Snakelike robot for load transportation

Abstract

The invention provides a snakelike robot for load transportation, and relates to the technical field of robots. The trunk modules are sequentially arranged in the front-back direction, each trunk module comprises a front swing frame, two walking wheel assemblies and a rear swing frame, the two walking wheel assemblies are oppositely arranged in the left-right direction, the front ends of the two walking wheel assemblies are rotationally connected with the two sides of the front swing frame respectively, and the rear ends of the two walking wheel assemblies are rotationally connected with the two sides of the two rear swing frames respectively. The head support is connected with the front swing frame of the forefront trunk module through one swing motor, and the rear swing frame and the front swing frame of any two adjacent trunk modules are connected through one swing motor. The non-continuous-curvature snakelike robot has the beneficial effects that non-continuous-curvature snakelike motion is achieved, the bending degree is obviously improved, the flexibility of steering and passing through a narrow space is improved, multiple motion modes can be achieved, and the robot can adapt to walking on different grounds when the task environment changes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a snake-like robot used for load-carrying transportation. Background Art

[0002] Most existing snake-like robots focus on imitating the movement of snakes. Their designs are often focused on adaptability to a single type of terrain, such as smooth ground or a specific type of obstacle. The robot's terrain adaptability is limited by its sensor configuration and control algorithm. This often ignores the actual application needs in variable terrain, especially load capacity. Under load conditions, the robot's motion performance and stability decrease, limiting its payload in practical applications. Although some snake-like robots use lateral creeping and accordion-like motion to increase a certain load capacity, the motion state switching is not flexible enough, and the flexibility is limited when turning and passing through narrow spaces, making it difficult to adapt to variable load conditions. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the current snake-like robots, an embodiment of the present invention provides a snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation, comprising:

[0005] A head module, comprising a head support and at least two driving wheels arranged on the head support;

[0006] A plurality of trunk modules are sequentially arranged along the front-to-back direction, each of the trunk modules comprises a front swing frame, two running wheel assemblies and a rear swing frame, the two running wheel assemblies are arranged opposite to each other on the left and right, the front ends of the two running wheel assemblies are rotatably connected to the two sides of the front swing frame respectively, and the rear ends are rotatably connected to the two sides of the two rear swing frames respectively;

[0007] And multiple swing motors, the head bracket is connected to the front swing bracket of the frontmost torso module through a swing motor, and the rear swing bracket and front swing bracket of any two adjacent torso modules are connected through a swing motor, so that each swing motor can drive the front swing bracket to which it is connected to swing left and right.

[0008] Furthermore, each of the traveling wheel assemblies comprises a wheel frame, a one-way flywheel and an annular roller, wherein the one-way flywheel is mounted on the wheel frame, and the annular roller is sleeved on the one-way flywheel.

[0009] Furthermore, a vertically penetrating installation groove is provided in the middle of the wheel frame, a horizontally arranged wheel axle is provided in the installation groove, and the one-way flywheel sleeve is installed on the wheel axle.

[0010] Furthermore, the front end of each wheel frame in each of the trunk modules can be rotatably connected to the front swing frame, and the rear end can be rotatably connected to the rear swing frame.

[0011] Furthermore, each of the trunk modules also includes four articulated blocks, which are in an I-shape, and articulated ears are provided on both sides of the front swing frame and the rear swing frame. Articulated heads are provided at the front and rear ends of the wheel frame. The front and rear ends of each wheel frame are respectively articulated connected to the two articulated block shafts through the two articulated heads, the front swing frame is respectively articulated connected to the two articulated block shafts through the two articulated ears, and the rear swing frame is respectively articulated connected to the other two articulated block shafts through the two articulated ears.

[0012] Furthermore, the front swing frame and the rear swing frame are both circular, and a driving plate extending forward is provided on the top of the front swing frame, and the swing motor installed on the rear swing frame of the previous trunk module is connected to the driving plate of the front swing frame of the subsequent trunk module.

[0013] Furthermore, the trunk module also includes a flexible material bin, and the flexible material bin is fixedly connected to the two walking wheel assemblies.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a tail module, which includes a tail bracket. A rear swing bracket of the torso module located at the rear is connected to the tail bracket through a swing motor to drive the tail bracket to swing.

[0015] Furthermore, the tail module also includes a tail swing frame, the swing motor is connected to the tail swing frame, and two sides of the tail swing frame are rotatably connected to two sides of the front end of the tail bracket respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, the head module also includes a head swing frame, and the rear end of the head support is provided with two connecting rods extending backwards, and the rear ends of the two connecting rods are respectively hingedly connected to the two sides of the head swing frame.

[0017] The beneficial effects brought about by the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention are:

[0018] 1. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation of the present invention can drive each trunk module to swing through a swing motor, and both ends of the two walking wheel assemblies in each trunk module can rotate. By utilizing the instability of the parallelogram, the two walking wheel assemblies can be relatively staggered front and back to adapt to changes in the ground environment, thereby realizing a serpentine motion with discontinuous curvature, and the degree of bending is significantly improved, thereby improving the flexibility in turning and passing through narrow spaces, and being able to realize a variety of motion modes. When the task environment changes, it can adapt to walking on different grounds to meet different terrains and task requirements.

[0019] 2. The snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation of the present invention can achieve precise control of the steering and bending degree by adjusting the steering angle of the head module and the phase difference of the swing motor driving the swing of each trunk module.

[0020] 3. In a snake-like robot used for load-bearing transportation of the present invention, a flexible material box can be directly arranged between the two walking wheel assemblies of the trunk module, and the flexible material box can be directly integrated into the inside of the snake-like robot. When equipment or materials are carried by the flexible material box, the passability and stability of the snake-like robot are not affected. The robot can carry heavier loads and is suitable for a variety of transportation tasks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the head module;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the torso module;

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a travel wheel assembly;

[0025] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the travel wheel assembly;

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the tail module;

[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the bending motion of a snake-like robot used for load-carrying transportation when carrying an object according to the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the movement of a snake-like robot used for load-carrying transportation on diverse terrains according to the present invention.

[0029] In the figure: 1. head module; 101. head bracket; 102. wheel; 103. motor seat; 104. connecting rod; 105. head swing frame; 2. trunk module; 201. front swing frame; 202. rear swing frame; 203. walking wheel assembly; 204. wheel frame; 205. one-way flywheel; 206. annular roller; 207. hinge block; 208. hinge head; 209. hinge ear; 210. drive plate; 211. mounting groove; 212. wheel axle; 301. tail bracket; 302. tail swing frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is intended to provide a basic understanding of the present invention, but is not intended to confirm the key or decisive elements of the present invention or to limit the scope of protection.

[0031] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0032] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered as part of the specification.

[0033] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in the subsequent drawings. At the same time, it should be understood that for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.

[0034] It should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" 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 an indirect connection 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.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 1 The embodiment of the present invention provides a snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation, which mainly includes a head module 1, a plurality of trunk modules 2, and a plurality of swing motors (not shown in the figure).

[0036] Please refer to Figure 2 , the head module 1 includes a head bracket 101, and at least two driving wheels arranged on the head bracket 101. The head bracket 101 and the driving wheels constitute a steerable frame structure. Specifically, in this embodiment, the driving wheels are arranged in two, each of which is composed of a wheel 102 and a driving motor (not shown in the figure), and the two wheels 102 are symmetrically mounted on both sides of the front of the head bracket 101, and two motor seats 103 are provided at the front of the head bracket 101. Each driving motor is mounted on one of the motor seats 103 and connected to the wheel 102. The steering of the head module 1 can be achieved by controlling the speed difference between the two wheels 102 by the driving motor.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 3 , 4 5, a plurality of trunk modules 2 are sequentially arranged along the front-to-back direction, each trunk module 2 comprises a front swing frame 201, two running wheel assemblies 203 and a rear swing frame 202, the two running wheel assemblies 203 are arranged opposite to each other, the front ends of the two running wheel assemblies 203 are rotatably connected to the two sides of the front swing frame 201, and the rear ends are rotatably connected to the two sides of the two rear swing frames 202. The two running wheel assemblies 203, the front swing member and the rear swing member form a virtual parallelogram, and by utilizing the instability characteristics of the parallelogram, the two running wheel assemblies 203 can be relatively close to or away from each other to produce adaptive deformation.

[0038] Each of the running wheel assemblies 203 includes a wheel frame 204, a one-way flywheel 205 and an annular roller 206, wherein the one-way flywheel 205 is mounted on the wheel frame 204, and the annular roller 206 is sleeved on the one-way flywheel 205. The one-way flywheel 205 can only rotate forward, so that the annular roller 206 can only rotate forward, and the annular roller 206 is prevented from rotating backward to affect the deformation of the two running wheel assemblies 203.

[0039] Specifically, a vertically penetrating mounting groove 211 is provided in the middle of the wheel frame 204, a horizontally arranged wheel axle 212 is provided in the mounting groove 211, the one-way flywheel 205 is sleeved and installed on the wheel axle 212, the annular roller 206 is vertically arranged to penetrate the mounting groove 211 and sleeved on the one-way flywheel 205, and the annular roller 206 rolls on the ground.

[0040] The front swing frame 201 and the rear swing frame 202 are generally configured in a circular shape, and the front end of each wheel frame 204 in each trunk module 2 is rotatably connected to the front swing frame 201, and the rear end is rotatably connected to the rear swing frame 202. As in the present embodiment, each trunk module 2 further includes four hinge blocks 207, and the hinge blocks 207 are in an I-shaped shape. Both sides of the front swing frame 201 and the rear swing frame 202 are provided with hinge ears 209, and the front and rear ends of the wheel frame 204 are provided with hinge joints 208. The front and rear ends of each wheel frame 204 are respectively hingedly connected to the axes of the two hinge blocks 207 through the two hinge joints 208, the front swing frame 201 is respectively hingedly connected to the axes of the two hinge blocks 207 through the two hinge ears 209, and the rear swing frame 202 is respectively hingedly connected to the axes of the other two hinge blocks 207 through the two hinge ears 209.

[0041] The number of the swing motors is consistent with the number of the trunk modules 2. The head bracket 101 is connected to the front swing bracket 201 of the frontmost trunk module 2 via a swing motor, and the rear swing bracket 202 and the front swing bracket of any two adjacent trunk modules 2 are connected via a swing motor, so that each swing motor can drive the front swing bracket to which it is connected to swing left and right. Each swing motor is used to drive a trunk module 2 to swing. The swing motor is generally a servo, which can more accurately control the swing angle of the trunk module 2.

[0042] In each of the trunk modules 2, the swing motor drives the front swing frame 201 to swing, thereby driving the frame of the two running wheel assemblies 203 to swing, so that the two running wheel assemblies 203 produce adaptive deformation. Specifically, the top of the front swing frame 201 is provided with a driving plate 210 extending forward, and the rear swing frame 202 is provided with a horizontally arranged mounting plate. The swing motor is installed on the mounting plate and the output shaft is arranged vertically upward. The output shaft of the swing motor installed on the rear swing frame 202 of the previous trunk module 2 is connected to the driving plate 210 of the front swing frame 201 of the next trunk module 2, so that the front swing frame 201 of the next trunk module 2 can be driven to swing.

[0043] In some embodiments, the head module 1 further comprises a head swing frame 105, the structure of the head swing frame 105 is the same as the shape of the rear swing frame 202, and the rear end of the head support 101 is provided with two connecting rods 104 extending backwards, and the rear ends of the two connecting rods 104 are respectively hingedly connected to the two sides of the head swing frame 105. A swing motor is installed on the head swing frame 105 and connected to the front swing frame 201 of the frontmost torso module 2, and the frontmost torso module 2 is driven to swing by the swing motor.

[0044] It should be noted that a carrying space for articles is formed between the two running wheel assemblies 203 in each trunk module 2, that is, a carrying space for articles is formed inside the trunk module 2. As in the present embodiment, the trunk module 2 further includes a flexible material bin (not shown in the figure), the flexible material bin is fixedly connected to the two running wheel assemblies 203, the flexible material bin is embedded between the two wheel frames 204, and the flexible material bin can generate adaptive deformation when the two running wheel assemblies 203 generate adaptive deformation.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 6 In some embodiments, a snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation of the present invention further includes a tail module, which includes a tail bracket 301. A rear swing bracket of the torso module 2 located at the rear is connected to the tail bracket 301 through another swing motor to drive the tail bracket 301 to swing.

[0046] The tail module also includes a tail swing frame 302, which has the same shape as the front swing frame 201. The swing motor is installed on the rear swing bracket of the rearmost trunk module 2. The output shaft of the swing motor is connected to the tail swing frame 302. The two sides of the tail swing frame 302 are rotatably connected to the two sides of the front end of the tail bracket 301. The swing motor drives the tail swing frame 302 to swing, which drives the tail bracket 301 to swing. In order to make the tail bracket 301 swing flexibly, a rotating wheel can also be provided at the bottom of the tail bracket 301 to contact the ground through the rotating wheel.

[0047] Please refer to Figure 7 and 8 The embodiment of the present invention provides a snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation, wherein the head module 1 is driven by a driving wheel to walk on the ground, and drags the walking wheels of each of the trunk modules 2 to roll and walk on the ground. The steering angle of the head module 1 can be adjusted by controlling the steering of the driving wheel, and the snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation can be made to walk in a curved manner by controlling the swing angle of each of the swing motors. When each trunk module 2 swings, the instability of the parallelogram is utilized to enable its two walking wheel assemblies 203 to produce adaptive motion, so that two adjacent trunk modules 2 can bend to a greater extent, thereby significantly improving the bending degree of the snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation, improving the flexibility in turning and passing through narrow spaces, and being able to realize multiple motion modes. When the task environment changes, it can adapt to walking on different grounds to meet different terrains and task requirements.

[0048] In addition, the flexible material box arranged between the two walking wheel assemblies 203 of the torso module 2 can carry items. When the two walking wheel assemblies 203 produce adaptive deformation, the flexible material bin can produce adaptive deformation, which does not affect the passability and stability of the snake-like robot. It can carry heavier loads and is suitable for a variety of transportation tasks.

[0049] In this article, the directional words such as front, back, top, and bottom involved are defined by the positions of the parts in the drawings and the positions of the parts relative to each other, just for the sake of clarity and convenience in expressing the technical solution. It should be understood that they are relative concepts and can change accordingly according to different ways of use and placement, and the use of the directional words should not limit the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0050] In the absence of conflict, the above embodiments and features in the embodiments may be combined with each other. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. 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 snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation, characterized in that: include: A head module, comprising a head support and at least two driving wheels arranged on the head support; A plurality of trunk modules are sequentially arranged along the front-to-back direction, each of the trunk modules comprises a front swing frame, two running wheel assemblies and a rear swing frame, the two running wheel assemblies are arranged opposite to each other on the left and right, the front ends of the two running wheel assemblies are rotatably connected to the two sides of the front swing frame respectively, and the rear ends are rotatably connected to the two sides of the two rear swing frames respectively; And multiple swing motors, the head bracket is connected to the front swing bracket of the frontmost torso module through a swing motor, and the rear swing bracket and front swing bracket of any two adjacent torso modules are connected through a swing motor, so that each swing motor can drive the front swing bracket to which it is connected to swing left and right.

2. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the traveling wheel assemblies comprises a wheel frame, a one-way flywheel and an annular roller, wherein the one-way flywheel is mounted on the wheel frame, and the annular roller is sleeved on the one-way flywheel.

3. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: A vertically penetrating mounting groove is provided in the middle of the wheel frame, a horizontally arranged wheel axle is arranged in the mounting groove, and the one-way flywheel is sleeve-mounted on the wheel axle.

4. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The front end of each wheel frame in each trunk module can be rotatably connected to the front swing frame, and the rear end can be rotatably connected to the rear swing frame.

5. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: Each of the trunk modules also includes four articulated blocks, which are in an I-shape. Articulated ears are provided on both sides of the front swing frame and the rear swing frame. Articulated heads are provided at the front and rear ends of the wheel frame. The front and rear ends of each wheel frame are respectively articulated to the two articulated block shafts through the two articulated heads. The front swing frame is respectively articulated to the two articulated block shafts through the two articulated ears, and the rear swing frame is respectively articulated to the other two articulated block shafts through the two articulated ears.

6. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The front swing frame and the rear swing frame are both circular, and a driving plate extending forward is provided on the top of the front swing frame. The swing motor installed on the rear swing frame of the previous trunk module is connected to the driving plate of the front swing frame of the next trunk module.

7. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The trunk module also includes a flexible material bin, which is fixedly connected to the two walking wheel assemblies.

8. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a tail module, which includes a tail bracket. A rear swing bracket of the trunk module located at the rear is connected to the tail bracket through a swing motor to drive the tail bracket to swing.

9. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The tail module also includes a tail swing frame, the swing motor is connected to the tail swing frame, and two sides of the tail swing frame are rotatably connected to two sides of the front end of the tail bracket respectively.

10. A snake-like robot for load-carrying transportation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The head module also includes a head swing frame, and the rear end of the head support is provided with two connecting rods extending backwards, and the rear ends of the two connecting rods are respectively hingedly connected to the two sides of the head swing frame.

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