Soft bionic eel robot

Abstract

The invention provides a soft bionic eel robot which is applied to the technical field of robots, the soft bionic eel robot is composed of a head module, a control module and a tail module, all the modules are connected through pin shafts, when the robot moves, the control module is centered, and a tail steering engine controls the tail to move so as to provide thrust, balance and coordination. The front steering engine is responsible for direction control and tension, the joint angle can be set according to needs, the front steering engine fits the rotation characteristic of eel joints and is convenient to control, bones and skin of the front steering engine are made of flexible materials, are soft, have supporting rigidity and light weight and are beneficial to swimming in water, and the soft materials have the compressible characteristic so that the front steering engine has the advantage of shuttling in the complex and narrow environment; the control system is powered by a power battery, winding of a cable or an air pipe is avoided, a head camera senses the environment to achieve movement path adjustment, a controller is in wireless communication with an upper computer, man-machine interaction is facilitated, and the system is suitable for remote control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of robotics technology, and in particular to a soft bionic eel robot. Background Art

[0002] In the process of the continuous development of robotics, the research of bionic robots has become an important direction. Eels, with their unique body structure and excellent movement ability, provide an excellent bionic blueprint for robot design. Among them, the body of the eel is streamlined, soft, smooth, with a small movement resistance coefficient, good movement efficiency and flexibility, and the eel swims in a snake-like manner, twisting its body to form a large wave-like movement to generate a strong forward momentum, and can move freely in complex environments.

[0003] Early rigid bionic eel robots had limitations in adaptability to complex environments, which prompted the development of soft bionic eel robots. However, current rigid robots face many challenges. In terms of driving methods, traditional rigid eel robots often use pneumatic drive or motor drive, and often need to be connected with cables or air tubes. When crossing narrow spaces, cables or air tubes are prone to entanglement, which greatly limits the robot's range of activities and makes it difficult to achieve long-distance movement, seriously hindering its application in complex environments such as narrow pipes and complex underwater terrain. In addition, traditional rigid eel robots have no environmental perception capabilities and cannot adjust their motion paths in real time according to environmental information. This makes them unable to cope with complex and changeable work scenarios and cannot meet the requirements for robot intelligence and adaptability in tasks such as underwater rescue, ocean exploration, and pipeline inspection.

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to develop a new type of robot with environmental perception, no entanglement risk and efficient movement. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, the embodiment of the present specification provides a soft bionic eel robot, which is composed of a head module, a control module and a tail module. The modules are connected by connecting pins, wherein the head module contains a camera, which is mounted on a cover, and the servo drives the reel to rotate, and the rope controls the skin through the skeleton to achieve direction control and tension provision; the control module has a power supply and a controller, which supplies power and control; the servo of the tail module makes the skeleton and tail swing through the rope, etc., to provide thrust, balance and coordination, and each part works together to achieve efficient movement and environmental adaptation.

[0006] The embodiments of this specification provide the following technical solutions:

[0007] A soft bionic eel robot, characterized in that it is composed of a tail module, a control module and a head module, wherein the modules are connected by connecting pins, and the head module includes a camera, a head cover, a plurality of connecting pins, a steering gear seat, a wire wheel, a steering gear, a wire rope, a plurality of skeletons and a flexible head skin;

[0008] The camera is mounted on a head cover, and the head cover is rotatably connected to a servo seat via a connecting pin; the servo is mounted on the upper part of the servo seat, and the wire pulley is mounted on the servo output shaft. The wire rope is wound around the wire pulley and passes through a number of bones. The wire pulley is driven to rotate by the servo to achieve traction of the wire rope on the bones. The flexible skin of the head is firmly bonded to the head cover and the bones, and the flexible skin of the head is in the shape of a corrugated tube.

[0009] In addition, a data processing unit is arranged inside the head module, and the data processing unit is electrically connected to the control system of the camera. The tail module includes a connecting pin, a steering gear seat, a wire wheel, a steering gear, a wire rope, six bones, a tail, and a flexible tail skin. The steering gear is mounted on the steering gear seat, the wire wheel is mounted on the steering gear output shaft, the wire rope is wound on the wire wheel, and the wire rope passes through the six bones.

[0010] Among them, the servo seat is connected to the skeleton through connecting pins, the six skeletons are connected by connecting pins, the skeleton and the tail are connected by connecting pins, the tail module and the control module are connected by connecting pins, and the joint movement is driven by the motor-driven rope to realize the movement of the bionic eel robot. The distributed drive method can adjust the direction of the serpentine movement and the wave-like movement.

[0011] Preferably, the head module is mainly responsible for direction control and provides motion pulling force; the tail module provides motion thrust, generates wave-like motion, and controls the balance and coordination during motion. A power battery is installed in the control module, and there is no need to drag cables for power supply. The control module is equipped with a controller to achieve remote control of the bionic eel robot.

[0012] Preferably, the pin connection between the joints includes two bones and a connecting pin, the two bones are connected by the connecting pin, the two bones can rotate around the connecting pin, the slot hole of the front bone has an angle of 45°, the hole axis of the rear bone has an angle of 10°, and the movement angle between the two bones is 35°. The size of the movement angle can be set according to requirements. This structure meets the angle characteristics of the rotation of each joint of the eel and is convenient for movement control.

[0013] Preferably, the control module includes a connecting pin, a mounting base, a power supply, a controller, two screws, and a baffle; the mounting base is connected to the head module through a connecting pin; the power supply is installed at the bottom of the mounting base, and the controller is installed on the mounting base and on the top of the power supply; the baffle is fixed to the side of the mounting base by two screws, one side of the baffle is used to fix the battery and the controller, and the other side has a 45° slot hole to connect to the tail module; the outer surface of the mounting base is respectively bonded to the flexible skin of the head and the flexible skin of the tail.

[0014] Preferably, the tail module includes seven connecting pins, a servo seat, a reel, a servo, a rope, six bones, a tail, and a flexible tail skin; the servo is installed on the servo seat, the reel is installed on the servo output shaft, the rope is wound around the reel, and the rope passes through the six bones; the servo seat is connected to the bones through connecting pins, the six bones are connected to each other through connecting pins, the bones are connected to the tail through connecting pins, and the tail module is connected to the control module through connecting pins; the outside of the tail module is wrapped with a flexible tail skin, the flexible tail skin is bonded to the tail and the bones with glue, and the flexible tail skin is in the shape of a corrugated tube.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the at least one technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this specification can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The soft bionic eel robot of this technical solution adopts

[0017] Modular design, each module is connected by connecting pins, the structure is simple and versatile, easy to assemble and maintain; the movement angle between joints can be adjusted, that is, the size of the joint movement angle can be set as needed. This structure fits the rotation characteristics of eel joints, making the movement easy to control and more accurate and efficient; the skeleton and skin are made of flexible materials, with good flexibility and good support stiffness, small size, light weight, excellent swimming performance in water, and the compressibility of soft materials gives it a unique advantage in shuttling in complex and narrow environments;

[0018] At the same time, a distributed line drive method is adopted for the drive layout of the bionic eel robot. The control module is centered, and the tail module works together with the front servo to achieve rapid movement and direction control. Power batteries and wireless communication are used to avoid cable or air tube entanglement, facilitating human-computer interaction. A camera is installed on the head module to perceive the environment in real time and adjust the movement path according to the information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an overall structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a head module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a joint connection provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a control module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a tail module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] In the figure: 1. Camera; 2. Head cover; 3. Connecting pin; 4. Servo seat; 5. Reel; 6. Servo; 7. Rope; 8. Skeleton; 9. Flexible skin of the head; 10. Mounting seat; 11. Power supply; 12. Controller; 13. Screw; 14. Baffle; 15. Rope; 16. Tail; 17. Flexible skin of the tail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] The following describes the implementation methods of the present application through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation methods, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0028] It should be noted that various aspects of the embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It should be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any specific structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on the present application, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that an aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspect described herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. In addition, other structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects described herein can be used to implement this device and / or practice this method.

[0029] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present application. The drawings only show components related to the present application rather than being drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

[0030] Additionally, in the following description, specific details are provided to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the examples can be practiced without these specific details.

[0031] Traditional bionic eel robots are mostly driven by pneumatic drive or motor drive and connected by cables or air tubes. This design exposes some defects in actual application scenarios. When the robot needs to cross a narrow space to perform tasks, such as underwater pipeline inspection, complex marine environment exploration or other narrow terrain operations, the connected cables or air tubes are very likely to get entangled. Once entanglement occurs, it will not only hinder the normal movement of the robot, limit its range of activities, and make it difficult for the robot to conduct in-depth detection in complex environments, but may also damage the cables or air tubes, thereby causing robot system failures, making it impossible to continue the mission, seriously affecting work efficiency, and even causing equipment damage and economic losses, greatly limiting the application potential of bionic eel robots in complex environments.

[0032] In addition, existing bionic eel robots generally lack effective environmental perception capabilities. In complex and changeable actual working environments, robots cannot obtain real-time information about the surrounding environment, such as obstacle distribution, water flow changes, target object locations, etc. This makes it difficult for robots to adjust their movement paths and postures in a timely manner according to environmental changes, and they cannot make autonomous intelligent decisions.

[0033] For example, when encountering sudden obstacles, it is unable to avoid them in time; when tracking a target object, it cannot flexibly change the direction of movement according to the movement of the target. This lack of environmental perception ability leads to poor autonomy and adaptability of the robot, which cannot meet the requirements of modern complex tasks for the intelligence and flexibility of bionic robots, and seriously restricts its application scope and work efficiency in actual scenarios.

[0034] Therefore, there is a need for a robot that can move freely in complex environments, has a high degree of environmental perception and can achieve efficient motion control, so as to improve the performance and reliability of bionic robots in practical applications and expand their application areas.

[0035] Therefore, this technical solution proposes a new type of soft bionic eel robot, which is composed of a head module, a control module and a tail module. The modules are connected by connecting pins. This solution controls the direction and provides pulling force through a servo, etc. The control module has a power supply and a controller to supply power and realize remote control. The tail module generates thrust, etc. The modular design is convenient for operation, the flexible material facilitates swimming, the wire drive method optimizes movement, the power supply and communication methods avoid entanglement, and the camera realizes environmental perception and path adjustment.

[0036] The technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, a soft bionic eel robot is composed of a head module I, a control module II and a tail module III, and the modules are connected by connecting pins 3.

[0038] Specifically, the soft bionic eel robot is composed of a head module I, a control module II and a tail module III. The modules are connected by connecting pins 3 to form a tightly coordinated whole. The head module I integrates a camera 1 and is installed on a head cover 2. The cover is connected to a steering gear seat 4 equipped with a steering gear 6 via connecting pins 3. The steering gear 6 drives the wire wheel 5 to rotate. The wire rope 7 passes through six bones 8 to control the movement of the head. The external bellows-shaped head flexible skin 9 provides protection and flexibility. Its function is to use the camera 1 to sense the environment and provide visual information for the robot's movement. At the same time, it realizes direction control and provides motion pulling force through the internal structure.

[0039] In one embodiment, the control module II is connected to the head module I by means of the connecting pin 3, the internal power supply 11 supplies energy to the system, the controller 12 is responsible for processing information and instructions, the baffle 14 is fixed by screws 13, one side fixes the components, and the other side has a 45° slot connected to the tail module III, and the mounting seat 10 is externally bonded to the head and tail flexible skin. This module ensures energy supply, realizes intelligent control of the robot, and avoids the entanglement of cables or air pipes, ensuring that the system is simple and stable, and convenient for remote control.

[0040] The tail module III is also connected with the connecting pin 3, and the six skeletons 8 and the tail 16 are driven by the steering gear 6, the reel 5, and the rope 15 to swing, and the flexible tail skin 17 wrapped outside assists the movement.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the head module I includes a camera 1, a head cover 2, seven connecting pins 3, a servo engine seat 4, a reel 5, a servo engine 6, a rope 7, six skeletons 8, and a flexible head skin 9; the camera 1 is mounted on the head cover 2, and the head cover 2 is connected to the servo engine seat 4 through the connecting pin 3; the servo engine 6 is mounted on the servo engine seat 4, the reel 5 is mounted on the output shaft of the servo engine 6, the rope 7 is wound on the reel 5, and the rope 7 passes through the six skeletons 8; the servo engine seat 4 is connected to the skeleton 8 through the connecting pin 3, the six skeletons 8 are connected through the connecting pin 3, and the head module I is connected to the control module II through the connecting pin 3; the head module I is wrapped with a flexible head skin 9 on the outside, and the flexible head skin 9 is bonded to the head cover 2 and the six skeletons 8 by glue, and the flexible head skin 9 is in the shape of a corrugated tube.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, the pin connection between the joints includes two bones 8 and a connecting pin 3. The two bones 8 are connected by the connecting pin 3. The two bones 8 can rotate around the connecting pin 3. The slot hole of the front bone 8 has an angle of 45°, and the hole axis of the rear bone 8 has an angle of 10°. The movement angle between the two bones 8 is 35°.

[0043] Specifically, in the soft bionic eel robot, the pin connection between the joints is one of the key structures for achieving flexible movement, involving two skeletons 8 and connecting pins 3. The two skeletons 8 are connected by the connecting pins 3. This connection method enables the two skeletons 8 to rotate around the connecting pins 3, thereby simulating the movement of the eel joints.

[0044] Among them, the slot of the front bone 8 has an angle of 45°, and the hole axis of the rear bone 8 is 10°. This design limits the movement angle between the two bones 8 to 35°. By accurately setting this angle, not only can the robot be closer to the real movement form of the eel during movement, but also it can be more convenient to perform motion control based on this feature during actual control. Whether in a complex environment that requires precise steering or when performing various tasks, this joint connection structure can provide the robot with a stable and flexible movement foundation, ensuring that it can swim freely in the water like a real eel, showing good maneuverability and adaptability.

[0045] like Figure 4As shown, the control module II includes a connecting pin 3, a mounting base 10, a power supply 11, a controller 12, two screws 13, and a baffle 14; the mounting base 10 is connected to the head module I through the connecting pin 3; the power supply 11 is installed at the bottom of the mounting base 10, and the controller 12 is installed on the mounting base 10 and on the upper part of the power supply 11; the baffle 14 is fixed to the side of the mounting base 10 by two screws 13, one side of the baffle 14 is used to fix the battery 11 and the controller 12, and the other side has a 45° slot connected to the tail module III; the outer surface of the mounting base 10 is bonded to the head flexible skin 9 and the tail flexible skin 17 respectively.

[0046] Specifically, the control module II is composed of components such as a connecting pin 3, a mounting base 10, a power supply 11, a controller 12, two screws 13 and a baffle 14. The mounting base 10 is firmly connected to the head module I through the connecting pin 3, providing a reliable installation foundation for the entire control module.

[0047] In addition, the power supply 11 is installed at the bottom of the mounting base 10, providing sufficient energy for the operation of the robot, and the controller 12 is installed on the mounting base 10 and located above the power supply 11, responsible for processing various instructions and information. The baffle 14 is fixed to the side of the mounting base 10 by means of two screws 13, and one side of the baffle is used to fix the battery 11 and the controller 12 to ensure that they remain stable during the movement of the robot.

[0048] The 45° slot on the other side is used for precise connection with the tail module III, achieving close cooperation between the modules. The outer surface of the mounting seat 10 is bonded to the head flexible skin 9 and the tail flexible skin 17 respectively, which not only enhances the overall structural integrity of the robot, but also makes the robot look smoother and reduces the resistance when swimming in the water. The control module II effectively ensures the normal operation and stable control of the robot through the coordinated work of various components, and is the key to the robot's realization of various complex actions and intelligent functions.

[0049] like Figure 5 As shown, the tail module III includes seven connecting pins 3, a servo seat 4, a reel 5, a servo 6, a rope 15, six skeletons 8, a tail 16, and a tail flexible skin 17; the servo 6 is installed on the servo seat 4, the reel 5 is installed on the output shaft of the servo 6, the rope 15 is wound on the reel 5, and the rope 15 passes through the six skeletons 8; the servo seat 4 is connected to the skeleton 8 through the connecting pin 3, the six skeletons 8 are connected to each other through the connecting pin 3, the skeleton 8 is connected to the tail 16 through the connecting pin 3, and the tail module III is connected to the control module II through the connecting pin 3; the tail module III is wrapped with a tail flexible skin 17 on the outside, the tail flexible skin 17 is bonded to the tail 16 and the skeleton 8 by glue, and the tail flexible skin 17 is in the shape of a corrugated tube.

[0050] Specifically, the tail module III includes seven connecting pins 3, a servo seat 4, a reel 5, a servo 6, a rope 15, six skeletons 8, a tail 16 and a flexible tail skin 17.

[0051] The steering gear 6 is mounted on the steering gear seat 4, the reel 5 is mounted on the output shaft of the steering gear 6, the wire rope 15 is tightly wound on the wire wheel 5 and passes through the six skeletons 8. This structural design enables the steering gear 6 to accurately control the movement of the skeleton 8 through the wire wheel 5 and the wire rope 15. The steering gear seat 4 and the skeleton 8 are connected by means of the connecting pin 3, and the six skeletons 8 are also connected in sequence by means of the connecting pin 3, and the skeleton 8 and the tail 16 are also connected by the connecting pin 3, which ensures the continuity and flexibility of the entire tail structure.

[0052] In addition, the tail module III is connected to the control module II via a connecting pin 3, and the revolute connection between the joints includes two bones (8) and a connecting pin (3), thereby achieving effective communication and coordinated work with the control system. When outside, the tail module III is completely wrapped by the tail flexible skin 17, and the skin is bonded to the tail 16 and the bones 8 with glue, which not only enhances the stability of the structure, but also makes the tail present a good integrity.

[0053] In one embodiment, the bellows-shaped flexible tail skin 17 has unique advantages. Its soft and stretchable properties can deform accordingly with the swinging of the skeleton and tail when the robot moves, thereby reducing water resistance and improving movement efficiency. At the same time, it gives the robot a more realistic bionic appearance, making it more fluid and agile when swimming in the water, thereby better simulating the movement of eels.

[0054] In one embodiment, the bionic eel robot is placed in an unstructured underwater environment, the power supply 11 provides control and driving power for the bionic eel-shaped robot, the camera 1 obtains underwater environmental information in real time and transmits the information to the controller 12, the controller 12 processes the environmental information obtained by the camera 1, generates the trajectory of the bionic eel robot's movement, and sends the servo position instructions to the two servos 6.

[0055] In addition, the servo 6 in the head module I drives the reel 5 forward and reverse according to the instructions, driving the rope 7 to rotate the winding wheel 5, the rope 7 pulls the six bones 8 to swing left and right, and the six bones 8 cause the flexible skin 9 of the head to stretch and contract left and right, thereby realizing the direction control of the bionic eel robot and providing motion pulling force; the servo 6 in the tail module III drives the reel 5 forward and reverse according to the instructions, driving the rope 15 to rotate the winding wheel 5, the rope 15 pulls the six bones 8 and the tail 16 to swing left and right, and the six bones 8 cause the flexible skin 17 of the tail to stretch and contract left and right, providing motion thrust, generating wave-like motion, and controlling the balance and coordination during the motion process.

[0056] In addition, the soft bionic eel robot is mainly composed of a head module, a control module and a tail module. The modules are connected by connecting pins to form an organic whole. In the head module, the camera is installed on the head cover, and the head cover is connected to the servo seat through the connecting pin. The servo is placed on the servo seat, and a wire wheel is installed on its output shaft. The wire rope is wound around the wire wheel and passes through six bones. These bones are also connected by connecting pins, and the head module is connected to the control module through connecting pins. The head flexible skin wrapped in a corrugated tube is bonded to the cover and bones by glue. This module is responsible for direction control, in which the servo drives the wire wheel to rotate, driving the wire rope to pull the bones to swing left and right, pulling the flexible skin to stretch and contract, thereby achieving direction adjustment and providing motion pulling force for the robot.

[0057] At the same time, the control module is connected to the head module through a connecting pin, which includes a mounting base, a power supply, a controller, screws and a baffle. The power supply is installed at the bottom of the mounting base, the controller is on the top, and the baffle is fixed to the side of the mounting base with screws. The battery and controller are fixed on one side, and a 45° slot is opened on the other side to connect with the tail module. The outer surface of the mounting base is bonded to the flexible skin of the head and tail. The module is located in the middle of the robot, and its power supply powers the entire robot. No external cables or air sources are required, avoiding entanglement problems in complex environments. At the same time, the controller realizes remote control of the robot and wirelessly communicates with the host computer, which is convenient for human-computer interaction.

[0058] In addition, the tail module is connected to the control module through a connecting pin, and is composed of a steering gear seat, a wire wheel, a steering gear, a wire rope, a skeleton, a tail, and a flexible tail skin. The connection relationship between the steering gear, the wire wheel, the wire rope, and the skeleton is similar to that of the head module. The skeleton and the tail are also connected by a connecting pin, and the flexible tail skin is wrapped in a corrugated tube shape and bonded to the tail and the skeleton. When the steering gear of this module is working, the warp wheel and the wire rope drive the skeleton and the tail to swing, provide motion thrust, generate wave-like motion, and control the balance and coordination during the motion process.

[0059] In terms of joint connection, the two bones are connected by a connecting pin, the slot of the front bone is 45°, the axis of the hole of the rear bone is 10°, and the movement angle of the two is 35°. This design conforms to the rotation characteristics of the eel joint, is convenient for motion control, and the joint angle can be set as needed. The entire robot adopts a modular design, with a simple structure, strong versatility, and easy operation. The bones and skin are made of flexible materials, which have flexibility and support stiffness. The small size and light weight are suitable for swimming in water. The compressibility of soft materials makes it more advantageous to shuttle in complex and narrow environments. It adopts a distributed line drive method, with a small number of motors and a simple control system. All parts work together to achieve efficient movement and environmental adaptation.

[0060] First, in terms of structural design, the modular design concept is adopted, and each module is connected by a connecting pin, which makes the assembly, disassembly and maintenance of the robot extremely simple. Whether it is the replacement of parts during the production process or the maintenance after use, it can be carried out efficiently and quickly, which greatly improves the convenience of operation and reduces maintenance costs. At the same time, it enhances the versatility of the structure and facilitates customization and expansion according to different needs.

[0061] The joint connection is achieved by connecting the two bones through a connecting pin. The specific slot and hole axis angle settings make the joint movement angle 35°. This design accurately matches the angle characteristics of the rotation of each joint of the eel. This not only makes the robot more natural and smooth when moving, but also facilitates precise control of the movement, and can achieve complex and precise movements, such as flexible turning and shuttling in narrow spaces.

[0062] The skeleton and skin are made of flexible materials, which brings multiple advantages. Its good flexibility enables the robot to better adapt to complex water flow environments and reduce the impact of water flow resistance on movement; at the same time, it has sufficient support stiffness to ensure that the robot is structurally stable during movement and maintains its shape and function. The smaller size and mass make the robot more light and agile in the water and consume less energy, while the compressibility of soft materials gives the robot a unique advantage in shuttling in complex or narrow environments, and can easily enter small spaces to perform tasks, such as inspection and maintenance in underwater pipeline systems.

[0063] The control module is located in the middle, and the servo of the tail module controls the movement of the tail, providing powerful thrust while effectively controlling the balance and coordination during the movement.

[0064] The control system is powered by a power battery, and the power supply is located in the middle of the control module. No external cable power supply or external air source is required, which completely avoids the risk of cable or air pipe entanglement in complex environments, allowing the robot to move freely in narrow spaces and complex terrains without being restrained. The simple system design is easy to maintain and reduces the number of failure points. The wireless communication function between the controller and the host computer realizes convenient human-computer interaction. The operator can remotely control the robot, obtain the robot status information in real time, and accurately control the robot, which greatly improves the flexibility and convenience of control. It is especially suitable for long-distance operation scenarios, such as long-distance underwater detection and rescue missions.

[0065] The camera installed in the head module provides the robot with environmental perception capabilities and can obtain external environmental information in real time. Based on this information, the robot can adjust its movement path in a timely manner, autonomously avoid obstacles, and accurately track target objects, which significantly enhances the robot's adaptability and autonomy in complex environments, enabling it to better respond to various mission requirements, such as accurately tracking marine life activities in marine environmental monitoring and quickly finding targets in underwater search and rescue missions.

[0066] In this specification, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. Especially for the embodiments described later, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the previous embodiments.

[0067] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A soft bionic eel robot, characterized in that: It consists of a tail module (III), a control module (II) and a head module (I), wherein the tail module (III), the control module (II) and the head module (I) are connected by a connecting pin (3); Among them, the head module (I) is used to perceive the environment and control direction, the control module (II) is used for power and control, and the tail module (III) is used for balance and coordination.

2. The soft bionic eel robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The head module (I) comprises a camera (1), a head cover (2), a connecting pin (3), a steering gear seat (4), a wire wheel (5), a steering gear (6), a wire rope (7), a skeleton (8) and a flexible head skin (9); The camera (1) is mounted on a head cover (2), and the head cover (2) is connected to a rotational pair between a joint of a steering gear seat (4) through a connecting pin (3); the steering gear (6) is mounted on the steering gear seat (4), a wire wheel (5) is mounted on an output shaft of the steering gear (6), a wire rope (7) is wound around the wire wheel (5), and the wire rope (7) passes through a skeleton (8); the steering gear seat (4) is connected to the skeleton (8) through a connecting pin (3), and the six skeletons (8) are connected through the connecting pin (3); The flexible head skin (9) is bonded to the head cover (2) and the six skeletons (8); the flexible head skin (9) is in the shape of a corrugated tube; and the flexible head skin (9) wraps the head module (I).

3. The soft bionic eel robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: A data processing unit is arranged inside the head module (I), and the data processing unit is electrically connected to the control system of the camera (1).

4. The soft bionic eel robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotational pair connection between the joints comprises two bones (8) and a connecting pin (3), the two bones (8) are connected via the connecting pin (3), the slot hole of the front bone (8) is 45 degrees, and the hole axis of the rear bone (8) is 10 degrees.

5. The soft bionic eel robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tail module (III) comprises a connecting pin (3), a steering gear seat (4), a wire wheel (5), a steering gear (6), a wire rope (15), a skeleton (8), a tail (16), and a flexible tail skin (17); The steering gear (6) is mounted on a steering gear seat (4), and the reel (5) is mounted on an output shaft of the steering gear (6); the wire rope (15) is wound around the reel (5), and the wire rope (15) passes through six skeletons (8); the skeletons (8) are connected to the tail (16) via a connecting pin (3), and the tail module is connected to the control module via a connecting pin (3).

6. The soft bionic eel robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The steering gear seat (4) is connected to the skeleton (8) via a connecting pin (3), and the six skeletons (8) are connected to each other via the connecting pin (3).

7. The soft bionic eel robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The tail module (III) is wrapped with a tail flexible skin (17) on the outside, and the tail flexible skin (17) is bonded to the tail (16) and the skeleton (8) by glue, and the tail flexible skin (17) is in the shape of a corrugated tube.

8. The soft bionic eel robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module (II) comprises a connecting pin (3), a mounting seat (10), a power supply (11), a controller (12), a screw (13), and a baffle (14); The mounting base (10) is connected to the head module via a connecting pin (3); the power supply (11) is mounted at the bottom of the mounting base (10), and the controller (12) is mounted on the mounting base (10) and on the top of the power supply (11); the baffle (14) is fixed to the side of the mounting base (10) via two screws (13), one side of the baffle (14) is used to fix the battery (11) and the controller (12), and the other side has a 45° slot connected to the tail module; the outer surface of the mounting base (10) is respectively bonded to the head flexible skin (9) and the tail flexible skin (17), and the control module (II) is connected to the head module (I) via a connecting pin (3).

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