A multi-modal underwater vehicle
By designing a multimodal underwater vehicle and using a combination of walking devices and underwater thrusters, multimodal operation that can be movable underwater and on land is achieved, solving the problems of low operating efficiency and high cost of traditional underwater vehicles, and improving the reliability and operating efficiency of equipment.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410929864.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-29
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-07-11
AI Technical Summary
The operating mode and work efficiency of traditional underwater vehicles are low, unable to adapt to the complex and changeable underwater environment and diversified task needs, and are costly, which limits its large-scale application in the fields of scientific research, commercial and public services.
A multimodal underwater vehicle is designed, and the walking device and underwater thruster are combined to achieve multimodal operation through push-pull mechanism, transverse float spacing adjustment mechanism and rotary mechanism, including underwater propulsion, walking, transmission and anchoring modes, reducing the number and complexity of parts.
It realizes multimodal operation that can be movable underwater and on land, reduces the cost and maintenance complexity of equipment, improves the reliability and operation efficiency of equipment, and adapts to complex and changeable underwater environments and diversified task requirements.
Smart Images

Figure CN118596751B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention particularly relates to a multi-modal underwater vehicle. Background Art
[0002] Exploring the marine environment has attracted widespread attention worldwide, because the marine environment is accompanied by harsh environments such as low light and high pressure, and it is not easy to detect the marine environment. However, with the widespread use of intelligent manufacturing, underwater vehicles are gradually developing towards intelligence and efficiency. Unmanned underwater vehicles have been widely used in military, scientific research, resource exploration and other fields, and the urgent needs for underwater environment detection, marine scientific research, seabed resource development and other fields have gradually been met. However, technical bottlenecks, market promotion, and acceptance issues still exist. The operating mode and work efficiency of traditional underwater vehicles are low, and they cannot adapt to the complex and changeable underwater environment and diverse task requirements. In addition, if a robotic arm is installed to grab objects, the cost of the underwater vehicle will increase, and the cost of manufacturing, maintaining and operating traditional underwater vehicles is high, which limits its large-scale application in scientific research, commerce and public services. Summary of the invention
[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multimodal underwater vehicle that can be moved in a multimodal manner both underwater and on land, can clamp and transport objects without clamps, achieves integrated operation, reduces the number and complexity of parts, and improves the reliability of the equipment and the convenience of maintenance.
[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is:
[0005] A multi-modal underwater vehicle comprises a vehicle and a running device; the running device is arranged at the bottom of the vehicle, and the vehicle comprises an underwater propeller;
[0006] The walking device includes a support plate, a push-pull mechanism, a transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism and two buoys. The support plate is connected to the bottom of the vehicle. The push-pull mechanism is arranged on the support plate and connected to the transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism. The two buoys are arranged side by side under the support plate. The transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism is connected to the two buoys. The transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the distance between the two buoys. Each buoy is equipped with a crawler walking mechanism. The buoy is connected to the corresponding crawler walking mechanism through a rotating mechanism. The rotating mechanism can drive the crawler walking mechanism to rotate around the buoy.
[0007] Preferably, the vehicle also includes a chassis, and a sea-going vehicle control cabin, a camera and a searchlight arranged on the chassis, the underwater propeller is also arranged on the chassis, the chassis is arranged on a support plate, baffles are provided on both sides of the chassis, the sea-going vehicle control cabin is respectively connected to the camera, the searchlight and the underwater propeller, and the sea-going vehicle control cabin serves as a controller and is also connected to the push-pull mechanism, the lateral buoy spacing adjustment mechanism, the rotating mechanism and the crawler walking mechanism.
[0008] Preferably, the push-pull mechanism comprises an electric push rod or a telescopic cylinder, and both ends of the electric push rod or the telescopic cylinder are respectively connected to the support plate and the transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism.
[0009] Preferably, the lateral buoy spacing adjustment mechanism includes a mounting shell, a central steering gear, a driving wheel, and two connecting rods. The push-pull mechanism is connected to the mounting shell, the central steering gear is arranged on the mounting shell, the output end of the central steering gear is connected to the driving wheel, the two connecting rods are respectively arranged on both sides of the driving wheel, one end of the two connecting rods is respectively hinged to the two outer ends of the driving wheel, and the other ends of the two connecting rods are respectively connected to the two buoys through a rotating shaft. A lateral guide groove is provided on the mounting shell, and the rotating shaft is arranged in the guide groove and can move back and forth along the guide groove.
[0010] Preferably, the driving wheel is rhombus-shaped, the output end of the central steering gear is connected to the center of the rhombus-shaped driving wheel, and the two ends of the rhombus-shaped driving wheel are respectively hinged to one end of the two connecting rods.
[0011] Preferably, a guide rail is provided longitudinally along the upper edge of the support plate and arranged on both sides of the push-pull mechanism, and slide grooves are provided on both sides of the installation shell, and the guide rails are arranged in the slide grooves. The push-pull mechanism drives the installation shell to move back and forth along the guide rails through the slide grooves.
[0012] Preferably, the support plate is U-shaped, the straight section of the U-shaped support plate serves as a guide rail, U-shaped slide grooves are provided on both sides of the mounting shell, the mounting shell is arranged between the two straight sections of the U-shaped support plate, and the two guide rails extend into the U-shaped slide grooves on both sides of the mounting shell respectively.
[0013] Preferably, the rotating mechanism includes a flip servo and a support rod. The flip servo is arranged on the pontoon bracket, and the output end of the flip servo is connected to the track walking mechanism through the support rod; the flip servo drives the support rod to rotate around the central axis of the pontoon, and the support rod is connected to the pontoon bracket through a bearing, thereby driving the track walking mechanism to flip.
[0014] Preferably, the crawler walking mechanism comprises a crawler, a crawler drive motor, a main drive wheel and a slave drive wheel, the main drive wheel and the slave drive wheel are respectively arranged at both ends of the inner circle of the crawler, a plurality of support wheels are sequentially distributed between the main drive wheel and the slave drive wheel, and the main drive wheel is connected to the output end of the crawler drive motor through a chain or a transmission belt;
[0015] Sealing plates are arranged on both sides of the crawler track, and the crawler track driving motor, supporting wheels, main driving wheels and slave driving wheels are arranged between the sealing plates on both sides, and the supporting rods of the rotating mechanism are connected to the sealing plates.
[0016] Preferably, the multi-modal underwater vehicle includes multiple modes, namely:
[0017] Mode 1: The push-pull mechanism drives the two pontoons and the corresponding crawler walking mechanisms to retract to the bottom of the vehicle, and the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanisms to flip to the inside or outside of the pontoons, so that the crawlers of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged relative to each other, and the underwater propeller pushes the vehicle to move in the water, which is the underwater propulsion mode;
[0018] Mode 2: The rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the bottom of the pontoon, so that the crawler surface of the crawler walking mechanism contacts the ground, and the crawler walking mechanism moves as a walking mode;
[0019] Mode three: the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the inside of the pontoon, so that the crawler surfaces of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged oppositely, and the push-pull mechanism drives the two pontoons and the front ends of the corresponding crawler walking mechanisms to extend out of the aircraft. The two crawler surfaces arranged oppositely are used as transmission belt surfaces, and the distance between the two crawler surfaces is adjusted by the lateral pontoon spacing adjustment mechanism. The objects to be conveyed are clamped and conveyed from both sides of the crawler surfaces as a conveying mode;
[0020] Mode four, the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the inside of the pontoon, so that the track surfaces of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged opposite to each other, and the lateral pontoon spacing adjustment mechanism drives the two pontoons and the corresponding crawler walking mechanisms to clamp the anchoring object as the anchoring mode.
[0021] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:
[0022] The present invention drives the crawler walking mechanism to retract and extend through a push-pull mechanism, adjusts the distance between the two crawler walking mechanisms through a lateral buoy spacing adjustment mechanism, drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip through a rotating mechanism, and can achieve multi-modal movement both underwater and on land through an underwater propeller and a rotatable, telescopic and movable crawler walking mechanism. When floating in water in normal movement, the crawler tracks shrink to the bottom of the vehicle to reduce resistance and have a better streamlined structure. The two crawler walking mechanisms can be flipped inwards and arranged relative to each other to form a quasi-double-sided belt conveyor for clamping, conveying and transferring objects, which can replace the clamping claws to a certain extent. The crawler walking mechanism can not only walk, but also clamp and transport objects without the need for clamping claws, thereby realizing integrated operation, reducing the number and complexity of components, and improving the reliability of the equipment and the convenience of maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a multi-modal underwater vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a walking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] Figure 3 is a top view of a walking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The local K view of
[0027] In the figure: 101-electric push rod; 102-track; 103-first buoy bracket; 104-second buoy bracket; 105-buoy; 106-support rod; 201-support plate; 202-central steering gear; 203-connecting rod; 301-steering gear; 302-bearing; 303-track drive motor; 304-support wheel; 401-sea craft central axis control cabin; 402-baffle; 403-camera; 404-searchlight; 405-sea craft blade drive device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.
[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like are involved, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.
[0030] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. It can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. It can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. It can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0031] Example 1
[0032] A multi-modal underwater vehicle, such as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, it includes a spacecraft and a running device; the running device is arranged at the bottom of the spacecraft, and the spacecraft includes an underwater propeller;
[0033] The walking device includes a support plate, a push-pull mechanism, a transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism and two buoys. The support plate is connected to the bottom of the vehicle. The push-pull mechanism is arranged on the support plate and is connected to the transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism. The two buoys are arranged side by side under the support plate and are connected to the transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism and the two buoys. The transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the distance between the two buoys. Each buoy is equipped with a crawler walking mechanism. The buoy is connected to the crawler walking mechanism through a rotating mechanism. The rotating mechanism can drive the crawler walking mechanism to rotate around the buoy.
[0034] Furthermore, the aircraft also includes a chassis, and a sea-going aircraft central axis control cabin 401, a camera 403, and a searchlight 404 arranged on the chassis. The underwater propeller is also arranged on the chassis. The chassis is arranged on a support plate, and baffles 402 are arranged on both sides of the chassis.
[0035] Furthermore, the underwater propulsion device includes a sea craft blade driving device 405 .
[0036] Example 2
[0037] The push-pull mechanism is further limited on the basis of Example 1, and the performance of Example 2 after the limitation is better.
[0038] The push-pull mechanism comprises an electric push rod or a telescopic cylinder, and two ends of the electric push rod or the telescopic cylinder are respectively connected to the support plate and the transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism.
[0039] Example 3
[0040] On the basis of Example 1 or 2, the lateral float spacing adjustment mechanism is further limited, and the performance of Example 2 after the limitation is better.
[0041] The lateral buoy spacing adjustment mechanism comprises a mounting shell, a central steering gear 202, a driving wheel, and two connecting rods (203); the push-pull mechanism is connected to the mounting shell; the central steering gear and the driving wheel are arranged in the mounting shell; the output end of the central steering gear is connected to the driving wheel; the two connecting rods are respectively arranged on both sides of the driving wheel; one end of the two connecting rods is respectively hinged to the two outer ends of the driving wheel; the other ends of the two connecting rods are respectively hinged to the two buoys through rotating shafts; a lateral guide groove is provided on the mounting shell; the rotating shaft is arranged in the guide groove and can move back and forth along the guide groove; the push-pull mechanism can drive the mounting shell and the central steering gear, the driving wheel, the two connecting rods and the buoy thereon to move back and forth together; the central steering gear drives the driving wheel to rotate back and forth; and the distance between the two buoys can be adjusted through the connecting rod.
[0042] Furthermore, the driving wheel is rhombus-shaped, the output end of the central steering gear is connected to the center of the rhombus-shaped driving wheel, and the two ends of the rhombus-shaped driving wheel are respectively hinged to one end of the two connecting rods.
[0043] Furthermore, a guide rail is provided longitudinally along the upper edge of the support plate and arranged on both sides of the push-pull mechanism. Slide grooves are provided on both sides of the installation shell, and the guide rails are arranged in the slide grooves. The push-pull mechanism drives the installation shell to move back and forth along the guide rails through the slide grooves.
[0044] Furthermore, the support plate is U-shaped, the straight section of the U-shaped support plate serves as a guide rail, U-shaped slide grooves are provided on both sides of the mounting shell, the mounting shell is arranged between the two straight sections of the U-shaped support plate, and the two guide rails extend into the U-shaped slide grooves on both sides of the mounting shell respectively.
[0045] Furthermore, the rotating mechanism includes a flip servo and a support rod. The flip servo is arranged on the pontoon bracket, and the output end of the flip servo is connected to the crawler walking mechanism through the support rod. The flip servo drives the support rod to rotate, thereby driving the crawler walking mechanism to flip.
[0046] The buoy supports of the two buoys are respectively a first buoy support and a second buoy support.
[0047] Furthermore, the output end of the tilting steering gear is connected to the support rod through a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is arranged on the buoy bracket through a bearing.
[0048] Furthermore, the crawler walking mechanism includes a crawler, a crawler drive motor, a main drive wheel and a slave drive wheel, the main drive wheel and the slave drive wheel are respectively arranged at both ends of the inner circle of the crawler, a plurality of support wheels are sequentially distributed between the main drive wheel and the slave drive wheel, and the main drive wheel is connected to the output end of the crawler drive motor through a chain or a transmission belt;
[0049] There are sealing plates on both sides of the crawler track, and the crawler drive motor, support wheels, main drive wheels and slave drive wheels are all arranged between the sealing plates on both sides. The support rod of the rotating mechanism is directly connected to the sealing plate, and a support rod is connected between the two sealing plates. The crawler drive motor, support wheels, main drive wheels and slave drive wheels are all installed on the sealing plates.
[0050] Further to the ground, the crawler track and the sealing plates on both sides together form a relatively closed structure, forming an integrated crawler track.
[0051] The crawler walking mechanism has multiple functions: the first function is that the crawler walking mechanism flips to the bottom of the buoy, and with the underwater thruster, the crawler walking mechanism can climb the wall underwater, which is convenient for adsorbing on the surface of some objects to carry out exploration work, such as in scenarios such as sunken ships and underwater oil fields; the second function is that the crawler walking mechanism flips to the inside of the buoy and can be converted into a conveyor belt. The two crawlers clamp from both sides to convey the object to the side. Such a design can simplify the mechanical structure and does not require the device to be equipped with a clamping device and a transmission device at the same time; the third function is that the crawler walking mechanism flips to the inside of the buoy, and the two crawler walking mechanisms are driven by the lateral buoy spacing adjustment mechanism to clamp the anchored object from both sides, so that the underwater vehicle is fixed on the anchored object in a complex underwater environment. After the crawler walking mechanism is extended to clamp the anchored object through the push-pull mechanism, the push-pull mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to retract, and the underwater vehicle is pulled over to a fixed position, such as clamping an underwater railing or handrail to fix its position, and fix its position in a complex underwater environment.
[0052] The multi-modal underwater vehicle includes multiple modes, namely:
[0053] Mode 1: The push-pull mechanism drives the lateral pontoon spacing adjustment mechanism and the two pontoons and the corresponding crawler walking mechanism to retract to the bottom of the vehicle, and the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the outside of the pontoon, so that the crawlers of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged oppositely, and the crawler walking surface is perpendicular to the support plate. The underwater propulsion device pushes the vehicle to move in the water, which is the underwater propulsion mode;
[0054] Mode 2: The rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip under the pontoon, so that the crawler surfaces of the two crawler walking mechanisms are parallel to the support plate, and the crawler surfaces of the crawler walking mechanisms contact the ground, and the crawler walking mechanism moves. The ground here can be underwater ground or land ground, or underwater rock wall. If it is underwater, it can climb along the underwater rock wall with the underwater propeller as a walking mode;
[0055] Mode three: the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the inside of the pontoon, so that the crawler surfaces of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged oppositely, the crawler walking surface is perpendicular to the support plate, and the push-pull mechanism drives the two pontoons and the front ends of the corresponding crawler walking mechanisms to extend out of the aircraft. The two crawler surfaces arranged oppositely serve as transmission belt surfaces, and the distance between the two crawler surfaces is adjusted by the lateral pontoon spacing adjustment mechanism. The crawler surfaces are used to clamp and convey the objects to be conveyed from both sides of the objects to be conveyed, as a conveying and clamping mode; the objects to be conveyed can be conveyed to the corresponding position through the two crawler surfaces arranged oppositely, or to the bottom of the aircraft, and then the underwater propeller is used to move the objects to be conveyed to the corresponding position, and then the objects to be conveyed are released;
[0056] Mode four, the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the inside of the pontoon, so that the track surfaces of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged relatively, and the lateral pontoon spacing adjustment mechanism drives the two pontoons and the corresponding crawler walking mechanisms to clamp the anchoring object as an anchoring mode; when the waves or wind and waves are too large, the anchoring mode is used to temporarily lie down and fix to avoid being carried away by the wind and waves.
[0057] Working principle of the present invention: Please refer to Figure 1-Figure 4 , a multi-modal underwater navigation robot shown in the figure includes an electric push rod 101 fixed on a support plate 201, a steering gear 202 and a connecting rod 203 are installed in the mounting seat connected to the electric push rod, the connecting rod is connected to the buoys 105 on both sides of the track, and a steering gear 301 for controlling the horizontal flipping of the track is installed on the buoy, which is connected to the track through a support rod 106. The track of this device adopts an integrated design, the drive motor 303 is placed inside the track housing, connected to the drive wheel through a belt, and a support wheel 304 is installed in the middle to play a supporting role.
[0058] 1. Track extension: In order to allow the track to extend to clamp objects, the following is a plan for track extension.
[0059] The electric push rod 101 fixed on the integral support plate 201 can push the entire track device along the track reserved on the support plate 201 through the telescopic function of the electric push rod 101. When the electric push rod 101 starts to work, its push rod part will gradually extend, thereby pushing the track device connected to the front end of the electric push rod 101. As the electric push rod 101 continues to advance, the track 102 is driven to extend forward until it reaches the required position, so that the track device can effectively move over a certain distance to meet its needs in various operations.
[0060] 2. Horizontal flipping of the crawler: In order to make the crawler flip horizontally to form a conveyor belt, the following is a solution for horizontal flipping of the crawler.
[0061] The steering gear 301 is installed in the buoy 105, and its main function is to realize the horizontal flipping of the crawler 102 by rotating the motor 301. With the rotation of the motor 301, the crawler 102 can be driven by the support rod 106 to realize a stable and accurate horizontal flipping action.
[0062] 3. Tightening the track spacing: In order to tighten the track spacing to adapt to the size of various objects, the following is a plan for tightening the track spacing.
[0063] The rotation of the central steering gear 202 will drive the connecting rod 203 to rotate to shorten the track spacing. The connecting rod 203 is connected to the buoys 105 on both sides of the track, thereby tightening the track. Specifically, when the central steering gear 202 is started and begins to rotate, the power it generates is transmitted to the buoys 105 through the connecting rod 203. Since the buoys 105 are connected to both sides of the track, when the connecting rod 203 rotates, it will synchronously pull the buoys 105, thereby tightening the track. This design ensures that the track can maintain appropriate tightness during operation, thereby improving the stability and work efficiency of the device. In addition, through the precise control of the central steering gear 202, the tightness of the track can be adjusted according to actual needs to adapt to different working environments and task requirements.
[0064] Through the above steps, the underwater vehicle can freely convert the crawler into a conveyor belt to collect objects during work, and has a strong capture ability. Due to the large friction coefficient at the bottom of the crawler, it has a strong ability to capture objects. The propulsion rod propels the crawler to the capture target range, and the crawler can be flipped through the hinge structure. The crawler moves in the opposite direction and transmits the object to the designated location. This innovation solves the shortcomings of underwater robots such as weak fishing ability, low capture rate, and easy damage to the fuselage. It greatly improves the practicality and operability of intelligent capture.
[0065] In summary, (1) compared with other capture tools, the present invention makes full use of its own motion system and the fuselage made of special materials. The multifunctional crawler can rotate in 6 degrees of freedom. The crawler has multifunctional movements such as flipping and relative extension of the body. The crawler can be flipped and retracted. When the robot floats in the water in normal motion, the crawler shrinks the bottom. Reduce resistance, change its own structure, and have a better streamlined structure. Make it more efficient in different motion states. The electric push rod separates the crawler from the body and separates the body when encountering danger. In the changeable and harsh environment encountered on the seabed, the crawler adopts a wide and multi-section crawler design to improve terrain adaptability and reduce the failure rate. The chassis structure adopts a low center of gravity and strong load-bearing chassis structure to ensure the stability of the system under different terrains. (2) Water motion conversion, the product can perform water motion conversion with good effect and fast time. When the robot has not fully entered the water, the robot relies on the crawler to move. When the robot floats in the water in normal motion, the underwater propeller is started, the crawler flips and shrinks the bottom. Reduce resistance and have a better streamlined structure. When the robot goes deep into the ground, it can use the crawler tracks to move again. (3) High avoidance ability, due to high degree of freedom and flexibility. The electric push rod can separate the crawler tracks from the body and separate the body when encountering danger. The crawler tracks can be turned over to adjust the direction quickly.
[0066] The advantage is that it simplifies the design of the mechanical system and does not require the installation of crawlers and grippers at the same time. The crawler can extend to grab the object, and then pull the object back through its own transmission, thereby realizing integrated operation, reducing the number and complexity of parts, and improving the reliability of the equipment and the convenience of maintenance. Its application scenarios are as follows: when used on a ball picking machine, the automatic tennis ball picking machine can first move to the vicinity of the tennis ball with the crawler; when approaching the tennis ball, the crawler clamps the tennis ball through the extension function and pulls it back into the collection box. This not only eliminates the need for additional manipulators or grippers, but also reduces the cost of equipment design and manufacturing, reduces potential failure points, and improves the stability and durability of the system. In addition, this design makes the ball picking machine work faster and more efficiently on the tennis court, significantly improving the user experience. This new crawler structure not only simplifies and integrates functions, but also provides efficient and reliable solutions in multiple application fields, such as automated warehousing, industrial production, and hazardous environment operations, greatly broadening its scope of use and market prospects.
[0067] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device.
[0068] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or changes based on the above description, and all these improvements and changes should fall within the scope of protection of the appended claims of the present invention.
Claims
1. A multi-modal underwater vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle comprises a vehicle and a running device, wherein the running device is arranged at the bottom of the vehicle, and the vehicle comprises an underwater propeller; The walking device includes a support plate, a push-pull mechanism, a transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism and two buoys. The support plate is connected to the bottom of the vehicle. The push-pull mechanism is arranged on the support plate and connected to the transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism. The two buoys are arranged side by side below the support plate. The transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism is connected to the two buoys. The transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the spacing between the two buoys. Each buoy is equipped with a crawler walking mechanism. The buoy is connected to the corresponding crawler walking mechanism through a rotating mechanism. The rotating mechanism is used to drive the crawler walking mechanism to rotate around the buoy. The multi-modal underwater vehicle includes multiple modes, namely: Mode 1: The push-pull mechanism drives the two pontoons and the corresponding crawler walking mechanisms to retract to the bottom of the vehicle, and the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanisms to flip to the inside or outside of the pontoons, so that the crawlers of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged relative to each other, and the underwater propeller pushes the vehicle to move in the water, which is the underwater propulsion mode; Mode 2: The rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the bottom of the pontoon, so that the crawler surface of the crawler walking mechanism contacts the ground, and the crawler walking mechanism moves as a walking mode; Mode three: the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the inside of the pontoon, so that the crawler surfaces of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged oppositely, and the push-pull mechanism drives the two pontoons and the front ends of the corresponding crawler walking mechanisms to extend out of the aircraft. The two crawler surfaces arranged oppositely are used as transmission belt surfaces, and the distance between the two crawler surfaces is adjusted by the lateral pontoon spacing adjustment mechanism. The objects to be conveyed are clamped and conveyed from both sides of the crawler surface, which is used as the conveying mode; Mode four, the rotating mechanism drives the crawler walking mechanism to flip to the inside of the pontoon, so that the track surfaces of the two crawler walking mechanisms are arranged opposite to each other, and the lateral pontoon spacing adjustment mechanism drives the two pontoons and the corresponding crawler walking mechanisms to clamp the anchoring object as the anchoring mode.
2. The multimodal underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aircraft also includes a chassis, and a sea-going aircraft control cabin, a camera and a searchlight arranged on the chassis. The underwater propeller is also arranged on the chassis. The chassis is arranged on a supporting plate, and baffles are arranged on both sides of the chassis.
3. The multimodal underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The push-pull mechanism comprises an electric push rod or a telescopic cylinder, and two ends of the electric push rod or the telescopic cylinder are respectively connected to the support plate and the transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism.
4. The multimodal underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transverse buoy spacing adjustment mechanism comprises a mounting shell, a central steering gear (202), a driving wheel, and two connecting rods (203); the push-pull mechanism is connected to the mounting shell, the central steering gear is arranged on the mounting shell, the output end of the central steering gear is connected to the driving wheel, the two connecting rods are respectively arranged on both sides of the driving wheel, one end of the two connecting rods is respectively hinged to the two outer ends of the driving wheel, and the other ends of the two connecting rods are respectively connected to the two buoys via rotating shafts; a transverse guide groove is provided on the mounting shell, and the rotating shaft is arranged in the guide groove and can move back and forth along the guide groove.
5. The multimodal underwater vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The driving wheel is rhombus-shaped, the output end of the central steering gear is connected to the center of the rhombus-shaped driving wheel, and the two ends of the rhombus-shaped driving wheel are respectively hinged to one end of two connecting rods.
6. The multimodal underwater vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that: A guide rail is provided longitudinally on the upper edge of the support plate and arranged on both sides of the push-pull mechanism. Slide grooves are provided on both sides of the installation shell. The guide rails are arranged in the slide grooves. The push-pull mechanism drives the installation shell to move back and forth along the guide rails through the slide grooves.
7. The multimodal underwater vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The support plate is U-shaped, and the straight section of the U-shaped support plate serves as a guide rail. U-shaped slide grooves are provided on both sides of the mounting shell. The mounting shell is arranged between the two straight sections of the U-shaped support plate, and the two guide rails extend into the U-shaped slide grooves on both sides of the mounting shell respectively.
8. The multimodal underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism includes a flip servo and a support rod. The flip servo is arranged on the pontoon bracket, and the output end of the flip servo is connected to the track walking mechanism through the support rod; the flip servo drives the support rod to rotate around the central axis of the pontoon, and the support rod is connected to the pontoon bracket through a bearing, thereby driving the track walking mechanism to flip.
9. The multimodal underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crawler walking mechanism includes a crawler, a crawler drive motor, a main drive wheel and a slave drive wheel. The main drive wheel and the slave drive wheel are respectively arranged at both ends of the inner circle of the crawler. A plurality of support wheels are sequentially distributed between the main drive wheel and the slave drive wheel. The main drive wheel is connected to the output end of the crawler drive motor. Sealing plates are arranged on both sides of the crawler track, and the crawler track driving motor, supporting wheels, main driving wheels and slave driving wheels are all arranged between the sealing plates on both sides.
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Multi-domain unmanned self-propulsion detector and self-propulsion method
CN116252577A
KR20200102687A