A magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of biomimetic robotics and specifically discloses a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control, comprising a peristaltic mechanism and a cargo compartment connected to the peristaltic mechanism; the peristaltic mechanism comprising a telescopic sac, a liquid reservoir, and at least two electromagnet structures; the electromagnet structure comprising a connecting tube, a coil frame, a housing, and a coil; the connecting tube being an iron connecting tube, and adjacent connecting tubes being coaxially connected by the telescopic sac; the housing and the coil frame forming a closed space; the connecting tube being located within the coil frame and coaxially arranged with the coil frame, and the coil being wound on the coil frame; the liquid reservoir being connected to the connecting tube at both the front and rear ends of the peristaltic mechanism, and the liquid reservoir being connected to the connecting tube, and the liquid reservoir being filled with magnetorheological gel. The present invention can effectively solve the problem of current worm-like robots sliding forward and backward, and the freely scalable number of peristaltic joints and the relatively independent movement of the cargo compartment significantly improve the robot's carrying capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of bionic robots, and in particular to a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity regulation. Background Art

[0002] Underground communication cables, nuclear power plants, oil transfer stations, and other important structures in cities often contain dense, winding pipelines and other confined environments. These complex environments make routine inspection and maintenance of these critical infrastructure difficult. Traditional manual inspections struggle to provide accurate and timely alerts, and are also costly. Current unmanned detection equipment, such as drones and robot dogs, struggle to adapt to these narrow and dim environments. Therefore, routine inspection and maintenance of pipelines and other climbing columns remains a major challenge for the engineering community.

[0003] Because crawling robots operate in close contact with walls, they outperform drones, robotic dogs, and other devices in confined and complex environments. Climbing robots are particularly valuable for inspection and maintenance within dense pipelines, making them an irreplaceable force. Currently, robots capable of climbing tubular objects on the market can be categorized by their attachment method: adhesion, grasping, and suction. For example, the Treebot developed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong uses an embracing and grasping method to attach to objects; the Stickybot developed by Stanford University uses adhesion; and there are also magnetic suction robots developed by Sunray Robotics. While these robots for climbing tubular and flat surfaces are relatively mature in terms of load carrying and grasping capabilities, their complex structures and drive methods make them difficult to adapt to more confined environments like dense pipelines. Furthermore, their complex actuators often require significant power, resulting in limited battery life. In order to make the robot adapt to smaller and narrow environments, researchers began to imitate the telescopic movement of worms to design crawling robots. The main driving methods are smart material driving using shape memory metals, pneumatic driving, and magnetic control driving. Among them, the first two driving methods require large driving energy and carry large driving devices, making them difficult to be suitable for practical engineering applications. In the magnetic control driving method, for example, the magnetically controlled intelligent fluid-driven worm-like robot proposed by North China University of Technology in 2021, although it has improved the practicality of the worm robot to a certain extent, its longer peristaltic joints and lower load-bearing capacity also limit its application. In addition, the current crawling robots designed to imitate the movement of worms have the problem of sliding forward and backward.

[0004] Therefore, there is currently no robot that can truly be used in narrow environments such as dense pipelines and bridge gaps. How to design a climbing robot with simpler control and strong adaptability to climbing environments has become an urgent problem to be solved in the current special robot industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control, aiming to effectively solve the problem of forward movement and backward sliding existing in current worm-like robots.

[0006] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control, comprising a peristaltic mechanism and a cargo compartment, the cargo compartment being connected to the peristaltic mechanism; the peristaltic mechanism comprising a telescopic sac, a liquid storage sac, and at least two electromagnet structures, the telescopic sac being compressed or stretched when two adjacent electromagnet structures attract or repel each other, respectively;

[0007] The electromagnet structure includes a connecting tube, a coil frame, a housing, and a coil. The connecting tube is made of iron, and two adjacent sections of the connecting tube are coaxially connected via a telescopic capsule. The housing and the coil frame form a closed space. The connecting tube is located within the coil frame and is coaxially arranged with the coil frame. The coil is wound on the coil frame.

[0008] The head end and the tail end of the peristaltic mechanism are both connected to the liquid storage sac, and the liquid storage sac is communicated with the connecting pipe. The liquid storage sac is filled with magnetorheological glue.

[0009] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0010] In this scheme, the telescopic sac and the liquid storage sac are placed between the electromagnet structures and at both ends of the peristaltic mechanism, respectively. They are used to connect the connecting tubes between adjacent electromagnet structures and to contain the flowing magnetorheological adhesive material. The magnetorheological adhesive is contained in the liquid storage sacs at the front and rear ends of the peristaltic mechanism. The electromagnet structure is divided into two parts, front and rear, according to the number of electromagnet structures. By energizing the coils of the electromagnet structure, the iron connecting tube cavity is magnetized. The magnetized connecting tube attracts the magnetorheological adhesive in the flow chamber to move in a certain direction, thereby making the weight of the front and rear electromagnet structures inconsistent, thus achieving the center of gravity offset control of the crawling robot. In combination with the center of gravity offset control of the crawling robot, the adjacent electromagnet structures arranged in series at the front and rear of the peristaltic mechanism generate opposite polarity attraction and same polarity repulsion to achieve rapid directional movement of the peristaltic mechanism.

[0011] Specifically, in the two-part electromagnet structure, when one part of the electromagnet structure is energized, the magnetic force generated is not enough to attract the other part of the electromagnet structure to move, but it attracts the magnetorheological glue in the liquid storage capsule on the other side to gather in the hollow cavity in the middle of the energized electromagnet structure, so that the electromagnet structure on this side is heavier than the other side. At this time, the electromagnet structure on the other side is passed current of the same direction and magnitude to generate opposite magnetism between adjacent electromagnet structures, and the lighter electromagnet structure is attracted over; then the power supply of the heavier electromagnet structure is disconnected, and the magnetorheological glue is attracted to the electromagnet structure on the other side again. At this time, the center of gravity of the crawling robot is displaced to the electromagnet structure on the other side, and then the electromagnet structure that has just been powered off is passed current of the same magnitude and opposite direction as the electromagnet structure on the other side. The adjacent polarities of the two parts of the electromagnet structure are the same, and the electromagnet structure on the lighter side is repelled away, and the relative position of the entire mechanism is restored to the initial state, thereby completing a movement cycle of the crawling robot.

[0012] The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot of this invention achieves movement through magnetically controlled center of gravity adjustment, enabling directional control of the robot's movement and effectively resolving the forward and backward slipping problem of existing worm-like robots. Furthermore, when used as a testing platform, the number of its peristaltic joints can be independently selected based on the actual cargo load to increase the robot's carrying capacity. The robot's movement exhibits only slight longitudinal peristalsis, maintaining a stable overall motion. This ensures more stable images transmitted by the robot's onboard image transmission equipment, minimizing interference with related testing equipment.

[0013] Furthermore, the coil frame and housing are both made of iron. With this arrangement, the magnetic force generated by the electromagnet structure magnetizes the iron housing, allowing the entire crawler robot to adhere to a steel wall, thereby enabling it to climb inclined steel walls and transition between horizontal and inclined steel surfaces.

[0014] Furthermore, the contact portion between the shell and the crawling surface is a plane. When the crawling mechanism crawls forward, the robot is not likely to roll over.

[0015] Furthermore, the housing includes side panels, end panels, and a slide rail base. The coil bobbin is H-shaped, with the housing positioned between the ends of the coil bobbin, and the end panels and slide rail base positioned at the ends of the side panels. In this embodiment, the housing and coil bobbin cooperate to form an enclosed space, thereby protecting the coil within the housing.

[0016] Furthermore, the electromagnet structure has 2n+1 sections, where n is a positive integer, and the cargo compartment is fixedly connected to a section of the electromagnet structure located in the middle. In this solution, the cargo compartment is always in the center of the entire peristaltic mechanism, and will not affect the center of gravity control of the robot when compression or stretching occurs between the electromagnet structures. When the electromagnet structure has an odd number of sections, the electromagnet structure located in the middle can play a role in gravity distribution and adjustment. When the electromagnet structure located in the middle is integrated with the electromagnet structure located in the front part or the electromagnet structure located in the rear part, the center of gravity of the electromagnet structures in the front and rear parts will be different. When the electromagnet structure located in the middle is integrated with the electromagnet structure located in the front part, the electromagnet structure located in the front part is heavier as a whole. When power is turned on, the overall magnetic force of the electromagnet structure located in the front part is greater, and it can automatically attract the electromagnet structure in the rear part to move as a whole and produce a compressed state.

[0017] On the contrary, when the electromagnet structure located in the middle is integrated with the electromagnet structure located in the rear part, the electromagnet structure located in the rear part is heavier as a whole. When powered on, the overall magnetic force of the electromagnet structure located in the rear part is greater, and it can automatically attract the electromagnet structure in the front part to move as a whole and produce a compressed state.

[0018] In this way, the central electromagnet structure in this solution effectively changes the robot's center of gravity, eliminating the need for magnetorheological adhesive to adjust the center of gravity. In practical applications, the number of electromagnet structures can be adjusted based on actual conditions to achieve automatic adjustment of the robot's center of gravity. The center of gravity can also be adjusted based on the movement of the magnetorheological adhesive, resulting in a wide range of applications. The number of electromagnet structures can be automatically adjusted based on the amount of cargo the robot needs to carry. The more cargo the robot needs to carry, the more electromagnet structures it will need.

[0019] Furthermore, the electromagnet structure has 2n sections, where n is a positive integer. The cargo compartment is axially slidably connected to two adjacent electromagnet structures located in the middle. The cargo compartment is slidably connected to the two adjacent electromagnet structures located in the middle, so that when the flexible bellows is compressed or stretched, the top cargo compartment can move accordingly, and this movement does not affect the center of gravity offset control of the entire robot.

[0020] Furthermore, the cargo bin includes a cargo bin shell, an upper slide plate is connected to the interior of the cargo bin shell, two lower sliders arranged parallel to each other are connected to the slide rail bottom plate, upper guide blocks are connected to both sides of the upper slide rail plate, and the two lower sliders can slide along the two upper guide blocks respectively; when the telescopic bag is not compressed, one end of the lower slider is against the end of the upper slide rail plate. In this solution, the cargo compartment shell is used to protect the equipment in the cargo compartment, and the cargo compartment realizes a sliding connection with the electromagnet structure through the sliding cooperation of the upper guide block and the lower slider, and because when the telescopic bag is not compressed, one end of the lower slider is against the end of the upper slide plate, so when the flexible telescopic bag of the peristaltic mechanism is not compressed, the cargo compartment cannot move; when the flexible telescopic bag of the peristaltic mechanism is compressed, the cargo compartment is in a state where it can move freely, and the maximum moving distance at this time is the compression distance of the flexible telescopic bag; therefore, the movement of the cargo compartment is only driven by the mutual repulsion of the front and rear electromagnet structures of the peristaltic mechanism, and does not participate in the center of gravity offset control of the robot, and the amount of cargo it carries is also relatively free.

[0021] Furthermore, a power supply and a wireless communication module are provided inside the cargo compartment housing and are mounted on the upper slide plate. The power supply is a DC power supply, and the output end of the power supply is connected to the two ends of the coil of the electromagnet structure to drive the electromagnet structure to move.

[0022] Furthermore, the inner wall of the hollow cavity of the connecting pipe is coated with paraffin wax, so that the magnetorheological glue is not easily attached to the inner wall of the hollow cavity of the connecting pipe.

[0023] Furthermore, both ends of the telescopic bladder and one end of the liquid storage bladder are connected to connecting sleeves, and the telescopic bladder and the liquid storage bladder are coaxially connected to the end of the connecting tube through the connecting sleeves. This arrangement facilitates the connection between the telescopic bladder, the liquid storage bladder and the connecting tube, and can ensure the coaxiality of the connection.

[0024] Furthermore, the telescopic bladder and the liquid storage bladder are both made of latex film material, which has good elastic deformability.

[0025] The robot of the present invention can adopt an electromagnet structure with more sections according to actual use requirements, and can also adopt an external power supply and place more environmental parameter collection equipment.

[0026] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0027] 1. Simple structure and small size. The worm-like crawling robot of the present invention uses magnetic control to adjust the robot's center of gravity, simplifying the robot's crawling joints. The robot's movement also requires a simple power supply system and control module. The movement basically only occurs in a plane parallel to the contact surface. The simple structure and movement posture greatly reduce the geometric space required for the robot to move in the environment.

[0028] 2. Simple and efficient movement. The worm-like crawling robot of the present invention utilizes the repulsion of like poles or attraction of opposite poles between serial electromagnet structures to achieve forward or backward movement of the robot. Because the electromagnetic effect of the electromagnet structure responds rapidly, the movement of the crawling mechanism is essentially instantaneous. Therefore, the electrical energy applied to the electromagnet structure is also essentially short-lived. Simple motion control, low energy consumption, and rapid action response greatly improve the robot's movement efficiency.

[0029] 3. Strong load-bearing capacity. The worm-like crawling robot of the present invention mainly utilizes the movement of the magnetorheological glue in the electromagnet structure to change the position of the robot's center of gravity, and then utilizes the unequal weight of the electromagnet structure and the electromagnetic effect to move forward or backward. The robot's cargo compartment is basically independent of the robot's control system through the slide rail structure: on the one hand, the independent cargo compartment structure increases the robot's cargo carrying capacity. Under the given robot's peristaltic joints and control gait, the amount of cargo carried in the cargo compartment will not affect the robot's center of gravity offset control result. On the contrary, it has a certain auxiliary effect on the center of gravity control, and the slide rail structure enables the cargo compartment to be displaced together with the electromagnet structure that is repelled away; on the other hand, the robot's carrying capacity can be enhanced by increasing the number of the robot's peristaltic joints.

[0030] 4. Strong adaptability. The worm-like crawling robot of the present invention has the following advantages: first, its simple body structure and movement posture enable the robot to explore narrow spaces; second, its crawling mechanism is driven by the electromagnetic effect of the electromagnet structure. The generated electromagnetic effect magnetizes the iron shell of the crawling mechanism, which enables the robot to crawl on inclined steel walls and has a certain ability to transition from horizontal to inclined steel walls.

[0031] 5. Stable and reliable movement. The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot of the present invention achieves movement through magnetically controlled center of gravity adjustment, which enables directional control of the robot's movement and effectively solves the problem of forward and backward slippage that currently exists in worm-like robots. Furthermore, when used as a testing platform, the crawling robot exhibits only slight longitudinal peristalsis, maintaining a stable overall motion. This ensures more stable images transmitted by the robot's onboard image transmission equipment, minimizing interference with related testing equipment.

[0032] 6. The creeping forward motion mode adopted by the crawling robot in the present invention makes the robot suitable for narrow environments, and the electromagnetic drive technology adopted makes the crawling robot have the characteristics of fast movement speed and simple control.

[0033] Because crawling robots use a creeping motion, they experience only minor longitudinal deformations during movement, occupying essentially the same three-dimensional space as the robot itself. This reduces the required space for movement. Furthermore, the electromagnetic drive technology employed offers rapid response and switching, compensating for the short distance traveled per cycle by creeping motion. This allows for impressive speeds, and motion control is simplified by simply controlling the on / off power supply and current direction of the electromagnet structure.

[0034] The robot's compact structure and simple and efficient movement mode enable it to be used for daily inspection and maintenance of infrastructure such as underground communication pipelines, oil transportation stations, and steel bridges. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, constitute a part of this application, and do not constitute a limitation of the embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a front view of an embodiment of a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 A perspective view of an embodiment of a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control of the present invention with the housing on the first electromagnet structure removed;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a top view of an embodiment of a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Cross-sectional view at CC;

[0041] Figure 6 A top view of a cargo compartment and a slide rail bottom plate in an embodiment of a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Cross-sectional view at the middle BB;

[0043] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the connecting tube, the telescopic bladder, and the liquid storage bladder in an embodiment of a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the motion gait of a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to the present invention.

[0045] Markings and corresponding parts names in the accompanying drawings:

[0046] The first liquid storage sac body 1, the first electromagnet structure 2, the telescopic sac body 3, the second electromagnet structure 4, the second liquid storage sac body 5, the cargo compartment 6, the magnetorheological adhesive 8, the connecting pipe 9, the hollow cavity 901, the coil frame 10, the end plate 11, the side plate 111, the coil 12, the telescopic sac body chamber 13, the first slide rail base plate 14, the cargo compartment shell 15, the power supply 16, the wireless communication module 17, the upper slide rail plate 18, the second slide rail base plate 19, the upper guide block 20, the lower slider 21, and the connecting sleeve 22. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with examples and drawings. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0048] like Figures 1-8 As shown, this embodiment provides a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control, comprising a peristaltic mechanism and a cargo compartment, wherein the cargo compartment is connected to the peristaltic mechanism; the peristaltic mechanism comprises a telescopic capsule 3, a liquid storage capsule, and at least two electromagnet structures, wherein the telescopic capsule 3 is compressed or stretched when two adjacent electromagnet structures attract or repel each other, respectively;

[0049] Combine Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the electromagnet structure includes a connecting tube 9, a coil frame 10, a shell and a coil 12. The connecting tube 9 is an iron connecting tube 9. In this embodiment, the interior of the telescopic capsule 3 is hollow to form a telescopic capsule chamber 13. The two adjacent connecting tubes 9 are coaxially connected through the telescopic capsule 3; the shell and the coil frame 10 form a closed space, the connecting tube 9 is located in the coil frame 10 and is coaxially arranged with the coil frame 10, and the coil 12 is fixedly wound on the coil frame 10. The coil 12 is a copper coil 12, and the copper coils 12 of the two electromagnet structures are wound in the same direction.

[0050] The peristaltic mechanism's front and rear ends are connected to the aforementioned reservoirs, namely the first reservoir 1 and the second reservoir 5, respectively. The reservoirs are connected to a connecting tube 9, and both contain magnetorheological gel 8. The peristaltic mechanism's front and rear electromagnets generate magnetic force to attract the magnetorheological gel 8 within the reservoirs for directional movement.

[0051] In this embodiment, the electromagnet structure has 2n sections, where n is a positive integer. That is, when the number of electromagnet structures is even, the cargo compartment is axially slidably connected to the two adjacent electromagnet structures located in the middle. In practice, a multi-section electromagnet structure can be employed based on actual needs. For example, when the structure has four sections, the cargo compartment is axially slidably connected to the second and third sections. When the structure has six sections, the cargo compartment is axially slidably connected to the third and fourth sections. The robot can select an appropriate number of electromagnet structures based on the actual amount of cargo to be carried.

[0052] The electromagnet structure in this embodiment is described using a two-section configuration as an example. The two sections comprise a first electromagnet structure 2 and a second electromagnet structure 4. These structures are coaxially arranged longitudinally in series, with a connecting tube 9 positioned between them. The inner wall of the hollow cavity 901 of the connecting tube 9 is coated with paraffin, which prevents the magnetorheological adhesive 8 from adhering to the inner wall of the cavity. The peristaltic mechanism's motion is primarily achieved through the attraction of opposite charges or repulsion of like charges between adjacent sections of the electromagnet structure.

[0053] In this embodiment, the coil frame 10 and the shell are both made of iron material. The contact surface of the iron shell and the climbing object is parallel to each other, which can prevent the mechanism from tipping over when climbing. In addition, by utilizing the electromagnetic effect of the electromagnet structure, the iron shell can be adsorbed on the inclined steel climbing wall.

[0054] Combine Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the shell of the electromagnet structure includes a side plate 111, an end plate 11 and a slide rail bottom plate, combined with Figure 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 4 As shown, the coil frame 10 is H-shaped, and the two ends of the coil frame 10 are flat plate structures. The shell is located between the two ends of the coil frame 10, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, each shell is provided with two side panels 111, and the end panel 11 and the slide rail bottom panel are respectively located at the upper and lower ends of the side panel 111, and the end panel 11 and the slide rail bottom panel are located between the two side panels 111. In this embodiment, the two side panels 111 and the end panel 11 are integrally formed, and the slide rail bottom panel and the two side walls and the end of the coil frame 10 can be detachably fixed by means of clamping, bolting, etc., so that the parts inside the shell can be inspected and repaired by opening the slide rail bottom panel.

[0055] In this embodiment, the two side plates 111 are arc-shaped plates, and the end plate 11 and the slide rail bottom plate are both flat plates. In this embodiment, the end plate 11 needs to contact the crawling surface, so the end plate 11 is set to a flat plate structure, so that a planar contact design is formed between the contact surface of the electromagnet structure and the climbing object, so that the peristaltic mechanism can peristalt and crawl smoothly, and is easily adsorbed on the steel wall when powered.

[0056] In this embodiment, both the telescopic bladder 3 and the liquid reservoir are made of a highly elastic latex film material. Both are coated with a super-hydrophobic coating. The telescopic bladder 3 is a spherical film with open ends and a hollow center. It connects the two electromagnet structures, providing a flow path for the magnetorheological gel 8. When the two electromagnets attract or repel each other, the membrane compresses or stretches. The liquid reservoir, a spherical film with an open end and a hollow center, is used to increase the storage capacity of the magnetorheological gel 8 within the crawling robot.

[0057] Combine Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, both ends of the telescopic bladder 3 and one end of the liquid storage bladder are bonded and fixedly connected with a connecting sleeve 22, and the telescopic bladder 3 and the liquid storage bladder are coaxially sleeved on the end of the connecting tube 9 through the connecting sleeve 22.

[0058] The flexible liquid storage sacs are located at the front and rear ends of the robot, and the two liquid storage sacs are bonded to the ends of the protruding connecting tubes 9 in the middle of the peristaltic mechanism at both ends through the connecting sleeves 22. The telescopic sac 3 is used to connect the protruding connecting tubes 9 adjacent to the left and right electromagnet structures. That is, the connecting sleeves 22 at both ends of the telescopic sac 3 are bonded and fixed to the ends of the two adjacent connecting tubes 9 on the left and right. Figure 5 As shown, the ends of the connecting tube 9 extend out of the left and right ends of the coil frame 10, which facilitates connection with the liquid storage bag body and the telescopic bag body 3.

[0059] Combine Figure 5 As shown, the reservoirs at each end contain an appropriate amount of magnetorheological gel 8. The reservoirs, telescoping bladder 3, and connecting tube 9 together form a flow chamber for the magnetorheological gel 8. By energizing the copper coil 12 of the electromagnet structure, the iron connecting tube 9 is magnetized. The magnetized connecting tube 9 attracts the magnetorheological gel 8 in the flow chamber, causing it to move in a directional manner. This creates an imbalance in the weight of the two electromagnet structures, enabling the crawler robot to control its center of gravity.

[0060] In this embodiment, the magnetorheological adhesive 8 has strong viscosity, a long service life, and can move rapidly under the attraction of a magnetic field. The magnetorheological adhesive 8 is prepared by mixing castor oil, silicone oil, magnetic conductive particles, and carbon microspheres in a certain proportion. The addition of non-magnetic carbon microspheres makes the magnetorheological adhesive 8 more viscous, reduces the problem of magnetic conductive particle sedimentation, and increases the service life of the magnetorheological adhesive 8. Its viscosity is stronger than that of magnetorheological fluid materials, and the oily fluid is less likely to cause oxidation and corrosion of the iron materials used. Furthermore, under the polarization of the magnetic field, the agglomeration effect of the magnetorheological adhesive 8 material contributes to its rapid movement.

[0061] Combine Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the cargo compartment includes a cargo compartment housing 15, to which an upper slide plate 18 is internally connected. A power supply 16 and a wireless communication module 17 are provided within the cargo compartment housing 15, and the power supply 16 and the wireless communication module 17 are mounted and fixed to the upper slide plate 18. The cargo compartment housing 15 is made of plastic and is used to protect the equipment within the cargo compartment 6. The upper slide plate 18 is used to cooperate with the slide base plate above the electromagnet structure to form a slide structure connecting the cargo compartment 6 and the peristaltic mechanism. The power supply 16 is a DC power supply 16, and the output of the power supply 16 is connected to both ends of the coil 12 of the electromagnet structure to drive the electromagnet.

[0062] In this embodiment, the cargo compartment is axially slidably connected to two adjacent electromagnet structures. Specifically, the cargo compartment slidably engages with the slide rail bases of the two adjacent electromagnet structures, with the sliding direction parallel to the axial direction of the electromagnet structures. In this embodiment, the two slide rail bases are a first slide rail base 14 and a second slide rail base 19. Connected to the top of each slide rail base are two parallel lower sliders 21, which are integrally formed with the slide rail bases.

[0063] The bottom of the upper slide plate 18 and on both sides thereof ( Figure 7 The left and right sides of the viewing angle are connected with an upper guide block 20, which is integrally formed with the upper slide plate 18. The two lower sliders 21 fit with the upper guide block 20 on the slide rail base plate. The two lower sliders 21 can slide along the two upper guide blocks 20 respectively. The upper guide block 20 and the slide rail base plate form a slide rail structure, which can guide the sliding of the two lower sliders 21.

[0064] Combine Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the cargo compartment housing 15 is a closed structure. In this embodiment, the left and right sides of the upper slide plate 18 ( Figure 5perspective) is also a closed end; when the telescopic bag 3 is not compressed, one end of the lower slider 21 is against the end of the upper slide plate, which can limit the cargo compartment. When the telescopic bag 3 in the middle of the peristaltic mechanism is not compressed, the cargo compartment 6 is respectively against the end of the lower slider 21 located on the first slide rail bottom plate 14 and the second slide rail bottom plate 19 and cannot move.

[0065] The specific implementation process is as follows: the power supply 16 carried by the cargo compartment 6 is used to apply a certain amount of direct current to the electromagnet structure, so that the electromagnet structure attracts the magnetorheological glue 8 inside the peristaltic mechanism to move to achieve center of gravity offset control, and then by applying the same or opposite current to the two sections of the electromagnet structure, the adjacent parts of the electromagnet generate opposite or same magnetic properties, so that the lighter electromagnet structure is attracted or repelled, thereby realizing the peristaltic movement of the robot's peristaltic mechanism.

[0066] See Figure 9 As shown in the figure, the motion gait of a magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity adjustment of the present invention is specifically as follows: when no control is given to the robot, the flexible telescopic capsule 3 is in a stretched state, and the magnetorheological glue 8 is evenly stored in the liquid storage capsules at both ends of the peristaltic mechanism; taking the movement to the left as an example, firstly, an appropriate direct current is passed through the left electromagnet structure, and the magnetic force generated is not enough to attract the right electromagnet structure to move, but it will attract the magnetorheological glue 8 in the right flexible liquid storage capsule to flow to the left electromagnet structure. At this time, the center of gravity of the robot is offset to the left electromagnet structure; then, a current of the same magnitude and direction as that of the left electromagnet structure is applied to the right electromagnet structure, and at this time, the two sections of the peristaltic mechanism are connected. The adjacent magnets generate opposite magnetism, attracting the lighter right electromagnet structure to the left. The power to the left electromagnet structure is then disconnected, and the magnetorheological adhesive 8 at the left electromagnet junction is attracted to the right by the magnetic force generated by the right electromagnet structure. The crawler robot's center of gravity is now shifted to the right electromagnet structure. A direct current is then passed through the left electromagnet coil 12, in the opposite direction to that of the right electromagnet structure, but with the same magnitude. The adjacent magnetism of the two electromagnet structures is now identical, and the lighter left electromagnet structure drives the cargo compartment 6 away, returning the relative position of the entire mechanism to its initial state, thus completing one cycle of the worm-like crawler robot. The same principle applies to rightward movement, which will not be elaborated on here.

[0067] In this embodiment, the cargo compartment is connected to the peristaltic mechanism below the robot through a slide rail structure. When the flexible telescopic bag of the peristaltic mechanism below is not compressed, the cargo compartment cannot move due to the restriction of the lower slider; when the flexible telescopic bag is compressed, the electromagnet structure drives the lower sliders on the first slide rail bottom plate and the second slide rail bottom plate to approach each other. At this time, a gap is generated between the cargo compartment shell 15 and the end of the lower slider, so the cargo compartment can be driven by the electromagnet structures on both sides to move. When the polarity of the two adjacent electromagnet structures is the same, the lighter electromagnet structure will drive the lower slider to push the cargo compartment to reset. The cargo compartment will not affect the overall center of gravity movement control of the robot, but will assist in the center of gravity movement control of the robot.

[0068] If the number of electromagnet structures is an even number greater than two sections, the multi-section electromagnet structure will be divided into two parts, front and back, to form a front electromagnet structure and a rear electromagnet structure. For example, when the electromagnet structure has four sections, the front two sections of the electromagnet structure form a whole, and the rear two sections of the electromagnet structure form a whole. When in use, the electromagnet structures located in the front two sections and the electromagnet structures located in the rear two sections are respectively fed with currents of the same direction and the same magnitude at the same time.

[0069] Specifically: by applying the same or opposite current to the two electromagnet structures located in the front part and the two electromagnet structures located in the rear part respectively, the adjacent parts of the electromagnet structure located in the front part and the electromagnet structure located in the rear part generate opposite or same magnetic properties, so that the lighter electromagnet structure in the front part or the rear part is attracted or repelled, thereby realizing the creeping forward movement of the robot's creeping mechanism.

[0070] In another embodiment, the electromagnet structure has 2n+1 sections, where n is a positive integer. That is, when the number of electromagnet structures is odd, the cargo compartment is fixedly connected to an electromagnet structure located in the middle. For example, when the electromagnet structure has three sections, the cargo compartment as a whole is fixed to the top of the outer shell of the second electromagnet structure by fasteners (such as screws); when the electromagnet structure has five sections, the cargo compartment as a whole is fixed to the top of the outer shell of the third electromagnet structure by fasteners.

[0071] When the number of electromagnet structures in this embodiment is odd, for example, when the electromagnet structure has five sections, the third electromagnet structure located in the middle serves as a structure for gravity distribution, and can form a whole with the two electromagnet structures located in the front. At this time, the weight of the three electromagnet structures located in the front part is greater than the weight of the two electromagnet structures located in the rear part. When the same or reverse current is passed through the electromagnets in the front and rear parts, the electromagnet structure located in the front part has greater gravity and stronger magnetism, so that the two electromagnet structures with lighter weight and located in the rear part are attracted or repelled as a whole.

[0072] The third electromagnet structure located in the middle can also form a whole with the two electromagnet structures located at the back. At this time, the weight of the three electromagnet structures located at the back is greater than the weight of the two electromagnet structures located at the front. When the same or reverse current is passed through the electromagnets in the front and back, the electromagnet structure in the back has greater gravity and stronger magnetism, which can attract or repel the two electromagnet structures in the front that are lighter in weight.

[0073] In this embodiment, when the number of electromagnet structures is odd, the electromagnet structure located in the middle can play a role in changing the center of gravity of the robot without the need to move the magnetorheological adhesive.

[0074] The specific implementation methods described above further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention in detail. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific implementation method of the present invention and is 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 in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control, characterized in that: The invention comprises a peristaltic mechanism and a cargo compartment, wherein the cargo compartment is connected to the peristaltic mechanism; the peristaltic mechanism comprises a telescopic sac, a liquid storage sac, and at least two electromagnet structures, wherein the telescopic sac is compressed or stretched when two adjacent electromagnet structures attract or repel each other. The electromagnet structure includes a connecting tube, a coil frame, a housing, and a coil. The connecting tube is made of iron, and two adjacent sections of the connecting tube are coaxially connected via a telescopic capsule. The housing and the coil frame form a closed space. The connecting tube is located within the coil frame and is coaxially arranged with the coil frame. The coil is wound on the coil frame. The head end and the tail end of the peristaltic mechanism are both connected to the liquid storage sac, and the liquid storage sac is communicated with the connecting pipe. The liquid storage sac is filled with magnetorheological glue.

2. The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coil frame and the shell are both made of iron material.

3. A magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The contact portion between the shell and the crawling surface is a plane.

4. The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shell includes side plates, end plates and a slide rail bottom plate. The coil frame is H-shaped. The shell is located between the two ends of the coil frame. The end plates and the slide rail bottom plate are respectively located at the two ends of the side plates.

5. The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnet structure has 2n+1 sections, where n is a positive integer, and the cargo compartment is fixedly connected to the electromagnet structure section located in the middle.

6. The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnet structure has 2n sections, where n is a positive integer. The cargo compartment is axially slidably connected to two adjacent electromagnet structures located in the middle.

7. The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cargo bin includes a cargo bin shell, an upper slide plate is connected to the interior of the cargo bin shell, two lower sliders arranged parallel to each other are connected to the slide rail bottom plate, upper guide blocks are connected to both sides of the upper slide rail plate, and the two lower sliders can slide along the two upper guide blocks respectively; when the telescopic bag is not compressed, one end of the lower slider is against the end of the upper slide rail plate.

8. The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the hollow cavity of the connecting pipe is coated with paraffin.

9. The magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of the telescopic sac and one end of the liquid storage sac are connected with connecting sleeves, and the telescopic sac and the liquid storage sac are coaxially sleeved on the end of the connecting pipe through the connecting sleeves.

10. A magnetically driven worm-like crawling robot based on center of gravity control according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 4-9, characterized in that: The telescopic sac body and the liquid storage sac body are both made of latex film material.

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