Rope-driven snake-like robotic arm based on a retractable internal skeleton and a telescopic arm shell.

Abstract

This invention discloses a rope-driven snake-like robotic arm based on a retractable inner skeleton and a telescopic arm shell. It includes a robotic arm base and a robotic arm body. The robotic arm body includes a robotic arm skeleton, a robotic arm shell, and a connecting mechanism between the two. The robotic arm skeleton includes at least M skeleton units connected end-to-end, with adjacent skeleton units connected by universal joints. The robotic arm shell includes M shell segment units, which are fitted around the outer periphery of the robotic arm skeleton and can be nested between adjacent shell segment units. The movement and posture of the shell segment units are controlled by a first drive rope. Multiple connecting mechanisms are fixedly connected to the inner wall of each shell segment unit, allowing for connection and separation between the shell segment unit and the skeleton unit. This invention solves the problems of difficult storage and excessive size of existing snake-like robotic arms, achieving both robotic arm storage functionality and miniaturization of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arm equipment technology, and in particular to a rope-driven snake-like robotic arm based on a retractable inner skeleton and a telescopic arm shell. Background Technology

[0002] Due to their multi-degree-of-freedom and slender structure, snake-shaped robotic arms have strong obstacle avoidance and deep cavity exploration capabilities, making them very suitable for operations in confined spaces. They are often used for assembly and inspection in restricted environments such as nuclear equipment, aviation equipment, and pipelines.

[0003] Snake-like robotic arms benefit from the separate arrangement of the drive system and the robotic arm body. Specifically, a drive system centralized at the robotic arm base remotely moves the lightweight robotic arm via ropes, enabling various dexterous movements. Existing traditional snake-like robotic arms have a fixed arm length. If a snake-like robotic arm is to have an arm-retracting function, the arm must retract and coil within the bulky robotic arm base. However, while existing snake-like robotic arms do have an arm-retracting function, they still have some problems:

[0004] Firstly, the ropes of the serpentine robotic arm frequently bend during operation and are subjected to friction between the arm and the base in multiple places, resulting in a short service life and necessitating frequent rope replacements during long-term operation. Because the drive and actuator mechanisms of the serpentine robotic arm are separately mounted, and the ropes for the target joints need to pass through tiny rope holes on all the front joints, frequent rope replacements significantly increase assembly difficulty and maintenance costs, greatly diminishing its practical value.

[0005] Secondly, the serpentine robotic arm has a large number of ropes with long spans. In order to retract the arm and ropes into the base, the ropes will inevitably bend more than during normal operation, which not only increases the difficulty of kinematic calculations but also reduces the service life of the ropes.

[0006] Finally, the existing snake-shaped robotic arm base cavity not only needs to accommodate the necessary motor drive module, but also requires a large volume of complete space to house the entire arm, resulting in an excessively large base volume.

[0007] Therefore, based on the above problems, there is an urgent need to design a snake-shaped robotic arm with a retractable arm body and a small volume to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a rope-driven snake-like robotic arm based on a retractable inner skeleton and a telescopic arm shell, which solves the problems of difficult storage and excessive size of existing snake-like robotic arms, thereby overcoming the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0009] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention discloses a rope-driven serpentine robotic arm based on a retractable inner frame and a telescopic arm shell, comprising a robotic arm base and a robotic arm body.

[0010] The main body of the robotic arm includes a robotic arm skeleton, a robotic arm shell, and a connecting mechanism between the two. The robotic arm skeleton includes M skeleton units connected end-to-end, with adjacent skeleton units connected by universal joints. The end of the first skeleton unit is connected to a working component, and the end of the last skeleton unit is connected to a first drive mechanism for controlling the extension or retraction of the robotic arm skeleton. The first drive mechanism is installed inside the robotic arm base. The robotic arm shell includes M shell segment units, which are fitted around the outer periphery of the robotic arm skeleton. Adjacent shell segment units can be nested together. Several first drive ropes are connected to the outer side of each shell segment unit, and the movement posture of the shell segment unit is controlled by the first drive ropes. Each shell segment unit corresponds to one skeleton unit, and multiple connecting mechanisms are fixedly connected to the inner wall of each shell segment unit. The connecting mechanisms enable the shell segment unit to be connected to and separated from the skeleton unit.

[0011] As an improvement of the present invention, the outer shell segment unit includes an outer shell segment body, the outer shell segment body is an annular tube, and a rope connecting ring is provided on the outer surface of the middle part of the outer shell segment body. The outer surface of the front section of the outer shell segment body is provided with a plurality of first guide grooves that are equally spaced around the central axis. The inner wall of the front section of the outer shell segment body is provided with a regular polygonal through hole. The inner wall of the rear section of the outer shell segment body is provided with a plurality of first guide bars that are equally spaced around the central axis. The first guide bars of the outer shell segment body correspond to and cooperate with the first guide grooves of the adjacent outer shell segment body.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, each outer shell segment body has three rope fixing holes and several rope through holes on its rope connecting ring. The three rope fixing holes are distributed at equal angles around the center of the rope connecting ring. The rope fixing holes are used to connect and fix the first drive rope. The rope through holes are used to pass through the first drive rope to facilitate control of the front outer shell segment body.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the number P of rope through holes in the rope connecting ring of each outer shell segment is:

[0014] P = 3(M-1);

[0015] M refers to the number of skeletal units or shell segment units.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the connecting mechanism includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a connecting block, a mounting slider, and a fixed guide rod. The fixed guide rod has fixed mounting blocks connected to both ends. The fixed mounting blocks are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the front section of the outer shell body. The mounting slider is slidably connected to the fixed guide rod. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are hinged together. The connecting block is connected at the hinge position between the first and second connecting rods. The end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the fixed mounting block, and the end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the mounting slider. By moving the mounting slider along the fixed guide rod, the mounting slider drives the angle between the second connecting rod and the first connecting rod to change, causing the height of the connecting block to rise or fall.

[0017] As an improvement of the present invention, the connecting mechanism further includes a second drive rope, which passes through the fixed mounting blocks at both ends of the fixed guide rod and is fixedly connected to the mounting slider. The end of the second drive rope is connected to a second drive mechanism, which is located inside the robot arm base. The second drive mechanism drives the second drive rope to move the mounting slider back and forth along the fixed guide rod, thereby causing the angle between the second connecting rod and the first connecting rod to change, resulting in a change in the height of the connecting block.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, the skeleton unit includes a connecting rod, and the outer surface of the middle part of the connecting rod is provided with a collar structure, and the collar structure is provided with a plurality of connecting grooves equally spaced around the central axis, and each connecting groove is provided with guide grooves on both sides. When the connecting block is raised to the correct height, the connecting block will be fitted into the connecting groove.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present invention, guide rail access heads are provided on both sides of the connecting block. When the connecting block is fitted into the connecting groove of the bone unit, the guide rail access head is fitted and connected with the guide slide groove.

[0020] As a further improvement of the present invention, the side wall of the robotic arm base is provided with a bone section through hole, and a bone fixation frame extending into the interior of the robotic arm base is provided along the axial direction of the bone section through hole. When the robotic arm bone section retracts, part of the bone unit will retract into the bone fixation frame. A shell slot is provided on the outer side of the bone section through hole, and a plurality of drive rope through holes are evenly provided on the outer side of the shell slot. A third drive mechanism is provided inside the robotic arm base corresponding to each drive rope through hole. By controlling the third drive mechanism to drive the first drive rope to move, the posture control of the shell segment unit is realized.

[0021] With this design, the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0022] (1) The rope-driven snake-shaped robotic arm of the present invention splits the robotic arm into two parts: the robotic arm skeleton and the robotic arm shell. The connection and separation of the robotic arm skeleton and the robotic arm shell are realized through a connecting mechanism. The attitude of the robotic arm shell is controlled by the drive rope, thereby controlling the attitude of the internal robotic arm skeleton. This structure sets the snake-shaped robotic arm in separate parts, so that the assembly process of the robotic arm is decomposed into relatively controllable and simple sub-steps, which significantly reduces the assembly difficulty of the snake-shaped robotic arm.

[0023] (2) The rope-driven serpentine robotic arm of the present invention utilizes an expandable or retractable connecting mechanism to realize the power transmission and disconnection of the robotic arm skeleton and the robotic arm shell. When the robotic arm is stored, the robotic arm skeleton can retract into the robotic arm base, and at the same time, the connecting structure disconnects the connection between the robotic arm skeleton and the robotic arm shell, and the robotic arm shell can retract axially. When the robotic arm is working, the robotic arm skeleton can extend into the robotic arm base, and at the same time, the connecting structure connects the connection between the robotic arm skeleton and the robotic arm shell, and the robotic arm shell can extend axially with the robotic arm skeleton. This robotic arm structure not only avoids the problem of large-angle bending and additional wear of the drive rope caused by the coiled storage of traditional serpentine robotic arms, but also saves storage space in the base and realizes the miniaturization of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The above is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the rope-driven snake-shaped robotic arm in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the skeleton of the rope-driven snake-shaped robotic arm in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is an assembly diagram of the connection mechanism of the rope-driven serpentine robotic arm in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable-driven serpentine robotic arm in an embodiment of the present invention when the outer shell of the robotic arm retracts.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the outer shell segment unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the outer shell segment unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the skeletal unit in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 An enlarged diagram of position A in the middle.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Meaning of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0035] 1-Machine arm base; 2-Outer shell segment unit; 201-Outer shell segment main body; 202-Rope connecting ring; 203-First guide groove; 204-First guide bar; 205-Regular polygonal through hole; 3-Skeleton unit; 301-Connecting rod; 302-Axle collar structure; 303-Connecting groove; 304-Guide slide groove; 4-Connecting mechanism; 401-Fixed mounting block; 402-Fixed guide rod; 403-First connecting rod; 404-Second connecting rod; 405-Connecting block; 406-Mounting slider; 407-Guide rail access head; 5-First drive rope; 6-Second drive rope. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Examples of embodiments described in this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0038] Combination Figure 1-4 As shown, this embodiment specifically discloses a rope-driven snake-like robotic arm based on a retractable inner skeleton and a telescopic arm shell, which includes a robotic arm base 1 and a robotic arm body. In this embodiment, the robotic arm base 1 serves as the fixed body of the snake-like robotic arm, and its interior is used to install drive equipment and electronic components, etc. The robotic arm body is used to connect and control the working parts.

[0039] In this embodiment, the main body of the robotic arm includes a robotic arm skeleton, a robotic arm shell, and a connecting mechanism 4 located between the two. The robotic arm skeleton includes at least M skeleton units 3 connected end to end. Adjacent skeleton units 3 are connected by universal joints. The end of the skeleton unit 3 located at the first end is connected to a working component, and the end of the skeleton unit 3 located at the last end is connected to a first drive mechanism for controlling the extension or retraction of the robotic arm skeleton. The first drive mechanism is installed inside the robotic arm base 1. In this embodiment, the skeleton unit 3 serves as the main support part of the main body of the robotic arm. Since the skeleton units 3 are connected by universal joints, each skeleton unit 3 can be easily bent, realizing the bending and storage of the robotic arm skeleton.

[0040] Furthermore, the robotic arm shell includes M shell segment units 2, which are fitted around the periphery of the robotic arm skeleton. Adjacent shell segment units 2 can be nested and connected. Each shell segment unit 2 has several first drive ropes 5 connected to its outer side, which control the movement and posture of the shell segment unit 2. Each shell segment unit 2 corresponds to one skeleton unit 3, and multiple connecting mechanisms 4 are fixedly connected to the inner wall of each shell segment unit 2. These connecting mechanisms 4 allow for the connection and separation of the shell segment unit 2 and the skeleton unit 3. In this embodiment, the external control structure of the robotic arm is constructed using M shell segment units 2, and the posture adjustment of the corresponding shell segment unit 2 is controlled by pulling multiple drive ropes.

[0041] Specifically, in combination Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the outer shell segment unit 2 includes an outer shell segment body 201. The outer shell segment body 201 is an annular tube, and a rope connecting ring 202 is provided on the outer surface of the middle part of the outer shell segment body 201. The outer surface of the front section of the outer shell segment body 201 is provided with a plurality of first guide grooves 203 that are equally spaced around the central axis. The inner wall of the front section of the outer shell segment body 201 is provided with a regular polygonal through hole 205. The inner wall of the rear section of the outer shell segment body 201 is provided with a plurality of first guide strips 204 that are equally spaced around the central axis. The first guide strips 204 of the outer shell segment body 201 correspond to and cooperate with the first guide grooves 203 of the adjacent outer shell segment body 201. When the robotic arm's outer shell retracts, the rear inner wall of the outer shell segment body 201 in the multiple outer shell segment units 2 will be sequentially sleeved onto the front outer surface of the adjacent outer shell segment body 201, so that the first guide bar 204 of the rear inner wall of the outer shell segment body 201 is sequentially inserted into the first guide groove 203 at the front end of the adjacent outer shell segment body 201. The first guide bar 204 and the first guide groove 203 can restrict the retraction posture of the snake-shaped robotic arm, so that the robotic arm can retract in a predetermined retraction posture under any working posture.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each outer shell segment 201 has three rope fixing holes and several rope through holes on its rope connecting ring 202. The three rope fixing holes are distributed at equal angles around the center of the rope connecting ring 202. The rope fixing holes are used to connect and fix the first drive rope 5. The movement posture of the current outer shell segment 201 can be controlled by the first drive rope 5 located in the rope fixing hole. By applying different pulling forces to the three first drive ropes 5, the current outer shell segment 201 can be controlled to deflect in a specified direction to achieve posture control. The rope through holes are used to pass through the first drive rope 5 to facilitate the control of the front outer shell segment 201. For example, in this embodiment, the robotic arm housing includes six housing segment units 2. Each corresponding housing segment body 201 has at least 18 holes, of which 3 holes are rope fixing holes and the remaining 15 holes are rope passage holes. Each housing segment body 201 is guaranteed to be connected by at least three first drive ropes 5. The first drive ropes 5 connected to the front housing segment body 201 pass through the rope passage holes of the rear housing segment body 201 in sequence and are connected to the third drive mechanism, which provides power to the first drive ropes 5. Furthermore, the circumferentially distributed first drive ropes 5 can also restrict the radial rotation of each housing segment unit 2, reducing the difficulty of the retraction movement of the housing segment unit 2.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, the number P of rope holes in the rope connecting ring 202 of each outer shell segment 201 should satisfy: P = 3(M-1); where M refers to the number of skeleton units 3 or outer shell segment units 2.

[0044] Furthermore, combining Figure 9As shown, the connecting mechanism 4 in this embodiment includes a first connecting rod 403, a second connecting rod 404, a connecting block 405, a mounting slider 406, and a fixed guide rod 402. Fixed mounting blocks 401 are connected to both ends of the fixed guide rod 402. The fixed mounting blocks 401 are fixedly connected to the inner front wall of the outer shell section 201. The mounting slider 406 is slidably connected to the fixed guide rod 402. The first connecting rod 403 and the second connecting rod 404 are hinged together. The connecting block 405 is connected at the hinge position between the first connecting rod 403 and the second connecting rod 404. The end of the first connecting rod 403 is hinged to the fixed mounting block 401, and the end of the second connecting rod 404 is hinged to the mounting slider 406. By moving the mounting slider 406 along the fixed guide rod 402, the mounting slider 406 drives the angle between the second connecting rod 404 and the first connecting rod 403 to change, causing the height of the connecting block 405 to rise or fall. Furthermore, the connecting mechanism 4 also includes a second drive rope 6. The second drive rope 6 passes through the fixed mounting blocks 401 at both ends of the fixed guide rod 402 and is fixedly connected to the mounting slider 406. The end of the second drive rope 6 is connected to a second drive mechanism. The second drive mechanism is located inside the robot arm base 1. The second drive mechanism drives the second drive rope 6 to move the mounting slider 406 back and forth along the fixed guide rod 402, thereby causing the angle between the second connecting rod 404 and the first connecting rod 403 to change, so that the height of the connecting block 405 changes.

[0045] Correspondingly, combined Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the skeletal unit 3 includes a connecting rod 301. The outer surface of the connecting rod 301 at the middle position is provided with a collar structure 302, and the collar structure 302 is provided with a plurality of connecting grooves 303 arranged at equal intervals around the central axis. Each connecting groove 303 is provided with guide grooves 304 on both sides. When the connecting block 405 is raised to the correct height, the connecting block 405 will be fitted into the connecting groove 303.

[0046] In detail, the assembly process of the robotic arm skeleton, robotic arm shell, and connecting mechanism 4 in this embodiment is as follows:

[0047] In this embodiment, when the serpentine robotic arm is in operation, each outer shell segment 2 corresponds to a skeletal unit 3. At this time, the connecting mechanism 4 connected to the inner wall of the outer shell segment body 201 in each outer shell segment 2 will connect to the connecting rod of the skeletal unit 3. In order to ensure that the connection between the skeletal part of the robotic arm and the outer shell of the robotic arm is stable, three connecting mechanisms 4 are evenly distributed between each outer shell segment 2 and the skeletal unit 3. At this time, each outer shell segment 2 and the corresponding skeletal unit 3 form a connected whole. As the first drive rope 5 controls each outer shell segment 2 to make different postures, the corresponding skeletal unit 3 will also make posture movements accordingly. By controlling the postures of different outer shell segment 2, the movement control of the main body of the robotic arm can be realized.

[0048] When the serpentine robotic arm finishes its work and begins its retraction, the skeletal unit 3 of the robotic arm's skeleton will first retract a certain distance, causing the connecting block 405 of the connecting mechanism 4 to disengage from the connecting groove 303 of the skeletal unit 3. Subsequently, the robotic arm's skeleton and outer shell are controlled separately. The skeletal unit 3 of the robotic arm's skeleton retracts back into the robotic arm base 1 via the first drive mechanism. In this embodiment, to ensure stable retraction of the skeletal unit 3, a skeletal part through-hole is provided on the side wall of the robotic arm base 1, and a skeletal fixing frame extending into the robotic arm base 1 is provided along the axial direction of the skeletal part through-hole. When the robotic arm's skeleton retracts, part of the skeletal unit 3 will retract stably via the skeletal fixing frame. At the same time, the outer shell segment unit 2 in the robotic arm's outer shell is pulled by the first drive rope 5. Between adjacent outer shell segment units 2, the inner wall of the rear segment of the outer shell segment unit 2 will be sleeved onto the outer surface of the front segment of the adjacent outer shell segment unit 2, so that the adjacent outer shell segment units 2 are sleeved together, thereby shortening the axial length of the robotic arm's outer shell and realizing the retraction of the serpentine robotic arm. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, a shell slot is provided on the outer side of the bone section through hole, and a number of drive rope through holes are evenly provided on the outer side of the shell slot. A third drive mechanism is provided inside the robotic arm base 1 corresponding to each drive rope through hole. By controlling the third drive mechanism to drive the first drive rope 5 to move, the posture control of the shell segment unit 2 is realized. When the shell segment unit 2 retracts, the end of the shell segment unit 2 near the robotic arm base 1 will fit into the shell slot, so that the shell segment unit 2 can retract to the same position of the robotic arm base 1 after each retraction.

[0049] When the serpentine robotic arm unfolds, the connecting mechanism 4 connected to the foremost outer shell segment 2 indirectly drives the angle between the second connecting rod 404 and the first connecting rod 403 to decrease via the second drive rope 6, causing the connecting block 405 to rise. Subsequently, the robotic arm skeleton begins to extend. When the skeleton unit 3 at the head of the robotic arm skeleton reaches the foremost outer shell segment 2, the connecting block 405 of the connecting mechanism 4 inside the outer shell segment 2 slides and engages with the connecting groove 303 of the skeleton unit 3. In this embodiment, to ensure a stable connection between the outer shell segment 2 and the skeleton unit 3, the connecting block 405 is positioned on both sides of the connecting block 405. A guide rail access head 407 is provided. When the connecting block 405 is fitted into the connecting groove 303 of the skeleton unit 3, the guide rail access head 407 is fitted into the guide slide 304 of the connecting groove 303. At this time, the skeleton unit 3 at the first end is connected to the outer shell segment unit 2 at the front end as a whole. Then, the connecting block 405 of the connecting mechanism 4 inside the next segment of the outer shell segment unit 2 rises, and the next segment of the skeleton unit 3 extends out, so that the two fit together. This process is repeated in sequence so that all the outer shell segment units 2 are connected to the corresponding skeleton units 3, and the snake-shaped robotic arm is deployed in place. At this time, the movement of the snake-shaped robotic arm can be controlled by the first drive rope 5.

[0050] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, or alterations made by those skilled in the art using the disclosed technical content shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rope-driven serpentine robotic arm based on a retractable inner skeleton and a telescopic arm shell, characterized in that, Includes the robotic arm base and the robotic arm body. The main body of the robotic arm includes a robotic arm skeleton, a robotic arm shell, and a connecting mechanism between the two. The robotic arm skeleton includes M bone units connected end-to-end, with adjacent bone units connected by universal joints. The end of the first bone unit is connected to a working component, and the end of the last bone unit is connected to a first drive mechanism for controlling the extension or retraction of the robotic arm skeleton. The first drive mechanism is installed inside the robotic arm base. The robotic arm shell includes M shell segment units, which are fitted around the outer periphery of the robotic arm skeleton. Adjacent shell segment units can be nested together. Several first drive ropes are connected to the outer side of each shell segment unit, and the movement posture of the shell segment unit is controlled by the first drive ropes. Each shell segment unit corresponds to one bone unit, and multiple connecting mechanisms are fixedly connected to the inner wall of each shell segment unit. The connecting mechanisms enable the shell segment unit to be connected to and separated from the bone unit. The outer shell segment unit includes an outer shell segment body, which is an annular tube sleeve. A rope connecting ring is provided on the outer surface of the middle part of the outer shell segment body. A plurality of first guide grooves with equal spacing around the central axis are provided on the outer surface of the front section of the outer shell segment body. A regular polygonal through hole is provided on the inner wall of the front section of the outer shell segment body. A plurality of first guide bars with equal spacing around the central axis are provided on the inner wall of the rear section of the outer shell segment body. The first guide bars of the outer shell segment body correspond to and cooperate with the first guide grooves of the adjacent outer shell segment body. The connecting mechanism includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a connecting block, a mounting slider, and a fixed guide rod. The fixed guide rod has fixed mounting blocks connected to both ends. The fixed mounting blocks are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the front section of the outer shell body. The mounting slider is slidably connected to the fixed guide rod. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are hinged together. The connecting block is connected at the hinge position between the first and second connecting rods. The end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the fixed mounting block, and the end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the mounting slider. By moving the mounting slider along the fixed guide rod, the angle between the second connecting rod and the first connecting rod changes, causing the height of the connecting block to rise or fall. The skeletal unit includes a connecting rod. The outer surface of the middle part of the connecting rod is provided with a collar structure. The collar structure is provided with several connecting grooves that are equally spaced around the central axis. Each connecting groove is provided with guide grooves on both sides. When the connecting block is raised to the correct height, the connecting block will fit into the connecting groove.

2. The rope-driven serpentine robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each outer shell section has three rope fixing holes and several rope through holes on its rope connecting ring. The three rope fixing holes are distributed at equal angles around the center of the rope connecting ring. The rope fixing holes are used to connect and fix the first drive rope. The rope through holes are used to pass through the first drive rope to facilitate control of the front outer shell section.

3. The rope-driven serpentine robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of rope through holes P for the rope connection rings of each outer shell section is: P = 3(M-1); M refers to the number of skeletal units or shell segment units.

4. The rope-driven serpentine robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting mechanism also includes a second drive rope, which passes through the fixed mounting blocks at both ends of the fixed guide rod and is fixedly connected to the mounting slider. The end of the second drive rope is connected to a second drive mechanism, which is located inside the robot arm base. The second drive mechanism drives the second drive rope to move the mounting slider back and forth along the fixed guide rod, thereby causing the angle between the second connecting rod and the first connecting rod to change, resulting in a change in the height of the connecting block.

5. The rope-driven serpentine robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting block is provided with guide rail access heads on both sides. When the connecting block is fitted into the connecting groove of the bone unit, the guide rail access head is fitted and connected with the guide slide groove.

6. The rope-driven serpentine robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, The side wall of the robotic arm base is provided with a bone section through hole, and a bone fixation frame extending into the robotic arm base is provided along the axial direction of the bone section through hole. When the robotic arm bones retract, some bone units will retract into the bone fixation frame. A shell slot is provided at the outer periphery of the bone section through hole, and a number of drive rope through holes are evenly provided at the outer periphery of the shell slot. A third drive mechanism is provided inside the robotic arm base corresponding to each drive rope through hole. By controlling the third drive mechanism to drive the first drive rope to move, the posture control of the shell segment unit is realized.

Images