shrinks and deforms radially from front to back, and the volume of the internal cavity of the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 gradually decreases from front to back, so that the water in the internal cavity is squeezed and ejected from the rear end of the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1.

[0033] After the pressure fluid of the soft unit elastic layer 2 is released, the annular artificial muscle 6 recovers its radial deformation from front to back in sequence, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 recovers its radial deformation from front to back in sequence. The volume of the internal cavity of the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 gradually increases from front to back, and the external water is sucked into the internal cavity from the front end of the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, when the pressurized fluid is introduced, the four annular artificial muscles 6 undergo radial contraction and deformation from the front to the back, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 undergoes radial contraction and deformation from the front to the back. The volume of the internal cavity gradually decreases from the front to the back, and the water in the internal cavity is squeezed and sprayed out from the water outlet.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, after the pressure fluid in the elastic layer 2 of the soft unit is released, the four annular artificial muscles 6 successively recover radial deformation from front to back, the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 successively recovers radial deformation from front to back, and the volume of the internal cavity gradually increases from front to back, sucking external water into the internal cavity from the water inlet.

[0036] In this embodiment, the central rotation axis of the annular artificial muscle 3 coincides with the central rotation axis of the silicone rubber elastic matrix 2 .

[0037] Application examples of the present invention are:

[0038] During water jet propulsion, high-pressure fluid enters the soft unit elastic layer 2. Constrained by the braided fibers 10, the soft unit elastic layer 2 and the soft unit wrapping layer 5 expand and deform radially and contract axially, driving the circular artificial muscles 6 and the silicone rubber elastic matrix to contract radially, reducing the volume of the internal cavity 5. The four circular artificial muscles 6 contract radially from front to back, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix 1 contracts radially from front to back, squeezing water out of the outlet, completing the water jet propulsion.

[0039] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present invention. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and any equivalent technical solutions.

Claims

1. A soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator, characterized by: It includes a silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) and a ring-shaped artificial muscle (6); The silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) has a front-to-back transparent cavity, the front end is a water inlet, and the rear end is a water outlet; A plurality of circular artificial muscles (6) are fixed in the cavity; The central rotation axis of the annular artificial muscle (6) coincides with the central rotation axis of the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1); The annular artificial muscle (6) is composed of a plurality of soft units connected in series, each soft unit comprising a soft unit elastic layer (2), a sealing joint (3), and a soft unit wrapping layer (5); the sealing joints (3) are located at both ends of the soft unit elastic layer (2) and are used for sealingly connecting with adjacent soft units; a plurality of braided fibers (4) and a soft unit cavity are provided inside the soft unit elastic layer (2); the soft unit cavity is used for accommodating or draining hydraulic oil so as to contract or recover the annular artificial muscle (6); hydraulic oil flow channels are provided at both ends of the soft unit cavity for easy connection with the hydraulic power source of the underwater soft robot; the soft unit wrapping layer (5) is used for wrapping the soft unit elastic layer (2) and the sealing joint (3); The silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) is cylindrical, the cross section of the soft unit elastic layer (2) is rectangular, and the cross section of the soft unit wrapping layer (5) is rectangular; The silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) and the annular artificial muscle (6) are bonded by room temperature curing vulcanized silicone rubber; the soft unit wrapping layer (5) and the soft unit elastic layer (2) are bonded by room temperature curing vulcanized silicone rubber; the sealing joint (3) and the soft unit elastic layer (2) are connected; and the braided fiber (4) is embedded in the soft unit elastic layer (2).

2. The soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) is 1, and the number of the soft unit elastic layers (2) is 32.

3. The soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: When pressure fluid is introduced, the soft unit elastic layer (2) is restricted by the woven fibers (4), the soft unit elastic layer (2) and the soft unit wrapping layer (5) expand and deform radially, the soft unit elastic layer (2) and the soft unit wrapping layer (5) shrink and deform axially, the annular artificial muscle (6) shrinks and deforms radially, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) shrinks and deforms radially; when pressure fluid is introduced, the annular artificial muscle (6) shrinks and deforms radially from front to back, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) shrinks and deforms radially from front to back, and the volume of the internal cavity of the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) gradually decreases from front to back, squeezing water in the internal cavity out from the rear end of the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1).

4. The soft bionic salp water jet propulsion flexible actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the pressure fluid of the soft unit elastic layer (2) is released, the annular artificial muscle (6) recovers radial deformation in sequence from front to back, and the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) recovers radial deformation in sequence from front to back. The volume of the internal cavity of the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1) gradually increases from front to back, and external water is sucked into the internal cavity from the front end of the silicone rubber elastic matrix (1).

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