Liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of bionic robots, and provides a liquid-driven bionic fish underwater robot, which comprises a fish head, a fish body and a fish tail; the fish body comprises a brake, an air bag piece and an air pipe piece, the number of the brake is two or more than two, and the head and tail of the adjacent brakes are detachably connected, the air bag piece is connected to the two sides of the brake, and the air bag pieces on the same side of the brake are connected in series through the air pipe piece; the fish head is provided with a water pump device, the water pumping end of the water pump device is connected with the air pipe piece; the fish head is arranged at one end of the fish body, and the fish tail is arranged at the other end of the fish body. The air bag piece which expands and shrinks by sucking and discharging water replaces the traditional bionic fish driving mechanism, only the water pump device which can suck water in the forward and reverse directions is needed, the swimming action can be realized, and the complicated driving equipment is not needed, therefore, the control difficulty is effectively reduced, the driving mode of the bionic fish is innovated, and the complexity and weight of the overall mechanism are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of biomimetic robots, specifically relating to a liquid-driven, fish-like underwater robot. Background Technology

[0002] Aquatic vertebrates typically generate power by undulating their tail fins from side to side or up and down, with other fins assisting in the movement. Currently, most man-made watercraft use propellers for propulsion. The advantage of this method is that it provides significant driving force, but the disadvantage is excessive noise. Conversely, mimicking the undulating motion of fish can reduce noise generation.

[0003] In some other inventions of fish-like robots, a skeletal structure formed by many kinematic pairs is used to mimic the undulation of a fish. This is often achieved by using many motors to drive different skeletal units or by using seawater as the electronic medium. This increases the complexity of the design and layout and reduces the usable space in the biomimetic fish body. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0006] A liquid-driven, fish-like underwater robot, comprising a fish head, body, and tail;

[0007] The fish body includes a brake, an airbag, and an air tube. There are two or more brakes, and the ends of adjacent brakes are detachably connected. The airbag is connected to both sides of the brake, and the airbags on the same side of the brake are connected in series through the air tube.

[0008] The fish head is equipped with a water pump device, and the water pump end is connected to the air pipe.

[0009] The fish head is located at one end of the fish body, and the fish tail is located at the other end of the fish body.

[0010] Preferably, the brake includes two fixed braking members, and a fixing portion for fixing the airbag component is formed between the two fixed braking members.

[0011] Preferably, the fixed braking component includes a first side plate, a second side plate, and a middle plate. The first side plate and the second side plate are arranged in parallel, and the middle plate is disposed between the first side plate and the second side plate. The first side plate is provided with a mating groove and a connecting hole, and the second side plate is provided with a mating protrusion and a connecting hole.

[0012] The fixed braking component within the brake is connected to the fixed braking component by a connecting bolt provided on the connecting hole;

[0013] The fixed braking component within the brake is connected to the fixed braking component by the mating groove and the mating protrusion to form a fixing part for fixing the airbag component;

[0014] The two ends of the adjacent brakes are connected by connecting bolts provided on the connecting holes.

[0015] Preferably, the airbag component includes an airbag body and a connecting portion. The airbag body is disposed on both sides of the connecting portion. The connecting portion is provided with a through hole. The connecting portion is connected to the fixing portion through the through hole and the mating protrusion.

[0016] Preferably, the air tube assembly includes a plurality of U-shaped air tubes connected end to end. The U-shaped air tubes are disposed on the end face of the airbag body. The end face of the airbag body is provided with a connecting hole communicating with the U-shaped air tubes. One end of the U-shaped air tube at the first end is connected to the water pump end of the water pump device, and one end of the U-shaped air tube at the last end is sealed.

[0017] Preferably, the airbags located on the same side of the brake are in communication with each other.

[0018] Preferably, the fish head has a hollow structure, the water pump device is located inside the fish head, and the outer wall of the fish head is provided with fins.

[0019] Preferably, the fish head is further provided with a control panel, a power supply unit, and a rotating motor. The control panel is electrically connected to the water pump device and the rotating motor. The power supply unit is used to supply power to the control panel, the water pump device, and the rotating motor. The drive end of the rotating motor is connected to the fish body.

[0020] Preferably, the fish tail is provided with a mating protrusion that mates with the mating groove.

[0021] Preferably, there are two air tubes that are independently connected to the airbag on the same side of the brake, and there are two water pump devices that are each independently connected to one of the air tubes.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include:

[0023] The liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot of this application, through the structure disclosed above, uses a water pump device to change the size of the air bladder via an air tube to achieve the swaying motion of the fish body, thereby generating forward propulsion. By using an air bladder that expands and contracts by absorbing and releasing water, it replaces the traditional fish-like propulsion mechanism. Only a water pump device capable of pumping water in both directions is needed to achieve swimming motion, eliminating the need for complex drive equipment. Therefore, it effectively reduces control difficulty, innovates the propulsion method of biomimetic fish, and reduces the overall complexity and weight of the mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the fixed braking component of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the fish body according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the airbag component of the present invention in an inflated state.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the airbag component of the present invention in a contracted state.

[0030] in:

[0031] 1-Fish head, 2-Fish tail, 3-Brake, 4-First side plate, 5-Second side plate, 6-Middle plate, 7-Matching groove, 8-Connecting hole, 9-Matching protrusion, 10-Connecting bolt, 11-Airbag body, 12-Connecting part, 13-U-shaped air tube body, 14-Fish fin. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention; the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0034] Example:

[0035] like Figure 1-5 As shown, this embodiment provides a liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot, including a fish head 1, a fish body and a fish tail 2;

[0036] The fish body includes a brake 3, an airbag component, and an air tube component. There are two or more brakes 3, and the ends of adjacent brakes 3 are detachably connected. The airbag components are connected to both sides of the brake 3, and the airbag components on the same side of the brake 3 are connected in series through the air tube component.

[0037] Fish head 1 is equipped with a water pump device, and the water pump end of the water pump device is connected to the air pipe fitting;

[0038] The fish head 1 is located at one end of the fish body, and the fish tail 2 is located at the other end of the fish body.

[0039] The liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot of this embodiment, through the structure disclosed above, uses a water pump device to change the size of the air bladder via air tubing to achieve the swaying of the fish body, thereby generating forward propulsion. By using the air bladder to expand and contract by absorbing and releasing water, it replaces the traditional fish-like propulsion mechanism. Only a water pump device capable of pumping water in both directions is needed to achieve swimming motion, eliminating the need for complex drive equipment. Therefore, it effectively reduces control difficulty, innovates the propulsion method of biomimetic fish, and reduces the overall complexity and weight of the mechanism.

[0040] The specific structure of brake 3 in this embodiment is as follows:

[0041] The brake 3 includes two fixed brake components, and a fixing part for fixing the airbag component is formed between the two fixed brake components.

[0042] Specifically, the fixed braking component includes a first side plate 4, a second side plate 5, and a middle plate 6. The first side plate 4 and the second side plate 5 are arranged in parallel, and the middle plate 6 is located between the first side plate 4 and the second side plate 5. The first side plate 4 is provided with a mating groove 7 and a connecting hole 8, and the second side plate 5 is provided with a mating protrusion 9 and a connecting hole 8. In this embodiment, the middle plate 6 is made of a flexible material, while the first side plate 4 and the second side plate 5 are made of a hard plastic material. The above structure ensures the overall rigidity of the brake 3, while the flexible material of the middle plate 6 can meet the requirements of flexible changes when the entire fish-like underwater robot swings, ensuring the stability of the swimming action.

[0043] The fixed braking components inside the brake 3 are connected to each other by a connecting bolt 10 provided on the connecting hole 8;

[0044] The fixed braking component inside the brake 3 forms a fixing part for fixing the airbag component through the cooperation of the mating groove 7 and the mating protrusion 9.

[0045] The two ends of adjacent brakes 3 are connected by connecting bolts 10 provided on the connecting holes 8.

[0046] Specifically, the airbag component includes an airbag body 11 and a connecting part 12. The airbag body 11 is located on both sides of the connecting part 12. The connecting part 12 is provided with through holes. The connecting part 12 is connected to the fixing part through the through holes and the mating protrusions 9.

[0047] In the above structure, the ease of installation and maintenance of the fish-like underwater robot of this embodiment can be achieved. Because the existing fish-like robots use complex structures such as skeletal mechanisms, motors, and propellers, the assembly and maintenance are difficult. The overall structure of the fish body in this application is a detachable splicing structure: First, the internal structure of the brake 3 is a splicable structure. The two fixed brake components are connected by connecting bolts 10. Adjacent brakes 3 are also detachably connected by connecting bolts 10. Second, the brake 3 and the airbag are detachably connected by through holes on the fixing part and the connecting part 12. Finally, the airbag is detachably connected to the air pipe through the connecting hole. Therefore, through clever structural design, the overall structure of the fish body is a detachable splicing structure, realizing the ease of installation and maintenance of the fish-like underwater robot.

[0048] The air tube fitting in this embodiment includes several U-shaped air tube bodies 13 connected end to end. The U-shaped air tube body 13 is located on the end face of the airbag body 11. The end face of the airbag body 11 is provided with a communication hole that communicates with the U-shaped air tube body 13. One end of the U-shaped air tube body 13 at the first end is connected to the water pump end of the water pump device, and one end of the U-shaped air tube body 13 at the last end is sealed.

[0049] In addition to supplying and pumping water to the airbag body 11, the air tube in this embodiment is located at the end face of the airbag body 11 to provide structural constraints on the airbag body 11, ensuring that the airbag body 11 contracts in the lateral direction and ensuring the stability of the swimming motion.

[0050] Specifically, the airbags 11 located on the same side of the brake 3 are interconnected. This interconnection among the airbags 11 ensures the synchronicity of the expansion and contraction of the airbags 11 on the same side.

[0051] Specifically, the fish head 1 has a hollow structure, the water pump device is located inside the fish head 1, and the outer wall of the fish head 1 is provided with fish fins 14.

[0052] Specifically, the fish head 1 also includes a control panel, a power supply, and a rotating motor. The control panel is electrically connected to the water pump and the rotating motor. The power supply provides power to the control panel, the water pump, and the rotating motor. The drive end of the rotating motor is connected to the fish body. By rotating the motor, the relative angle between the fish head 1 and the fish body can be adjusted, thus changing the swaying angle of the fish body relative to the fish head 1. For example, the left-right swaying of the fish body can be changed to an up-and-down swaying, and the fish tail 2 follows suit, thereby adapting to different usage environments and needs. In this embodiment, the fish head 1 can be shaped like a carp or other fish. The power supply can use a 1.5V battery, and the driving source is the liquid provided by the water pump. This represents a significant innovation in terms of cleanliness and driving method.

[0053] Specifically, the fish tail 2 is provided with a mating protrusion 9 that mates with the mating groove 7.

[0054] Specifically, there are two air hoses that are independently connected to the airbag on the same side of the brake 3, and two water pump devices that are each independently connected to an air hose.

[0055] In summary, the advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0056] 1. In this invention, liquid drive is used to replace the traditional fish-like drive method. Only by using a water pump device to pump water into the air bladder and setting an appropriate pumping time, the air bladder can be expanded and contracted to achieve the swinging motion. No additional power source is required. Therefore, the drive method of the biomimetic fish robot is innovated, and the overall size and weight are appropriately reduced.

[0057] 2. In this invention, the water pump device used for pumping water is a pump body structure that can pump water in both forward and reverse directions simultaneously. It can be driven by a 1.5V battery and operates smoothly and without noise.

[0058] 3. In this invention, the drive brake 3 is controlled by the expansion and contraction of the two air bladders 11. The fixed brake is 3D printed from hard plastic material and flexible material, making the bending and swinging of the fish body smoother. The fish tail 2 is fixed to the fish body, so the liquid can drive the movement of the fish body and the fish tail 2.

[0059] 4. In this invention, based on the characteristic that the air bladder 11 expands and contracts with the increase and decrease of fluid, two water pump devices capable of simultaneously pumping water in both directions are used to pump water from several air bladders 11 on the fish body. Simultaneously, two independently installed air tubes connect the air bladders 11 on both sides. The control panel, specifically using a microcontroller, independently controls the expansion and contraction of the air bladders 11 on both sides. Figure 4 and Figure 5 To achieve the desired effect.

[0060] 5. In this invention, the air bladder 11 is structurally constrained by the air tube, limiting the horizontal degree of freedom of the fish body, thereby causing the fish tail 2 to swing in the vertical plane. At the same time, the relative angle between the fish head 1 and the fish body is adjusted by rotating the motor, thus changing the swing angle of the fish body relative to the fish head 1.

[0061] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid-driven, fish-like underwater robot, characterized in that, include: Fish head, fish body, and fish tail; The fish body includes a brake, an airbag, and an air tube. There are two or more brakes, and the ends of adjacent brakes are detachably connected. The airbag is connected to both sides of the brake, and the airbags on the same side of the brake are connected in series through the air tube. The fish head is equipped with a water pump device, and the water pumping end of the water pump device is connected to the air pipe. The fish head is located at one end of the fish body, and the fish tail is located at the other end of the fish body; The brake includes two fixed braking elements, and a fixing portion for fixing the airbag is formed between the two fixed braking elements; The fixed braking component includes a first side plate, a second side plate, and a middle plate. The first side plate and the second side plate are arranged in parallel. The middle plate is located between the first side plate and the second side plate. The first side plate is provided with a mating groove and a connecting hole. The second side plate is provided with a mating protrusion and a connecting hole. The airbag component includes an airbag body and a connecting part. The airbag body is disposed on both sides of the connecting part. The connecting part is provided with a through hole. The connecting part is connected to the fixing part through the through hole and the mating protrusion. The air fitting includes several U-shaped air tubes connected end to end. The U-shaped air tubes are located on the end face of the airbag body. The end face of the airbag body is provided with a connecting hole that communicates with the U-shaped air tubes. One end of the U-shaped air tube at the beginning is connected to the water pump end of the water pump device, and one end of the U-shaped air tube at the end is sealed.

2. The liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed braking component within the brake is connected to the fixed braking component by a connecting bolt provided on the connecting hole; The fixed braking component within the brake is connected to the fixed braking component by the mating groove and the mating protrusion to form a fixing part for fixing the airbag component; The two ends of the adjacent brakes are connected by connecting bolts provided on the connecting holes.

3. The liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airbags located on the same side of the brake are connected to each other.

4. The liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fish head has a hollow structure, the water pump device is located inside the fish head, and the outer wall of the fish head is provided with fins.

5. The liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fish head is also equipped with a control panel, a power supply unit, and a rotating motor. The control panel is electrically connected to the water pump device and the rotating motor. The power supply unit is used to supply power to the control panel, the water pump device, and the rotating motor. The drive end of the rotating motor is connected to the fish body.

6. The liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fish tail is provided with a mating protrusion that mates with the mating groove.

7. The liquid-driven fish-like underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of air tubes is two, and they are independently connected to the airbag on the same side of the brake. The number of water pump devices is two, and each is independently connected to one of the air tubes.

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