Pneumatic soft crawling robot with bionic scale structure

Abstract

The invention discloses a pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure. The pneumatic soft crawling robot is formed by combining a driver body and a pneumatic connector, wherein the driver body is formed by combining a head structure, a vacuum cavity, a scale structure and a tail structure; the head structure and the tail structure are hard parts and are connected with the soft vacuum cavity; the vacuum cavity is formed by communicating a plurality of soft cavities, and a hard reinforcing structure is embedded in the middle of each cavity; the scale structures are made of hard materials, and the bottom of each soft cavity is connected with a hard scale. The pneumatic connector is provided with an air inlet hole and is connected with the driver body through a thread structure. The crawling robot has the advantages of being small in size, high in environmental adaptability, high in stability and good in flexibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of soft robots, and in particular to a pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure. Background Art

[0002] In production, life and scientific research, there are many unstructured environment detection tasks, such as narrow pipeline maintenance, damaged road detection, post-disaster rescue and gravel pile exploration. The complex landform features and geological structures in unstructured environments pose great challenges to detection tasks. Crawling robots are widely used in the field of terrain detection, and unstructured detection environments place higher requirements on the performance of crawling robots.

[0003] Currently, common detectors and patrollers are difficult to adapt to detection environments with many obstacles and narrow spaces due to their size and mobility limitations, and detection scenarios are mostly limited to flat terrain. In this context, crawling robots with strong environmental adaptability and miniaturization are more advantageous.

[0004] However, when traditional rigid robots are exploring narrow and rugged environments, they are prone to tipping over due to unstable center of gravity. In addition, the narrow environment and the rigid robot will impact and collide, which will cause damage to the robot parts and affect its use.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a new crawling robot that can better adapt to complex detection scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0006] The main purpose of the present invention is to propose a pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure, aiming to provide a crawling robot that can better adapt to complex detection scenes.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure proposed in the present invention comprises a driver body and a pneumatic connector, wherein:

[0008] The driver body includes a vacuum cavity and a plurality of scale structures, wherein the vacuum cavity includes a plurality of soft chambers interconnected with each other, the plurality of scale structures are respectively connected to the bottoms of the plurality of soft chambers, one end of the scale connected to the soft chamber is a connecting end, and the other end is a movable end;

[0009] A pneumatic connector is connected to the vacuum cavity and is provided with an air inlet hole communicating with the vacuum cavity, and the pneumatic connector is used to connect to an external air source to deliver gas to the vacuum cavity;

[0010] The vacuum cavity can generate bending deformation and axial elongation deformation when inflated, and the scale structure changes its relative position with the contact surface as the vacuum cavity is deformed, so as to provide crawling force for the vacuum cavity through friction with the contact surface.

[0011] In one embodiment, the vacuum chamber further includes a hard reinforcement structure, which is disposed in the soft chamber to limit radial deformation of the soft chamber and improve the load capacity and durability of the robot, and the scale structure is connected to the hard reinforcement structure.

[0012] In one embodiment, the hard reinforcement structure is an open frame structure, the opening direction of the frame structure is opposite to the scale structure, and the hard reinforcement structure is embedded in the radial periphery of the soft cavity.

[0013] In one embodiment, the plurality of soft chambers are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the vacuum chamber;

[0014] The vacuum chamber also includes a connecting structure, which is arranged between two adjacent soft chambers. The connecting structure is a hollow structure and is formed with a channel for connecting adjacent soft chambers.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cross-section of the interconnecting structure is a semicircle protruding toward the scale structure, and there is a gap between the end of the interconnecting structure facing the scale structure and the bottom of the soft chamber.

[0016] In one embodiment, the scale structure is tilted downward from the connecting end to the movable end, and an angle between the scale structure and a horizontal plane is between 4° and 10°.

[0017] In one embodiment, the plurality of scale structures are sequentially stacked along the axial direction of the vacuum chamber, and the movable end of one of two adjacent scale structures covers the surface of the connecting end of the other.

[0018] In one embodiment, the scale structures are arranged in a pentagonal shape, and a corner of one of two adjacent scale structures covers an edge of the other.

[0019] In one embodiment, the driver body further comprises a tail structure disposed at one end of the vacuum chamber, the tail structure comprising a connecting portion and a sealing ring, wherein:

[0020] The connecting part is made of a hard and rigid material, and is provided with a communicating air hole connected with the vacuum cavity, and a threaded structure is provided on the outer periphery of the connecting part, and the threaded structure is used for threaded connection with the pneumatic connector;

[0021] The sealing ring is sleeved on the surface of the connecting part.

[0022] In one embodiment, the driver body further comprises a head structure disposed at the other end of the vacuum chamber, the head structure is made of a hard rigid material, the cross section of the head structure is rectangular, and the head structure is sealed and connected to the vacuum chamber.

[0023] Compared with the traditional crawling robot, the pneumatic soft crawling robot of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. The crawling robot body of the present invention is made of soft material, has high compliance and flexibility, and can better adapt to complex detection scenarios.

[0025] 2. The bottom of the robot of the present invention is designed with a hard scale structure arranged in the same direction to provide anisotropic friction, thereby improving the crawling efficiency of the robot.

[0026] 3. All parts of the robot of the present invention are integratedly printed by UV curing multi-material 3D printing technology, and the production method is simple and fast.

[0027] 4. The robot head structure, vacuum chamber, scale structure and tail structure of the present invention are integrated to form the robot driver body; the driver body is connected to the pneumatic connector through a threaded structure, which is convenient for disassembly and assembly. When any structure is damaged, it can be directly replaced, which is convenient and fast, and reduces maintenance costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a complete assembly diagram of the pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure according to the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the driver body of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pneumatic connector according to the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a single bionic scale according to the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a single bionic scale according to the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 is a side view schematic diagram of a plurality of scale structures according to the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 It is a schematic top view of the multiple scale structures described in the present invention.

[0036] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0037] 1. Head structure; 2. Vacuum cavity; 21. Soft cavity; 22. Hard reinforcement structure; 23. Connecting structure; 3. Scale structure; 31. Connecting end; 32. Active end; 4. Tail structure; 41. Connecting part; 42. Thread structure; 43. Sealing ring; 5. Pneumatic connector; 51. Connector body; 52. Connector thread structure; 53. Internal sealing ring; 54. Air inlet

[0038] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0041] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text is to include three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, or solution B, or a solution that satisfies both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0042] The invention provides a pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure.

[0043] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the pneumatic soft crawling robot with the bionic scale structure 3 includes a driver body and a pneumatic connector 5 .

[0044] The driver body includes a vacuum cavity 2, a plurality of scale structures 3, a head structure 1 and a tail structure 4.

[0045] Specifically, the vacuum chamber 2 includes a plurality of interconnected soft chambers 21, which are made of flexible materials (such as silicone, polyurethane or ABS plastic, Agilus30, etc.) so that they can be deformed in the inflated and exhausted states. A scale structure 3 is installed at the bottom of each soft chamber 21. Each scale structure 3 has a connecting end 31 and a movable end 32, the connecting end 31 is connected to the soft chamber 21, and the movable end 32 is arranged opposite to the connecting end 31. The scale structure 3 is made of hard material to ensure that it has sufficient strength to withstand the pressure during the movement of the robot.

[0046] Specifically, in the inflated state, the vacuum chamber 2 can bend upward and stretch axially. The scale structure 3 changes its relative position with the contact surface (ie, the crawling surface) as the vacuum chamber 2 deforms, and provides crawling power for the vacuum chamber 2 through friction with the contact surface.

[0047] In this embodiment, the cross section of the soft chamber 21 is configured to be rectangular.

[0048] The head structure 1 is made of hard material and connected to one end of the vacuum chamber 2. Its cross section is rectangular and can provide a rigid frame to ensure that the crawling robot maintains a stable forward direction during movement. The head structure 1 is sealed and connected to the vacuum chamber 2 to prevent gas leakage.

[0049] In this embodiment, the cross section of the head structure 1 is rectangular, so as to be sealed and connected with the soft body chamber 21. Of course, in other embodiments, the cross section of the head structure 1 can also be set to be square.

[0050] The tail structure 4 is arranged at the other end of the vacuum chamber 2, and includes a connection part 41 and a sealing ring 43. The connection part 41 is made of hard material, and is provided with a connecting air hole connected to the vacuum chamber 2. The outer periphery of the connection part 41 is provided with a threaded structure 42 for threaded connection with the pneumatic connector 5. The sealing ring 43 is sleeved on the surface of the connection part 41 to ensure the gas sealing performance between the connection part 41 and the pneumatic connector 5.

[0051] Specifically, the pneumatic connector 5 is installed on the tail structure 4, connected to the driver body through the threaded structure 42, provided with an air inlet 54 connected to the vacuum chamber 2, and can be connected to an external air source (such as an air pump) to transport gas to the vacuum chamber 2.

[0052] Specifically, the pneumatic connector 5 includes a connector body 51 and an internal sealing ring 53, wherein the connector body 51 is made of a hard material, has a connector thread structure 52, and is threadedly connected to the tail structure 4 through the connector thread structure 52. The internal sealing ring 53 is arranged inside the connector body 51 to ensure that there is no leakage when gas is input, provide a stable air pressure environment, and enable the vacuum chamber 2 to deform as expected.

[0053] In addition, the connector body 51 is provided with an air inlet 54, which is arranged corresponding to the connecting air hole on the tail structure 4. The hole wall of the air inlet 54 is provided with an air inlet thread, which facilitates the rapid and sealed connection between the pneumatic connector 5 and the external air source. The specification of the air inlet is M5×0.8, so as to be compatible with common air source equipment, for example, a quick connection pneumatic straight-through quick-connect connector and an air guide tube.

[0054] Specifically, when the pneumatic soft crawling robot is started, an external gas source inputs gas into the vacuum chamber 2 through the pneumatic connector 5. As the gas enters the soft chamber 21, the vacuum chamber 2 begins to expand, deforming upward and extending axially. In this process, the connection end 31 of the scale structure 3 moves with the deformation of the soft chamber 21, causing the active end 32 to gradually separate from the ground (i.e., the contact surface) or change the contact angle with the ground.

[0055] When inflation is completed, the robot enters the exhaust phase. At this time, as the gas is exhausted from the vacuum chamber 2, the vacuum chamber 2 begins to return to its original shape. The active end 32 of the scale structure 3 re-contacts the ground or returns to the contact angle before inflation due to the restored position, thereby generating friction and pushing the vacuum chamber 2 forward or backward. In this way, in each inflation and deflation cycle, the scale structure 3 will periodically contact or separate from the ground, effectively pushing the robot forward.

[0056] This dynamic process of inflating and deflating allows the crawling robot to flexibly adapt to various conditions on complex terrain, showing good movement ability and stability to complete exploration work. In addition, by adjusting the input and output of gas, the robot's movement speed and direction can be precisely controlled, thereby achieving more flexible operation.

[0057] In some embodiments, the vacuum chamber 2 further includes a hard reinforcement structure 22 , which is disposed in the soft chamber 21 to limit radial deformation of the soft chamber 21 .

[0058] It can be understood that by limiting the deformation of the soft chamber 21 through the hard reinforcement structure 22, the deformation of the vacuum chamber 2 can be mainly concentrated in the axial direction. This not only improves the stability of the robot during movement, but also improves the efficiency of gas drive.

[0059] Specifically, the hard reinforcement structure 22 is an open frame structure, and the opening direction of the frame structure is set away from the scale structure 3. The reinforcement structure is embedded in the radial periphery of the soft chamber 21. In this way, it can not only effectively prevent the soft chamber 21 from excessive radial deformation during the inflation process, but also make the vacuum chamber 2 accurately bend upward during the inflation process through the opening, so as to ensure the travel efficiency of the crawling robot.

[0060] In addition, the hard reinforcement structure 22 not only enhances the structural integrity of the vacuum chamber 2, but also enables the robot to maintain a high degree of stability and flexibility under complex and changing terrain conditions, and can improve the load capacity and durability of the crawling robot. Especially in narrow or irregular spaces, the controlled deformation of the vacuum chamber 2 ensures that the robot will not lose balance due to excessive radial deformation, further improving the robot's environmental adaptability.

[0061] Furthermore, the scale structure 3 is directly connected to the hard reinforcement structure 22. Since the hard reinforcement structure 22 provides strong support, the scale structure 3 remains stable during the deformation of the soft chamber 21 and moves with the bending and stretching of the vacuum chamber 2. In this way, the movable end 32 of the scale structure 3 can more accurately adjust the contact angle and separation action with the ground, ensuring sufficient friction when the robot crawls.

[0062] Optionally, the rigid reinforcement structure 22 may be made of nylon, plastic, carbon fiber, Vero Pure White (white resin), or other materials.

[0063] In some embodiments, the hard reinforcement structure 22 is embedded into the soft cavity 21 by 3D printing technology.

[0064] Specifically, the application of 3D printing technology enables the hard reinforcement structure 22 to be integrally formed with the soft chamber 21 during the manufacturing process. Through multi-material 3D printing technology, hard materials and flexible materials can be accurately integrated into the soft chamber 21 in one printing process to improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.

[0065] In addition, due to the high precision and customizability of 3D printing technology, the hard reinforcement structure 22 can be accurately embedded in different positions of the soft chamber 21 according to specific design requirements. Through this technology, the perfect fit between the hard reinforcement structure 22 and the soft chamber 21 can be ensured, avoiding the structural weaknesses or failure risks that may occur due to improper bonding or assembly in traditional manufacturing methods.

[0066] In some embodiments, the plurality of soft chambers 21 of the vacuum chamber 2 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the vacuum chamber 2. Further, the vacuum chamber 2 further comprises a connecting structure 23, which is disposed between two adjacent soft chambers 21 and forms a channel for connecting the adjacent soft chambers 21, so as to ensure that the gas between the adjacent soft chambers 21 can flow smoothly, and realize uniform expansion and contraction of the vacuum chamber 2 as a whole.

[0067] Specifically, the interconnecting structure 23 allows a proper spacing to be maintained between two adjacent soft chambers 21. This spacing design can effectively promote the upward bending deformation of the vacuum chamber 2 when inflated, thereby accurately controlling the deformation of the crawling robot.

[0068] In some embodiments, the cross section of the interconnecting structure 23 is designed to be a semicircle that bulges toward the scale structure 3. This design not only facilitates the smooth flow of gas between chambers, but also provides additional support and guidance for the bending deformation of the vacuum chamber 2. The design of the semicircular cross-sectional shape ensures that the chamber has a certain flexibility when axially stretched, and can conform to the bending of the overall structure without causing excessive local stress or unbalanced deformation during the bending process.

[0069] In addition, there is a gap between the end of the interconnecting structure 23 facing the scale structure 3 and the bottom of the soft chamber 21. This design further ensures that the vacuum chamber 2 will not be restricted by the bottom space during the inflation process, so that it can smoothly bend and deform upward.

[0070] It is worth noting that the semicircular cross-section and spacing design of the interconnecting structure 23 can be adjusted according to the working requirements of the robot, making it suitable for a variety of tasks and application scenarios, thereby further improving the flexibility and operability of the robot.

[0071] In some embodiments, the scale structure 3 is tilted downward from the connection end 31 to the movable end 32, and the angle between the scale structure 3 and the horizontal plane is between 4° and 10°. The angle between the scale structure 3 and the horizontal plane is the tilt angle of the scale structure 3, which can also be regarded as the angle between the scale structure 3 and the bottom plane of the vacuum chamber 2.

[0072] Specifically, the angle between the scale structure 3 and the horizontal plane, that is, the inclination angle of the scale structure 3, is between 4° and 10°. Within this range, the scale structure 3 can provide the best friction effect for the robot. A smaller inclination angle (close to 4°) can ensure that the scale structure 3 provides sufficient crawling power when in contact with a flat or low-friction surface; while a larger inclination angle (close to 10°) is suitable for more complex or rough terrain, ensuring that the scales can effectively grip the ground and prevent the robot from slipping or losing balance on rough terrain.

[0073] Optionally, the inclination angle of the scale structure 3 is set to 7°. This means that the scale structure 3 is inclined at an angle of 7° relative to the horizontal plane or the bottom plane of the vacuum chamber 2. This angle selection enables the scale to effectively grasp the surface irregularities when in contact with the ground, providing appropriate friction to help the robot move forward steadily, and the initial angle of 7° can ensure that the scale structure 3 can maintain good friction contact with the ground throughout the deformation cycle.

[0074] In addition, the 7° inclination angle enables the crawling robot to show excellent adaptability in various environmental conditions. For example, for smooth surfaces, the 7° angle enables the scale structure 3 to fully utilize the tiny irregularities of the ground to generate friction and avoid slipping; for rough or uneven surfaces, the 7° angle can help the scale structure 3 maintain an appropriate contact area while avoiding excessive sinking into the surface, thereby improving the robot's motion stability.

[0075] Of course, in other embodiments, the inclination angle of the scale structure 3 may also be set to any angle between 4° and 10°, such as 4°, 5°, 6°, 8°, 9°, 10°, etc.

[0076] In some embodiments, a plurality of scale structures 3 are stacked in sequence along the axial direction of the vacuum chamber 2 to form a continuous scale covering effect.

[0077] Specifically, these scale structures 3 are stacked in order from the head structure 1 to the tail structure 4, similar to the natural layout of biological (snake) scales. The scale structures 3 arranged in this way can effectively work together during the inflation and exhaust process of the vacuum chamber 2, providing continuous friction and crawling power for the pneumatic soft crawling robot.

[0078] Furthermore, in two adjacent scale structures 3, the movable end 32 of one covers the surface of the connection end 31 of the other. Since the movable end 32 of the scale covers the connection end 31 of the next scale, the scale can slide smoothly on different terrains, avoiding gaps and discontinuous contact between scales. This continuous scale structure 3 allows the robot to remain stable when crawling, avoiding jamming or slipping on irregular ground.

[0079] In addition, through the stacking design of the scale structure 3, the scale structure 3 can also generate directional friction during the inflation and deflation process of the vacuum chamber, thereby ensuring the directional movement of the crawling robot, such as moving forward (the scale structure 3 is stacked in sequence from the head structure 1 to the tail structure 4) or moving backward (the scale structure 3 is stacked in sequence from the tail structure 4 to the head structure 1). In this way, it helps to ensure that the movement direction of the crawling robot meets the expectations and improve the crawling efficiency of the crawling robot.

[0080] Of course, the design of the present application is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, the scale structure 3 may also be arranged in other ways, such as fitting together.

[0081] In some embodiments, the scale structure 3 is arranged in a pentagonal shape. Specifically, the scale structure 3 can be regarded as a combined shape formed by splicing a rectangle with a size of 12 mm×8.5 mm and an isosceles triangle with a base of 12 mm and a top angle of 120°.

[0082] The pentagonal shape of the scale structure 3 provides a larger contact area, especially when the vacuum chamber 2 is inflated and bent during robot movement, the scales can maintain a wider contact with the ground. The rectangular part is responsible for providing a larger plane contact area, while the isosceles triangle part can penetrate into the uneven surface through its vertex, thereby increasing friction on rugged or irregular terrain.

[0083] Based on the design of the pentagonal scale structure 3, the corner of one of the two adjacent scale structures 3 covers the edge of the other. This covering design can provide more continuous surface contact to improve the robot's movement stability on complex terrain and prevent jamming, sliding or failure on rugged terrain.

[0084] In some embodiments, the thickness of the scale structure 3 is 1 mm.

[0085] Specifically, the 1 mm thickness allows the scale structure 3 to provide sufficient strength while retaining a certain degree of flexibility. This thickness is sufficient to ensure that the scale structure 3 will not deform or break during the crawling process and can withstand the friction and pressure during the inflation and deflation process. At the same time, this thickness will not make the scale structure 3 too rigid, maintaining sufficient flexibility to ensure that it can conform to the slight irregularities of the terrain surface and provide continuous friction.

[0086] In addition, the 1mm thickness design also ensures the durability of the scale structure 3. During the inflation and deflation cycle of the pneumatic soft crawling robot, the scale structure 3 will frequently contact and separate from the ground, which places high demands on the material strength and wear resistance of the scale. The 1mm thick scale structure 3 can maintain stable performance during long-term use and avoid functional failure due to excessive wear. This thickness makes the scale neither too bulky nor too thin and fragile, ensuring the durability and performance stability of the scale.

[0087] In some embodiments, all structures of the driver body and the pneumatic connector 5 are manufactured using UV curing technology and are integrally formed through multi-material 3D printing.

[0088] Specifically, UV curing technology is a technology that uses ultraviolet light to quickly cure liquid photosensitive resin. This process can manufacture the designed structure in one piece in a short time, avoiding assembly errors and bonding problems in traditional manufacturing processes. By using multi-material 3D printing technology, robots can combine multiple materials, such as rigid materials and flexible materials, in a single printing process to achieve complex structures that are both functional and durable.

[0089] For the driver body, the vacuum cavity 2 made by UV curing technology can achieve seamless integration of the high-precision soft cavity 21 and the hard reinforcement structure 22. This means that the flexible part (such as the soft cavity 21) and the rigid part (such as the hard reinforcement structure 22) of the vacuum cavity 2 can be precisely manufactured in the one-piece molding process to ensure a firm connection between the parts, thereby improving the durability and airtightness of the vacuum cavity 2. At the same time, the flake structure 3 can also be molded using appropriate materials in the same printing process to ensure the strength and flexibility of the flakes.

[0090] For the pneumatic connector 5, the multi-material 3D printing technology can print the hard body, threaded part and internal sealing ring 53 of the pneumatic connector 5 in one piece. The high precision of UV curing technology enables these functional structures to be precisely formed, thereby achieving perfect matching between the pneumatic connector 5 and the driver body, ensuring the sealing performance during the gas input and output process.

[0091] It is understandable that by adopting UV curing technology and multi-material 3D printing technology for integrated molding, the manufacturing process of the pneumatic soft crawling robot is more efficient, and the precision and coordination between parts are higher. This manufacturing method not only reduces the complexity of manual assembly and reduces production costs, but also makes the overall structure of the robot more reliable and suitable for long-term operation in high-load and complex environments.

[0092] In some embodiments, the crawling robot includes 9 groups of soft chambers 21, 9 groups of hard reinforcement structures 22, 8 groups of chamber interconnecting structures 23 and 9 groups of hard scales. The cross-sectional dimensions of the robot frame are 14 mm×15 mm, and the total length of the robot is 101 mm.

[0093] As you can understand, the cross-sectional dimensions of the robot's overall frame are 14mm×15mm, and the total length is 101mm, presenting a small and delicate structural design. This compact size not only makes the robot easier to operate in a small space, but also makes it more flexible in complex environments.

[0094] Based on the above embodiments, it can be seen that the pneumatic soft crawling robot of the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the traditional crawling robot:

[0095] 1. The crawling robot body of the present invention is made of soft material, has high compliance and flexibility, and can better adapt to complex detection scenarios.

[0096] 2. The bottom of the robot of the present invention is designed with a hard scale structure arranged in the same direction to provide anisotropic friction, thereby improving the crawling efficiency of the robot.

[0097] 3. All parts of the robot of the present invention are integratedly printed by UV curing multi-material 3D printing technology, and the production method is simple and fast.

[0098] 4. The robot head structure, vacuum chamber, scale structure and tail structure of the present invention are integrated to form the robot driver body; the driver body is connected to the pneumatic connector through a threaded structure, which is convenient for disassembly and assembly. When any structure is damaged, it can be directly replaced, which is convenient and fast, and reduces maintenance costs.

[0099] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure, characterized in that: include: The driver body includes a vacuum cavity and a plurality of scale structures, wherein the vacuum cavity includes a plurality of soft chambers interconnected with each other, the plurality of scale structures are respectively connected to the bottoms of the plurality of soft chambers, and one end of the scale connected to the soft chamber is a connecting end, and the other end is a movable end; A pneumatic connector connected to the vacuum cavity and provided with an air inlet hole communicating with the vacuum cavity, wherein the pneumatic connector is used to connect to an external air source to deliver gas to the vacuum cavity; The vacuum cavity can generate bending deformation and axial elongation deformation when inflated, and the scale structure changes its relative position with the contact surface as the vacuum cavity is deformed, so as to provide crawling force for the vacuum cavity through friction with the contact surface.

2. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum chamber further comprises a hard reinforcement structure, which is arranged in the soft chamber and is used to limit radial deformation of the soft chamber, and the scale structure is connected to the hard reinforcement structure.

3. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The hard reinforcement structure is an open frame structure, the opening direction of the frame structure is facing away from the scale structure, and the hard reinforcement structure is embedded in the radial periphery of the soft cavity.

4. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The plurality of soft chambers are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the vacuum chamber; The vacuum chamber also includes a connecting structure, which is arranged between two adjacent soft chambers. The connecting structure is a hollow structure and is formed with a channel for connecting adjacent soft chambers.

5. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The cross section of the interconnecting structure is a semicircle protruding toward the scale structure, and there is a gap between the end of the interconnecting structure facing the scale structure and the bottom of the soft body chamber.

6. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The scale structure is tilted downward from the connecting end to the movable end, and the included angle between the scale structure and the horizontal plane is between 4° and 10°.

7. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The multiple scale structures are stacked and arranged in sequence along the axial direction of the vacuum chamber, and the movable end of one of two adjacent scale structures covers the surface of the connecting end of the other.

8. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The scale structures are arranged in a pentagonal shape, and a corner of one of two adjacent scale structures covers a side of the other.

9. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The driver body also includes a tail structure disposed at one end of the vacuum chamber, the tail structure including a connecting portion and a sealing ring, wherein: The connecting part is made of a hard and rigid material, and is provided with a communicating air hole connected with the vacuum cavity, and a threaded structure is provided on the outer periphery of the connecting part, and the threaded structure is used for threaded connection with the pneumatic connector; The sealing ring is sleeved on the surface of the connecting part.

10. The pneumatic soft crawling robot with a bionic scale structure as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The driver body also includes a head structure arranged at the other end of the vacuum cavity. The head structure is made of a hard and rigid material. The cross section of the head structure is rectangular and is sealed and connected to the vacuum cavity.

Images