A reconfigurable robot and its transforming mechanism

Abstract

This invention discloses a reconfigurable robot and its transformation mechanism, comprising: a robot body, the robot body including a robot shell; a gimbal, the gimbal establishing bidirectional communication with a control module; a body drive wheel, the body drive wheel being mounted on a drive wheel axle; a tension wheel and a support wheel, the tension wheel and the support wheel being located at the upper and lower intersections of a connecting rod respectively; a rear swing arm driven wheel and a rear swing arm drive motor, the rear swing arm driven wheel and the rear swing arm drive motor being rotatably mounted at both ends of the rear swing arm; and a front swing arm displacement wheel, the front swing arm displacement wheel being connected to the connecting shaft via a front swing arm. This reconfigurable robot and its transformation mechanism, by adjusting the front and rear swing arms, allows the robot to adjust its movement posture according to the situation on site, adapting to complex environments. The modular structural design allows the gimbal, control module, and swing arm structure to be quickly assembled into a small search and rescue robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robot-related technologies, specifically to a reconfigurable robot and its transforming mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, countless disasters have been caused to humanity by natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and typhoons, as well as catastrophic accidents such as building collapses and mine explosions. Reconfigurable robots are robots that can change their configuration according to changes in tasks or environments. They can quickly assemble into geometric configurations suitable for different tasks, presenting different shapes, thus enabling them to enter confined spaces for internal search operations.

[0003] Currently, the reconfigurable robots on the market have relatively simple structures. In disaster recovery detection, hazard relief and rescue, and unstructured complex terrain, the robot's self-balance is affected when moving. In addition, in the internal environment of easily collapsed or collapsed buildings, the entrance is narrow and difficult to enter, making it impossible for the robot to carry out the next step of work. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To fill a market gap, this invention provides a reconfigurable robot and a transforming mechanism.

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a reconfigurable robot and its transformation mechanism to solve the problems mentioned in the background art, such as the relatively simple structure of the reconfigurable robot, the impact on the robot's self-balance during movement in complex terrains such as disaster recovery detection, hazard mitigation and rescue, and unstructured terrain, and the inability of the robot to proceed with the next step in the internal environment of easily collapsible or collapsed buildings due to narrow and difficult-to-enter entrances.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a reconfigurable robot, comprising:

[0007] The robot body includes a robot shell, a gimbal is rotatably mounted on the top of the robot shell, and a robot headlight is embedded in the front of the robot shell.

[0008] The robot shell has an antenna inserted into the rear side of its top surface, and a control module and a battery module are fixedly installed inside the robot shell.

[0009] The gimbal is equipped with a omnidirectional gimbal and establishes bidirectional communication with the control module, which includes a controller, sensors, and drivers.

[0010] The main body drive wheel is mounted on the drive wheel axle, and the drive wheel axle is hinged to the connecting rod. The connecting rod is connected end to end to form a quadrilateral structure.

[0011] The tension wheel and the support wheel are located at the upper and lower intersections of the connecting rod, respectively. The bottom end of the support wheel is flush with the bottom end of the main body drive wheel. The left and right intersections of the connecting rod are respectively provided with a connecting shaft and a drive wheel shaft.

[0012] The rear swing arm has a driven wheel and a drive motor. The driven wheel and the drive motor are rotatably mounted at both ends of the rear swing arm. A transmission track is wound around the outer contour of the driven wheel and the drive motor. The rear swing arm is rotatably connected to the outer port of the drive wheel shaft.

[0013] A front swing arm displacement wheel is provided, and a front swing arm is connected between the front swing arm displacement wheel and the connecting shaft. A running track is fitted on the outer side of the front swing arm displacement wheel.

[0014] Furthermore, the robot's outer shell is symmetrically provided with running tracks on its left and right sides. The running tracks cover the outer contour formed by the main body drive wheel, support wheel, front swing arm displacement wheel and tension wheel. There are four support wheels, which are arranged in a row and attached to the bottom of the running tracks. The tension wheel is located at the top of the running tracks.

[0015] Furthermore, connecting shafts and drive wheel shafts are symmetrically inserted on the left and right sides of the robot shell. The connecting shafts are rotatably connected to the front swing arm, and a front swing arm reducer is installed at the junction of the connecting shaft and the front swing arm.

[0016] Furthermore, the gimbal is electrically connected to the control module, the control module is electrically connected to the battery module, the gimbal and the control module are fixed components, and the gimbal, the control module and the two rear swing arms form a miniaturized robot.

[0017] Furthermore, the radius of the main drive wheel is larger than the radius of the rear swing arm driven wheel, the center of the main drive wheel is coaxial with the center of the rear swing arm driven wheel, and the rear swing arm driven wheel is located outside the main drive wheel.

[0018] A deformable mechanism, which is included in a reconfigurable robot.

[0019] Furthermore, when the rear swing arm rotates towards the front of the robot housing, the rear swing arm drive motor approaches the connecting shaft, and the front swing arm rotates towards the front of the robot housing, with the front swing arm displacement wheel higher than the connecting shaft, forming a nominal configuration.

[0020] Furthermore, when the rear swing arm rotates towards the front of the robot housing, the rear swing arm drive motor approaches the connecting shaft, and the front swing arm rotates towards the front of the robot housing, the front swing arm displacement wheel is lower than the connecting shaft, and the bottom of the front swing arm displacement wheel is flush with the bottom of the support wheel, thus forming a configuration that reduces the grounding specific voltage.

[0021] Furthermore, the front swing arm rotates towards the front of the robot shell, the front swing arm displacement wheel is higher than the connecting shaft, and the rear swing arm rotates towards the rear of the robot shell, the rear swing arm drive motor is higher than the rear swing arm driven wheel, forming an enhanced front and rear obstacle-crossing configuration.

[0022] Furthermore, the front swing arm rotates towards the front of the robot shell, the front swing arm displacement wheel is lower than the connecting shaft, and the rear swing arm rotates towards the rear of the robot shell, the rear swing arm drive motor is lower than the rear swing arm driven wheel, and the bottom ends of the front swing arm displacement wheel, support wheel, body drive wheel and rear swing arm drive motor are on the same plane, forming a reinforced front and rear crossing groove configuration.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the reconfigurable robot and its transformation mechanism, by adjusting the front and rear swing arms, enable the robot to adjust its motion posture according to the situation on site, thereby adapting to complex on-site environments and improving the robot's obstacle crossing and climbing performance. The modular structural design allows the gimbal, control module and swing arm structure to be quickly assembled into a small search and rescue robot, which can be used to explore deep into narrow environments such as crevices and caves, maximizing the robot's adaptability. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is an axonometric view of the structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a nominal configuration diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the configuration of the structure of the present invention for reducing the grounding specific voltage;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the enhanced obstacle-crossing configuration of the structure of this invention before and after.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the reinforced cross-ditch configuration of the structure of the present invention before and after reinforcement;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a side view showing the disassembly and reassembly deformation of the structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a top view showing the disassembly and reassembly deformation of the structure of the present invention.

[0031] In the diagram: 1. Robot body; 2. Robot headlight; 3. Robot shell; 4. Gimbal; 5. Antenna; 6. Tensioner wheel; 7. Body drive wheel; 8. Rear swing arm driven wheel; 9. Rear swing arm; 10. Support wheel; 11. Rear swing arm drive motor; 12. Track; 13. Front swing arm reducer; 14. Front swing arm; 15. Front swing arm displacement wheel; 16. Connecting shaft; 17. Connecting rod; 18. Drive wheel axle; 19. Transmission track; 100. Nominal configuration; 200. Configuration with reduced ground pressure; 300. Configuration with enhanced front and rear obstacle crossing; 400. Configuration with enhanced front and rear ditch crossing. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Detailed implementation method one: Please refer to Figure 1-7 The present invention provides a technical solution: a reconfigurable robot, comprising:

[0034] The robot body 1 includes a robot shell 3. A gimbal 4 is rotatably mounted on the top of the robot shell 3. A robot headlight 2 is embedded in the front of the robot shell 3.

[0035] The robot shell 3 has an antenna 5 inserted on the rear side of its top surface. The robot shell 3 also has a control module and a battery module fixed inside.

[0036] The gimbal 4 establishes bidirectional communication with the control module, which includes a controller, sensors, and drivers.

[0037] The main body drive wheel 7 is mounted on the drive wheel axle 18. The drive wheel axle 18 is hinged to the connecting rod 17. The connecting rod 17 is connected end to end to form a quadrilateral structure.

[0038] Tensioning wheel 6 and support wheel 10 are located at the upper and lower intersections of connecting rod 17, respectively. The bottom end of support wheel 10 is flush with the bottom end of main body drive wheel 7. Connecting shaft 16 and drive wheel shaft 18 are respectively provided at the left and right intersections of connecting rod 17.

[0039] The rear swing arm driven wheel 8 and the rear swing arm drive motor 11 are rotatably mounted at both ends of the rear swing arm 9. A transmission track 19 is wound around the outer contour of the rear swing arm driven wheel 8 and the rear swing arm drive motor 11. The rear swing arm 9 is rotatably connected to the outer port of the drive wheel shaft 18.

[0040] A front swing arm displacement wheel 15 is connected to a front swing arm 14 between the front swing arm displacement wheel 15 and the connecting shaft 16. A running track 12 is fitted on the outer side of the front swing arm displacement wheel 15.

[0041] When using the reconfigurable robot and its transforming mechanism, the gimbal 4 captures panoramic images of the robot's surroundings and transmits the captured information to the control module. The control module analyzes and processes the images to determine the environmental terrain. At the same time, the control module wirelessly transmits terrain information to the control center and receives instruction information from the control center. The control module adjusts the rotation of the front swing arm 14 and the rear swing arm 9 according to the terrain information to keep the robot balanced when moving in complex terrain.

[0042] The rear swing arm 9 and the universal gimbal 4 are removed from the robot body 1. Then, the two rear swing arms 9 are installed on both sides of the universal gimbal 4 to form a miniaturized robot. The control module controls the rear swing arm drive motor 11 to rotate. The rear swing arm drive motor 11 drives the rear swing arm driven wheel 8 to rotate through the transmission track 19, thereby realizing the control of the miniaturized robot to walk.

[0043] Specific Implementation Method Two: This implementation method is a further limitation of Specific Implementation Method One, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the robot shell 3 has symmetrically arranged running tracks 12 on the left and right sides. The running tracks 12 cover the outer contour formed by the main body drive wheel 7, support wheel 10, front swing arm displacement wheel 15 and tension wheel 6. There are four support wheels 10, and the support wheels 10 are arranged in a row and attached to the bottom of the running tracks 12. The tension wheel 6 is located at the top of the running tracks 12. The main body drive wheel 7, support wheel 10, front swing arm displacement wheel 15 and tension wheel 6 cooperate with the running tracks 12 to form a walking mechanism.

[0044] Specific Implementation Method Three: This implementation method is a further limitation of Specific Implementation Method Two, such as... Figure 4 As shown, connecting shafts 16 and drive wheel shafts 18 are symmetrically inserted on the left and right sides of the robot shell 3. The connecting shafts 16 are rotatably connected to the front swing arm 14, and a front swing arm reducer 13 is installed at the junction of the connecting shafts 16 and the front swing arm 14.

[0045] Specific Implementation Method Four: This implementation method is a further limitation of Specific Implementation Method One. The gimbal 4 is electrically connected to the control module, and the control module is electrically connected to the battery module. The gimbal 4 and the control module are fixed components. The gimbal 4, the control module, and the two rear swing arms 9 form a miniaturized robot. The miniaturized robot is the disassembly and reassembly transformation of the reconfigurable robot, and it is also the limit size of the reconfigurable robot, in order to cope with the detection tasks in narrow environments such as crevices and caves.

[0046] Specific Implementation Method 5: This implementation method is a further limitation of Specific Implementation Method 1. The radius of the main body drive wheel 7 is larger than the radius of the rear swing arm driven wheel 8. The center of the main body drive wheel 7 is coaxial with the center of the rear swing arm driven wheel 8. The rear swing arm driven wheel 8 is located outside the main body drive wheel 7.

[0047] Specific implementation method six: A deformable mechanism, the reconfigurable robot includes the deformable mechanism.

[0048] Specific Implementation Method Seven: This implementation method is a further limitation of Specific Implementation Method Six, such as... Figure 2 As shown, when the rear swing arm 9 rotates towards the front of the robot shell 3, the rear swing arm drive motor 11 approaches the connecting shaft 16, and the front swing arm 14 rotates towards the front of the robot shell 3. The front swing arm displacement wheel 15 is higher than the connecting shaft 16, forming a nominal configuration 100. By adjusting the elevation angle of the front swing arm 14, the ground clearance of the front swing arm displacement wheel 15 and the ground contact angle in front of the front swing arm 14 can be changed, thereby improving the obstacle crossing performance of the robot when moving forward.

[0049] Specific Implementation Method Eight: This implementation method is a further limitation of Specific Implementation Method Six, such as... Figure 3 As shown, when the rear swing arm 9 rotates towards the front of the robot shell 3, the rear swing arm drive motor 11 approaches the connecting shaft 16, and the front swing arm 14 rotates towards the front of the robot shell 3. The front swing arm displacement wheel 15 is lower than the connecting shaft 16, and the bottom of the front swing arm displacement wheel 15 is flush with the bottom of the support wheel 10, forming a configuration 200 that reduces the ground pressure. The front swing arm displacement wheel 15 touches the ground, increasing the ground contact length of the driving track 12, lowering the center of gravity, and improving the stability of the robot when it moves forward.

[0050] Specific Implementation Method Eight: This implementation method is a further limitation of Specific Implementation Method Six, such as... Figure 4As shown, the front swing arm 14 rotates towards the front of the robot shell 3, the front swing arm displacement wheel 15 is higher than the connecting shaft 16, and the rear swing arm 9 rotates towards the rear of the robot shell 3, the rear swing arm drive motor 11 is higher than the rear swing arm driven wheel 8, forming an enhanced front and rear obstacle crossing configuration 300. Adjusting the elevation angle of the rear swing arm 9 can change the ground clearance of the rear swing arm drive motor 11 and the grounding angle directly behind the rear swing arm 9. Compared with the nominal configuration 100, the enhanced front and rear obstacle crossing configuration 300 ensures the obstacle crossing performance when the robot is moving forward, while also enhancing the obstacle crossing performance when the robot is moving backward, greatly improving the applicability of obstacle crossing performance.

[0051] Specific Implementation Method Ten: This implementation method is a further limitation of Specific Implementation Method Six, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the front swing arm 14 rotates towards the front of the robot shell 3, the front swing arm displacement wheel 15 is lower than the connecting shaft 16, and the rear swing arm 9 rotates towards the rear of the robot shell 3, the rear swing arm drive motor 11 is lower than the rear swing arm driven wheel 8. The bottom ends of the front swing arm displacement wheel 15, support wheel 10, body drive wheel 7, and rear swing arm drive motor 11 are on the same plane, forming an enhanced front-to-back ravine crossing configuration 400. The rear swing arm drive motor 11 touches the ground, increasing the overall grounding length of the robot. Compared to the reduced grounding specific voltage configuration 200, the enhanced front-to-back ravine crossing configuration 400 lowers the center of gravity and ensures the stability of the robot when moving forward, while also improving the robot's ability to cross ravines front and back.

[0052] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable robot, characterized in that, include: The robot body (1) includes a robot shell (3), a gimbal (4) is rotatably mounted on the top of the robot shell (3), and a robot headlight (2) is embedded in the front side of the robot shell (3). The robot shell (3) has an antenna (5) inserted on the rear side of the top surface of the robot shell (3), and a control module and a battery module are fixedly installed inside the robot shell (3). The gimbal (4) establishes bidirectional communication with the control module, which includes a controller, a sensor, and a driver. The main body drive wheel (7) is mounted on the drive wheel shaft (18). The drive wheel shaft (18) is hinged to the connecting rod (17). The connecting rod (17) is connected end to end to form a quadrilateral structure. The tension wheel (6) and the support wheel (10) are located at the upper and lower intersections of the connecting rod (17), respectively. The bottom end of the support wheel (10) is flush with the bottom end of the main body drive wheel (7). The left and right intersections of the connecting rod (17) are respectively provided with a connecting shaft (16) and a drive wheel shaft (18). The rear swing arm driven wheel (8) and the rear swing arm drive motor (11) are rotatably mounted on both ends of the rear swing arm (9). A transmission track (19) is wound around the outer contour of the rear swing arm driven wheel (8) and the rear swing arm drive motor (11). The rear swing arm (9) is rotatably connected to the outer port of the drive wheel shaft (18). A front swing arm displacement wheel (15) is connected to the front swing arm (14) and the connecting shaft (16). A running track (12) is fitted on the outer side of the front swing arm displacement wheel (15).

2. A reconfigurable robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot shell (3) has a connecting shaft (16) and a drive wheel shaft (18) symmetrically inserted on its left and right sides. The connecting shaft (16) is rotatably connected to the front swing arm (14). A front swing arm reducer (13) is installed at the junction of the connecting shaft (16) and the front swing arm (14).

3. A reconfigurable robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gimbal (4) is electrically connected to the control module, and the control module is electrically connected to the battery module. The gimbal (4) and the control module are fixed components. The gimbal (4), the control module, and the two rear swing arms (9) together form a miniaturized robot.

4. A reconfigurable robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radius of the main drive wheel (7) is larger than the radius of the rear swing arm driven wheel (8). The center of the main drive wheel (7) is coaxial with the center of the rear swing arm driven wheel (8). The rear swing arm driven wheel (8) is located outside the main drive wheel (7).

5. A deformation mechanism, characterized in that: A reconfigurable robot according to any one of claims 1-4 includes the aforementioned deformation mechanism.

6. A deformation mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the rear swing arm (9) rotates toward the front of the robot housing (3), the rear swing arm drive motor (11) approaches the connecting shaft (16), and the front swing arm (14) rotates toward the front of the robot housing (3), the front swing arm displacement wheel (15) is higher than the connecting shaft (16), forming a nominal configuration (100).

7. A deformation mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the rear swing arm (9) rotates toward the front of the robot housing (3), the rear swing arm drive motor (11) approaches the connecting shaft (16), and the front swing arm (14) rotates toward the front of the robot housing (3). The front swing arm displacement wheel (15) is lower than the connecting shaft (16), and the bottom of the front swing arm displacement wheel (15) is flush with the bottom of the support wheel (10), forming a configuration that reduces the grounding specific voltage (200).

8. A deformation mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The front swing arm (14) rotates toward the front of the robot shell (3), the front swing arm displacement wheel (15) is higher than the connecting shaft (16), and the rear swing arm (9) rotates toward the rear of the robot shell (3), the rear swing arm drive motor (11) is higher than the rear swing arm driven wheel (8), forming an enhanced front and rear obstacle crossing configuration (300).

9. A deformation mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The front swing arm (14) rotates toward the front of the robot shell (3), the front swing arm displacement wheel (15) is lower than the connecting shaft (16), and the rear swing arm (9) rotates toward the rear of the robot shell (3), the rear swing arm drive motor (11) is lower than the rear swing arm driven wheel (8), and the bottom ends of the front swing arm displacement wheel (15), support wheel (10), body drive wheel (7) and rear swing arm drive motor (11) are on the same plane, forming a reinforced front and rear cross-ditch configuration (400).

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