Metamorphic robot

Abstract

The invention provides a metamorphic robot, relates to the field of robots, and aims to solve the problem that an existing metamorphic robot is difficult to adapt to complex scenes, two groups of four action arms are arranged on a main body part, walking claws are rotationally connected to the action arms respectively, walking wheels are carried on the walking claws, and the main body part is driven to move according to actions of the action arms relative to the main body. The three-form metamorphic mechanism can be switched into a first form of grounding movement of the walking wheels, a second form of grounding movement of the walking claws and a third form of grounding movement of the feet connected with one group of action arms, so that three-form metamorphic is completed, and the use requirements of complex scenes are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robots, and in particular to a metamorphic robot. Background Art

[0002] Metamorphic robots, as a common type of robot, are a type of robot system composed of multiple configurable modules. They can achieve diversified forms and functions by rearranging and connecting modules. The design of this metamorphic robot can be used in education, entertainment, and companionship. In education, it can play the role of entertaining through the transformation of form. In entertainment, it can be used as a daily leisure tool. In terms of companionship, it can provide companionship for users. The robot's built-in sensor module can realize voice interaction, and the built-in camera can detect the situation in real time. However, most of the current metamorphic robots are single-state adjustments, that is, changing the length, width or height of the robot, and there are few designs for multi-morphological changes of robots.

[0003] A Chinese patent (publication number: CN 113928441 B) provides an unmanned transformable vehicle with foldable legs and a deformable body. The appearance of the front and rear mechanisms of the transformable vehicle and the functions that can be achieved have undergone fundamental changes; the transformable vehicle can be transformed into a car state and a humanoid state to adapt to different usage requirements. By forwardly reconstructing the car state into a humanoid state and reversely reconstructing the humanoid state into a car state, the two states can be transformed into each other. However, due to the bipedal motion state of the humanoid state, it is difficult for the transformable vehicle to pass through uneven ground and has poor obstacle crossing ability. In the car state, although the wheeled structure can provide a faster moving speed, its obstacle crossing ability is still poor. It is difficult to run smoothly on a soft mat or on a ground with obstacles, which makes it unable to meet the more complex scenarios for home use. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to address the defects of the prior art and provide a metamorphosis robot, which has two groups of four action arms on the main body, and the action arms are rotatably connected to walking claws, and the walking claws are equipped with walking wheels. According to the movement of the action arms relative to the main body, the robot can be switched to a first form in which the walking wheels are grounded and moved, can be switched to a second form in which the walking claws are grounded and moved, and can also be switched to a third form in which the feet connected to a group of action arms are grounded and moved, thereby completing the three-form metamorphosis and meeting the usage requirements of complex scenarios.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the following solutions are adopted:

[0006] A metamorphic robot, comprising:

[0007] The main body is connected to a monitoring part through a telescopic mechanism, and a monitoring element is provided on the monitoring part;

[0008] The action arms are provided with two groups, two in each group, which are spaced apart along the circumference of the main body. The action arms are all multi-rotation joint mechanical arms. The action arms are rotatably connected to walking claws, the ends of the walking claws are grounded, and walking wheels are installed on the walking claws. The two action arms of the first group are respectively connected to the main body through the first rotary joint, and a mechanical hand is provided at the end; the two action arms of the second group are connected to the main body through the second rotary joint, and the ends are rotatably connected to the feet, and the feet, walking wheels and walking claws can be grounded respectively.

[0009] Furthermore, taking the straight line where the telescopic mechanism drives the monitoring part to move as the reference line, the two action arms of the first group are located on the opposite sides of the reference line; the two action arms of the second group are located on the opposite sides of the reference line.

[0010] Furthermore, the two action arms of the first group are symmetrically distributed relative to the reference line, and the two action arms of the second group are symmetrically distributed relative to the reference line. In the direction of the reference line, the action arms of the first group are spaced apart from the action arms of the second group.

[0011] Furthermore, the action arm comprises a plurality of segment arms which are connected in rotation in sequence, the walking claws connected to the first set of action arms are installed on the segment arms via a first support, and the walking claws connected to the second set of action arms are installed at the rotation connection of adjacent segment arms via a second support.

[0012] Furthermore, the first support is mounted on a segment arm connected to the end of the manipulator, and the walking wheels on the walking claws connected to the first set of action arms are located between the first support and the grounding end.

[0013] Furthermore, the walking claw connected to the first support rotates relative to the action arm so as to be folded to one side of the action arm or to allow the grounding end to protrude outside the action arm.

[0014] Furthermore, the second support is installed at the rotation connection between the segment arm connecting the end of the foot and its adjacent segment arm, and the walking wheel on the walking claw connected to the second set of action arms is located between the second support and the ground contact end.

[0015] Furthermore, the walking claw connected to the second support rotates relative to the action arm to adjust the relative position of the ground contact end and the walking wheel.

[0016] Furthermore, the foot is sleeved outside the action arm to which it is connected, and the foot is folded relative to the action arm by rotation.

[0017] Furthermore, an opening is provided on the foot to avoid the rotation connection position of the walking claw.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and positive effects:

[0019] (1) In order to solve the problem that the current metamorphosis robot is difficult to use in complex scenes, two groups of four action arms are set on the main body, and the action arms are rotatably connected to walking claws, and the walking claws are equipped with walking wheels. According to the movement of the action arms relative to the main body, it can be switched to a first form in which the walking wheels are grounded and moved, it can be switched to a second form in which the walking claws are grounded and moved, and it can also be switched to a third form in which the feet connected to a group of action arms are grounded and moved, thus completing the three-form metamorphosis, thereby meeting the use requirements of complex scenes.

[0020] (2) A retractable monitoring unit is provided on the main body. In the third form, the monitoring unit can extend out of the main body and be at a higher position to collect and acquire surrounding information, which is convenient for interaction with the user. In the first form and the second form, the monitoring unit can be retracted into the main body to prevent interference and collision with the external environment during operation, thereby improving the safety and stability of its operation.

[0021] (3) The center of gravity of the metamorphic robot is relatively high when it is in the third posture. In order to improve its running stability, a set of foot grounding is provided on the action arms to increase the ground contact area in the third posture, thereby increasing its stability when walking.

[0022] (4) A walking wheel is installed on the walking claw. When the end of the walking claw touches the ground, the walking wheel can be separated from the ground, so that the second form is a multi-legged robot state, reducing the interference of the walking wheel. In addition, the multi-joint movement of the action arm can be used to ensure the range of motion of the walking claw, thereby improving its obstacle crossing performance.

[0023] (5) In the first form, the walking wheel can run on the ground. When the action arm drives the walking claw to adjust the position, it can also drive the walking wheel to change direction to meet the steering requirements of the walking wheel. The walking wheels corresponding to the four action arms can adjust their directions separately to reduce their turning radius and improve their flexibility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings in the specification, which constitute a part of the present invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention.

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the first form of the metamorphobotic robot in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the second form of the metamorphobotic robot in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the third form of the metamorphobotic robot in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4It is a front view schematic diagram of the third form of the metamorphic robot in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the third form of the metamorphic robot in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the walking mechanism of the metamorphic robot in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0031] In the figure, 1. main body, 2. first rotating joint, 3. action arm, 4. second rotating joint, 5. manipulator, 6. foot, 7. walking claw, 8. walking wheel, 9. grounding terminal, 10. monitoring part, 11. telescopic mechanism, 12. first action arm, 13. second action arm, 14. first support, 15. first walking claw, 16. second walking claw, 17. second walking wheel, 18. first walking wheel, 19. second support. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Example 1

[0033] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1-Figure 6 As shown, a metamorphic robot is given.

[0034] Although the metamorphic robots in the prior art have achieved the transformation between the automobile state and the humanoid state, there are still significant limitations in practical applications. The bipedal movement in the humanoid state is difficult to adapt to uneven ground and has weak obstacle surmounting ability; and the wheeled structure in the automobile state moves quickly on flat roads, but performs poorly on complex terrain (such as soft mats, obstacles piled on the ground). This limits its wide application in complex scenes such as homes. Based on this, the present embodiment provides a metamorphic robot that can realize three forms of metamorphosis and can realize movement respectively, especially the multi-legged running robot form formed when the walking claw 7 moves on the ground, which enhances its stability and obstacle surmounting ability on rugged or soft ground, and better adapts to complex and changeable usage scenarios.

[0035] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the metamorphic robot mainly includes a main body 1, an action arm 3, a monitoring part 10, a walking claw 7 and a walking wheel 8. The main body 1 is the core part of the robot. The main body 1 is connected to the monitoring part 10 through a telescopic mechanism 11. The monitoring part 10 is provided with a monitoring element (such as a camera, a sensor, etc.) for real-time detection of the surrounding environment and user instructions. The main body 1 of the metamorphic robot is connected with two groups of four action arms 3, two in each group, and spaced apart along the circumference of the main body 1. The action arms 3 all adopt multi-rotation joint mechanical arms, which provide a high degree of flexibility and variability.

[0036] The two action arms 3 included in the first group are connected to the main body 1 through the first rotary joint 2. In this embodiment, for the convenience of description, the two action arms 3 of the first group are called first action arms 12. The first action arms 12 are equipped with walking claws 7. In order to meet the movements of the simulated humanoid robot in the third form, a manipulator 5 is also provided at the end of the first action arm 12, so that the robot can perform tasks such as grasping and operating in the third form.

[0037] The two action arms 3 included in the second group are connected to the main body 1 through the second swivel joint 4. In this embodiment, for the convenience of description, the two action arms 3 of the second group are called second action arms 13. The second action arm 13 is rotatably connected to the foot 6 at one end away from the swivel joint. When the metamorphic robot simulates the actions of the humanoid robot in the third form, the foot 6 can be used to move on the ground, increase the ground contact area, and improve its stability in the third form.

[0038] Each action arm 3 is provided with a walking claw 7, and the walking claw 7 can adjust its posture relative to the connected action arm 3. The end of the walking claw 7 is a grounding terminal 9, and a walking wheel 8 is installed on the walking claw 7. When the walking claw 7 adjusts its posture, the grounding terminal 9 of the walking claw 7 can touch the ground and support the action arm 3, so that the walking claw 7 supports the entire metamorphic robot as the second form; the walking wheel 8 on the walking claw 7 can also touch the ground and support the walking claw 7 and the action arm 3, so that the walking wheel 8 supports the entire metamorphic robot as the first form. In the first form, the walking wheel 8 is the main moving part, and the wheeled structure of the walking wheel 8 can move quickly on a flat road. At the same time, in the second form, the walking claw 7 itself moves directly on the ground, forming a multi-legged robot movement, which increases the terrain adaptability of the robot.

[0039] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in order to improve the stability and flexibility of the metamorphic robot, the straight line in which the telescopic mechanism 11 drives the monitoring part 10 to move is taken as the reference line, and the two groups of action arms 3 are respectively located on the opposite sides of the reference line and are symmetrically distributed relative to the reference line. This ensures the balance of the robot in various forms, while maximizing the range of motion of the action arms 3 and improving flexibility.

[0040] Among them, the moving direction of the output end of the telescopic mechanism 11 is along the midline of the main body 1. When the two first action arms 12 of the same group are symmetrically distributed relative to the straight line where the moving direction of the telescopic mechanism 11 is located, the two first action arms 12 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the main body 1. In the third form, the arm part of the humanoid robot can be simulated, and the manipulator 5 at the end thereof can be driven to move. Similarly, the two second action arms 13 are also symmetrically distributed on both sides of the main body 1, which can simulate the leg part of the humanoid robot, and can drive the foot 6 at the end thereof to move through movement, simulating the stepping movement.

[0041] The action arm 3 includes a plurality of segment arms that are connected to each other in rotation in sequence, so that the action arm 3 can flexibly adjust its posture. Figure 5 As shown, the action arm 3 includes three segment arms that are connected to rotate in sequence, and the joint positions of adjacent segment arms are provided with joint motors for driving. Similarly, the position where the first action arm 12 is connected to the first rotary joint 2 is also provided with a joint motor, which drives the first action arm 12 to swing relative to the first rotary joint 2, and the position where the first rotary joint 2 is connected to the main body 1 is also provided with a joint motor, which drives the first rotary joint 2 and the first action arm 12 to rotate relative to the main body 1; the position where the second action arm 13 is connected to the second rotary joint 4 is also provided with a joint motor, which drives the second action arm 13 to swing relative to the second rotary joint 4, and the position where the second rotary joint 4 is connected to the main body 1 is provided with a joint motor, which drives the second rotary joint 4 and the second action arm 13 to rotate relative to the main body 1.

[0042] The walking claw 7 of the first group of action arms 3 is installed on the segment arm connected to the end of the manipulator 5 through the first support 14, and the walking claw 7 of the second group of action arms 3 is installed on the rotation connection of the adjacent segment arms through the second support 19. In this embodiment, for the convenience of description, the walking claw 7 connected to the first action arm 12 is the first walking claw 15, and the walking wheel 8 located on the first walking claw 15 is the first walking wheel 18; the walking claw 7 connected to the second action arm 13 is the second walking claw 16, and the walking wheel 8 located on the second walking claw 16 is the second walking wheel 17.

[0043] like Figure 6 As shown, the walking claw 7 can adopt a frame structure to reduce weight and ensure strength, the driving motor of the walking wheel 8 is fixed on the walking claw 7, and the walking wheel 8 is located outside the walking claw 7 and between the two ends of the walking claw 7. The walking wheel 8 can also adopt a hub motor, and the wheel axle of the walking wheel 8 is installed on the walking claw 7.

[0044] In order to adjust the position of the walking claw 7 and the action arm 3, joint motors are respectively provided between the first action arm 12 and the first support 14, and between the first support 14 and the first walking claw 15, which can make the first support 14 and the first walking claw 15 rotate relative to the first action arm 12, and make the first walking claw 15 rotate relative to the first support 14.

[0045] The second support 19 is installed at the rotational connection between the segment arm at the end of the foot 6 and its adjacent segment arm. The walking wheel 8 on the walking claw 7 connected to the second group of action arms 3 is located between the second support 19 and the ground terminal 9. The installation position of the second support 19 can reduce interference with other structures. Similarly, joint motors are respectively provided between the second action arm 13 and the second support 19, and between the second support 19 and the second walking claw 16, which can make the second support 19 and the second walking claw 16 rotate relative to the second action arm 13, and make the second walking claw 16 rotate relative to the second support 19. The multi-segment structure makes the movement of the action arm 3 more flexible and changeable, and provides a structural basis for the robot to achieve three-morphological transformation.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the walking claw 7 and the walking wheel 8 are used to adapt to different terrains. On the walking claw 7 of the first group of action arms 3, the walking wheel 8 is located between the first support 14 and the grounding end 9, and the walking claw 7 can be rotated relative to the action arm 3 to be folded or extended. The walking claw 7 of the second group of action arms 3 is also designed with a walking wheel 8, and the relative position of the grounding end 9 and the walking wheel 8 can be adjusted through the second support 19. The robot can flexibly switch to use the walking claw 7 or the walking wheel 8 in different forms, thereby improving the terrain adaptability. At the same time, the folding and extending functions of the walking claw 7 further enhance the flexibility and obstacle-crossing ability of the robot.

[0047] In order to improve the stability of the metamorphic robot in the third form, the foot 6 is set outside the action arm 3 and folded by rotation. The foot 6 is provided with an opening to avoid the rotation connection position of the walking claw 7 to ensure that the foot 6 will not interfere with the walking claw 7 during the folding and unfolding process. The design of the foot 6 increases the ground contact area in the third form and significantly improves the stability of the robot when walking. At the same time, the folding function of the foot 6 makes the robot more compact and easy to move in other forms.

[0048] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the monitoring unit 10 is connected to the main body 1 through a telescopic mechanism 11, and can automatically adjust its position according to the current form of the robot. In the third form, the monitoring unit 10 can extend out of the main body 1 to obtain information at a higher position; in the first form and the second form, the monitoring unit 10 retracts into the main body 1 to prevent interference and collision. It not only meets the use requirements of the monitoring unit 10 in different forms, but also improves the operational safety and stability of the robot. At the same time, the high-level information collection capability of the monitoring unit 10 also provides more possibilities for the interaction between the robot and the user.

[0049] In this embodiment, the telescopic mechanism 11 can be selected from a variety of types, such as a screw lift, an electric push rod, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a linear module (linear motor, ball screw, rack and pinion, etc.), etc., and a suitable type can be selected according to the needs. Figure 5 As shown, the telescopic mechanism 11 is driven by a ball screw mechanism. A driving motor is configured for the telescopic mechanism 11. The output end of the driving motor is connected to the screw through a bevel gear transmission. The nut matched with the screw is installed on the monitoring part 10. When the screw rotates, the nut drives the monitoring part 10 to move axially relative to the screw, thereby achieving the required telescopic action. The ball screw mechanism can achieve high-precision and high-speed control.

[0050] Taking the humanoid robot in the third form as the benchmark, Figure 3 As shown, the four-legged metamorphosis is performed, the telescopic mechanism 11 drives the monitoring part 10 to retract into the range of the main body, the first action arm 12 is driven by the first rotary joint 2 to adjust the position, so that the first joint arm fits the two sides of the main body 1, and the first walking claw 15 is rotated to be parallel to the first joint arm, so that the first walking wheel 18 touches the ground; the second action arm 13 is driven by the second rotary joint 4 to adjust the position, so that the two second action arms 13 are close together, and the foot 6 is folded above the second rotary joint 4, and the second walking claw 16 is driven by the second support 19 to rotate to be parallel to the first walking claw 15, and the second walking wheel 17 touches the ground, so that the second walking wheel 17 and the first walking wheel 18 jointly support the entire metamorphosis robot to form a first form, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 shown.

[0051] In the first form, the walking wheel 8 can run grounded. When the action arm 3 drives the walking claw 7 to adjust the position, it can also drive the walking wheel 8 to change the direction to meet the steering requirements of the walking wheel 8. The walking wheels 8 corresponding to the four action arms 3 can adjust their directions respectively to reduce their turning radius and improve their flexibility.

[0052] Taking the car-shaped robot in the first form as a reference, the first support 14 and the second support 19 drive the first walking claw 15 and the second walking claw 16 respectively, so that the grounding end 9 of the first walking claw 15 and the grounding end 9 of the second walking claw 16 touch the ground, and the first walking wheel 18 and the second walking wheel 17 are suspended in the air, and the position of the action arm 3 is adjusted so that the walking claw 7 supports the entire metamorphic robot, and the movement of the walking claw 7 is controlled by the operation of the action arm 3 to form a quadruped robot as the second form. Figure 2 shown.

[0053] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A metamorphic robot, characterized in that: include: The main body is connected to a monitoring part through a telescopic mechanism, and a monitoring element is provided on the monitoring part; The action arms are provided with two groups, two in each group, which are spaced apart along the circumference of the main body. The action arms are all multi-rotation joint mechanical arms. The action arms are rotatably connected to walking claws, the ends of the walking claws are grounded, and walking wheels are installed on the walking claws. The two action arms of the first group are respectively connected to the main body through the first rotary joint, and a mechanical hand is provided at the end; the two action arms of the second group are connected to the main body through the second rotary joint, and the ends are rotatably connected to the feet, and the feet, walking wheels and walking claws can be grounded respectively.

2. The metamorphic robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Taking the straight line where the telescopic mechanism drives the monitoring part to move as the reference line, the two action arms of the first group are located on the opposite sides of the reference line; the two action arms of the second group are located on the opposite sides of the reference line.

3. The metamorphic robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two action arms of the first group are symmetrically distributed relative to the reference line, and the two action arms of the second group are symmetrically distributed relative to the reference line. In the direction of the reference line, the action arms of the first group are spaced apart from the action arms of the second group.

4. The metamorphic robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The action arm comprises a plurality of segment arms connected in rotation in sequence, the walking claws connected to the first set of action arms are installed on the segment arms via a first support, and the walking claws connected to the second set of action arms are installed on the rotation connection of adjacent segment arms via a second support.

5. The metamorphic robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first support is installed on the segment arm connected to the end of the manipulator, and the walking wheel on the walking claw connected to the first set of action arms is located between the first support and the grounding end.

6. The metamorphic robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The walking claw connected to the first support rotates relative to the action arm so as to be folded to one side of the action arm or to make the grounding end protrude out of the action arm.

7. The metamorphic robot according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that: The second support is installed at the rotation connection between the segment arm connecting the end of the foot and its adjacent segment arm, and the walking wheel on the walking claw connected to the second set of action arms is located between the second support and the grounding end.

8. The metamorphic robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The walking claw connected to the second support rotates relative to the action arm to adjust the relative position of the ground contact end and the walking wheel.

9. The metamorphic robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The foot is sleeved outside the action arm connected thereto, and the foot is folded relative to the action arm by rotation.

10. The metamorphic robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The foot is provided with an opening for avoiding the rotation connection position of the walking claw.

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