A self-driving system of inchworm-like soft robot based on triboelectric effect

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of based on triboelectric effect's imitative inchworm soft robot self-driving system, including imitative inchworm soft robot, electromagnetic air valve, compressed air source, power supply, microprocessor and controller.Imitative inchworm soft robot is composed of upper structure, triboelectric film and lower structure.Imitative inchworm soft robot is sequentially connected to electromagnetic air valve, compressed air source by air pipe, and is sequentially connected to microprocessor, controller, electromagnetic air valve by wire.The self-driving system described in the application provides power for imitative inchworm soft robot with compressed air source, combines the deformation recovery capability of imitative inchworm soft robot, utilizes triboelectric film and controller to realize the continuous, self-driven movement mode of imitative inchworm robot.The application proposes a kind of imitative inchworm soft robot self-driving system with low power consumption, continuous, self-driven advantages, provides technical support for long-distance transport, complex regional threading and other fields.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of soft robots, and in particular relates to an inchworm-like soft robot self-driving system based on the triboelectric effect. Background Art

[0002] Soft robots specifically refer to intelligent execution devices with controllable actions that are partially or entirely made of flexible materials. Due to their soft materials and flexible deformation capabilities, their applications in resource exploration, military and other fields are becoming increasingly extensive. However, soft robots still have shortcomings in terms of driving methods and achieving continuous motion. The currently used hydraulic and electromagnetic driving methods have disadvantages such as complex structure, high energy consumption, poor stability and continuity. Therefore, the present invention proposes a self-driving system for a inchworm-like soft robot based on the triboelectric effect.

[0003] The triboelectric effect is a ubiquitous physical phenomenon in nature, occurring between triboelectric materials of varying polarity. The flexibility of triboelectric materials allows them to be embedded in complex and varied geometric configurations, adapting well to structural deformation without affecting their performance. The natural inchworm, known for its ability to achieve stable linear motion, offers a promising biomimetic model.

[0004] In response to the shortcomings of traditional driving methods such as lack of self-driving and continuous movement capabilities, complex driving structure, and high power consumption, this invention proposes a self-driving system for a inchworm-like soft robot with the advantages of low power consumption, continuous and self-driving, providing technical support for long-distance transportation, travel through complex areas and other fields. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In response to the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to propose a self-driving system of an inchworm-like soft robot based on the triboelectric effect, which can realize continuous autonomous movement of the soft robot without any human intervention.

[0006] The object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: a self-driving system of an inchworm-like soft robot based on the triboelectric effect, comprising an inchworm-like soft robot, an electromagnetic air valve, a compressed air source and a controller;

[0007] The inchworm-like soft robot is connected to a compressed air source via an electromagnetic air valve; the inchworm-like soft robot comprises an upper structure, a triboelectric film and a lower structure;

[0008] The upper structure is wavy and has a hollow chamber inside for introducing compressed air. The triboelectric film is located between the upper structure and the lower structure and is connected to a controller that controls the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve.

[0009] The elastic modulus of the upper structure is greater than that of the lower structure, in the air intake state, the upward bending deformation occurs, in the air release state, the initial shape is restored, and the state of the leg portion installed on the lower structure is changed, so that the whole robot moves forward.

[0010] Further, the upper structure and the lower structure are both made of silica gel material with waterproof, corrosion-resistant and flexible properties, and are both processed by silica gel injection molding, and finally the two are bonded together by silica gel.

[0011] Further, the triboelectric film is a four-layer film structure, and the upper layer is a conductive silver foil, the second layer is a PTFE film, the third layer is a PET film, and the lower layer is a conductive silver foil; the triboelectric film is embedded in the lower structure, and when the inchworm soft robot is in the air intake state, the bending deformation occurs, the contact and separation of the PTFE film and the PET film occur, the triboelectric signal is generated, and the opening and closing of the electromagnetic air valve are controlled.

[0012] Further, the lower structure has six front legs and four rear legs at the bottom, and the legs have protrusions on the side facing forward for increasing the reaction force generated by the ground when moving forward; when the inchworm soft robot is in the air intake and air release state, the front legs and the rear legs move forward alternately, and the whole robot moves forward.

[0013] Further, the controller is connected with a power supply for supplying power to the controller, and the triboelectric film is connected with the microprocessor; the microprocessor is used for collecting the voltage signal generated by the triboelectric film, comparing the collected voltage signal with the set voltage threshold value, outputting a control signal to make the controller control the electromagnetic air valve to be closed if the voltage signal is greater than the voltage threshold value, and cutting off the compressed air source to supply the air source to the inchworm soft robot, and opening the electromagnetic air valve to supply the compressed air to the inner chamber of the upper structure if the voltage signal is less than the voltage threshold value.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present application are:

[0015] 1. The whole structure is made of soft silica gel, the upper structure has a wave-shaped design, and the hollow structure is adopted inside, and the elastic modulus of the upper structure is greater than that of the lower structure; the lower structure includes six front legs and four rear legs, and the legs have protrusions on the side facing forward for increasing the reaction force generated by the ground when moving forward, and the whole structure bends upward when the gas is filled, and the front legs and the rear legs move forward alternately, and the whole robot moves forward. This movement mode has the advantages of high stability, high moving efficiency, energy saving and the like.

[0016] 2. The triboelectric film is a four-layer film structure, which is embedded in the lower structure, and the voltage signal generated by the bending deformation of the triboelectric film is collected by the microprocessor, which has the advantages of simple preparation process and stable output voltage.

[0017] 3. In the self-driving system of the inchworm-like soft robot, the voltage signal generated by the bending deformation of the triboelectric film is used to control the opening and closing of the air path, thereby controlling the overall forward movement of the robot. The entire movement process does not require human intervention, and the self-driven continuous crawling of the inchworm-like soft robot can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall system of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the external structure of the robot of the present invention, and the robot is in an undriven state at this time.

[0021] Figure 3 This is the second schematic diagram of the external structure of the robot of the present invention, and the robot is in a driving state at this time.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the robot structure decomposition of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the robot superstructure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the power generation mechanism of the triboelectric film of the present invention.

[0025] In the figure: an inchworm-like soft robot 1; an upper structure 101; a triboelectric film 102; a lower structure 103; front legs 104; hind legs 105; an electromagnetic valve 2; a compressed air source 3; a power supply 4; a microprocessor 5; and a controller 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The specific embodiments of the present invention are further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] like Figures 1-6 As shown, the present invention provides a self-driving system of an inchworm-like soft robot based on the triboelectric effect, comprising an inchworm-like soft robot 1, an electromagnetic valve 2, a compressed air source 3, a power supply 4, a microprocessor 5 and a controller 6;

[0028] The inchworm-like soft robot 1 is connected to the electromagnetic valve 2 and the compressed air source 3 in sequence through an air pipe;

[0029] The inchworm soft robot 1 is connected with the microprocessor 5, the controller 6 and the electromagnetic valve 2 in sequence through a wire.

[0030] The upper structure 101 and the lower structure 103 are both made of silica gel material with the advantages of waterproof, corrosion resistance and strong flexibility, and are both processed by silica gel injection molding and then bonded together; the upper structure 101 is designed in a wave shape and has a hollow design inside; when the compressed air source 3 is turned on, compressed air enters the cavity of the upper structure 101, and because the elastic modulus of the upper structure 101 is greater than that of the lower structure 103, the inchworm soft robot 1 is curved and deformed upward in the air intake state and returns to the initial shape in the air release state.

[0031] The triboelectric film 102 is designed in a contact-separation working mode and has a four-layer film structure, from top to bottom, including a conductive silver foil, a PTFE film, a PET film and a conductive silver foil; the triboelectric film 102 is embedded in the lower structure 103, and when the inchworm soft robot 1 is in the air intake state, the PTFE film and the PET film with a large polarity difference are in contact and separation, generating a triboelectric signal to control the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve 2; the PTFE film and the PET film in the inchworm soft robot 1 are in contact with each other when the inchworm soft robot 1 is in the driving state; the PTFE film and the PET film in the inchworm soft robot 1 are separated from each other when the inchworm soft robot 1 is in the non-driving state; and in the process of bending and deforming, a voltage signal is generated and transmitted to the microprocessor 5.

[0032] The lower structure 103 includes six front legs and four rear legs at the bottom, and the legs have protrusions on the side facing forward to increase the reaction force generated by the ground when moving forward; when the inchworm soft robot 1 is in the air intake and air release state, the front legs and the rear legs move forward alternately to realize the forward movement of the whole robot.

[0033] The controller 6 is connected with the power supply 4 for supplying power to the controller 6, and the triboelectric film 102 is connected with the microprocessor 5 and the controller 6; the microprocessor 5 is used for collecting the voltage signal generated by the triboelectric film 102 and comparing the collected voltage signal with the set voltage threshold value; if the voltage signal is greater than the voltage threshold value, a control signal is outputted to make the controller 6 control the electromagnetic valve 2 to be closed, thereby cutting off the air supply of the compressed air source 3 to the inchworm soft robot 1; if the voltage signal is less than the voltage threshold value, the electromagnetic valve 2 is opened to supply compressed air to the inner cavity of the upper structure 101.

[0034] Figure 1 、 2, 3Specifically explains the working principle of the inchworm-like soft robot self-driving system based on the triboelectric effect, the compressed air source 3 is kept in an open state, air enters the chamber of the upper structure 101, because the elastic modulus of the upper structure 101 is greater than that of the lower structure 103, the inchworm-like soft robot 1 is bent and deformed upwards to enter the driving state, according to the principle of friction power generation, an electric signal is generated to control the electromagnetic air valve 2 to close; the compressed air in the chamber is released to the outside through the electromagnetic air valve, the inchworm-like soft robot 1 returns to the undriven state, and the electromagnetic air valve 2 is alternately opened and closed, thereby realizing the overall forward movement of the robot.

[0035] The specific working process of the inchworm-like soft robot provided by the application is as follows:

[0036] In extreme environments such as deserts, the inchworm-like soft robot can realize self-protection based on its soft structure, can stably move forward in extreme weather and other harsh environments, and due to the advantage of stable material properties, can greatly reduce the influence of the huge day and night temperature difference in the desert. The inchworm-like soft robot needs to set the advancing detection route and the returning route in advance when working, reasonably load monitoring and sensing, data collection and wireless transmission devices, and test the connection of the host and the device signal. In its advancing process, a voltage signal can be generated according to the principle of friction power generation, and the microprocessor compares the collected voltage signal with the preset voltage threshold value, so that the electromagnetic air valve is alternately opened and closed, thereby controlling the entry and exit of compressed air. This process can realize the autonomous movement of the inchworm-like robot without any human intervention, and finally realize the working effect of low energy consumption and self-driving. In its advancing process, environmental data can be collected in real time and transmitted to the server wirelessly, which can be used for performing large-scale and long-distance environmental exploration tasks.

[0037] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, any skilled person in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed in the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A self-driving system of an inchworm-like soft robot based on triboelectric effect, characterized in that: It comprises an inchworm-like soft robot (1), an electromagnetic air valve (2), a compressed air source (3) and a controller (6); The inchworm-like soft robot (1) is connected to a compressed air source (3) via an electromagnetic air valve (2); the inchworm-like soft robot (1) comprises an upper structure (101), a triboelectric film (102), and a lower structure (103); The upper structure (101) is wavy in shape and has a hollow chamber inside for introducing compressed air. The triboelectric film (102) is located between the upper structure (101) and the lower structure (103) and is connected to the controller (6). The controller (6) controls the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve (2). The triboelectric film (102) is designed as a four-layer film structure, which comprises, from top to bottom, a conductive silver foil, a PTFE film, a PET film, and a conductive silver foil; the triboelectric film (102) is embedded in the lower structure (103), and when the inchworm-like soft robot (1) is in an air intake state, it bends and deforms, and the PTFE film and the PET film come into contact and separate, generating a triboelectric signal, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve (2); The elastic modulus of the upper structure (101) is greater than that of the lower structure (103). In the air intake state, the upper structure (101) bends upward and deforms. In the air deflation state, the upper structure (101) returns to its original shape, thereby changing the state of the legs mounted on the lower structure (103) and achieving forward movement of the robot as a whole.

2. The self-driving system of the inchworm-like soft robot based on the triboelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper structure (101) and the lower structure (103) are both made of a waterproof, corrosion-resistant and flexible silicone material. The upper structure (101) and the lower structure (103) are both made by silicone injection molding and are finally bonded together using silicone.

3. The self-driving system of an inchworm-like soft robot based on triboelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the lower structure (103) has six front legs (104) and four hind legs (105), and the legs have a bulge on the side facing forward, which is used to increase the reaction force generated by the ground during forward movement; when the inchworm-like soft robot (1) is in the state of intake and exhaust, the front legs (104) and the hind legs (105) move forward alternately, thereby realizing the forward movement of the robot as a whole.

4. The self-driving system of an inchworm-like soft robot based on triboelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller (6) is connected to a power supply (4) for supplying power to the controller (6). The triboelectric film (102) is connected to the controller (6) via a microprocessor (5); the microprocessor (5) is used to collect a voltage signal generated by the triboelectric film (102) and compare the collected voltage signal with a set voltage threshold. If the voltage signal is greater than the voltage threshold, a control signal is output to cause the controller (6) to control the electromagnetic valve (2) to close, thereby cutting off the compressed air source (3) supplying air to the inchworm-like soft robot (1). If the voltage signal is less than the voltage threshold, the electromagnetic valve (2) is opened to allow compressed air to enter the internal chamber of the upper structure (101).

Images