A biomimetic starfish robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a biomimetic starfish robot, relating to the field of simulation robots. The biomimetic starfish robot includes a biomimetic exoskeleton, which is obtained by folding a flat plate structure with creases; a shape memory alloy, which is disposed on the biomimetic exoskeleton and drives the biomimetic exoskeleton to deform through its own deformation; and a driving unit for driving the shape memory alloy to deform. The biomimetic starfish robot proposed in this invention uses an electric heating system attached around the shape memory alloy, which can transfer heat to the surrounding environment in a short time. Because the shape memory alloy at the arm-foot junction has a small volume and a low temperature of the austenite phase, the circuit system only needs a relatively weak electrical signal to generate enough heat to deform the shape memory alloy. Therefore, this invention will greatly reduce power consumption, reduce noise pollution, and simplify the design of the circuit system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of simulation robot technology, and in particular to a biomimetic starfish robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of science and technology, biomimetic robots have made significant progress in mimicking animal behavior and achieving specific movements. Researchers have utilized advanced materials science, such as flexible materials and shape memory alloys, as well as complex mechanical designs, to achieve efficient movement of biomimetic robots in various environments.

[0003] Starfish possess unique behaviors and locomotion capabilities. Utilizing their soft body structure and complex locomotion mechanisms, they exhibit high adaptability and flexibility in the underwater environment. In particular, their tube feet can respond independently to stimuli and coordinate to achieve synchronized movement, exhibiting a jumping motion. This unique behavior and locomotion has inspired the development of biomimetic robots, aiming to mimic the behavior and locomotion characteristics of starfish and achieve flexible application of robots in various environments. Currently, the movement of biomimetic robots is mainly achieved through the motion of motors. However, due to limitations in size, weight, and electromagnetic interference, there are constraints in miniaturization and biocompatibility, preventing precise operation in micro-environments.

[0004] Shape memory alloys are a class of cutting-edge materials that integrate sensing and actuation, possessing excellent properties such as shape memory effect, superelasticity, damping characteristics, and biocompatibility. In particular, titanium-nickel shape memory alloys exhibit abundant martensitic phase transformation behavior, excellent shape recovery properties, and good biocompatibility.

[0005] Therefore, this invention proposes a biomimetic starfish robot based on titanium-nickel alloy and polyetheretherketone materials, which has the advantages of miniaturization, easy control, and simple structure, and can exhibit efficient movement and adaptability in various environments. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention is proposed.

[0007] Therefore, the problem to be solved by this invention is how to reduce the complexity of the starfish robot structure and simplify its size and weight.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a biomimetic starfish robot, comprising: a biomimetic exoskeleton, which is obtained by folding a flat plate structure with creases; a shape memory alloy, which is disposed on the biomimetic exoskeleton and the shape memory alloy drives the biomimetic exoskeleton to deform through its own deformation; and a driving unit for driving the shape memory alloy to deform.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, the flat plate structure is square, with a folding pre-reserved hole at its center, wrist creases at the diagonal of the flat plate structure, a back crease at the line connecting the centers of opposite sides of the flat plate structure, and positioning creases on both sides of the wrist crease and the back crease.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, two pairs of shape memory alloy mounting holes are symmetrically provided on both sides of each of the spine creases.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, a plurality of positioning holes are provided on the paths of the wrist crease, the spine crease and the positioning crease.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, the biomimetic exoskeleton includes a contraction hole at its center, a spine disposed on the front side of the biomimetic exoskeleton, and wrists disposed on the back side of the biomimetic exoskeleton. The spine is obtained by folding the spine crease on the flat plate structure, and the wrists are obtained by folding the wrist crease on the flat plate structure.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, an anti-slip component is provided at the bottom of the wrist that serves as the drive, and the anti-slip component can prevent the wrist that serves as the drive from resetting.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, an alloy steel plate is further provided inside the spine, and the alloy steel plate extends to the outside of the reverse side of the biomimetic exoskeleton.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, the shape memory alloy includes a front shape memory alloy and a back shape memory alloy. Both ends of the front shape memory alloy and the back shape memory alloy are respectively disposed in the shape memory alloy mounting holes, and the front shape memory alloy extends beyond the spine, while the back shape memory alloy extends beyond the alloy steel plate.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, the heating system includes a heating element disposed on the shape memory alloy, a circuit system connected to the heating element, and a microcontroller connected to the circuit system.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the biomimetic starfish robot of the present invention, the biomimetic exoskeleton is made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The biomimetic starfish robot proposed in this invention uses an electric heating system attached to the shape memory alloy, which can transfer heat to the surrounding environment in a short time. Because the shape memory alloy at the wrist-foot junction is small in volume and the austenite phase has a low temperature, the circuit system only needs a weak electrical signal to generate enough heat to deform the shape memory alloy. Therefore, this invention will greatly reduce power consumption, reduce noise pollution, and simplify the design of the circuit system. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, 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 the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall frontal structure of the biomimetic starfish robot.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the biomimetic starfish robot from the reverse side.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a top view of the flat plate structure.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a biomimetic exoskeleton.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the heating system. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0027] Secondly, the term "an embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an embodiment that is mutually exclusive, either alone or selectively, with other embodiments.

[0028] Reference Figures 1-5This is one embodiment of the present invention, which provides a biomimetic starfish robot, which includes a biomimetic exoskeleton 100, a shape memory alloy 200, a drive unit 300, and a heating system 600.

[0029] Specifically, the bionic exoskeleton 100 is folded from a flat plate structure P. The material of the flat plate structure P is polyetheretherketone (PEEK). PEEK is a polymer composed of repeating units with a main chain structure of one ketone bond and two ether bonds. It is a high-performance engineering plastic with excellent mechanical properties, heat resistance and chemical stability, and belongs to special polymer materials.

[0030] Reference Figure 3 The flat plate structure P is square, with a regular hexagonal folding pre-drilled hole 101 at its center to facilitate folding. A total of four tendon creases 402 are provided along the two diagonals of the flat plate structure P, namely, first tendon crease 402a, second tendon crease 402b, third tendon crease 402c, and fourth tendon crease 402d, in that order.

[0031] Four spine folds 403 are provided on the line connecting the centers of two opposite sides of the flat plate structure P, which are, in order, the first spine fold 403a, the second spine fold 403b, the third spine fold 403c and the fourth spine fold 403d.

[0032] Two positioning creases 406 are symmetrically provided on both sides of each carpal crease 402 and each dorsal crease 403, for forming the carpal 103 and the dorsal 102 respectively.

[0033] It is worth noting that several positioning holes 405 are provided along any crease path. The positioning holes 405 not only locate the crease path, but also facilitate the folding of the flat plate structure P.

[0034] Preferably, two pairs of shape memory alloy mounting holes 404 are symmetrically provided on both sides of each spine crease 403. The first shape memory alloy mounting hole 404a, which is closer to the folding reserved hole 101, is used to install the front shape memory alloy 201, and the other pair of second shape memory alloy mounting holes 404b is used to install the back shape memory alloy 202. The shape memory alloy mounting holes 404 are rectangular in shape.

[0035] The bionic exoskeleton 100 is obtained by folding a flat plate structure P. The specific folding method is as follows:

[0036] First, fold along all the spine creases 403 toward the front of the flat structure P, and bend the positioning creases 406 on both sides of the spine creases 403 at 90° so that the spine creases 403 arch upward to form spines 102. There are four spines 102 in total, namely the first spine 102a, the second spine 102b, the third spine 102c and the fourth spine 102d.

[0037] Similarly, fold along all the tendon creases 402 toward the back of the flat structure P, and bend the positioning creases 406 on both sides of the tendon creases 402 at 90°, so that the tendon creases 402 arch downwards to form tendons 103. There are four tendons 103 in total, namely the first tendon 103a, the second tendon 103b, the third tendon 103c, and the fourth tendon 103d, as shown below. Figure 4 .

[0038] In this embodiment, the first arm 103a, the second arm 103b, and the fourth arm 103d are driving legs. The first arm 103a and the second arm 103b form the hind legs for driving the biomimetic starfish robot forward, and the first arm 103a and the fourth arm 103d form the left leg for moving to the right. Similarly, the third arm 103c and the fourth arm 103d are defined as the forelegs, and the second arm 103b and the third arm 103c are defined as the right leg.

[0039] Both the hind and left feet have barbed structures (not shown in the attached diagram) on their bottoms, which increase friction. This structure allows the hind feet to move forward but not easily backward. Similarly, this structure allows the left foot to move to the right but not easily to the left.

[0040] In addition, the folding reserved hole 401 at the center of the flat plate structure P forms the contraction hole 101 at the center of the bionic exoskeleton 100 after folding. The contraction hole 101 enables the bionic starfish robot to stably store a certain amount of energy conducted from the shape memory alloy 200 into the bionic starfish robot body. When the energy is released, a rebound effect is generated, enabling the bionic starfish robot to jump.

[0041] An alloy steel plate 500 is also bonded between the gaps inside each spine 102. The height of the alloy steel plate 500 extending out of the back of the bionic exoskeleton 101 is the same as the height of the spine 102.

[0042] The shape memory alloy 200 includes a front shape memory alloy 201 and a back shape memory alloy 202. The front shape memory alloy 201 and the back shape memory alloy 202 have identical structures, initially in the form of a curved long strip. Both ends of each shape memory alloy 200 are "I"-shaped. The two ends of the front shape memory alloy 201 are respectively installed in the first shape memory alloy mounting hole 404a, and cross the spine 102 from the front of the bionic exoskeleton 100. The two ends of the back shape memory alloy 202 are respectively installed in the second shape memory alloy mounting hole 404b, and cross the alloy steel plate 500 from the back of the bionic exoskeleton 100.

[0043] It should be noted that shape memory alloy 200 is in the martensitic phase at room temperature, exhibiting low elastic modulus and high toughness. When shape memory alloy 200 is subjected to external stimuli (such as increased temperature), a diffusionless displacement shear of atoms (atoms cooperating along the phase interface) occurs, causing a change in its shape—a martensitic phase transformation. Once the external stimulus disappears, the material reverts to the martensitic phase. During the phase transformation, the high-temperature phase is typically referred to as the parent phase or austenitic phase, while the low-temperature phase is called the martensitic phase. In this embodiment, shape memory alloy 200 is locked in a straight shape in the austenitic phase and bent in the martensitic phase. That is, it is initially bent, and when heated, shape memory alloy 200 deforms into a straight shape.

[0044] Furthermore, the biomimetic starfish robot is also equipped with a heating system 600, which includes a heating element 601 disposed on a shape memory alloy 200. The heating element 601 may be a resistance wire. The heating element 601 is driven by a circuit system 602, which in turn is controlled by a microcontroller 603, which is powered by a button battery.

[0045] The specific movement mode of the biomimetic starfish robot proposed in this invention is as follows:

[0046] When forward movement is required, the reverse shape memory alloy 202 between the first arm 103a and the fourth arm 103d, and the reverse shape memory alloy 202 between the second arm 103b and the third arm 103c are first electrically heated. When electrically heated, these reverse shape memory alloys 202 straighten and compress the alloy steel plate 500 on one side. At this time, the bionic exoskeleton 101 contracts, that is, the forelegs and hind legs contract towards the center simultaneously. After a period of time, the front shape memory alloy 201 between the first arm 103a and the fourth arm 103d, and the front shape memory alloy 201 between the second arm 103b and the third arm 103c are electrically heated. These front shape memory alloys 201 straighten and compress the first spine 102a and the third spine 102c. The bionic exoskeleton 101 extends, that is, the forelegs and hind legs extend to the sides simultaneously. However, the friction at the bottom of the hind legs is greater, so the bionic starfish robot moves forward.

[0047] Similarly, when movement to the right is required, the reverse shape memory alloy 202 between the first arm 103a and the second arm 103b, and the reverse shape memory alloy 202 between the third arm 103c and the fourth arm 103d are first electrically heated. When electrically heated, these reverse shape memory alloys 202 straighten and compress the alloy steel plate 500 on one side. At this time, the bionic exoskeleton 101 contracts, that is, the left and right feet contract towards the center simultaneously. After a period of time, the front shape memory alloy 201 between the first arm 103a and the second arm 103b, and the front shape memory alloy 201 between the third arm 103c and the fourth arm 103d are heated. These front shape memory alloys 201 straighten and compress the second spine 102a and the fourth spine 102d. The bionic exoskeleton 101 extends, that is, the left and right feet extend to both sides simultaneously. However, the friction at the bottom of the left foot is greater, so the bionic starfish robot moves to the right.

[0048] It should be noted that if the bionic starfish robot needs to move backward, the shape memory alloy 200 in the middle of the right foot and the shape memory alloy 200 in the middle of the front foot must be controlled first to rotate the bionic starfish robot 90 degrees clockwise, and then the left and right feet must be controlled to make the left foot drive the bionic starfish robot to move backward.

[0049] If the biomimetic starfish robot needs to move to the left, the shape memory alloy 200 in the middle of the left foot and the shape memory alloy 200 in the middle of the forefoot must be controlled first to rotate the biomimetic starfish robot 180 degrees counterclockwise. Then, the left and right feet are controlled to move, causing the left foot to drive the biomimetic starfish robot to move to the left. Therefore, the robot designed in this invention can achieve multi-directional crawling movement based on a simple combination of three sets of control.

[0050] It is worth noting that the biomimetic starfish robot designed in this invention uses a folded polyetheretherketone membrane as its skeleton and a shape memory alloy as its muscles, forming a quadruped robot. However, it is not limited to starfish with simple musculoskeletal structures; it can also be used to simulate the movement of animals such as ants, grasshoppers, and turtles, which have multiple muscles and complex skeletons.

[0051] Furthermore, the biomimetic starfish robot designed in this invention requires laser cutting to remove excess portions of the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) film, folding the raised sections step by step, installing shape memory alloy, and then covering both sides with a drive control system. To ensure that the circuitry in the drive control system has good corrosion resistance, stability, and water resistance, a layer of polymer needs to be coated on it.

[0052] The biomimetic starfish robot designed in this invention employs an independent drive control system. Through optimized design of the resistance heater, it avoids the problem of shape memory alloy being damaged by localized overheating, enabling precise heating of the shape memory alloy to the austenitic phase temperature range. Because the heating element 601, circuit system 602, and microcontroller 603 are independent, the system's stability and safety are enhanced, avoiding the impact of a single point of failure on the entire system. Furthermore, this modular design makes subsequent design and optimization more flexible and convenient, and maintenance more efficient and convenient, allowing adjustments to specific modules without affecting the functionality of other parts.

[0053] The biomimetic starfish robot designed in this invention employs an electric heating system attached to a shape memory alloy. This system can transfer heat to the surrounding environment in a short time. Due to the small volume of the shape memory alloy at the arm-foot junction and the low temperature of the austenite phase, the circuit system only requires a weak electrical signal to generate enough heat to deform the shape memory alloy. Therefore, this invention significantly reduces power consumption, noise pollution, and the complexity of circuit system design.

[0054] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A biomimetic starfish robot, characterized in that: include, A biomimetic exoskeleton (100) is obtained by folding a flat plate structure (P) with creases; A shape memory alloy (200) is disposed on the bionic exoskeleton (100), and the shape memory alloy (200) drives the bionic exoskeleton (100) to deform through its own deformation; A driving unit (300) is used to drive the shape memory alloy (200) to deform; The flat plate structure (P) is square, with a folding pre-drilled hole (401) at its center. Carpal creases (402) are provided along the diagonals of the flat plate structure (P), and spine creases (403) are provided along the line connecting the centers of opposite sides of the flat plate structure (P). Positioning creases (406) are provided on both sides of the carpal creases (402) and the spine creases (403). Two pairs of shape memory alloy mounting holes (404) are symmetrically provided on both sides of each spine crease (403). The bionic exoskeleton (100) includes a contraction hole (101) at its center, a spine (102) on the front of the bionic exoskeleton (100), and wrists (103) on the back of the bionic exoskeleton (100). The spine (102) is obtained by folding the spine crease (403) on the flat plate structure (P), and the wrists (103) are obtained by folding the wrist crease (402) on the flat plate structure (P). An alloy steel plate (500) is also provided inside the spine (102), and the alloy steel plate (500) extends to the outside of the reverse side of the bionic exoskeleton (100); The shape memory alloy (200) includes a front shape memory alloy (201) and a back shape memory alloy (202). Both ends of the front shape memory alloy (201) and the back shape memory alloy (202) are respectively disposed in the shape memory alloy mounting holes (404), and the front shape memory alloy (201) extends beyond the spine (102), and the back shape memory alloy (202) extends beyond the alloy steel plate (500).

2. The biomimetic starfish robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Several positioning holes (405) are provided along the paths of the carpal crease (402), the spine crease (403), and the positioning crease (406).

3. The biomimetic starfish robot as described in claim 2, characterized in that: An anti-slip component is provided at the bottom of the drive arm (103), which can prevent the drive arm (103) from resetting.

4. The biomimetic starfish robot as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The heating system (600) includes a heating element (601) disposed on the shape memory alloy (200), a circuit system (602) connected to the heating element (601), and a microcontroller (603) connected to the circuit system (602).

5. The biomimetic starfish robot as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The material of the bionic exoskeleton (100) is polyetheretherketone.

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