A deformable amphibious robot

Abstract

The application discloses a deformable land-air amphibious robot, which comprises a deformable unmanned aerial vehicle module and a ground driven module, the deformable unmanned aerial vehicle module comprises a conventional power assembly, a deformation assembly and a control assembly, wherein the conventional power assembly comprises four motors and two pairs of blades; the deformation assembly comprises a center frame, a deformation front frame, a deformation rear frame, a rudder frame, a rudder, a rudder crank, two connecting rods, two crank seats and two hinge frames; the control assembly comprises a flight control, an electronic speed controller, a computer stick and a battery; the ground driven module comprises two sets of driven wheel assemblies, the driven wheel assembly comprises a driven wheel, a driven shaft and a wheel shaft clamp. The deformable land-air amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle can solve the endurance problem of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and is not afraid of terrain and is flexible and light.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a deformable amphibious robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of drone and robotics technology, more and more drones and robots are entering people's lives. Many photography enthusiasts use drones to take photos and videos; drones are frequently seen in hospitals transporting emergency supplies; and even in disaster relief efforts, drones are needed for search and rescue operations. However, drones currently still have drawbacks such as short battery life and limited flight distance.

[0003] Compared to drones, robots are beginning to play an important role in people's lives. They are used for food delivery in hotels, transporting packages in industrial logistics, and there are also robots specifically designed to operate in complex terrain. However, compared to drones, robots have disadvantages such as slower movement speed and susceptibility to terrain limitations.

[0004] The existing amphibious robots (drones) on the market with redundant power systems mostly involve adding a drive wheel to the drone to provide power or adding propellers to the unmanned vehicle to enable flight. Instead, a single power system solves both land and air problems, resulting in a complex structure.

[0005] The existing solution for amphibious capability is to increase the pitch angle of the UAV so that the horizontal component of the propeller thrust provides the power for the entire aircraft to move forward. However, because the working angle of the sensors is limited, the pitch angle cannot be too large, which results in the inability to fully utilize the thrust of the motor and low utilization rate of battery power. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention proposes a deformable amphibious robot.

[0007] This invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0008] A deformable amphibious robot includes a deformable drone module and a ground-driven module. The deformable drone module includes a conventional power component, a deformable component, and a control component. The conventional power component includes four motors and two pairs of propellers. The deformable component includes a central frame, a front deformable frame, a rear deformable frame, a servo mount, a servo motor, a servo crank, two connecting rods, two crank mounts, and two hinge frames. The control component includes a flight controller, an electronic speed controller (ESC), a computer controller (CNC), and a battery. The flight controller, ESC, and CNC provide control algorithms for the deformable amphibious robot. The servo motor is mounted at the center of the central frame via the servo mount. The two hinge frames are mounted symmetrically at the front and rear of the central frame. The two crank mounts are mounted on the hinge frames and form a revolute joint. The output shaft of the servo motor is fixedly connected to the servo crank; rotation of the servo motor drives rotation of the servo crank. Each end of the crank is connected to a connecting rod, forming a revolute joint; the other end of the connecting rod is connected to the crank seat, forming a revolute joint, ultimately forming two sets of double-crank structures, which are simultaneously controlled by the servo crank. Through mechanical limiting, the maximum swing amplitude of these two double-crank structures is 90°; when the servo rotates 90°, the deformable front frame and its installed motor and propeller rotate downwards by 90°, and the deformable rear frame and its installed motor and propeller rotate upwards by 90°; the ground driven module includes two sets of driven wheel assemblies, each consisting of a driven wheel, a driven shaft, and a wheel axle clamp; one end of the driven wheel and driven shaft is connected by a bearing to form a revolute joint; the other end of the driven shaft is fixedly connected to the wheel axle clamp, forming a driven wheel assembly; the two sets of driven wheel assemblies are fixedly connected to the central frame through the wheel axle clamp, and the driven shafts on both sides are coaxial, ensuring that the center of gravity of the deformable land and air amphibious robot is below the axis.

[0009] Furthermore, the crank seat on the front side of the center frame can only swing downwards with a swing range of 90°, while the crank seat on the rear side of the center frame can only swing upwards with a swing range of 90°, and the two crank seats are always linked together.

[0010] Furthermore, the deformable front frame is fixed to the crank seat on the front side of the center frame; the deformable rear frame is fixed to the crank seat on the rear side of the center frame.

[0011] Furthermore, the four motors are respectively fixed to the four ends of the deformable front frame and the deformable rear frame; the two pairs of propeller blades are installed on the four motors according to the rules for the installation of forward and reverse propellers of the UAV.

[0012] Furthermore, the deformable front frame and the deformable rear frame are always linked and always parallel.

[0013] Beneficial effects

[0014] 1. The deformable land and air amphibious robot of the present invention operates by switching between two postures: a road posture that saves energy in normal operation, and an air flight posture that ensures a greater working distance when encountering extreme terrain or when flight is required.

[0015] 2. Compared with unmanned vehicles, the deformable amphibious robot of this invention can quickly switch between two postures: road driving and air flight, and has extremely strong ground adaptability.

[0016] 3. This invention achieves the sharing of a single power system for both land-based and aerial attitudes by adding a driven wheel and a cleverly designed blade motor directional deformation structure. The structure is simple and ingenious.

[0017] 4. By flipping the front blade downwards by 90° and the rear blade upwards by 90°, this invention ensures that the direction of the reaction force of the blade thrust is the same as the direction of motion of the deformable amphibious robot, without changing the sensor angle. This eliminates energy loss caused by the different directions of motion and force. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the full utilization of the total thrust of the propeller blades in this invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the modular structure of a deformable drone.

[0021] Figure 4 Side view of the deformable drone module;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flight attitude in the air;

[0023] Figure 6 The driving posture on the road. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the force analysis after the front and rear blades flip:

[0026] 1. Demonstration of torque cancellation:

[0027] Because the front frame and its associated deformable components are identical to the rear frame, and their installation is centrally symmetrical with respect to the wheel's center, L1 and L2 are equal. Since the front and rear propellers rotate at the same speed during forward movement, the resulting thrust is also equal, i.e., F1 equals F2. Because F1 and F2 are located below and above the wheel's axis, respectively, the torques generated relative to the wheel's center are in opposite directions. The resulting torques M1 = F1 * L1 and M2 = F2 * L2 are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, thus canceling each other out. In this state, the deformable amphibious robot can move forward with all four propellers moving at the same speed, and the deformable drone module does not rotate.

[0028] 2. Demonstration of full utilization of thrust:

[0029] In this state, the total thrust of the blades is: F 总 =F1+F2, the direction of the air thrust on the propeller blades is horizontal to the left, and the direction of the drone's movement is also horizontal to the left. That is, the direction of movement and the direction of force are completely consistent, so the thrust of the propeller blades is fully utilized.

[0030] Example

[0031] like Figure 2-4 As shown, the present invention discloses a deformable amphibious robot comprising a deformable drone module 1 and a ground-driven module 2. The deformable drone module 1 includes a conventional power component 11, a deformable component 12, and a control component 13. The conventional power component 11 includes four motors 111 and two pairs of propeller blades 112. The deformable component 12 includes a central frame 121, a deformable front frame 122, a deformable rear frame 123, a servo frame 124, servos 125, servo cranks 126, two connecting rods 127, two crank mounts 128, and two hinge frames 129. The control component 13 includes a flight controller 131, an electronic speed controller 132, a computer controller 133, and a battery 134.

[0032] The flight controller 131, ESC 132, and ECU 133 provide control algorithms for the deformable land and air amphibious robot. The battery 134 provides kinetic energy.

[0033] The servo motor 125 is mounted at the center of the center frame 121 via the servo motor bracket 124. Two hinge brackets 129 are mounted symmetrically at the front and rear of the center frame 121. Two crank mounts 128 are mounted on the hinge brackets 129, forming a revolute joint. The output shaft of the servo motor 125 is fixedly connected to the servo crank 126, and the rotation of the servo motor 125 drives the servo crank 126 to rotate. Each end of the servo crank 126 is connected to a connecting rod 127, forming a revolute joint. The other end of the connecting rod 127 is connected to the crank mount 128, forming a revolute joint. This results in two sets of double-crank structures, both simultaneously controlled by the servo crank 126. Mechanical limiting allows the maximum swing amplitude of these two double-crank structures to be 90°. The crank seat 128 on the front side of the center frame 121 can only swing downwards within a 90° range, while the crank seat 128 on the rear side of the center frame 121 can only swing upwards within a 90° range, and the two crank seats 128 are always linked. The deformable front frame 122 is fixed to the crank seat 128 on the front side of the center frame 121; the deformable rear frame 123 is fixed to the crank seat 128 on the rear side of the center frame 121. Four motors 111 are fixed to the four ends of the deformable front frame 122 and the deformable rear frame 123, respectively. Two pairs of propeller blades 112 are installed on the four motors 111 according to the rules for mounting forward and reverse propellers on UAVs.

[0034] Ultimately, the servo motor 125 rotates 90°, the deformable front frame 122 and its mounted motor 111 and propeller 112 rotate downwards by 90°, and the deformable rear frame 123 and its mounted motor 111 and propeller 112 rotate upwards by 90°. The deformable front frame 122 and deformable rear frame 123 are always linked and always parallel.

[0035] The ground driven module 2 includes two sets of driven wheel assemblies 21, each of which includes a driven wheel 211, a driven shaft 212, and a wheel axle clamp 213.

[0036] One end of the driven wheel 211 and the driven shaft 212 are connected by a bearing to form a rotating pair; the other end of the driven shaft 212 is fixedly connected to the wheel and axle clamp 213 to form the driven wheel assembly 21. The two sets of driven wheel assemblies 21 are fixedly connected to the central frame 121 through the wheel and axle clamp 213, and the driven shafts 212 on both sides are coaxial, ensuring that the center of gravity of the deformable land and air amphibious robot is below the axis.

[0037] Deformable amphibious robots can be divided into aerial flight mode and ground driving mode.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, in aerial flight posture: the transforming front frame 122 and transforming rear frame 123 remain horizontal, with the four motors 111 and two pairs of propellers 112 pointing upwards, and the flight is no different from other UAVs. The ground-driven module 2 acts as a protective module at this time, protecting the core components when the deformable amphibious robot collides with obstacles or falls accidentally.

[0039] like Figure 6 As shown, the amphibious robot's on-road driving posture is as follows: the transformable amphibious robot rotates its front frame 122 downwards by 90° and its rear frame 123 upwards by 90°. This causes the thrust of the two front propellers 112 of the amphibious robot to be horizontally backwards, and the thrust of the two rear propellers 112 to be horizontally backwards as well. Furthermore, since the entire transforming structure is centrally symmetrical about the center of the driven wheel 211, the torque generated by the rotation of the front propeller 112, which causes the transformable drone module 1 to rotate around the driven shaft 212, and the torque generated by the rotation of the rear propeller 112, which causes the transformable drone module 1 to rotate around the driven shaft 212, exactly cancel each other out. Therefore, outside of the transformation process, the servo motor 125 does not need to provide additional torque. In this state, the thrust (lift) generated by the rotation of the propellers 112 is horizontal, and all the power of the motor 111 is converted into the thrust for the amphibious robot to move forward, maximizing efficiency. It is worth mentioning that if the left and right propeller blades 112 of the deformable amphibious robot rotate at the same speed but turn in opposite directions, it can achieve in-situ turning in the ground driving posture; the differential speed of the two propeller blades 112 can achieve turning in this posture, and the turning radius can be controlled by controlling the magnitude of the differential speed. The deformable amphibious robot can improve its working range by switching between the two postures (the energy consumed in the ground driving posture is much less than that in the air flight posture), while also ensuring the flexibility of movement and not being limited by the ground.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deformable amphibious robot, characterized in that: The system includes a transformable drone module (1) and a ground-driven module (2). The transformable drone module (1) includes a conventional power component (11), a transformable component (12), and a control component (13). The conventional power component (11) includes four motors (111) and two pairs of propellers (112). The transformable component (12) includes a center frame (121), a transformable front frame (122), a transformable rear frame (123), a servo frame (124), a servo (125), a servo crank (126), two connecting rods (127), two crank mounts (128), and two hinge frames (129). The control component (13) includes a flight controller (131), an electronic speed controller (132), a computer stick (133), and a battery (134). The flight controller (131), electronic speed controller (132), and computer stick (133) provide control algorithms for the transformable amphibious robot. The servo motor (125) is mounted on the center of the center frame (121) via the servo motor frame (124); two hinge frames (129) are mounted symmetrically on the front and rear of the center frame (121); two crank seats (128) are mounted on the hinge frames (129) and form a rotating pair; the output shaft of the servo motor (125) is fixedly connected to the servo motor crank (126), and the rotation of the servo motor (125) drives the servo motor crank (126) to rotate. Each end of the servo motor crank (126) is connected to a connecting rod (127) and forms a rotating pair; the other end of the connecting rod (127) is connected to the crank seat (128) and forms a rotating pair. Finally, two sets of double crank structures are formed and are simultaneously controlled by the servo motor crank (126). Through mechanical limiting, the maximum swing amplitude of the two double crank structures is 90°. The servo motor (125) rotates 90°, the deformable front frame (122) and its installed motor (111) and propeller (112) rotate downwards by 90°, and the deformable rear frame (123) and its installed motor (111) and propeller (112) rotate upwards by 90°. The ground driven module (2) includes two sets of driven wheel assemblies (21). Each driven wheel assembly includes a driven wheel (211), a driven shaft (212), and a wheel axle clamp (213). One end of the driven wheel (211) and the driven shaft (212) are connected by a bearing to form a rotating pair. The other end of the driven shaft (212) is fixedly connected to the wheel axle clamp (213) to form the driven wheel assembly (21). The two sets of driven wheel assemblies (21) are fixedly connected to the central frame (121) through the wheel axle clamp (213). The driven shafts (212) on both sides are coaxial and ensure that the center of gravity of the deformable land and air amphibious robot is below the axis.

2. The deformable amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crank seat (128) on the front side of the center frame (121) can only swing downwards with a swing range of 90°, and the crank seat (128) on the rear side of the center frame (121) can only swing upwards with a swing range of 90°, and the two crank seats (128) are always linked together.

3. The deformable amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deformable front frame (122) is fixed on the crank seat (128) on the front side of the center frame (121); the deformable rear frame (123) is fixed on the crank seat (128) on the rear side of the center frame (121).

4. A deformable amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The four motors (111) are fixed at the four ends of the deformable front frame (122) and the deformable rear frame (123), respectively; two pairs of propeller blades (112) are installed on the four motors (111) according to the rules of UAV propeller installation.

5. A deformable amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deformable front frame (122) and deformable rear frame (123) are always linked and always parallel.

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