A multi-functional mechanical leg for underwater robots

Abstract

This invention discloses a multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot. The mechanical leg includes a moving unit and a telescopic mechanical gripper unit. The housings of a first and second servo motor of the moving unit are connected. The second servo motor is fixedly connected to the top of an upper support. Symmetrical sliding rods are arranged on both sides of the upper support. The top of each sliding rod is fixedly connected to the upper support, and the bottom is fixedly connected to the housing of a third servo motor. A thruster is fixedly installed on the side of the housing of the third servo motor opposite to the sliding rod. The mechanical gripper unit includes a slider, a retractable link, a side baffle, and a gripping end. The slider is slidably mounted on the corresponding sliding rod. The first, second, and third retractable links, along with the gripping end, form a parallelogram linkage mechanism. The top of the first retractable link is rotatably connected to the slider. The gripping end is positioned opposite to the side baffle. This mechanical leg integrates moving and gripping functions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and more specifically to a multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot. Background Technology

[0002] As many researchers turn their attention to natural organisms, drawing inspiration from nature to create biomimetic amphibious robots, the manufacturing and control methods for amphibious robot prototypes have been extensively developed and researched. While achieving basic robot mobility, the demand for multi-functional robots has arisen, with grasping capabilities, a common operational function, receiving widespread attention. However, studies generally distinguish between mobility and grasping functions, often resulting in a large overall size or excessive weight.

[0003] Two robot structures that combine movement and grasping functions are disclosed in the prior art: one robot structure uses a soft robotic arm as the grasping unit and a six-legged underwater robot as the movement unit to develop a robot that can complete collection tasks in water; the other underwater salvage robot uses flexible fin propulsion as the movement unit and a robotic arm with four degrees of freedom as the grasping unit. The end of the robotic arm is a semi-circular mesh structure, and the target object is grasped by wrapping the target object with a pair of robotic arms.

[0004] Both of the above robot structures can grasp target objects, but they require a robotic arm to perform the grasping function, and the robot also needs to be equipped with a special moving unit, and the grasping unit is relatively large. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot. This multifunctional mechanical leg integrates movement and grasping functions. At the same time, the extension and retraction of the mechanical claw grasping unit can effectively reduce the overall size of the robot while retaining a large operating space.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following specific technical solution:

[0007] A multi-functional mechanical leg for an underwater robot, the multi-functional mechanical leg including a moving unit and a telescopic mechanical gripper unit;

[0008] The moving unit includes a first servo motor, a second servo motor, an upper support, a sliding rod, a third servo motor, and a thruster. The first servo motor is connected to the housing of the second servo motor and is used to drive the second servo motor to swing in the horizontal plane. The second servo motor is fixedly connected to the top of the upper support and is used to control the upper support to swing in the vertical plane. Two symmetrical sliding rods are arranged on both sides of the upper support. The top of the sliding rod is fixedly connected to the upper support, and the bottom is fixedly connected to one side of the housing of the third servo motor. The thruster is fixedly installed on the side of the housing of the third servo motor opposite to the sliding rod.

[0009] The mechanical gripper unit includes sliders corresponding to the sliding rods, a first retractable link corresponding to each slider, a second retractable link corresponding to each first retractable link, a third retractable link corresponding to and parallel to the first retractable link, side baffles, and gripping ends corresponding to and parallel to the second retractable link. The sliders are slidably mounted on their respective sliding rods. The first, second, and third retractable links, along with the gripping ends, form a parallelogram linkage mechanism. The top end of the first retractable link is rotatably connected to the corresponding slider, the bottom end is rotatably connected to one end of the gripping end, and the middle part is rotatably connected to the middle part of the corresponding second retractable link. One end of each second retractable link is rotatably connected to the third servo motor. The top end of the third retractable link is rotatably connected to the other end of the second retractable link, and the bottom end is rotatably connected to the middle part of the gripping end. The side baffles are fixedly mounted on the two third retractable links and are positioned opposite to the gripping ends.

[0010] The third servo motor is used to drive the second retractable link to swing. The second retractable link drives the slider to slide along the slide rod to control the spatial change between the gripping end and the side baffle to achieve the gripping function.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a connecting plate fixedly connected between the two gripping ends;

[0012] The two gripping ends and the connecting plate form a "multi-finger" structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the connecting plate is a "T"-shaped plate;

[0014] The two gripping ends and the "T"-shaped plate form a "three-finger" structure.

[0015] Furthermore, the connecting plate is a "∏" shaped plate;

[0016] The two gripping ends and the "∏" shaped plate form a "four-finger" structure.

[0017] Furthermore, the side panel is a "7" shaped panel.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes a connecting rod that is fixedly connected between the two second retractable connecting rods.

[0019] Furthermore, the first retractable link, the second retractable link, the third retractable link, and the gripping end are all elongated strips.

[0020] Beneficial effects:

[0021] This invention relates to a multifunctional mechanical leg for underwater robots, comprising a mobile unit and a telescopic mechanical gripper unit, integrating mobile and gripping functions. A first servo motor in the mobile unit controls the horizontal swing of the mechanical leg, while a second servo motor controls its vertical swing. The first and second servo motors are connected by the housing of the second servo motor. A sliding rod and a thruster are both fixed to the housing of a third servo motor. The gripper unit comprises a first retractable link, a second retractable link, a third retractable link, and a gripping end, forming a parallelogram linkage mechanism. The third servo motor controls the movement of the second retractable link for extension, retraction, and gripping. The slider and the sliding rod together constrain the movement of the parallelogram linkage mechanism. The extension and retraction function of the gripper unit is achieved through the constrained movement of the sliding rod and slider, and the parallelogram linkage. The mechanism is complete, and the gripping function is achieved by the compression of a pair of gripping ends against the side baffles. Because the first, second, and third retractable links in the mechanical gripper unit, along with the gripping ends, form a parallelogram linkage mechanism, the easy deformation of the parallelogram allows for the extension and retraction of the mechanical gripper unit. The retraction of the mechanical gripper unit significantly reduces the size and weight of the mechanical leg while maintaining a large range of motion. The mechanical leg also has a propulsion function via a thruster. Therefore, in addition to basic underwater movement, the aforementioned mechanical leg also possesses gripping and retraction functions. By integrating movement and gripping functions, the retractable structure effectively reduces the robot's size and weight, saves space, and allows the mechanical gripper unit to retain a large operating space. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the multifunctional underwater mechanical leg of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the structure of a multi-functional underwater mechanical leg;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical gripper unit.

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3A schematic diagram of the gripping principle of the mechanical gripper unit.

[0026] Among them, 1-servo motor number one, 2-servo motor number two, 3-upper bracket, 4-sliding rod, 5-servo motor number three, 6-thruster, 7-slider, 8-retractable linkage number one, 9-retractable linkage number two, 10-retractable linkage number three, 11-side baffle, 12-gripping end, 13-connecting plate, 14-connecting rod, 21-servo motor number two housing Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] This embodiment provides a multifunctional mechanical leg for underwater robots. This multifunctional mechanical leg is suitable for small underwater robots or small amphibious robots, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the structure, the multifunctional mechanical leg includes a moving unit and a telescopic mechanical gripper unit;

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the moving unit is used to realize the movement of the entire multi-functional underwater mechanical leg, and includes a first servo motor 1, a second servo motor 2, an upper support 3, a sliding rod 4, a third servo motor 5, and a thruster 6. The first servo motor 1 is connected to the housing of the second servo motor 2 and is used to drive the second servo motor 2 to swing in the horizontal plane. The second servo motor 2 is fixedly connected to the top of the upper support 3 and is used to control the upper support 3 to swing in the vertical plane. The upper support 3 can be an "H" shaped structure. Two symmetrical sliding rods 4 are set on both sides of the upper support 3. The symmetrical arrangement of the sliding rods 4 can improve the stability of the moving unit. The top of the sliding rod 4 is fixedly connected to the upper support 3, and the bottom is fixedly connected to one side of the housing of the third servo motor 5. The thruster 6 is fixedly installed on the side of the housing of the third servo motor 5 away from the sliding rod 4. The thruster 6 is equipped with a propeller for underwater propulsion.

[0030] like Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the mechanical gripper unit is used to realize gripping and retraction functions, and includes sliders 7 corresponding to the corresponding slide rods 4, a first retraction link 8 corresponding to the sliders 7, a second retraction link 9 corresponding to the first retraction link 8, a third retraction link 10 corresponding to and parallel to the first retraction link 8, a side baffle 11, and a gripping end 12 corresponding to and parallel to the second retraction link 9. The sliders 7 are slidably mounted on the corresponding slide rods 4, and a slider 7 is provided on each of the two symmetrically arranged slide rods 4. The two sliders 7 are also symmetrically arranged. The first retractable link 8, the second retractable link 9, the third retractable link 10, and the gripping end 12 are also symmetrically arranged in twos, forming a parallelogram linkage mechanism. Since the first retractable link 8, the second retractable link 9, the third retractable link 10, and the gripping end 12 are all symmetrical structures, a parallelogram linkage mechanism is formed on each side of the third servo motor 5. To improve the stability and reliability of the parallelogram linkage mechanism, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the aforementioned multi-functional underwater mechanical leg also includes a connecting rod 14 fixedly connected between two second retractable connecting rods 9 and a connecting plate 13 fixedly connected between two gripping ends 12; the top end of the first retractable connecting rod 8 is rotatably connected to the corresponding slider 7, the bottom end is rotatably connected to one end of the gripping end 12, and the middle part is rotatably connected to the middle part of the corresponding second retractable connecting rod 9; one end of each second retractable connecting rod 9 is rotatably connected to the third servo motor 5; the top end of the third retractable connecting rod 10 is rotatably connected to the other end of the second retractable connecting rod 9, and the bottom end is rotatably connected to the middle part of the gripping end 12; the side baffle 11 is fixedly installed on the two third retractable connecting rods 10 and connected to... Side baffles 11 are arranged opposite each other. Each side baffle 11 can be a "7"-shaped plate, comprising a top baffle opposite to the gripping end 12 and a rear baffle forming a "7"-shaped structure with the top baffle. The bottom ends of the rear baffle are fixedly connected to the third retractable link 10. During the gripping action, a clamping space is formed between the top baffle, the rear baffle, and the two gripping ends 12, suitable for gripping larger targets. The third servo motor 5 drives the second retractable link 9 to swing. The second retractable link 9 drives the slider 7 to slide along the slide rod 4, controlling the spatial change between the gripping end 12 and the side baffles 11 to achieve the gripping function. The connecting plate 13, fixedly connected between the two gripping ends 12, has two functions: first, it fixes the two gripping ends 12 together, improving the structural strength and stability of the entire mechanical gripper unit; second, it forms a "multi-finger" structure with the two gripping ends 12 through the connecting plate 13, improving the success rate and stability of the gripping, enabling the gripping of smaller targets. like Figure 3As shown, this embodiment only describes the case where a "T"-shaped plate is provided between the two gripping ends 12. In this case, the "T"-shaped plate and the two gripping ends 12 form a "three-finger" structure. When the connecting plate uses a "∏"-shaped plate, the "∏"-shaped plate and the two gripping ends 12 form a "four-finger" structure, and so on, a "five-finger" structure or more can be formed; for example... Figure 3 As shown, the first retraction link 8, the second retraction link 9, the third retraction link 10, and the gripping end 12 are all long strip plates.

[0031] The slide rod 4, the first retractable link 8, the second retractable link 9, the third retractable link 10, and the gripping end 12 can all be rotatably connected by bearings. At the same time, baffles are added as a limiting structure to prevent axial displacement of the links.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, the entire mechanical leg forms a gripper state after the mechanical claw gripping unit extends. It uses a pair of gripping ends 12, or a pair of gripping ends 12 and connecting plate 13 to squeeze the object from below and side baffle 11 to complete the gripping of the target object.

[0033] The aforementioned multifunctional robotic leg is used in an underwater robot and includes a moving unit and a telescopic robotic gripper unit, integrating moving and gripping functions. The first servo motor 1 of the moving unit controls the horizontal swing of the robotic leg, and the second servo motor 2 controls the vertical swing of the robotic leg. The first servo motor 1 and the second servo motor 2 are connected by the second servo motor housing 21. The sliding rod 4 and the thruster 6 are both fixed to the housing of the third servo motor 5. The first retractable link 8, the second retractable link 9, the third retractable link 10, and the gripping end 12 in the robotic gripper unit form a parallelogram linkage mechanism. The third servo motor 5 controls the movement of the second retractable link 9 for extension, retraction, and gripping. The slider 7 and the sliding rod 4 together constrain the movement of the parallelogram linkage mechanism. The extension and retraction function of the robotic gripper unit is achieved by the constrained movement of the sliding rod 4 and the slider 7, and the parallelogram linkage mechanism. The linkage mechanism is completed, and the grasping function is achieved by the compression of a pair of grasping ends 12 and the side baffles 11. Since the first retractable link 8, the second retractable link 9, the third retractable link 10 and the grasping ends 12 in the mechanical claw grasping unit form a parallelogram linkage mechanism, the extension and retraction of the mechanical claw grasping unit is realized by utilizing the easy deformation characteristics of the parallelogram. The retraction of the mechanical claw grasping unit can greatly reduce the size and weight of the mechanical leg while ensuring its large range of motion. The mechanical leg also has a propulsion function through the set thruster 6. Therefore, the above-mentioned mechanical leg can not only have basic underwater movement functions, but also grasping and retraction functions. While realizing the integration of movement and grasping functions, the retractable structure can also effectively reduce the size and weight of the robot, save space, and allow the mechanical claw grasping unit to retain a large range of motion.

[0034] In addition, the "multi-finger" structure formed by the gripping end and the connecting plate can improve the adaptability of the mechanical gripper unit. When gripping relatively small targets, the multi-finger structure can be used to wrap around the target, preventing the target from escaping from below the gripping end. When gripping relatively large targets, the "finger" structure on both sides of the gripping end is mainly used to grip the target from below, while the side baffles further clamp the target from both sides to prevent escape.

[0035] The extension and retraction of the mechanical gripper unit mainly utilizes the easily deformable characteristics of a parallelogram linkage mechanism composed of retraction link one, retraction link two, retraction link three, and the gripping end. Specifically, for the retraction process, [further details are needed]. Figure 4A simplified structural diagram shows that the top point e (i.e., slider 7) of the first retractable link 8 can slide on the slide rod 4. The pivot point f of the third servo motor 5 is also one end point of the second retractable link 9. The middle part of the second retractable link 9 is rotatably connected to the middle part of the first retractable link 8, forming an intersection point d. The other end point of the second retractable link 9 is rotatably connected to the top point of the third retractable link 10, forming an intersection point a. One end point of the gripping end 12 is rotatably connected to the bottom end point of the first retractable link 8, forming an intersection point c. The middle part of the gripping end 12 is rotatably connected to the bottom end point of the third retractable link 10, forming an intersection point b. An angle β is formed between the first retractable link 8 and the second retractable link 9. When the third servo motor 5 drives the second retractable link 9 to rotate clockwise, since the length between ed is fixed, the intersection point d is far away from the slide rod 4, causing the top point e to move from top to bottom on the slide rod 4. At this time, the first retractable link 8 rotates counterclockwise around the intersection point d. The angle β between the first retractable link 8 and the second retractable link 9 continuously increases. In order to maintain the characteristics of a parallelogram, the four sides of the parallelogram abcd rotate, driving the corresponding linkage mechanism to move. The gripping end 12 is opened, and conversely, the gripping action is realized. Without the parallelogram structure, the gripping end only has the length of segment bc. After the parallelogram structure is introduced in this invention, the length of segment dc can help extend the overall length of the gripping end, allowing it to reach farther places. Calculated from the shaft of servo motor number three, the original 10cm length can be extended to about 17cm from the center of the shaft of servo motor number three by utilizing the extensibility of the parallelogram. Furthermore, it can greatly reduce the space occupied when retracted.

[0036] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot, characterized in that, Includes a moving unit and a telescopic mechanical gripper unit; The moving unit includes a first servo motor (1), a second servo motor (2), an upper bracket (3), a sliding rod (4), a third servo motor (5), and a thruster (6); the first servo motor is connected to the housing of the second servo motor and is used to drive the second servo motor to swing in the horizontal plane; the second servo motor is fixedly connected to the top of the upper bracket and is used to control the upper bracket to swing in the vertical plane; two symmetrical sliding rods are provided on both sides of the upper bracket; the top of the sliding rod is fixedly connected to the upper bracket, and the bottom is fixedly connected to one side of the housing of the third servo motor; the thruster is fixedly installed on the side of the housing of the third servo motor away from the sliding rods; The mechanical gripper unit includes a slider (7) corresponding to each of the sliding rods, a first retractable link (8) corresponding to each slider, a second retractable link (9) corresponding to each of the first retractable link, a third retractable link (10) corresponding to and parallel to the first retractable link, a side baffle (11), and a gripping end (12) corresponding to and parallel to the second retractable link; the slider is slidably mounted on the corresponding sliding rod; the first retractable link, the second retractable link, and the third retractable link are... The gripping end forms a parallelogram linkage mechanism; the top end of the first retractable link is rotatably connected to the corresponding slider, the bottom end is rotatably connected to one end of the gripping end, and the middle part is rotatably connected to the middle part of the corresponding second retractable link; one end of each of the second retractable links is rotatably connected to the third servo motor; the top end of the third retractable link is rotatably connected to the other end of the second retractable link, and the bottom end is rotatably connected to the middle part of the gripping end; the side baffle is fixedly installed on the two third retractable links and is arranged opposite to the gripping end; The third servo motor is used to drive the second retractable link to swing. The second retractable link drives the slider to slide along the slide rod to control the spatial change between the gripping end and the side baffle to achieve the gripping function.

2. The multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a connecting plate that is fixedly connected between the two gripping ends; The two gripping ends and the connecting plate form a "multi-finger" structure.

3. A multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting plate is a "T" shaped plate; The two gripping ends and the "T"-shaped plate form a "three-finger" structure.

4. A multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting plate is a "∏" shaped plate; The two gripping ends and the "∏" shaped plate form a "four-finger" structure.

5. A multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The side panel is a "7" shaped panel.

6. A multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a connecting rod that is fixedly connected between the two second retractable connecting rods.

7. A multifunctional mechanical leg for an underwater robot as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first retractable link, the second retractable link, the third retractable link, and the gripping end are all long strip plates.

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