Robot, soft tail, control method, device and storage medium of robot

Abstract

The application discloses a robot, a soft tail, a control method and device of the robot and a storage medium, and belongs to the technical field of robots. The robot comprises a robot body (1) and a soft tail (2). The soft tail (2) comprises n soft actuators (3) arranged in parallel in an axial direction, end plates for fixing the soft actuators and a spine connecting rod (4). The soft tail (2) is connected to a tail of the robot body (1) through a first end plate (5). A first end of the soft actuator (3) is connected to the first end plate (5), and a second end of the soft actuator (3) is connected to a second end plate (6). A first end of the spine connecting rod (4) is connected to the first end plate (5), and a second end of the spine connecting rod (4) is connected to the second end plate (6). N is a positive integer. The application provides assistance for the robot through the soft tail, so that the robot can stably and balancedly move in a complex environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a robot, a soft tail, a robot control method, a device, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of artificial intelligence technology, some organizations and research institutions have successively launched a number of robots that can achieve automatic walking, such as bipedal robots and quadrupedal robots.

[0003] Current research on robots mostly focuses on the design of the robot's body structure, relying on the movement of the robot's mechanical legs to regulate the robot's movement and balance.

[0004] How robots can move stably and in a balanced manner in complex environments is a critical technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a robot, a soft tail, a robot control method, a device, and a storage medium, enabling the robot to maintain stability and balance in complex environments. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] According to one aspect of this application, a robot is provided, the robot including a robot body and a soft tail, the soft tail including n soft actuators arranged in parallel along the axis, an end plate for fixing the soft actuators and a spinal link, the end plate including a first end plate and a second end plate;

[0007] The soft tail is connected to the tail of the robot body via the first end plate, the first end of the soft actuator is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the soft actuator is connected to the second end plate.

[0008] The first end of the spinal link is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the spinal link is connected to the second end plate, where n is a positive integer.

[0009] According to one aspect of this application, a method for controlling a robot is provided, the robot comprising a robot body and a soft tail, the soft tail comprising n soft actuators arranged in parallel along an axial direction, the method comprising:

[0010] Obtain the motion state of the robot;

[0011] Based on the robot's motion state, the n soft actuators in the soft tail are controlled to deform so that the robot maintains balance in the motion state. The robot is as described above, and n is a positive integer.

[0012] According to one aspect of this application, a robot control device is provided, the device comprising:

[0013] The acquisition module is used to acquire the motion state of the robot;

[0014] A control module is used to control the deformation of the n soft actuators in the soft tail based on the motion state of the robot, so that the robot maintains balance in the motion state. The robot is the robot described above, and n is a positive integer.

[0015] According to another aspect of this application, a soft tail is provided, the soft tail including n soft actuators arranged in parallel along the axis, end plates for fixing the soft actuators and a spinal linkage, the end plates including a first end plate and a second end plate;

[0016] The first end of the software driver is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the software driver is connected to the second end plate;

[0017] The first end of the spinal link is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the spinal link is connected to the second end plate, where n is a positive integer.

[0018] According to another aspect of this application, a computer storage medium is provided, wherein at least one computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and the at least one computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the robot control method as described above.

[0019] According to another aspect of this application, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program stored in a computer-readable storage medium; the computer program is read from and executed by a processor of a computer device from the computer-readable storage medium, causing the computer device to perform the robot control method described above.

[0020] According to another aspect of this application, a chip is provided, the chip including programmable logic circuitry or a program, and a device on which the chip is mounted is used to implement the robot control method described above.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include at least the following:

[0022] By adding a soft tail to the robot, the soft tail is connected to the tail of the robot body via a first end plate. The first end of the soft actuator is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the soft actuator is connected to the second end plate. The first end of the spinal link is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the spinal link is connected to the second end plate. The robot in this application is connected to a soft tail with soft actuators. By connecting the soft tail, the robot's movement and balance are assisted, enabling the robot to move stably and in a balanced manner in complex environments, thus improving the stability of the robot's movement in complex environments and its demonstration effect. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot body provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a software tail provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the spinal linkage in a soft tail provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a software tail provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a joint segment in a software tail provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the drive of joint segments in a software tail provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a diagram of a robot control framework provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a robot control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 10This is a flowchart of a robot control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a mathematical model of a software tail provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 12 This is a test diagram of the stiffness coefficient of a software driver provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 13 This is a block diagram of a robot control device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] This application provides a robot, such as Figure 1 Figure (a) shows a schematic diagram of the robot's structure. The robot includes: a robot body 1 and a soft tail 2. The soft tail 2 includes n soft actuators 3 arranged in parallel along the axis, end plates for fixing the soft actuators, and a spinal link 4. The end plates include a first end plate 5 and a second end plate 6.

[0040] The soft tail 2 is connected to the tail of the robot body 1 via the first end plate 5. The first end of the soft actuator 3 is connected to the first end plate 5, and the second end of the soft actuator 3 is connected to the second end plate 6. The first end of the spinal link 4 is connected to the first end plate 5, and the second end of the spinal link 4 is connected to the second end plate 6.

[0041] For example, such as Figure 1 Figure (b) shows a schematic diagram of the software tail 2. The software tail 2 includes a first drive segment 7 and a second drive segment 8 that are driven independently. The end plate also includes a shared end plate 9 between segments. The first drive segment 7 and the second drive segment 8 are connected through the shared end plate 9 between segments.

[0042] It is understandable that the second drive segment 8 here is not limited to a single drive segment, that is, the software tail 2 is not limited to two independent drive segments.

[0043] The soft driver 3 refers to a driver that can freely deform. The shape of the soft driver 3 can be at least one of corrugated or origami-style, but is not limited thereto. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0044] Optionally, the soft tail 2 includes a first flexible tube 11 and a second flexible tube 12; the first flexible tube 11 is connected to the drive input terminal of the soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 through the first end plate 5; the second flexible tube 12 is connected to the drive input terminal of the soft driver 3 in the second drive segment 8 after passing through the first end plate 5 and the second end plate 6.

[0045] For example, the end plate also includes a joint common end plate 10; the first drive segment 7 and / or the second drive segment 8 include at least two joint segments in the axial direction, and adjacent joint segments are connected by the joint common end plate 10.

[0046] The same joint segment includes n parallel segment drivers, and the n segment drivers belong to n software drivers 3 respectively.

[0047] The segmented drivers are cascaded between adjacent joint segments belonging to the same software driver 3 in the same drive segment.

[0048] Inter-segment shared end plate 9 refers to the connection end plate between different drive segments. For example, the first drive segment 7 and the second drive segment 8 are connected by sharing the inter-segment shared end plate 9.

[0049] The joint common end plate 10 refers to the connecting end plate of different joint segments in the same drive segment. For example, adjacent joint segments are connected through the joint common end plate 10.

[0050] Segmented driver cascading refers to the interconnection between segmented drivers belonging to the same software driver 3 within the same driver segment, that is, they can achieve common driving through the same driver source.

[0051] Taking the soft actuator 3 as a pneumatic soft actuator as an example, the soft actuator 3 in the first drive section 7 is fed with gas through the first hose 111, thereby controlling the soft actuator 3 in the first drive section 7 to deform; the soft actuator 3 in the second drive section 8 is fed with gas through the second hose 12, thereby controlling the soft actuator 3 in the second drive section 8 to deform.

[0052] The joint common end plate 10 in the same drive segment is provided with n through holes 13; the first end of the i-th segment driver in the same joint segment is connected to the first joint common end plate through the i-th through hole on the first joint common end plate, and the second end of the i-th segment driver is connected to the second joint common end plate through the i-th through hole on the second joint common end plate, where i is a positive integer less than or equal to n.

[0053] Optionally, the software driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 is connected to the through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10 via a solid-liquid connection, a solid-solid connection, or a liquid-liquid connection. For example, the solid-liquid connection can be achieved by adhesive bonding; the solid-solid connection can be achieved by clamping; and the liquid-liquid connection can be achieved by welding. However, these methods are not limited to these methods, and the embodiments of this application do not impose specific limitations on them.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the n soft drivers 3 are n integral drivers, and the through holes 13 serve to fix the soft drivers 3. The first end of the i-th soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 is connected to the first end plate 5, and the second end of the i-th soft driver 3 is connected to the first side of the inter-segment common end plate 9. The i-th soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 passes through the i-th through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10, and the i-th soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 is connected to the i-th through hole 13.

[0055] The first end of the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 is connected to the second end plate 6, the second end of the j-th soft actuator 3 is connected to the second side of the inter-segment common end plate 9, the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 passes through the j-th through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10, and the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 is connected to the j-th through hole 13, where i and j are positive integers less than or equal to n.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the soft tail 2 further includes at least two inertial measurement units and 2n pressure sensors; the first inertial measurement unit is disposed on the inter-segment common end plate 9, and the second inertial measurement unit is disposed on the second end plate 6. The first inertial measurement unit is used to measure the pose angle of the first drive segment 7, and the second inertial measurement unit is used to measure the pose angle of the second drive segment 8.

[0057] Pressure sensors are respectively installed at the drive input terminals of n software drivers 3 in the first drive segment 7 and the drive input terminals of n software drivers 3 in the second drive segment 8.

[0058] The inertial measurement unit is used to measure the pose angle of the soft tail 2.

[0059] The pressure sensor is used to measure the pressure value in the software driver 3.

[0060] Optionally, the driving source of the software driver 3 is at least one of pneumatic drive and hydraulic drive.

[0061] In one possible implementation, the soft tail 2 further includes an end effector; the end effector is disposed on the second end plate 6 at the tail of the soft tail 2.

[0062] An end effector is an actuator that can perform a primary function, such as grasping.

[0063] In summary, the robot provided in this embodiment, by adding a soft tail to the robot, is connected to the tail of the robot body via a first end plate. The first end of the soft actuator is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the soft actuator is connected to the second end plate. The first end of the spinal linkage is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the spinal linkage is connected to the second end plate. The robot in this application is connected to a soft tail with soft actuators. This connection provides assistance for the robot's movement and balance, enabling the robot to move stably and balanced in complex environments, thus improving the stability and demonstration effect of the robot's movement in complex environments.

[0064] It should be understood that, for ease of understanding, the robot in the figures of this application is illustrated using a quadruped robot as an example, but is not limited to quadruped robots. For example, the robot can be at least one of bipedal robots, hexapedal robots, and octagonal robots.

[0065] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a robot body provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. The robot body 1 includes a base portion 110, front legs 120, and rear legs 130, with the base portion 110 connected to the front legs 120 and rear legs 130. Optionally, the front legs 120 and rear legs 130 may be the same or different. The front legs 120 are divided into a left front leg and a right front leg, which may be the same or different; the rear legs 130 are divided into a left hind leg and a right hind leg, which may be the same or different.

[0066] The embodiments of this application are illustrated by taking the example that the front leg 120 and the rear leg 130 are the same, the left front leg and the right front leg of the front leg 120 are the same, and the left rear leg and the right rear leg of the rear leg 130 are the same, but this does not mean that the leg structure of the robot is limited.

[0067] The front leg portion 120 includes a first left leg link 1201, a second left leg link 1202, a first right leg link 1203, and a second right leg link 1204; the rear leg portion 130 includes a third left leg link 1301, a fourth left leg link 1302, a third right leg link 1303, and a fourth right leg link 1304. The first end of the first left leg link 1201 is connected to the base portion 110, and the second end of the first left leg link 1201 is connected to the first end of the second left leg link 1202 to form a first left leg rotation joint; the first end of the first right leg link 1203 is connected to the base portion 110, and the second end of the first right leg link 1203 is connected to the first end of the second right leg link 1204 to form a first right leg rotation joint. The first end of the third left leg link 1301 is connected to the base portion 110, and the second end of the third left leg link 1301 is connected to the first end of the fourth left leg link 1302 to form a second left leg rotating joint; the first end of the third right leg link 1303 is connected to the base portion 110, and the second end of the third right leg link 1303 is connected to the first end of the fourth right leg link 1304 to form a second right leg rotating joint.

[0068] The front leg 120 and the rear leg 130 have a plurality of joints, with the front leg 120 having at least one joint and the rear leg 130 having at least one joint. In some embodiments, the front leg 120 has a first hip joint 1205 and a first knee joint 1206, and the rear leg 130 has a second hip joint 1305 and a second knee joint 1306.

[0069] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a software tail provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown.

[0070] The soft tail 2 includes n soft actuators 3 arranged axially side by side, end plates for fixing the soft actuators, and a spinal link 4. The end plates include a first end plate 5 and a second end plate 6. The soft tail 2 includes independently driven first drive segments 7 and second drive segments 8, which are connected by a shared inter-segment end plate 9. The first end of the spinal link 4 is connected to the first end plate 5, and the second end of the spinal link 4 is connected to the second end plate 6.

[0071] The end plate also includes a joint common end plate 10; the first drive segment 7 and / or the second drive segment 8 include at least two joint segments in the axial direction, and adjacent joint segments are connected by the joint common end plate 10.

[0072] The same joint segment includes n segment drivers arranged in parallel, and the n segment drivers belong to n software drivers 3 respectively.

[0073] The segmented drivers are cascaded between adjacent joint segments belonging to the same software driver 3 in the same drive segment.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the software driver 3 in the same drive segment is a whole, and the software driver 3 passes through the through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10 and is connected to the joint common end plate 10 through the through hole 13.

[0075] For example, the n soft drivers 3 are n integral drivers, and the through holes 13 serve to fix the soft drivers 3. The first end of the i-th soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 is connected to the first end plate 5, and the second end of the i-th soft driver 3 is connected to the first side of the inter-segment common end plate 9. The i-th soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 passes through the i-th through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10, and the i-th soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 is connected to the i-th through hole 13.

[0076] The first end of the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 is connected to the second end plate 6, the second end of the j-th soft actuator 3 is connected to the second side of the inter-segment common end plate 9, the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 passes through the j-th through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10, and the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 is connected to the j-th through hole 13, where i and j are positive integers less than or equal to n.

[0077] Optionally, the software driver 3 in the same drive segment is segmented, and the same drive segment includes at least two joint segments. The same joint segment includes n segment drivers, and the n segment drivers are respectively connected to the through hole 13 of the joint common end plate 10 by adhesive bonding.

[0078] For example, the soft tail 2 includes a first hose 11 and a second hose 12; the first hose 11 is connected to the drive input terminal of the soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 through the first end plate 5; the second hose 12 is connected to the drive input terminal of the soft driver 3 in the second drive segment 8 after passing through the first end plate 5 and the second end plate 6.

[0079] Inter-segment shared end plate 9 refers to the connection end plate between different drive segments. For example, the first drive segment 7 and the second drive segment 8 are connected by sharing the inter-segment shared end plate 9.

[0080] The joint common end plate 10 refers to the connecting end plate of different joint segments in the same drive segment. For example, adjacent joint segments are connected through the joint common end plate 10.

[0081] Segmented driver cascading refers to the interconnection between segmented drivers belonging to the same software driver 3 within the same driver segment, that is, they can achieve common driving through the same driver source.

[0082] Taking the soft actuator 3 as a pneumatic soft actuator as an example, the soft actuator 3 in the first drive section 7 is fed with gas through the first hose 11, thereby controlling the soft actuator 3 in the first drive section 7 to deform; the soft actuator 3 in the second drive section 8 is fed with gas through the second hose 12, thereby controlling the soft actuator 3 in the second drive section 8 to deform.

[0083] The joint common end plate 10 in the same drive segment is provided with n through holes 13; the first end of the i-th segment driver in the same joint segment is connected to the first joint common end plate through the i-th through hole on the first joint common end plate, and the second end of the i-th segment driver is connected to the second joint common end plate through the i-th through hole on the second joint common end plate, where i is a positive integer less than or equal to n.

[0084] Optionally, the software driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 is connected to the through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10 by adhesive bonding.

[0085] For example, the spinal link 4 includes an intermediate link 17 and a connecting piece 16; the connecting piece 16 is connected to the intermediate link 17 at a first interval; the first end of the spinal link 4 is connected to the first end plate 5 through the connecting piece 16, the second end of the spinal link 4 is connected to the second end plate 6 through the connecting piece 16, and the end plates of the fixed software driver 3 are respectively connected to the connecting pieces 16 on the intermediate link 17.

[0086] For example, such as Figure 4 The diagram shows the structure of the spinal link in the soft tail. The spinal link 4 includes an intermediate rod 17 and a connecting piece 16: the connecting piece 16 is connected to the intermediate rod 17 at a first interval; the first end of the spinal link 4 is connected to the first end plate 5 through the connecting piece 16, the second end of the spinal link 4 is connected to the second end plate 6 through the connecting piece 16, and the end plates of the fixed soft actuator 3 are respectively connected to the connecting pieces 16 on the intermediate rod 17.

[0087] The first interval refers to the length of the soft actuator 3 (also known as the segmented actuator) between the two joints; or, the first interval refers to the length of the joint segment; or, the first interval refers to the pre-set deformation interval, by changing the size of the first interval, the soft actuator 3 between the two joints is pre-deformed.

[0088] Optionally, the connecting piece 16 is connected to the intermediate rod 17 by adhesive bonding at the first interval; the connecting piece 16 on the spinal link 4 is connected to the first end plate 5 by screws 15, the connecting piece 16 on the spinal link 4 is connected to the second end plate 6 by screws 15, and the end plate of the fixed software driver 3 is connected to the connecting piece 16 on the intermediate rod 17 by screws 15.

[0089] Optionally, the intermediate rod 17 is made of a material that is both elastic and rigid, in order to control the inherent stiffness of the soft tail.

[0090] For example, the first drive segment 7 is connected to the tail of the robot body 1 through the first end plate 5, and the diameter of the end plate that fixes the software driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 is reduced proportionally; the diameter of the end plate that fixes the software driver 3 in the second drive segment 4 is equal or reduced proportionally.

[0091] For example, such as Figure 5 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the soft tail. The first flexible tube 11 is connected to the drive input terminal of the soft driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 through the first end plate 5; the second flexible tube 12 passes through the first end plate 5 and the second end plate 6, and is connected to the drive input terminal of the soft driver 3 in the second drive segment 8.

[0092] Taking the soft actuator 3 as a hydraulic soft actuator as an example, the soft actuator 3 in the first drive section 7 is fed with liquid through the first hose 11, thereby controlling the soft actuator 3 in the first drive section 7 to deform; the soft actuator 3 in the second drive section 8 is fed with liquid through the second hose 12, thereby controlling the soft actuator 3 in the second drive section 8 to deform.

[0093] The diameter of the end plate of the fixed software driver 3 in the first drive segment 7 is reduced proportionally; for example, if the diameter of the first end plate 5 in the first drive segment 7 is D, then the diameter of the joint common end plate 10 closest to the first end plate 5 in the first drive segment 7 is 0.9*D.

[0094] In one possible implementation, the soft tail 2 further includes at least two inertial measurement units and 2n pressure sensors; the first inertial measurement unit is disposed on the inter-segment common end plate 9, and the second inertial measurement unit is disposed on the second end plate 6. The first and second inertial measurement units are used to measure the pose angles of the first drive segment 7 and the second drive segment 8, respectively. The pressure sensors are respectively disposed at the drive input terminals of the n soft drivers 3 in the first drive segment 7 and the n soft drivers 3 in the second drive segment 8.

[0095] The inertial measurement unit is used to measure the pose angle of the soft tail 2.

[0096] The pressure sensor is used to measure the pressure value in the software driver 3.

[0097] For example, the soft tail 2 includes five soft actuators 3 arranged in parallel along the axis. The five soft actuators include a first drive segment 7 and a second drive segment 8 that are driven independently along the axis. Then, the number of inertial measurement units is 2 and the number of pressure sensors is 10. The two inertial measurement units are respectively placed on the end plates of the tail of the first drive segment 7 and the tail of the second drive segment 8. The ten pressure sensors are respectively placed on the five soft actuators 3 in the first drive segment 7 and the five soft actuators 3 in the second drive segment 8.

[0098] Optionally, the driving source of the software driver 3 is at least one of pneumatic drive and hydraulic drive.

[0099] In one possible implementation, the soft tail 2 includes only one drive segment, and the drive segment includes at least two joint segments in the axial direction. The drive segment includes n soft actuators 3 arranged in parallel in the axial direction. By driving the n soft actuators 3, the soft tail 2 is controlled to swing in one direction.

[0100] In one possible implementation, the n soft actuators 3 are segmented actuators. The soft tail 2 includes independently driven first drive segment 7 and second drive segment 8. The first drive segment 7 and / or the second drive segment 8 includes at least two joint segments in the axial direction, and adjacent joint segments are connected by a joint common end plate 10. Each joint segment includes n segmented actuators arranged in parallel, and each of the n segmented actuators belongs to one of the n soft actuators 3. The segmented actuators between adjacent joint segments belonging to the same soft actuator 3 within the same drive segment are cascaded. By driving the n soft actuators 3, the soft tail 2 is controlled to swing in multiple directions, for example, in an "S" shape.

[0101] In one possible implementation, the n soft actuators 3 are n integral actuators. The soft tail 2 includes independently driven first drive segment 7 and second drive segment 8. The first drive segment 7 and / or the second drive segment 8 include at least two joint segments in the axial direction, and adjacent joint segments are connected by a joint common end plate 10. The n soft actuators 3 are n integral actuators. The through hole 13 serves to fix the soft actuators 3. The first end of the i-th soft actuator 3 in the first drive segment 7 is connected to the first end plate 5, and the second end of the i-th soft actuator 3 is connected to the first side of the inter-segment common end plate 9. The i-th soft actuator 3 in the first drive segment 7 passes through the i-th through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10, and the i-th soft actuator 3 in the first drive segment 7 is connected to the i-th through hole 13.

[0102] The first end of the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 is connected to the second end plate 6, the second end of the j-th soft actuator 3 is connected to the second side of the inter-segment common end plate 9, the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 passes through the j-th through hole 13 on the joint common end plate 10, and the j-th soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8 is connected to the j-th through hole 13, where i and j are positive integers less than or equal to n.

[0103] In one possible implementation, the soft tail 2 further includes an end effector; the end effector is disposed on the second end plate 6 at the tail of the soft tail 2.

[0104] An end effector is an actuator that can perform a primary function, such as grasping.

[0105] In summary, the soft tail provided in this embodiment is composed of independently driven first and second drive segments. The drive input end of the first drive segment is located on the first end plate, and the drive input end of the second drive segment is located on the second end plate. The first and second drive segments are driven by the first and second flexible hoses, respectively. The soft actuator in the soft tail is soft, lightweight, has a certain degree of flexibility, stable performance, requires no transmission mechanism, has a simple structure, and the soft actuator is integrated with the soft tail. When swinging the soft tail, it can avoid damage to the surrounding environment and protect human safety, thus improving the robot's display effect.

[0106] The soft tail provided in this embodiment sets at least two joint segments by setting at least one of the independently driven first drive segment and / or second drive segment. The same joint segment includes n segment drivers arranged in parallel. The n segment drivers belong to n soft drivers respectively. The segment drivers between adjacent joint segments are cascaded. The segmented segment drivers make each joint segment in the soft tail have its own corresponding degree of freedom, and the swing deformation of the soft tail is more flexible, enabling the robot to move stably and in a balanced manner in complex environments.

[0107] The soft tail provided in this embodiment, by setting through holes at different positions of the joint common end plate and arranging segmented actuators based on the through holes, makes the soft tail closer to a biological tail, obtains a better biomimetic effect, and thus provides better assistance for the robot's movement and balance.

[0108] The soft tail provided in this embodiment, by adding a spinal link to the soft tail and connecting the spinal link to each end plate in the soft tail, enables the soft tail to have a certain degree of rigidity while being soft and flexible, thereby improving the robot's display effect.

[0109] The soft tail provided in this embodiment reduces the diameter of the end plate that fixes the soft actuator in the first drive segment that is directly connected to the robot by a proportional reduction. On the one hand, this makes the soft tail more closely resemble a biological tail and achieves a better biomimetic effect. On the other hand, it allows the first drive segment in the soft tail to withstand greater torque, thereby improving the stability of the robot in complex environments.

[0110] The soft tail provided in this embodiment obtains its pose angle by setting inertial measurement units on the first and second drive segments respectively to measure the pose angles of the first and second drive segments. At the same time, by setting pressure sensors at the drive input end of the soft driver in each drive segment, the pressure in the soft driver can be known in a timely manner, and the drive parameters of the soft tail can be updated in real time according to the pose angle of the soft tail and the pressure in the soft driver.

[0111] Figure 6 This illustration shows a structural schematic of a joint segment in a software tail provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0112] The first drive segment 7 and / or the second drive segment 8 include at least two joint segments in the axial direction, and adjacent joint segments are connected by a joint common end plate 10; the same joint segment includes n segment drivers arranged in parallel, and the n segment drivers belong to n software drivers 3 respectively.

[0113] The joint common end plate 10 is provided with n through holes 13. Among the n through holes 13, at least two through holes 13 are symmetrically arranged in the positive half-side region and the negative half-side region of the center line of the joint common end plate. Among the n through holes, at least one through hole 13 is arranged on the center line. n is a positive integer greater than 3.

[0114] For example, the joint end plate 10 has five through holes 13. Through holes 2-5 are symmetrically arranged on the positive and negative half of the center line. Through hole 1 is located on the center line. The segmented actuators corresponding to the five through holes mimic different muscles of a biological tail. The segmented actuator corresponding to through hole 1 is used for the tail-raising muscle of the biological tail, which extends the tail upward; the segmented actuators corresponding to through holes 2 and 3 are used for the tail-wagging muscle of the biological tail, which bends the tail to the side; the segmented actuators corresponding to through holes 4 and 5 are used for the tail-drooping muscle of the biological tail, which bends the tail downward. The biomimicry of the biological tail is achieved through the segmented actuators corresponding to through holes 1-5.

[0115] Optionally, the joint common end plate 10 also includes a hose channel 14 for fixing a first hose 11 and a second hose 12. The first hose 11 is used to provide driving gas and / or liquid to the soft actuator 3 in the first drive segment 7, and the second hose 12 is used to provide driving gas and / or liquid to the soft actuator 3 in the second drive segment 8.

[0116] For example, Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the joint segments in the soft tail is shown. Taking a pneumatic soft actuator as an example, five segment actuators are set in the joint segments of the soft tail, namely segment actuator 1 (701), segment actuator 2 (702), segment actuator 3 (703), segment actuator 4 (704), and segment actuator 5 (705). Segment actuators 2 and 4 are symmetrically arranged in the negative half-axis region of the x-axis, segment actuators 3 and 5 are symmetrically arranged in the positive half-axis region of the x-axis, and segment actuator 1 is arranged in the positive y-axis direction.

[0117] like Figure 7 As shown in Figure (a), in the initial state, none of the five segment actuators in the joint segment are inflated or inhaled, and the position of the endplate above the joint segment has not changed.

[0118] like Figure 7 As shown in Figure (b), the driving state of the five segmented actuators is as follows: inflating segmented actuators 702 and 704, inhaling segmented actuators 703 and 705, and keeping segmented actuator 701 in its initial state. Then, the position of the end plate above the joint segment deflects around the Y-axis in the positive X direction. The deflection angle is determined by the difference between the inflation and inhalation volumes.

[0119] like Figure 7 As shown in Figure (c), the driving state of the five segmented actuators is as follows: air is drawn into segmented actuators 702 and 704, air is inflated into segmented actuators 703 and 705, and segmented actuator 701 remains in its initial state. Then, the position of the end plate above the joint segment deflects around the Y-axis in the negative X direction. The deflection angle is determined by the difference between the inflation volume and the air intake volume.

[0120] like Figure 7 As shown in Figure (d), the driving state of the five segmented actuators is as follows: when segmented actuators 701, 702, and 703 are inflated, and segmented actuators 704 and 705 are inhaled, the position of the end plate above the joint segment will deflect around the X-axis in the negative Y direction. The deflection angle is determined by the difference between the inflation and inhalation volumes.

[0121] like Figure 7 As shown in Figure (e), the driving state of the five segmented actuators is as follows: when air is drawn into segmented actuators 701, 702, and 703, and air is inflated into segmented actuators 704 and 705, the position of the end plate above the joint segment deflects around the X-axis in the positive Y direction. The deflection angle is determined by the difference between the inflation volume and the air intake volume.

[0122] For example, by combining inflation and de-inflation of the soft actuator in the soft tail, basic oscillations such as up, down, left, and right of the soft tail can be achieved. At the same time, compound oscillations can also be achieved based on this. In addition, by controlling the air pressure of the soft actuator, the oscillation angle of the soft tail can be controlled.

[0123] In summary, the soft tail provided in this embodiment has a joint segment with a soft actuator that is soft, lightweight, flexible, stable, requires no transmission mechanism, has a simple structure, and is integrated with the soft tail. By driving the segment actuator in the joint segment, the shape of the joint segment can be changed, thereby changing the posture of the soft tail. The soft actuator's soft texture allows the soft tail to avoid damaging the surrounding environment and protect human safety when swinging.

[0124] The above embodiments have described the mechanical structure of the robot. Next, the control method of the robot will be described.

[0125] Please refer to Figure 8 This illustrates a robot control framework diagram provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application. In one example, such as Figure 8 As shown, taking a robot control scenario as an example, the implementation environment of this solution may include the robot body 1, the soft tail 2, and the control device 20 (optional).

[0126] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, the robot body 1 includes a body 101 (also referred to as a base or chassis) and leg mechanical structures 102. The body 101 houses the controller of the robot body 1. The body 101 issues commands to the leg mechanical structures 102 to control their movement. The leg mechanical structures 102 have multiple joints, each of which can have one or more joint motors. Taking one leg mechanical structure within the leg mechanical structures 102 as an example, the leg mechanical structure has joints 103 and 104, where joint 103 has one joint motor and joint 104 has two joint motors.

[0127] The control device 20 may include, but is not limited to, mobile phones, computers, smart voice interaction devices, smart home appliances, vehicle terminals, aircraft, etc.; or, the control device 20 may also be a server. The control device 20 can be used to control the robot body 1 and the soft tail 2.

[0128] The robot body 1 and the control device 20 can communicate via a network, such as a wireless network or a wired network.

[0129] The software tail 2 and the control device 20 can communicate via a network, such as a wireless network or a wired network.

[0130] For example, after acquiring the motion state and terrain of the robot body 1 at the current moment, the control device 20 can predict the motion state of the robot body 1 at the next moment based on the motion state and terrain, and control the soft tail 2 based on the predicted motion state so that the robot body 1 can perform actions accurately and smoothly.

[0131] Optionally, this process can also be performed by the robot body 1. For example, the robot body 1 predicts the motion state at the next moment based on the current motion state and terrain, and controls the soft tail 2 based on the predicted motion state, thereby executing the action accurately and smoothly. This application embodiment does not limit the executing entity for robot control.

[0132] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a robot control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The method can be derived from the above... Figure 8 The robot body 1 or control device 20 in the illustrated embodiment performs the following: The method includes:

[0133] Step 902: Obtain the robot's motion state.

[0134] The robot includes a robot body and a soft tail. This robot refers to the robot described in the above embodiments; the mechanical structure of the robot will not be repeated here.

[0135] Motion state refers to the form of robot movement in its environment. For example, a robot has an end effector attached to its soft tail. By moving the soft tail, the robot moves the end effector to a target location, where it performs a primary function, such as grasping a target object. Alternatively, the robot may move in a complex environment, such as flipping or jumping in a complex environment.

[0136] Step 904: Based on the robot's motion state, control the n soft actuators in the soft tail to deform so that the robot maintains balance during motion.

[0137] The soft tail includes n soft actuators arranged in parallel along the axis. The oscillation of the soft tail is achieved by controlling the n soft actuators in the soft tail.

[0138] Taking a pneumatic soft actuator as an example, the soft tail is deformed by inflating or inhaling air into the n soft actuators in the soft tail.

[0139] Maintaining robot balance refers to controlling n soft actuators in the soft tail to enable the soft tail to perform actions smoothly, or, when the robot is moving in a complex environment, controlling n soft actuators in the soft tail to make the soft tail swing, and based on the counter-torque provided by the swing of the soft tail, the robot body maintains balance during movement.

[0140] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment acquires the robot's motion state and, based on this motion state, controls the deformation of n soft actuators in the soft tail to maintain the robot's balance during motion. This application, by controlling the n soft actuators in the soft tail, enables the robot to move stably and in balance in complex environments, thus improving the robot's balance stability during movement in complex environments.

[0141] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of a robot control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The method can be derived from the above... Figure 8 The robot body 1 or control device 20 in the illustrated embodiment performs the following: The method includes:

[0142] Step 1002: Obtain the robot's motion state.

[0143] The robot includes a robot body and a soft tail. This robot refers to the robot described in the above embodiments; the mechanical structure of the robot will not be repeated here.

[0144] Motion state refers to the form of robot movement in its environment. For example, a robot has an end effector attached to its soft tail. By moving the soft tail, the robot moves the end effector to a target location, where it performs a primary function, such as grasping a target object. Alternatively, the robot may move in a complex environment, such as flipping or jumping in a complex environment.

[0145] Step 1004: Based on the driving rate corresponding to the motion state, control n soft actuators to drive the soft tail so that the robot maintains balance in motion.

[0146] The soft tail includes n soft actuators arranged in parallel along the axis. By controlling the n soft actuators in the soft tail, the oscillation of the soft tail can be achieved.

[0147] The drive rate refers to the rate at which the n soft actuators in the soft tail are driven. Taking a pneumatic soft actuator as an example, the drive rate refers to the rate at which the n soft actuators in the soft tail are inflated or inhaled.

[0148] Optionally, the software actuator is at least one of a pneumatic software actuator and a hydraulic software actuator, but is not limited thereto, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit it.

[0149] A pneumatic soft actuator is a soft actuator that uses water as a medium and water pressure as a driving force.

[0150] A hydraulic soft actuator refers to a soft actuator that uses a liquid as a medium and hydraulic pressure as a driving force. For example, the liquid may be at least one of water or hydraulic oil, but is not limited to these, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit it.

[0151] For example, the tail of the drive segment is provided with an end effector, and based on the first drive rate, n software drivers are controlled to drive the software tail to move, moving the end effector to a first position.

[0152] An end effector is an actuator capable of performing a first function. In this application, the embodiment of the end effector is described as an actuator capable of grasping, but it is not limited thereto. The embodiment of the application does not specifically limit the function of the end effector.

[0153] The first drive rate refers to the drive rate in slow mode. Taking the pneumatic soft actuator as an example, in this mode, the air pressure driving the pneumatic soft actuator is lower, the gas flow rate in the pneumatic soft actuator is slower, and the action time is longer.

[0154] Control strategy at the first driving rate: Establish a motion model of the soft tail, determine the air pressure in the soft actuators through pressure sensors on each soft actuator, and measure the joint segment poses in the soft tail through an inertial measurement unit, thereby establishing the relationship between joint segment poses and air pressure, and plan the motion trajectory of the soft tail by controlling the air pressure of each soft actuator.

[0155] At the first driving speed, the robot's center of mass is adjusted by moving the soft tail, thereby balancing the robot's motion.

[0156] For example, based on the second drive rate, n soft actuators are controlled to drive the soft tail to swing, and the robot in motion is kept in balance by the counter-torque generated by the soft tail. The second drive rate is greater than the first drive rate.

[0157] The second drive rate refers to the drive rate in the fast mode. Taking the pneumatic soft actuator as an example, in this mode, the air pressure driving the pneumatic soft actuator is higher, the gas flow rate in the pneumatic soft actuator is faster, and the action time is shorter.

[0158] For example, when a robot moves rapidly in a complex environment, the soft tail is driven to swing by controlling n soft actuators. The high-speed swinging soft tail continuously provides additional torque to the robot body, thereby maintaining the robot's high mobility and balance.

[0159] Control strategy under the second drive rate: Establish the relationship between the torque-time function of the soft tail and the air pressure-action time of the soft actuator, so as to control the output torque by controlling the air pressure and action time of the soft actuator.

[0160] At the second drive rate, the robot is balanced or redirected by rapidly swinging the soft tail, i.e., by adjusting the pressure and time, based on the counter-torque provided by the soft tail during the rapid swinging of the soft tail.

[0161] For example, such as Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the mathematical model of the soft tail is shown. Figure 11 As shown in Figure (a), l i m represents the length of the i-th software driver. i Let b be the coordinates of the center position of the i-th software driver end on the second endplate in the reference coordinate system (x, y, z). i Let m′ be the coordinate of the center position of the i-th software driver end on the first endplate in the reference coordinate system. i Let x be the coordinates of the center position of the i-th software driver end on the second endplate in the local coordinate system (x′, y′, z′).

[0162] The motion model of the soft tail can be represented as:

[0163] l i =m i -b i =T s m′ i -b i

[0164] Among them, T s This is the transformation matrix.

[0165] The transformation matrix can be represented as:

[0166]

[0167] Where p0 is the coordinate of the center of the second end plate in the reference coordinate system, and R is the rotation matrix.

[0168] The rotation matrix can be represented as:

[0169]

[0170] Where α and β are the rotation angles of the center of the second end plate around its own X-axis and Y-axis in the local coordinate system, respectively.

[0171] p0 is the coordinate of the center of the second end plate in the reference coordinate system, such as Figure 11 As shown in Figure (b), since the joint segments of the soft tail are uniform, the rotation of the joint segments can be considered as iso-curvature deformation. With the length of the spinal link remaining constant, the rotation angle θ of the spinal link can be expressed as:

[0172] θ = arccos(cosα*cosβ)

[0173] r = 180H / πθ

[0174] Where r is the radius of rotation of the spinal link, and H is the length of the spinal link after deformation.

[0175] Then, the coordinates p0 of the center of the second end plate in the reference coordinate system can be expressed as:

[0176]

[0177] In summary, the relationship between the length of the software driver and the angle of the software tail is obtained.

[0178] Since the length of the soft actuator is difficult to measure, the relationship between the length of the soft actuator and the air pressure is further established. Then, by using the length of the soft actuator as an intermediate variable, the relationship between the air pressure and the angle of rotation of the soft tail is obtained.

[0179] The static model of a software driver can be represented as:

[0180] p i Ak i Δl i +F i =0

[0181] Where, p i Let A be the input pressure of the software driver, A be the cross-sectional area of ​​the software driver, and k be the input pressure. i Let Δl be the stiffness coefficient of the software actuator. i F represents the change in the length of the software driver. i It is an external force.

[0182] Stiffness coefficient k of software actuator i It can be represented as:

[0183]

[0184] Where m and n are parameters of the software driver, which can be obtained by measuring the software driver.

[0185] For example, such as Figure 12 The diagram shows the stiffness coefficient test results of the soft actuator. By applying pressures of 0g, 500g, 1000g, and 1500g to the soft actuator, the results were obtained. Figure 12 The curve in the figure is fitted to obtain the stiffness coefficient of the software actuator as: k = 9.4p(kPa) + 2918 = 0.0094p(Pa) + 2918, which gives m = 0.0094 and n = 2918.

[0186] Given m and n, the relationship between the air pressure of each software actuator and the rotation angle of the software tail can be expressed as:

[0187]

[0188] Where l0 is the original length of the software driver.

[0189] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment acquires the robot's motion state and, based on the drive rate corresponding to the robot's motion state, controls the deformation of n soft actuators in the soft tail to maintain the robot's balance during motion. This application, by controlling the n soft actuators in the soft tail, enables the robot to move stably and in balance in complex environments, thus improving the robot's balance stability during movement in complex environments.

[0190] It should be noted that the information (including but not limited to terrain information), data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) and signals involved in this application are all authorized by the subject or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of related data shall comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions.

[0191] Figure 13 A structural block diagram of a robot control device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. This device can be implemented as all or part of a robot through software, hardware, or a combination of both. The device includes:

[0192] Acquisition module 1301 is used to acquire the motion state of the robot;

[0193] The control module 1302 is used to control the n soft actuators in the soft tail to deform based on the motion state of the robot, so that the robot maintains balance in the motion state.

[0194] In one possible implementation, the control module 1302 is used to control the n soft actuators to drive the soft tail based on the drive rate corresponding to the motion state, so that the robot maintains balance in the motion state.

[0195] In one possible implementation, the control module 1302 is configured to control the n software drivers to drive the software tail to move based on the first drive rate, thereby moving the end effector to a first position.

[0196] In one possible implementation, the control module 1302 is used to control the n soft actuators to drive the soft tail to swing based on the second drive rate, so that the robot in motion remains balanced according to the counter torque generated by the soft tail, wherein the second drive rate is greater than the first drive rate.

[0197] Figure 14 A structural block diagram of a computer device 1400 illustrated in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. This computer device can be implemented as a server as described in the above-described scheme of this application. The image computer device 1400 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 1401, a system memory 1404 including Random Access Memory (RAM) 1402 and Read-Only Memory (ROM) 1403, and a system bus 1405 connecting the system memory 1404 and the CPU 1401. The image computer device 1400 also includes a mass storage device 1406 for storing an operating system 1409, application programs 1410, and other program modules 1411.

[0198] The mass storage device 1406 is connected to the central processing unit 1401 via a mass storage controller (not shown) connected to the system bus 1405. The mass storage device 1406 and its associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage for the graphics computing device 1400. That is, the mass storage device 1406 may include computer-readable media (not shown), such as a hard disk or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive.

[0199] Without loss of generality, the computer-readable medium may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented using any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media include RAM, ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other solid-state storage technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape cassettes, magnetic tape, disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices. Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that the computer storage media are not limited to the above-mentioned types. The system memory 1404 and mass storage device 1406 described above can be collectively referred to as memory.

[0200] According to various embodiments of this disclosure, the image computing device 1400 can also be connected to a remote computer on a network, such as the Internet. That is, the image computing device 1400 can be connected to a network 1408 via a network interface unit 1407 connected to the system bus 1405, or it can use the network interface unit 1407 to connect to other types of networks or remote computer systems (not shown).

[0201] The memory also includes at least one computer program stored in the memory, and the central processing unit 1401 executes the at least one program to implement the robot control method shown in the above embodiments.

[0202] According to another aspect of this application, a soft tail is provided, the soft tail including n soft actuators arranged in parallel along the axis, end plates for fixing the soft actuators and a spinal linkage, the end plates including a first end plate and a second end plate;

[0203] The first end of the software driver is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the software driver is connected to the second end plate;

[0204] The first end of the spinal link is connected to the first end plate, and the second end of the spinal link is connected to the second end plate, where n is a positive integer.

[0205] This application also provides a robot, which includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores at least one instruction, which is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the robot control method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0206] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the robot control method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0207] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program stored in a computer-readable storage medium; the computer program is read from the computer-readable storage medium and executed by a processor of a computer device, causing the computer device to perform the robot control method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0208] This application also provides a chip, which includes a programmable logic circuit or a program, and a device equipped with the chip is used to implement the robot control method described above.

[0209] It is understood that, in the specific embodiments of this application, the data involved, historical data, and object data processing related to the identity or characteristics of the object, such as portraits, require the permission or consent of the object when the above embodiments of this application are applied to specific products or technologies, and the collection, use and processing of related data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions.

[0210] It should be understood that "multiple" as used in this article refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0211] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.

[0212] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent switching, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A robot, characterized in that, The robot includes a robot body (1) and a soft tail (2). The soft tail (2) includes n soft actuators (3) arranged in parallel along the axis, end plates for fixing the soft actuators, and a spinal link (4). The end plates include a first end plate (5) and a second end plate (6). The spinal link (4) includes an intermediate rod (17). The intermediate rod (17) is made of elastic and rigid materials to adjust the inherent stiffness of the soft tail (2). The soft tail (2) is connected to the tail of the robot body (1) through the first end plate (5), the first end of the soft driver (3) is connected to the first end plate (5), and the second end of the soft driver (3) is connected to the second end plate (6). The first end of the spinal link (4) is connected to the first end plate (5), and the second end of the spinal link (4) is connected to the second end plate (6), where n is a positive integer; The n soft actuators include an independently driven first drive segment (7) and a second drive segment (8) in the axial direction, and the end plate also includes a shared end plate (9) between segments; the first drive segment (7) and the second drive segment (8) are connected through the shared end plate (9). The end plate also includes a joint common end plate (10); the first drive segment (7) and / or the second drive segment (8) include at least two joint segments in the axial direction, and adjacent joint segments are connected by the joint common end plate (10). The segment drivers between adjacent joint segments belonging to the same software driver (3) in the same drive segment are cascaded; the same joint segment includes n segment drivers arranged in parallel, and the n segment drivers belong to n software drivers (3) respectively.

2. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soft tail (2) includes a first hose (11) and a second hose (12); The first hose (11) is connected to the drive input terminal of the software driver (3) in the first drive segment (7) via the first end plate (5); After passing through the first end plate (5) and the second end plate (6), the second hose (12) is connected to the drive input terminal of the software driver (3) in the second drive segment (8).

3. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joint common end plate (10) is provided with n through holes (13); The first end of the i-th segment driver in the same joint segment is connected to the first joint common end plate through the i-th through hole on the first joint common end plate, and the second end of the i-th segment driver is connected to the second joint common end plate through the i-th through hole on the second joint common end plate, where i is a positive integer less than or equal to n.

4. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joint common end plate (10) is provided with n through holes (13), at least two of the n through holes (13) are symmetrically arranged on the positive half-side region and the negative half-side region of the center line of the joint common end plate, and at least one of the n through holes (13) is arranged on the center line, where n is a positive integer greater than 3.

5. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spinal link (4) also includes a connecting piece (16). The connecting piece (16) is connected to the intermediate rod (17) at a first interval; The first end of the spinal link (4) is connected to the first end plate (5) through the connecting piece (16), the second end of the spinal link (4) is connected to the second end plate (6) through the connecting piece (16), and the end plate that fixes the soft driver (3) is connected to the connecting piece (16) on the intermediate rod (17).

6. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first drive segment (7) is connected to the tail of the robot body (1) through the first end plate (5), and the diameter of the end plate in the first drive segment (7) that fixes the software driver (3) is reduced proportionally. The diameter of the end plate that fixes the software driver (3) in the second drive segment (8) is equal or the diameter is proportionally reduced.

7. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The soft tail (2) also includes at least two inertial measurement units and 2n pressure sensors; The first inertial measurement unit is disposed on the inter-segment common end plate (9), and the second inertial measurement unit is disposed on the second end plate (6). The first inertial measurement unit and the second inertial measurement unit are respectively used to measure the pose angles of the first driving segment (7) and the second driving segment (8). The pressure sensors are respectively installed at the drive input terminals of the n software drivers (3) in the first drive segment (7) and the n software drivers (3) in the second drive segment (8).

8. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The software driver (3) is at least one of a pneumatic software driver and a hydraulic software driver.

9. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The robot also includes an end effector; The end effector is disposed on the second end plate (6) at the tail of the soft tail (2).

10. A method for controlling a robot, characterized in that, The robot includes a robot body and a soft tail, the soft tail including n soft actuators arranged side by side along the axis, and the method includes: Obtain the motion state of the robot; Based on the robot's motion state, the n soft actuators in the soft tail are controlled to deform so that the robot maintains balance in the motion state. The robot is the robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, where n is a positive integer.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The step of controlling the deformation of the n soft actuators in the soft tail based on the robot's motion state to maintain the robot's balance during the motion state includes: Based on the driving rate corresponding to the motion state, the n soft actuators are controlled to drive the soft tail, so that the robot maintains balance in the motion state.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The driving rate includes a first driving rate; an end effector is provided at the tail of the second driving segment; The step of controlling the n soft actuators to drive the soft tail based on the drive rate corresponding to the motion state, so that the robot maintains balance in the motion state, includes: Based on the first driving rate, the n software drivers are controlled to drive the software tail to move, thereby moving the end effector to the first position.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The driving rate includes a second driving rate; The step of controlling the n soft actuators to drive the soft tail based on the drive rate corresponding to the motion state, so that the robot maintains balance in the motion state, includes: Based on the second driving rate, the n soft actuators are controlled to drive the soft tail to swing, and the robot in motion is kept in balance by the counter-torque generated by the soft tail. The second driving rate is greater than the first driving rate.

14. A control device for a robot, characterized in that, The device includes: The acquisition module is used to acquire the motion state of the robot; A control module is configured to control the deformation of the n soft actuators in the soft tail based on the motion state of the robot, so as to keep the robot in balance in the motion state, wherein the robot is the robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, and n is a positive integer.

15. A soft tail, characterized in that, The soft tail (2) includes n soft actuators (3) arranged in parallel along the axis, end plates for fixing the soft actuators, and a spinal link (4). The end plates include a first end plate (5) and a second end plate (6). The spinal link (4) includes an intermediate rod (17) made of elastic and rigid materials to adjust the inherent stiffness of the soft tail (2). The first end of the software driver (3) is connected to the first end plate (5), and the second end of the software driver (3) is connected to the second end plate (6); The first end of the spinal link (4) is connected to the first end plate (5), and the second end of the spinal link (4) is connected to the second end plate (6), where n is a positive integer; The n soft actuators include an independently driven first drive segment (7) and a second drive segment (8) in the axial direction, and the end plate also includes a shared end plate (9) between segments; the first drive segment (7) and the second drive segment (8) are connected through the shared end plate (9). The end plate also includes a joint common end plate (10); the first drive segment (7) and / or the second drive segment (8) include at least two joint segments in the axial direction, and adjacent joint segments are connected by the joint common end plate (10). The segment drivers between adjacent joint segments belonging to the same software driver (3) in the same drive segment are cascaded; the same joint segment includes n segment drivers arranged in parallel, and the n segment drivers belong to n software drivers (3) respectively.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores at least one computer program, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the robot control method as described in any one of claims 10 to 13.

17. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program stored in a computer-readable storage medium; the computer program is read from and executed by a processor of a computer device, causing the computer device to perform the robot control method as described in any one of claims 10 to 13.

18. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a programmable logic circuit or a program, and the device on which the chip is installed is used to implement the robot control method as described in any one of claims 10 to 13.

Images