Environment self-adaptive deformation robot end device and preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to an environment self-adaptive deformation robot end device and a preparation method and application thereof, and belongs to the field of bionic robots. According to the device, the load of the robot is reduced by adopting the lightweight sensor, the movement efficiency of the robot is improved, and the cost is reduced; by arranging the flexible shell, the feet of the robot can be subjected to self-adaptive deformation when the robot is loaded, the stability of the robot is improved, it is ensured that the robot can stably move under various terrains and postures, accurate sensing data are provided, and the adaptability and operation performance of the robot under different scenes are greatly improved through the flexibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of bionic robots, and relates to an environment-adaptive deformable robot end device, a preparation method and an application thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of science and technology, robots are increasingly used in many fields such as manufacturing, medical care, education and training. However, how to improve the perception ability of robots, especially the force and position perception ability of their feet, has always been a research hotspot in the field of robotics. Force and position sensing technology is of great significance for improving the robot's motion stability, positioning accuracy and environmental adaptability. In recent years, the development of magnetic sensing technology and flexible sensing technology has provided new solutions for the force and position sensing of robot feet. Magnetic sensors use the principle of electromagnetic induction to detect other parameters without contacting objects, and have a long service life and high reliability. Flexible sensors, with their flexible structure, light weight, bendability and compatibility with a variety of materials, enable robots to perceive the surrounding environment more naturally, which significantly improves the existing robot foot sensing technology.

[0003] At present, there are some robot end devices on the market that use sensing technology for force and position sensing. Most of these devices use traditional rigid sensors, such as pressure sensors, force sensors, etc., to detect the force on the foot. However, due to their fixed shape and size, rigid sensors cannot accurately measure the magnitude of force at certain contact points. In addition, traditional sensors are heavy, which has an adverse effect on the robot's motion performance and energy consumption. The supporting foot sensing system has bottlenecks in data processing, making it difficult to achieve efficient and real-time processing of large amounts of sensor data. In addition, in a complex and changing working environment, traditional sensors may be damaged or fail due to vibration, impact or temperature changes, affecting the normal operation of the robot and greatly increasing costs. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of existing robot foot sensing technology, the present invention proposes a reliable and durable robot end device that can adaptively deform with the environment, reduce weight and reduce costs, and can perform all-round and high-precision force and position sensing. By integrating magnetic sensing and flexible sensing technology, the present invention aims to improve the robot's perception ability and motion performance.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: A robot end device capable of self-adaptive deformation, characterized in that it comprises a flexible shell and a magnetic source arranged inside the flexible shell, a collection module is arranged at the upper end of the flexible shell, a connecting piece is arranged on the collection module, a connecting port is arranged on the connecting piece, and the connecting port is connected to the ankle joint of the robot; The acquisition module integrates a control unit, a magnetic acquisition unit, and a power management unit. The control unit is internally equipped with program modules for data input, data processing, and data output. The data processing module includes a magnetic-position-force conversion model.

[0006] Furthermore, the magnetic-potential-force conversion model is a neural network model obtained by a calibration method, and the calibration method comprises the following steps: S1: Experimental preparation: Place the robot end device with environmental adaptive deformation on a calibration platform with three-axis position feedback, which can be a three-dimensional mobile test platform, a three-dimensional coordinate machine or a robotic arm; S2: Force sensor calibration: A force sensor is installed at the moving end of the calibration platform to record the actual three-dimensional force applied. The force sensor needs to be calibrated, wherein the force sensor can be a six-axis force sensor, a three-axis force sensor or three single-axis force sensors; S3: multi-point measurement: select a number of measurement points at different positions and angles of the robot end device, apply a force of known magnitude and direction to each of the measurement points, and record the corresponding three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity; S4: Data acquisition: The three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity data of each measuring point is collected by a magnetic acquisition unit, and the real three-dimensional force value measured by the force sensor and the spatial position coordinates of the measuring point are recorded at the same time; S5: Data processing: Pairing the collected three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity data with the corresponding real three-dimensional force value and the position of the measurement point to form an input-output data set; S6: Model training: using the input-output data set to train a neural network model, the input end is the three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity change measured by the magnetic acquisition unit, the output end is the corresponding three-dimensional force value and force application position, and the supervised learning method is used to adjust the network parameters to reduce the error between the force position predicted by the model and the actual force position; S7: Model validation: using a portion of the input-output data set for model validation to verify the performance of the neural network model on unseen data, and evaluating the generalization ability and accuracy of the model through a cross-validation method; S8: Model optimization: According to the evaluation results of model verification, the structure of the neural network model is adjusted, or steps S3-S8 are repeated and more data are collected to improve the accuracy of the model, or it remains unchanged; so that the optimized neural network model can convert the three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity changes into real three-dimensional force values ​​and force application positions in practical applications.

[0007] Furthermore, the material of the flexible shell is rubber or silicone, specifically platinum-catalyzed silicone rubber, polydimethylsiloxane, or thermoplastic polyurethane; the flexible shell is a cavity structure of any shape, and a wear-resistant layer is also provided on the surface of the flexible shell.

[0008] Furthermore, the acquisition module is any one of a PCB hard circuit board and an FPC flexible circuit board, and the shape of the circuit board is a plane, a spherical surface, a conical surface or a bracket structure.

[0009] Furthermore, the magnetic source is any one of a magnet and a magnetic film.

[0010] Furthermore, the magnetic acquisition unit is any one of a magnetoresistive sensor, a Hall effect sensor, and a magnetic induction coil.

[0011] Furthermore, the control unit is a 32-bit single-chip microcomputer, specifically a STM32 series or ESP32 series single-chip microcomputer.

[0012] Furthermore, a plurality of magnetic sources are evenly arranged inside the flexible shell, and the acquisition module further comprises a plurality of magnetic acquisition units, and the magnetic acquisition units are arranged in the circuit board.

[0013] Furthermore, an air pipe is provided on the flexible shell, and is connected to an external air pump through the air pipe. The air pump is electrically connected to the control unit to adjust the air pressure in the internal cavity of the flexible shell.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned environment-adaptive deformation robot end device, the preparation method comprising the following steps: Step 1: Weigh the silicone material, stir for 1-2 minutes, put the mixed silicone material into a vacuum pump to evacuate and let it stand for 2-3 minutes before exhausting; after exhausting, slightly tilt the mold, inject the silicone material into the mold through the casting hole, and then heat it at 45°C for 1 hour, demold it, and obtain a flexible shell; Step 2: Install the magnetic source in the bottom groove of the flexible shell, fill it with silicone adhesive and remove the excess part, let it stand for 12 minutes to solidify, then apply acid adhesive on the flexible shell, fit it with the collection module to complete the connection, and then use screws and nuts to fix the installation connector.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. The flexible shell can easily conform to irregular ground: it can adjust its shape when contacting irregular or complex surfaces, thus improving the stability of the robot on different terrains.

[0016] 2. The contact area is larger than that of a solid end device: The larger contact area can disperse the pressure on the robot's feet and reduce local stress concentration, thereby reducing the risk of the robot sinking or being damaged on soft or loose ground.

[0017] 3 Increased friction and reduced slippage: Since the flexible shell has a larger contact area on the contact surface and the rubber material itself has a higher friction coefficient, these two points combined increase the friction.

[0018] 4. Achieve a certain vibration reduction effect through elastic deformation: The hollow shell structure can more effectively absorb and alleviate external shocks and vibrations.

[0019] 5. The mass is smaller than that of a solid sphere: As the terminal mechanism of the crawling robot, the end device has a smaller mass, which can reduce the inertia of the end of the crawling robot and increase the working life of the robot's motor and other devices.

[0020] In summary, the present invention reduces the load of the robot, improves the robot's movement efficiency and reduces costs by adopting lightweight sensors; by providing a flexible shell, the robot's feet can undergo adaptive deformation when loaded, thereby improving the robot's stability and ensuring that it can move smoothly and provide accurate perception data in various terrains and postures. This flexibility greatly improves the robot's adaptability and operational performance in different scenarios.

[0021] The present invention also combines magnetic sensing and flexible sensing technologies to enable the robot's end device to sense the contact position and force of the foot, and through powerful data processing capabilities, it can fuse and optimize data from different sensors in real time, thereby providing more accurate and timely perception information, which not only helps to improve the robot's stability and motion performance in complex environments, but also provides it with more accurate navigation and positioning capabilities.

[0022] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention and implement it according to the contents of the specification, the following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the robot end device capable of adaptively deforming the environment as shown in Example 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the robot end device capable of adaptively deforming the environment as shown in Example 2 of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the robot end device capable of adaptively deforming the environment as shown in Example 3 of the present invention; Figure 4This is a block diagram of the architecture of the robot end device capable of adaptively deforming the environment as shown in Example 1 of the present invention; Figure 5 The application of the robot end device with environmental adaptive deformation shown in Example 1 of the present invention on a robot; Figure 6 The three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity data is collected by the collection module during the movement of the robot equipped with the present invention shown in Example 1.

[0024] Description of the accompanying drawings: 1. Magnetic source; 2. Flexible shell; 3. PCB hard circuit board; 4. Connector; 5. Air pipe; 6. Air pump; 7. Magnetic collection unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 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.

[0026] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0028] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. Example 1

[0029] See also Figure 1The environmentally adaptively deformable robot end device shown in Example 1 of the present application includes a flexible shell 2 and a magnetic source 1 arranged inside the flexible shell 2. A collection module is arranged at the upper end of the flexible shell 2, and a connector 4 is arranged on the collection module. The connector 4 is provided with a connection port, which can be connected to the ankle joint of the robot through the connection port. The material of the flexible shell 2 is flexible rubber or silicone, specifically platinum-catalyzed silicone rubber, polydimethylsiloxane, or thermoplastic polyurethane. The connector 4 can be made of aluminum or nylon depending on the usage scenario.

[0030] The specific shape of the flexible shell 2 can be changed according to actual conditions, and the range and sensitivity of force perception can be changed by changing the rigidity of the flexible shell 2. In this example, the flexible shell 2 uses a spherical shell structure, that is, a hollow hemisphere, and the magnetic source 1 is embedded at the bottom of the inner sphere through a silicone adhesive. The surface of the flexible shell 2 is provided with a wear-resistant layer to enhance durability.

[0031] The magnetic source 1 is any one of a micro magnet or a magnetic film. In this embodiment, the magnetic source 1 is a micro cylindrical NdFeB magnet, which may be N35 or N52 and has a galvanized surface.

[0032] The present invention provides a manufacturing step of the above-mentioned environment-adaptive deformation robot end device: Step 1: Weigh 50 grams of food-grade mold silicone E640, mix agent A and agent B in a ratio of 1:1, stir for 1-2 minutes, put the mixed silicone material into a vacuum pump to evacuate, let it stand for 2-3 minutes and then exhaust; after exhausting, slightly tilt the mold, inject the silicone material through the casting hole, and then heat it at 45°C for 1 hour, and demold to obtain the flexible shell 2.

[0033] Step 2: Install the cylindrical NdFeB magnet in the bottom groove of the flexible shell 2, fill it with silicone adhesive and remove the excess part, let it stand for 12 minutes to solidify, then apply acid adhesive on the flat surface of the flexible shell 2, fit it with the collection module to complete the connection, and then use screws and nuts to fix the installation connector 4.

[0034] The flexible shell 2 in the above step (1) can also be obtained by 3D printing of rubber materials such as TPU and Agilus.

[0035] In this embodiment, the acquisition module is a PCB hard circuit board 3, which integrates a control unit, a magnetic acquisition unit, and a power management unit. In other embodiments, the acquisition module can also be an FPC flexible circuit board, which is not specifically limited. The magnetic acquisition unit is any one of a magnetoresistive sensor, a Hall effect sensor, and a magnetic induction coil, and the control unit is a 32-bit single-chip microcomputer, specifically an STM32 series or ESP32 series single-chip microcomputer. The control unit is equipped with program modules for data input, data processing, and data output, and the data processing module includes a magnetic-position-force conversion model to ensure stable and reliable data acquisition.

[0036] The above magnetic-potential-force conversion model is a neural network model obtained by a calibration method, and the calibration method is as follows: S1: Experimental preparation: Place the robot end device with environmental adaptive deformation on a calibration platform with three-axis position feedback, which can be a three-dimensional mobile test platform, a three-dimensional coordinate machine or a robotic arm; S2: Force sensor calibration: A force sensor is installed at the moving end of the calibration platform to record the actual three-dimensional force applied. The force sensor needs to be calibrated, wherein the force sensor can be a six-axis force sensor, a three-axis force sensor or three single-axis force sensors; S3: multi-point measurement: select a number of measurement points at different positions and angles of the robot end device, apply a force of known magnitude and direction to each of the measurement points, and record the corresponding three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity; S4: Data acquisition: The three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity data of each measuring point is collected by a magnetic acquisition unit, and the real three-dimensional force value measured by the force sensor and the spatial position coordinates of the measuring point are recorded at the same time; S5: Data processing: Pairing the collected three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity data with the corresponding real three-dimensional force value and the position of the measurement point to form an input-output data set; S6: Model training: using the input-output data set to train a neural network model, the input end is the three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity change measured by the magnetic acquisition unit, the output end is the corresponding three-dimensional force value and force application position, and the supervised learning method is used to adjust the network parameters to reduce the error between the force position predicted by the model and the actual force position; S7: Model validation: using a portion of the input-output data set for model validation to verify the performance of the neural network model on unseen data, and evaluating the generalization ability and accuracy of the model through a cross-validation method; S8: Model optimization: According to the evaluation results of model verification, the structure of the neural network model is adjusted, or steps S3-S8 are repeated and more data are collected to improve the accuracy of the model, or it remains unchanged; so that the optimized neural network model can convert the three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity changes into real three-dimensional force values ​​and force application positions in practical applications.

[0037] Through the above calibration method, the obtained neural network model can reliably perform magnetic-position-force conversion, so that the present invention can accurately sense and calculate the force generated by ground contact and the surface position of the contact point on the flexible shell 2 in practical applications, thereby achieving high-precision force-position feedback and measurement.

[0038] Working principle: The internal cavity of the flexible shell 2 is connected to the atmospheric pressure. Through the deformation of the cavity, the flexible shell 2 will further deform in the loaded area, thereby changing the shape of the shell. The contact area between the crawling robot and the ground is increased through adaptive deformation, thereby improving the supporting capacity and the movement stability of the crawling robot during the force process.

[0039] When the flexible shell 2 contacts the ground and deforms, the position of the magnetic source 1 in the flexible shell 2 changes due to the deformation, which in turn causes the three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity to change; the magnetic acquisition unit collects these changes in three-dimensional magnetic induction intensity and converts them into three-dimensional force value and force application position data through the magnetic-position-force conversion model.

[0040] This method enables the end device to accurately sense and calculate the force generated by ground contact and obtain the position where the flexible shell 2 contacts the ground, thereby achieving high-precision force-position feedback and measurement, and further improving the stability of the robot under complex loads through adaptive deformation. Example 2

[0041] See also Figure 2 , a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot terminal device with environmental adaptive deformation shown in Example 2 of the present application, relative to the improvement of Example 1, in this embodiment, three magnetic sources 1 are evenly arranged inside the flexible shell 2, the acquisition module is a bracket-type circuit board, and the acquisition module also includes three magnetic acquisition units 7, the magnetic acquisition unit 7 is arranged at the end of the bracket, and the magnetic acquisition unit 7 is kept parallel to the magnetic source 1 and is arranged correspondingly.

[0042] By correspondingly setting a plurality of magnetic sources 1 and magnetic collection units 7, more detailed data can be obtained and more accurate sensing can be achieved; similarly, more magnetic sources 1 and magnetic collection units 7 can be set according to the situation. Example 3

[0043] See also Figure 3, a schematic structural diagram of an environmentally adaptively deformable robot end device shown in Example 3 of the present application, is an improvement over Example 1. In this embodiment, an air pipe 5 is provided on the flexible shell 2, which is connected to an external air pump 6 through the air pipe 5. The air pump 6 is electrically connected to the control unit to adjust the air pressure in the internal cavity of the flexible shell 2.

[0044] Working principle: Under normal circumstances, the cavity of the flexible shell 2 is connected to the outside world and deforms normally. When subjected to force, the air pump 6 adjusts the air pressure based on the three-dimensional force perception, thereby adjusting the cavity shape, internal air pressure and other parameters to improve the force on the sole of the foot. After the three-dimensional force sensor senses the pressure recovery, the air pressure also returns to atmospheric pressure, thus forming a closed-loop control.

[0045] In summary, the present invention can accurately sense and calculate the force generated by the contact between the robot and the ground, obtain the position where the flexible shell 2 contacts the ground, thereby achieving high-precision force-position feedback and measurement, and further improving the stability of the robot under complex loads through adaptive deformation.

[0046] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0047] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A robot end device with environmental adaptive deformation, characterized in that: It comprises a flexible shell and a magnetic source arranged inside the flexible shell, wherein a collection module is arranged at the upper end of the flexible shell, a connecting piece is arranged on the collection module, a connecting piece is arranged on the connecting piece, and a connecting port is connected to the ankle joint of the robot; The acquisition module integrates a control unit, a magnetic acquisition unit, and a power management unit. The control unit is internally equipped with program modules for data input, data processing, and data output. The data processing module includes a magnetic-position-force conversion model.

2. The environment-adaptive deformation robot end device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the flexible shell is rubber or silicone, specifically platinum-catalyzed silicone rubber, polydimethylsiloxane, or thermoplastic polyurethane; the flexible shell is a cavity structure of any shape, and a wear-resistant layer is also provided on the surface of the flexible shell.

3. The environment-adaptive deformation robot end device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The acquisition module is any one of a PCB hard circuit board and an FPC flexible circuit board, and the shape of the circuit board is a plane, a spherical surface, a conical surface or a bracket structure.

4. The environment-adaptive deformation robot end device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnetic source is any one of a magnet and a magnetic film; the magnetic acquisition unit is any one of a magnetoresistive sensor, a Hall effect sensor, and a magnetic induction coil; the control unit is a 32-bit single-chip microcomputer, specifically an STM32 series or ESP32 series single-chip microcomputer.

5. The environment-adaptive deformation robot end device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A plurality of magnetic sources are evenly arranged inside the flexible shell, and the acquisition module further comprises a plurality of magnetic acquisition units, which are arranged in the circuit board.

6. The robot end device capable of adaptive deformation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The flexible shell is provided with an air pipe, and is connected to an external air pump through the air pipe. The air pump is electrically connected to the control unit to adjust the air pressure in the internal cavity of the flexible shell.

7. A method for preparing an environment-adaptive deformation robot end device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Weigh the silicone material, stir for 1-2 minutes, put the mixed silicone material into a vacuum pump to evacuate and let it stand for 2-3 minutes before exhausting; after exhausting, slightly tilt the mold, inject the silicone material into the mold through the casting hole, and then heat it at 45°C for 1 hour, demold it, and obtain a flexible shell; Step 2: Install the magnetic source in the bottom groove of the flexible shell, fill it with silicone adhesive and remove the excess part, let it stand for 12 minutes to solidify, then apply acid adhesive on the flexible shell, fit it with the collection module to complete the connection, and then use screws and nuts to fix the installation connector.

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