A modular hybrid drive exploration robot imitating earthworm

Abstract

The application discloses an earthworm-imitating modular mixed driving detection robot, which comprises at least one intermediate body and head and tail connecting members at two ends; the inner layer of the intermediate body is a flexible bellows structure, and the outer layer is a flexible ellipsoidal structure; the inside of the bellows is a first cavity, and the space between the ellipsoid and the bellows is a second cavity; some liquid is stored in the first cavity and the second cavity; a first pump body group is arranged between the first cavity and the second cavity; the head and tail connecting members are composed of a control body and a conical body; a rotating motor and a second pump body group are arranged in the control body; the rotating motor can drive the conical body to rotate; the conical body is made of a flexible material, and the outer surface is helical. The application adopts a driving mode combining gas driving and liquid driving to realize the bending, elongation and other structural deformation of the modular soft robot; and through the design of the head and tail connecting ends, the vibration, rotation and soil detection of the modular soft robot are realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a modular mixed-drive earthworm-like exploration robot. BACKGROUND

[0002] Modular robots are widely used for their independently manufactured motion components and control systems. Each robot module is independent and has key components such as drive components and control components. The modules are designed separately and can be replaced at any time. By combining different modules, a robot system with different functions and motion modes can be formed, which can be quickly reorganized and adjusted according to different tasks and environments. Through modular design, the complexity of design can be reduced, repetitive work can be avoided, the design cycle can be shortened, and the production cost can be reduced. Modular robots can be widely used in industrial production, medical field, exploration and rescue, space environment, etc., and have very wide application prospects.

[0003] Earthworms, as common peristaltic crawling organisms in nature, are a kind of terrestrial annelid invertebrates. The whole body is cylindrical and composed of multiple annular segments. The head can be extended and peristaltic, with the functions of digging soil, feeding and touch. The segments are composed of transverse muscles and longitudinal muscles, which can realize elongation and shortening. The setae help crawling and play the role of fixing support and auxiliary movement. Therefore, the modular robot inspired by earthworms can realize various motion modes and composition forms, and has certain practical significance and research value.

[0004] The comparative document CN108891496A discloses a pneumatic earthworm-like soft robot, which comprises an axial drive, an elastic outer cavity and a gas pipe. The axial drive is a cylindrical multi-cavity structure, and the elastic outer cavity is an ellipsoidal cavity structure. The soft robot is driven by gas and can realize crawling motion in pipelines and narrow spaces, as well as crawling behavior on various slopes. The soft robot is controlled by gas driving and adopts a tethered control strategy. It relies on the gas pipe for gas supply, and its motion space is limited in a certain environment.

[0005] The comparative document CN116922416A discloses a modular pneumatic soft robot, which is composed of multiple units connected in series. Adjacent robots are connected through a disassembly mechanism, and multiple gas bag assemblies are arranged in the circumferential direction. The soft robot can realize modular operation in complex environments. The soft robot adopts a pneumatic control strategy, and its external connection gas pipe and gas path control system are greatly affected in actual control.

[0006] In summary, the pure pneumatic control earthworm-like robot is limited by the gas path and cannot be applied to long-distance exploration. There is an urgent need to develop an earthworm-like bionic modular exploration robot with mixed drive. SUMMARY

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a modular mixed drive probe robot imitating earthworm, which has dual driving modes of pneumatic and hydraulic and can realize motion control of constant body fluid soft robot.

[0008] To this end, the technical scheme of the present application is: a modular mixed drive probe robot imitating earthworm, comprising at least one intermediate body and head and tail connecting members at both ends;

[0009] The intermediate body is of double-layer structure, the inner layer is flexible bellows structure, and the outer layer is flexible ellipsoidal structure; the bellows is internally provided with a first cavity, and the ellipsoidal structure and the bellows are provided with a second cavity between them, and part of liquid is stored in the first cavity and the second cavity; the intermediate body is further provided with a first control module and a first pump body group connecting the first cavity and the second cavity, and the operation of the first pump body group is controlled by the first control module;

[0010] The head and tail connecting members are composed of a control body and a conical body, the control body is internally provided with a rotary motor and a second pump body group, and the rotary motor can drive the conical body to rotate; the conical body is made of flexible material, and the outer surface is helical, the conical body is internally provided with a third cavity, and part of liquid is filled in the third cavity, and the second pump body group is in communication with the third cavity.

[0011] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: the bellows structure and the ellipsoidal structure of the intermediate body are integrally casted from the same flexible material, and the flexible material is silicone, silicone rubber, hydrogel or PDMS.

[0012] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: the peaks and valleys of the flexible bellows of the intermediate body are in S-shaped distribution, and a flexible constraint layer is arranged outside the peaks, and the flexible constraint layer is made of organic film, nylon material, synthetic resin, fiber material or polyester material.

[0013] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: the first pump body group comprises a liquid control pump and a first gas control pump, the liquid control pump pumps the liquid in the first cavity into the second cavity, and the intermediate body is in a contracted state; the first gas control pump pumps the gas in the second cavity into the first cavity, and the intermediate body is in an elongated state.

[0014] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: the intermediate body is provided with a magnet connecting end at both ends and the end of the head and tail connecting member, the magnet connecting end comprises a magnetic attraction hole and a magnetic attraction positioning column; at least one intermediate body is fixed between the two head and tail connecting members by magnetic attraction.

[0015] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: the tip of the head-tail connecting piece is provided with a sensing device, a sensor is arranged in the sensing device, and the sensor includes an infrared sensor, a visual sensor, a position sensor, a tactile sensor, a magnetic force sensor, a temperature and humidity sensor or a depth sensor.

[0016] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: the second pump body group includes a second gas control pump, the second gas control pump extracts gas in the third cavity, the conical body is in a contraction state, the second gas control pump fills gas into the third cavity, the conical body is in an expansion state, and the conical body is in a vibration state by controlling the frequency of gas extraction and gas filling of the second gas control pump.

[0017] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: a motor driving unit, a pneumatic driving unit, a main control and power supply unit are arranged in the control body of the head-tail connecting piece, the motor driving unit controls the operation of the rotating motor to control the spiral rotation of the conical body, the pneumatic driving unit is used for controlling the second pump body group to perform pneumatic control on the third cavity, and the vibration effect is generated by periodic pneumatic contraction and expansion at a relatively high frequency, and the main control and power supply unit controls and supplies power to the head-tail connecting piece independently.

[0018] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: a bristle structure is arranged at the middle position of the outer surface of the intermediate body, the bristle structure is made of a flexible material and encapsulates a force actuated deformation microchip inside, the force actuated deformation microchip can control the directional elastic deformation of the flexible material to form a tooth-like structure.

[0019] On the basis of the above scheme and as a preferred scheme of the above scheme: a magnetic material is encapsulated in the flexible material of the bristle structure, the magnetic material is controlled by the magnetic drive of the force actuated deformation microchip, the directional elastic deformation of the bristle is controlled according to the change of the magnetic drive signal, and the change of the magnetic drive signal is caused by the change of the outer ellipsoidal structure.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are:

[0021] 1. The driving mode combining gas driving and liquid driving is adopted to realize the bending, elongation and other structural deformation of the modular soft robot, the vibration, rotation and soil detection of the modular soft robot are realized through the design of the head-tail connecting end, and the present application has certain innovation and creativity and has good prospects and technical advantages.

[0022] 2. The robot body and related structural parts are made of flexible materials and have a full-flexible structure, so that the detection and movement in an unstructured environment can be adapted.

[0023] 3. The strategy of gas-liquid mixed driving is adopted, and both gas driving strategy and liquid driving strategy can be used in the same module. The gas driving realizes the elongation of the soft robot, the liquid driving realizes the contraction of the soft robot, the combination of the two driving modes can ensure the constant of the overall volume, can effectively simulate the change of the transverse muscle and longitudinal muscle of the earthworm, and can realize the similar movement of the earthworm.

[0024] 4. The rotating drilling and vibration functions are integrated on the head-to-tail connecting piece, which can realize the loosening of the soil through vibration operation, and can realize the drilling of the soil through rotation operation, so that the robot can detect the soil underground; and the robot is not divided into front and rear ends in movement, so that the robot movement is more flexible.

[0025] 5. The bottom bristle structure with force sensing behavior is arranged outside the middle body to simulate the tactile bristle of the earthworm, which can quickly respond when stimulated by force, and deform the flexible structure into a sawtooth shape with certain rigidity effect to realize the crawling on the ground.

[0026] 6. The middle body is a modular structure, which can be assembled according to the use requirement; through the combination control of different modules, various movement forms and functions can be obtained, which can realize the movement in different scenes, such as pipeline crawling, different ground crawling, soil drilling, etc., and also has certain swimming function when placed in water.

[0027] 7. The modular design idea is adopted to design the robot body, so that when one of the modules fails, it can be replaced in time without affecting the overall control progress. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of example 1;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a structural sectional view of example 1;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a separate schematic diagram of the middle body of example 1;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the middle body of example 1;

[0032] Figure 5 It is a structural block diagram of the gas-liquid driving control end of the middle body of example 1;

[0033] Figure 6 It is a structural sectional view of the middle body of example 1;

[0034] Figure 7 It is a structural sectional view of the middle body of example 1 in the elongated state;

[0035] Figure 8 Structure section view of the intermediate in Example 1 in the contracted state;

[0036] Figure 9 Structure schematic of the head-to-tail connector in Example 1;

[0037] Figure 10 Structure schematic of the control body of the head-to-tail connector in Example 1;

[0038] Figure 11 Structure schematic of Example 2 in the extended state;

[0039] Figure 12 Structure schematic of Example 2 in the contracted state;

[0040] Figure 13 Structure schematic of Example 2 in the partially contracted, partially extended state;

[0041] Figure 14 Structure schematic of Example 3;

[0042] Figure 15 Structure schematic of the bristle structure in Example 3 in the stimulated state;

[0043] Figure 16 Structure schematic of Example 3 in the contracted state;

[0044] Figure 17 Structure section view of Example 3 in the contracted state;

[0045] Figure 18 Structure schematic of Example 3 in the extended state;

[0046] Figure 19 Structure schematic of Example 3 in the partially contracted, partially extended state.

[0047] In the figure, the labels are: intermediate 1, magnet connection end 11, magnetic attraction hole 111, magnetic attraction positioning column 112, gas-liquid driving control end 12, electromagnetic valve 13, first control module 14, first pump body group 15, head-to-tail connector 2, control body 21, motor driving system 211, pneumatic driving system 212, main control and power supply system 213, conical body 22, third cavity 23, sensing device 24, bellows 3, wave crest 31, constraint layer 32, first cavity 33, ellipsoidal structure 4, second cavity 41, bristle structure 5, dentate structure 51. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that for orientation words, such as the terms "center", "transverse (X)", "longitudinal (Y)", "vertical (Z)", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and cannot be understood as limiting the specific protection scope of the present application.

[0049] In addition, if the terms "first", "second" are used for description purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features. Therefore, the "first", "second" features defined can explicitly or implicitly include one or more features, and in the description of the present application, the meaning of "several", "several" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

[0050] Embodiment 1

[0051] The earthworm-like modular hybrid drive exploration robot described in this embodiment includes three interconnected intermediates 1 and two end connectors 2 at both ends.

[0052] The intermediate 1 is provided with a magnet connection end 11 at both ends. The magnet can be selected from a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, and is placed in an even number. A part of the magnet is placed in a concave manner to form a magnetic attraction hole 111, and the other part of the magnet is placed in a convex manner to form a magnetic attraction positioning column 112, so as to facilitate seamless butt joint with another intermediate. The magnets are distributed in a circumferential direction, and are not limited to four groups, but can be six groups, eight groups, or more groups.

[0053] The intermediate 1 is a double-layer structure, and the inner layer is a flexible bellows 3. Compared with the "U-shaped", "Ω-shaped" and "∧-shaped" bellows design, the "S-shaped" bellows has better pressure resistance effect, can withstand deformation under high pressure, and has strong deformation absorption capacity.

[0054] The outer side of the wave crest 31 of the bellows 3 is provided with a flexible constraint layer 32. The flexible constraint layer is also attached to the wave crest position of the "S-shaped" bellows 3 in an integral molding manner, and is used to constrain and limit the excessive expansion deformation of the bellows. The constraint layer can be made of various materials, such as organic film, nylon material, synthetic resin, fiber material, polyester material, etc. Its structure can be designed into a mesh shape to achieve overall constraint effect.

[0055] The specific working principle of the constraint layer is: when a positive air pressure is applied to the bellows, the "S-shaped" bellows expands and elongates, and when the pressure increases and reaches the limit of structural deformation, material deformation occurs. The structural deformation is reversible, while the material deformation is sometimes irreversible. In order to avoid material deformation, the constraint layer is used to constrain and limit the deformation at this time. Similarly, when a negative pressure is applied to the bellows, after the structural deformation is completed, material deformation will also occur, and the constraint layer can also have the effect of constraint and limitation.

[0056] The outer layer of the intermediate body 1 is a flexible ellipsoidal structure 4 with a wall thickness of 1 mm, which is integrally formed with the same flexible material as the bellows 3, and looks like a sleeve wrapped outside the bellows, forming a covering effect. The flexible material used here can be silicone, silicone rubber, hydrogel, PDMS, or other flexible materials, etc.

[0057] The bellows 3 inside the intermediate body 1 is a first cavity 33 for driving gas; the ellipsoidal structure 4 and the bellows 3 are a second cavity 41 for driving liquid. The first cavity 33 and the second cavity 41 each store a certain amount of liquid, and the liquid capacity in the second cavity 41 is greater than that in the first cavity 33. Common liquids can be water, oil, and other liquids with small compressibility. At the same time, the remaining space in the first cavity 33 and the second cavity 41 is gas.

[0058] The inside of the intermediate body 1 is provided with a gas-liquid driving control end 12, which includes a plurality of electromagnetic valves 13, a first control module 14 and a first pump body group 15. The plurality of electromagnetic valves 13 are used to control the direction of the fluid and realize automatic control; the first control module 14 is used to control a single gas-liquid module; the first pump body group 15 includes a first gas control pump and a liquid control pump, which are mainly used to ensure the total volume of gas driving and liquid driving constant. The first gas control pump is used to transfer gas between the first cavity and the second cavity, and the liquid control pump is used to transfer liquid between the first cavity and the second cavity. The gas control pump and the liquid control pump are both prior art, which will not be described here.

[0059] The power supply module is inherited in the gas-liquid driving control end 12 of the intermediate body 1, and the intermediate body 1 can be self-powered. A customized lithium battery can be generally used, and the endurance time is relatively long. Independent power supply and control systems are used between the intermediate bodies. The control and power supply systems of each section can be the same. The system can be controlled through WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G / 5G network, satellite communication, radio frequency control, special communication control, etc. The electrical components that must be provided in each section include a circuit board, a power supply system, and a control system. The circuit board integrates various chips such as sensors, communication, data transmission, and data acquisition chips. The power supply system includes a continuous power supply system, a power-off holding system, and an emergency response system. The control system includes a gas-liquid control system, a motor rotation control system, and various components.

[0060] The specific working principle of the gas-liquid mixing control is as follows:

[0061] 1. Initial stage: a certain amount of liquid is stored in the first cavity 33 and the second cavity 41, and the liquid capacity in the second cavity 41 is greater than that in the first cavity 33.

[0062] 2. Contraction stage: the liquid in the first cavity 33 is pumped out by the liquid control pump and pumped into the second cavity 41. The air in the first cavity 33 cannot be extracted. At this time, the overall volume of the first cavity 33 will decrease due to the extraction of the liquid, showing a compressed trend and producing a transverse contraction. After a certain amount of liquid is pumped into the second cavity 41, the overall volume increases and expands under the action of the contraction of the first cavity 33, thereby causing the entire intermediate body to contract.

[0063] 3. Reset back to the initial stage: in the contraction state, the liquid control pump extracts a certain amount of liquid from the second cavity 41 and pumps it into the first cavity 33, so that the volume of the first cavity 33 increases, and the bellows 3 is elongated to the initial length.

[0064] 4. Elongation stage: in the initial state, the gas in the second cavity 41 is pumped out by the first gas control pump and pumped into the first cavity 33, while the liquid in the second cavity 41 cannot be extracted. At this time, the gas in the second cavity 41 is extracted, but the overall volume does not change much. This is mainly due to the large amount of liquid inside, and the density of the liquid is much greater than that of air. In addition, the incompressibility of the liquid causes the overall volume to change little. After a large amount of gas is pumped into the first cavity 33, the overall volume increases and expands, thereby producing a transverse elongation behavior. This elongation behavior also causes the outer ellipsoidal structure of the intermediate body to elongate correspondingly. When the elongation reaches a certain extent, the bellows 3 will not over-expand under the restriction of the constraint layer 32.

[0065] 5. Reset back to the initial stage two: in the elongated state, the first gas control pump extracts a certain amount of air from the first cavity 33 into the second cavity 41, so that the volume of the first cavity 33 is reduced, and the bellows is contracted to the initial length.

[0066] In summary, the embodiment generates the elongation behavior of the robot by gas driving, and generates the contraction behavior of the robot by liquid driving. Under the periodic action of elongation and contraction, the movement behavior of the robot is generated.

[0067] The head-to-tail connector 2 is composed of a control body 21 and a conical body 22. The control body 21 is provided with a magnet connection end on the side surface, which is the same as the intermediate body 1, and can be seamlessly connected with the intermediate body 1. The control body 21 is provided with a motor driving system 211, a pneumatic driving system 212, a main control and power supply system 213. The motor driving system 211 is mainly used for spiral behavior control of the conical body, and the components thereof include a micro motor, a transmission mechanism, a power system and the like. The pneumatic driving system 212 is mainly used for pneumatic control of the cavity part of the head-to-tail connector 2. The vibration effect is generated by periodic pneumatic contraction and expansion at a relatively high frequency, so that the soil can be loosened, and the detection effect can be achieved. The main control and power supply system 213 is mainly used for control of the head-to-tail connector 2. The circuit control system includes but is not limited to a main control chip, a data transmission module, a graphic processing module, a sensor processing chip, a storage chip and the like.

[0068] The conical body 22 is made of a flexible material, which is the same as the material of the intermediate body. The outer surface of the conical body is spiral, and the inside of the conical body is a third cavity 23. A certain amount of liquid is packaged in the third cavity 23. The second pump body group includes a second gas control pump, which is connected with the third cavity and is mainly controlled by a gas driving strategy. The output end of the rotating motor is connected with the conical body through a hollow shaft, and can drive the conical body to rotate. Under the cooperation of the spiral structure, the effect of spiral drilling is achieved. The second gas control pump can be connected with the third cavity through the hollow shaft, which can drive the conical body, and can also realize the functions of inflation and air extraction. The gas extracted by the second gas control pump is relatively small, and does not need an additional air bag. It can be directly connected with the air in the control body, and the control body can also be set as a non-closed end.

[0069] The head-to-tail connector 2 is provided with a sensing device 24 at the tip. The sensing device is provided with sensors, such as an infrared sensor for detecting object distance, a visual sensor for capturing object image, a position sensor for sensing object position, a tactile sensor for detecting object shape, a magnetic force sensor for detecting magnetic field, a temperature and humidity sensor for sensing temperature and humidity, a depth sensor for obtaining accurate environmental information, and the like.

[0070] The conical body 22 can perform a rotary auger operation under the driving of the motor, and can also perform a vibration operation. The main working principle of the vibration operation is that a certain volume of liquid is encapsulated in the third cavity 23. When the air in the third cavity 23 is extracted, the total volume in the third cavity 23 is compressed and shrinks due to the incompressibility or small compressibility of the liquid. When a certain amount of gas is filled into the third cavity 23, the overall volume in the third cavity 23 will increase and expand. Therefore, by changing the frequency of gas filling and gas extraction, a vibration-like effect can be achieved, thereby loosening the soil, and the spiral structure can better complete the detection behavior.

[0071] Embodiment 2

[0072] This embodiment is composed of 6 intermediate bodies 1 and two end-to-end connectors 2. The 6 intermediate bodies 1 can independently complete the state switching between the elongated state, the reset state and the contracted state:

[0073] ① The 6 intermediate bodies 1 can be synchronously elongated Figure 11 );

[0074] ② The 6 intermediate bodies 1 can be synchronously contracted Figure 12 );

[0075] ③ Among the 6 intermediate bodies 1, part of the intermediate bodies are in the elongated state, and part of the intermediate bodies are in the contracted state Figure 13 );

[0076] ④ Among the 6 intermediate bodies 1, part of the intermediate bodies are in the elongated state, and part of the intermediate bodies are in the initial state;

[0077] ⑤ Among the 6 intermediate bodies 1, part of the intermediate bodies are in the contracted state, and part of the intermediate bodies are in the initial state;

[0078] ⑥ Among the 6 intermediate bodies 1, part of the intermediate bodies are in the elongated state, part of the intermediate bodies are in the contracted state, and part of the intermediate bodies are in the initial state;

[0079] In summary, the embodiment is a modular robot that can achieve high integration, high independence and high intelligence, and is not affected by each other.

[0080] Embodiment 3

[0081] As shown in Figure 14 , the intermediate position of the outer surface of the intermediate body 1 is provided with a bristle structure 5. The bristle structure 5 in the initial state is attached to the outer surface of the intermediate body 1 and is located at the middle position of the structure. The bristles are also made of flexible material, and in the initial state, they have a rectangular structure. Inside, a force actuated deformation microchip is encapsulated, which has the characteristics of self-power supply. Under the stimulation of external force, it can produce deformation on the flexible material, thereby realizing a specific function, and has the characteristics of fast response.

[0082] The working principle of the bristles is that when the ellipsoidal structure outside the intermediate body 1 changes, the force actuated deformation microchip at the bottom will timely sense the deformation generated, thereby acting on the bristle structure 5 encapsulating it, generating directional elastic deformation of the bristle structure 5, which is designed to have a specific shape and structure of deformation. As shown in Figure 15 , the elastic deformation is designed to have a tooth-shaped structure 51, so that when the force actuated chip is stimulated by force, it will produce a tooth-shaped folding deformation, and the tooth-shaped deformation will become hard, so that crawling movement on different road conditions can be realized.

[0083] Specifically, a magnetic material can be encapsulated in the flexible material of the bristle structure, which is composed of special materials and magnetic powder. The internal magnetic field is constant and will not be disturbed by the external magnetic field, and can only be controlled by the magnetic drive of the deformation chip, and the directional elastic deformation of the bristle structure can be controlled according to the change of the magnetic drive signal. Therefore, the directional elastic deformation of the bristle structure can be controlled according to the strength of the internal magnetic field and the strength of the magnetic drive signal.

[0084] As shown in Figure 16 , Figure 17 , when all intermediate bodies 1 are in the contracted state, the bristle structure 5 generates directional elastic deformation and appears tooth-shaped structure 51.

[0085] As shown in Figure 18 , when all intermediate bodies 1 are in the elongated state, the bristle structure 5 generates directional elastic deformation and appears tooth-shaped structure 51.

[0086] As shown in Figure 19 , when the first intermediate body is in the initial state, its bristle structure 5 does not deform, while the remaining intermediate bodies in the elongated state or the contracted state generate directional elastic deformation of the bristle structure and appear tooth-shaped structure 51.

[0087] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Any technical solution falling within the concept of the present application shall fall within the protection scope of the present application. It should be noted that for ordinary skilled persons in the art, some improvements and refinements without departing from the principles of the present application shall also be considered as the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A modular hybrid-driven exploration robot in the shape of an earthworm, characterized in that: It includes at least one intermediate body, and end connectors at both ends; The intermediate body has a double-layer structure, with an inner layer being a flexible corrugated tube structure and an outer layer being a flexible ellipsoidal structure. The corrugated tube contains a first cavity, and the ellipsoidal structure and the corrugated tube form a second cavity. Both the first and second cavities contain a portion of liquid. The intermediate body also includes a first control module and a first pump assembly connecting the first and second cavities. The first control module controls the operation of the first pump assembly. The end connector consists of a control body and a conical body. The control body is equipped with a rotary motor and a second pump assembly. The rotary motor can drive the conical body to rotate. The conical body is made of flexible material and has a spiral outer surface. The interior of the conical body is a third cavity, which is filled with some liquid. The second pump assembly is connected to the third cavity. The first pump assembly includes a liquid control pump and a first gas control pump. The liquid control pump pumps liquid from the first chamber into the second chamber, and the intermediate body is in a contracted state. The first gas control pump pumps gas from the second chamber into the first chamber, and the intermediate body is in an extended state.

2. The modular hybrid-driven detection robot mimicking an earthworm as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The corrugated tube structure and ellipsoidal structure of the intermediate are integrally cast from the same flexible material, such as silicone, silicone rubber, hydrogel or PDMS.

3. The modular hybrid-driven detection robot mimicking an earthworm as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible corrugated tube of the intermediate has an S-shaped distribution of crests and troughs, and a flexible constraint layer is provided on the outer side of the crest. The flexible constraint layer is made of organic film, nylon material, synthetic resin, fiber material or polyester material.

4. The modular hybrid-driven detection robot mimicking an earthworm as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The intermediate body is provided with magnetic connection ends at both ends and the ends of the first and last connecting parts. The magnetic connection ends include magnetic suction holes and magnetic positioning posts. At least one intermediate body is fixed between the two first and last connecting parts by magnetic attraction.

5. The modular hybrid-driven detection robot mimicking an earthworm as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The tip of the end connector is equipped with a sensing device, which contains sensors, including infrared sensors, vision sensors, position sensors, tactile sensors, magnetic sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, or depth sensors.

6. The modular hybrid-driven exploration robot mimicking an earthworm as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The second pump assembly includes a second gas control pump, which draws gas from the third chamber, causing the cone to contract. The second gas control pump also fills the third chamber with gas, causing the cone to expand. By controlling the frequency of the second gas control pump's drawing and filling, the cone is made to vibrate.

7. The modular hybrid-driven detection robot mimicking an earthworm as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The control body of the head and tail connector is equipped with a motor drive unit, a pneumatic drive unit, and a main control and power supply unit. The motor drive unit controls the rotary motor to work and controls the conical body to rotate in a spiral. The pneumatic drive unit is used to control the second pump body group to pneumatically control the third cavity, and generates a vibration effect through periodic pneumatic contraction and expansion at a relatively fast frequency. The main control and power supply unit independently controls and supplies power to the head and tail connector.

8. The modular hybrid-driven detection robot mimicking an earthworm as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The intermediate body has a bristle structure at the center of its outer surface. The bristle structure is made of flexible material and encapsulates a force-actuated deformation microchip inside. The force-actuated deformation microchip can control the flexible material to undergo directional elastic deformation to form a tooth-like structure.

9. The modular hybrid-driven detection robot mimicking an earthworm as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The flexible material of the bristle structure encapsulates a magnetic material. The magnetic material is controlled by a force-driven deformation microchip. The directional elastic deformation of the bristle structure is controlled according to the strength of the change in the magnetic drive signal. The strength of the change in the magnetic drive signal is generated by the change in the outer ellipsoidal structure.

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