Flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion

Abstract

A flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion comprises a robot body, the four corners of the robot body are connected with robot arms, the lower portions of the robot arms are connected with mechanical legs through connecting pieces, the mechanical legs are connected with an air pump through hoses, and the air pump is installed on the robot body; the fuselage is connected with a flight control unit, an air pump / steering engine control unit and a lithium battery which are matched with the arms and the mechanical legs to realize flight and climbing functions; in the flying state, the machine arms are wings of the robot, and in the climbing state, the machine arms are swing arms of the robot; the quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle and the quadruped robot are organically combined, meanwhile, the climbing function is achieved through bionic adhesion, and the robot adapts to various complex terrains, can flexibly fly and vertically take off and land, can be switched between the flying mode and the climbing mode, can be close to a target for reconnaissance, is long in endurance, and has the advantages of being good in obstacle crossing performance and capable of being rapidly transferred.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of intelligent robots, and in particular relates to a flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion. Background Art

[0002] Robots mainly replace humans to complete some highly repetitive and dangerous tasks, especially for some places with more complex or dangerous environments, where intelligent robots are needed to complete these tasks. Complex environments will impose more severe restrictions on robots with single functions, while amphibious robots have stronger environmental adaptability. Amphibious robots are an important branch of robot research. Air-to-ground amphibious robots not only have the ability to crawl on the ground and perform ground tasks, but also have the ability to fly in the air and perform flight tasks. At the same time, they have the ability to convert from flying to crawling amphibious, and can realize the conversion between crawling on the ground and flying in the air. They can not only explore narrow areas, but also fly at low altitudes, cross areas that cannot be crossed by crawling, and adapt to more complex environments. Therefore, air-to-ground amphibious robots have gradually become one of the research hotspots at home and abroad.

[0003] Air-to-ground amphibious robots have achieved breakthrough results in the stability of flight posture and the miniaturization of robots. Air-to-ground amphibious robots are mainly composed of flight mechanisms and climbing mechanisms. At present, flying robots include rotary-wing flying robots, fixed-wing flying robots and flapping-wing flying robots. Fixed-wing flying robots have advantages such as high mobility and fast flight speed, but they have strict requirements for take-off and landing sites and cannot adapt to complex external environments; flapping-wing flying robots can be miniaturized and lightweight, and have no requirements for take-off and landing sites, but because flapping-wing aerodynamics are not fully mature at this stage, they cannot guide the aircraft to fly stably; while rotary-wing flying robots are currently developing rapidly, and the control theory is also very mature, which can achieve miniaturization and stabilization. Climbing robots usually include wheeled robots, tracked robots, and multi-legged crawling robots. These robots move close to the ground and are greatly restricted by the terrain. They are powerless when encountering large obstacles or gullies. The rotor flying robot and the leg climbing robot are integrated into an air-to-ground amphibious robot (Jia Linrui. Bionic flying and climbing robot and its flexible drive [D]. Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2018.), which has the characteristics of stable control and strong environmental adaptability.

[0004] The climbing stability of a climbing robot depends on the interface adsorption technology. According to the adsorption mechanism of the climbing robot, the climbing robot can be divided into four categories: negative pressure adsorption, magnetic adsorption, gripping adsorption and bionic adsorption. Negative pressure adsorption requires continuous negative pressure, and produces a lot of noise during operation. At the same time, the movement of the robot will affect the sealing of the adsorption. Magnetic adsorption is divided into electromagnetic adsorption and permanent magnetic adsorption. Electromagnetic adsorption requires additional energy carried by the wall-climbing robot, and permanent magnetic adsorption has the problem of difficult adjustment of magnetic force. The gripping climbing robot has multiple feet that alternately grip on the surface to achieve adsorption and movement, which is difficult to control.

[0005] Bionic adsorption (Bian, S., Wei, Y., Xu, F. et al. A Four-legged Wall-climbing Robot with Spines and Miniature Setae Array Inspired by Longicorn and Gecko. J Bionic Eng 18, 292–305 (2021).) has low energy consumption and a wide range of applications. If a climbing robot is combined with bionic adsorption materials, it can be better used in reconnaissance and detection, but there is currently no corresponding literature published. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion, which organically combines a quadrotor drone with a quadruped robot and realizes the climbing function by utilizing bionic adhesion. The robot can adapt to a variety of complex terrains, can fly flexibly, take off and land vertically, and can switch between flight and crawling modes. It can conduct close-range target reconnaissance, has a long battery life, and has the advantages of good obstacle crossing performance and rapid transfer.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion comprises a fuselage 1, wherein four corners of the fuselage 1 are connected with organic arms 6, the lower part of the organic arms 6 is connected with mechanical legs 9 via connectors 8, the mechanical legs 9 are connected with an air pump 5 via hoses 7, the air pump 5 is mounted on the fuselage 1, and a flight control unit 2, an air pump / servo control unit 3 and a lithium battery 4 are connected to the fuselage 1 for cooperating with the organic arms 6 and the mechanical legs 9 to realize flying and climbing functions; in the flying state, the organic arms 6 are the wings of the robot, and in the climbing state, the organic arms 6 are the swing arms of the robot.

[0009] The arm 6 includes a No. 1 steering gear 601, which is connected to the fuselage 1, and the No. 1 steering gear 601 is connected to the first arm 602 through a No. 1 metal steering disc, the first arm 602 is connected to the No. 2 steering gear 603, and the No. 2 steering gear 603 is connected to the second arm 604 through the No. 2 metal steering disc; the second arm 604 is installed with a brushless motor 606, and the output shaft of the brushless motor 606 is connected to the propeller 605; the second arm 604 is connected to the No. 3 steering gear 607, and the No. 3 steering gear 607 is connected to the mechanical leg 9 through a connecting piece 8; the air pump / steering gear control unit 3 realizes the movement of the arm 6 and the mechanical leg 9 by controlling the No. 1 steering gear 601, the No. 2 steering gear 603, and the No. 3 steering gear 604; the flight control unit 2 controls the brushless motor 606, and the brushless motor 606 drives the propeller 605 to rotate to realize the flight movement of the robot.

[0010] The mechanical leg 9 includes a buffer component 901 and a buffer substrate 903 connected thereto, the bottom of the buffer substrate 903 is connected to a bionic adhesion structure 904, an air intake port 902 is provided on the buffer substrate 903, the air intake port 902 is connected to an air pump 5 via a hose 7, and the air pump / servo control unit 3 creates a negative pressure environment for the bionic adhesion structure 904 through the air pump 5 to achieve adhesion-detachment conversion.

[0011] The buffer component 901 is a spring and a cylinder that play a buffering role together.

[0012] The bionic adhesion structure 904 adopts a mushroom-shaped array and directly contacts the surface of the object for adhesion.

[0013] The lithium battery 4 supplies power to the brushless motor 606 , the air pump / servo control unit 3 and the flight control unit 2 respectively.

[0014] The air pump / servo control unit 3 and the flight control unit 2 use a control board of a single-chip microcontroller, including a 51 single-chip microcomputer, an stm32 single-chip microcomputer and a TMS single-chip microcomputer; the air pump / servo control unit 3 controls the steering angle of the servo and the air suction of the air pump by adjusting the output signal to complete the climbing function of the robot; the flight control unit 2 performs sensor fusion, data filtering, attitude solution, control algorithm and motor PWM output to complete the flight function of the robot.

[0015] The air pump / servo control unit 3 and the flight control unit 2 realize remote control of the amphibious variant robot through serial port communication.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. The present invention combines flight and climbing, and has both air cruising capability and slope climbing capability. It is an amphibious variant robot with a simple structure and can flexibly adapt to various environments.

[0018] 2. The arms of the present invention act as wings when the robot is flying and act as legs when climbing, thereby simplifying the overall structure of the robot, reducing its weight, and achieving the coupling of flying and climbing.

[0019] 3. The buffer component of the mechanical leg of the present invention can reduce the impact force caused by landing during landing, improve the stability of landing, and increase the contact area with the climbing surface in the crawling mode to improve the stability during climbing.

[0020] 4. The present invention combines negative pressure with a bionic adhesion structure, has low energy consumption, is easy to control, and has a wide range of applications.

[0021] In summary, the present invention organically combines a quadrotor drone with a quadruped robot and uses bionic adhesion to achieve a climbing function. The robot can adapt to a variety of complex terrains, can fly flexibly, take off and land vertically, and can switch between flight and crawling modes. It can conduct close-range target reconnaissance, has a long battery life, and has the advantages of good obstacle crossing performance and rapid transfer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the amphibious variant robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the amphibious variant robot arm according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mechanical legs of the amphibious variant robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the process of flight, plane landing, plane-slope climbing, and slope takeoff of the amphibious variant robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the process of flight, slope landing, slope climbing and slope takeoff of the amphibious variant robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] In the figure: 1-fuselage; 2-flight control unit; 3-air pump / servo control unit; 4-lithium battery; 5-air pump; 6-machine arm; 7-hose; 8-connector; 9-mechanical leg; 601-servo No. 1; 602-first section of machine arm; 603-servo No. 2; 604-second section of machine arm; 605-propeller; 606-brushless motor; 607-servo No. 3; 901-buffer component; 902-air intake; 903-buffer substrate; 904-bionic adhesion structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with embodiments and drawings, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, a flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion includes a fuselage 1, four corners of the fuselage 1 are connected with organic arms 6, the lower part of the organic arms 6 is connected to mechanical legs 9 through connectors 8, the mechanical legs 9 are connected to an air pump 5 through a hose 7 to achieve adhesion-detachment conversion; the air pump 5 is installed on the fuselage 1, and a flight control unit 2, an air pump / servo control unit 3 and a lithium battery 4 are connected to the fuselage 1 to cooperate with the organic arms 6 and the mechanical legs 9 to achieve flight and climbing functions; in the flying state, the organic arms 6 are the wings of the robot, and in the climbing state, the organic arms 6 are the swing arms of the robot.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the arm 6 includes a No. 1 steering gear 601, which is connected to the four corner threaded holes of the fuselage 1, the No. 1 steering gear 601 is connected to the first section arm 602 through the No. 1 metal steering plate, the first section arm 602 is connected to the No. 2 steering gear 603 through the threaded holes thereon, and the No. 2 steering gear 603 is connected to the second section arm 604 through the No. 2 metal steering plate; the second section arm 604 is installed with a brushless motor 606 through the motor base plate, and the output shaft of the brushless motor 606 is connected to the propeller 605 to realize the flight function of the robot; the second section arm 604 is connected to the second section arm 604 through the motor base plate. The machine arm 604 is connected to the No. 3 servo 607 through a threaded hole, and the No. 3 servo 607 is connected to the mechanical leg 9 through a connector 8; the machine arm 6 has three degrees of freedom, which are provided by the No. 1 servo 601, the No. 2 servo 603 and the No. 3 servo 607 respectively; the air pump / servo control unit 3 realizes the movement of the machine arm 6 and the mechanical leg 9 by controlling the No. 1 servo 601, the No. 2 servo 603 and the No. 3 servo 604; the flight control unit 2 controls the brushless motor 606, and the brushless motor 606 drives the propeller 605 to rotate to realize the flight movement of the robot.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown, the mechanical leg 9 includes a buffer component 901 and a buffer substrate 903 connected thereto, the bottom of the buffer substrate 903 is connected to the bionic adhesion structure 904, an air intake port 902 is provided on the buffer substrate 903, the air intake port 902 is connected to the air pump 5 via a hose 7, and the air pump / servo control unit 3 creates a negative pressure environment for the bionic adhesion structure 904 through the air pump 5 to achieve sticking and unsticking conversion; the buffer substrate 903 plays a role in stabilizing the connection and increasing the contact area between the bionic adhesion structure 904 and the climbing surface, thereby increasing the stability of the adhesion.

[0032] The buffer component 901 is a spring and a cylinder that play a buffering role together.

[0033] The bionic adhesion structure 904 adopts a mushroom-shaped array and directly contacts the surface of the object for adhesion.

[0034] The lithium battery 4 supplies power to the brushless motor 606 , the air pump / servo control unit 3 and the flight control unit 2 respectively.

[0035] The air pump / servo control unit 3 and the flight control unit 2 use a control board with a single-chip microcontroller as the core, including a 51 single-chip microcomputer, an stm32 single-chip microcomputer and a TMS single-chip microcomputer; the air pump / servo control unit 3 controls the steering angle of the servo and the air suction of the air pump by adjusting the output signal to complete the climbing function of the robot; the flight control unit 2 performs sensor fusion, data filtering, attitude solution, control algorithm and motor PWM output to complete the flight function of the robot.

[0036] The air pump / servo control unit 3 and the flight control unit 2 realize remote control of the amphibious variant robot through serial port communication.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, the process of the amphibious variant robot landing on a flat surface and then climbing from the flat surface to an inclined surface for takeoff: in the flying state, the servos of the amphibious variant robot always maintain a fixed angle to ensure that the four arms 6 of the amphibious variant robot are in a cross state to achieve the flying action; when the amphibious variant robot needs to land at a specified position during the flight, a flat landing command is sent to the amphibious variant robot, and the bionic adhesion structure 904 and the buffer component 901 of the mechanical leg 9 are used to achieve a smooth landing of the amphibious variant robot; after the smooth landing, a climbing command is sent to the amphibious variant robot, and after receiving the command, the air pump / servo control unit 3 outputs a signal to control the servo and the air pump 5 to move, so as to achieve the crawling action of the amphibious variant robot from the flat surface to the inclined surface; when it is necessary to take off again, the servo is controlled to be in the flying state through the air pump / servo control unit 3, and a slope take-off signal is sent to the amphibious variant robot, and the amphibious variant robot takes off successfully.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, the process of the amphibious variant robot landing on a slope and then climbing up the slope to take off: in the flight state, the servo of the amphibious variant robot always maintains a fixed angle to ensure that the four arms 6 of the amphibious variant robot are in a cross state to achieve the flying action; when the amphibious variant robot needs to land at a specified position during the flight, a slope landing command is sent to the amphibious variant robot, and the bionic adhesion structure 904 and the buffer component 901 of the mechanical leg 9 are used to achieve a smooth landing of the amphibious variant robot; after the smooth landing, a climbing command is sent to the amphibious variant robot, and after receiving the command, the air pump / servo control unit 3 outputs a signal to control the action of the servo and the air pump 5 to achieve the climbing action of the amphibious variant robot on the slope; when it is necessary to take off again, the servo is controlled to be in the flight state through the air pump / servo control unit 3, and a slope take-off signal is sent to the amphibious variant robot, and the amphibious variant robot takes off successfully.

[0039] The embodiments are preferred implementations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned implementations. Any obvious improvements, substitutions or modifications that can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential content of the present invention belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flying / climbing amphibious robot based on bionic adhesion, comprising a body (1), characterized in that: The four corners of the fuselage (1) are connected with mechanical arms (6), the lower part of the mechanical arms (6) is connected with mechanical legs (9) through a connecting piece (8), the mechanical legs (9) are connected with an air pump (5) through a hose (7), the air pump (5) is installed on the fuselage (1), and the fuselage (1) is connected with a flight control unit (2), an air pump / steering gear control unit (3) and a lithium battery (4) which cooperate with the mechanical arms (6) and the mechanical legs (9) to realize flight and climbing functions; in the flying state, the mechanical arms (6) are the wings of the robot, and in the climbing state, the mechanical arms (6) are the swing arms of the robot.

2. The flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The machine arm (6) comprises a No. 1 steering gear (601), which is connected to the machine body (1), the No. 1 steering gear (601) is connected to the first machine arm (602) via a No. 1 metal steering disc, the first machine arm (602) is connected to the No. 2 steering gear (603), the No. 2 steering gear (603) is connected to the second machine arm (604) via the No. 2 metal steering disc; the second machine arm (604) is equipped with a brushless motor (606), the output shaft of the brushless motor (606) and the propeller (605) The second arm (604) is connected to the third steering gear (607), and the third steering gear (607) is connected to the mechanical leg (9) through a connecting piece (8); the air pump / steering gear control unit (3) realizes the movement of the arm (6) and the mechanical leg (9) by controlling the first steering gear (601), the second steering gear (603), and the third steering gear (604); the flight control unit (2) controls the brushless motor (606), and the brushless motor (606) drives the propeller (605) to rotate to realize the flight movement of the robot.

3. The flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical leg (9) comprises a buffer component (901) and a buffer substrate (903) connected thereto, the bottom of the buffer substrate (903) is connected to a bionic adhesion structure (904), an air intake port (902) is provided on the buffer substrate (903), the air intake port (902) is connected to an air pump (5) via a hose (7), and the air pump / servo control unit (3) creates a negative pressure environment for the bionic adhesion structure (904) through the air pump (5), thereby realizing the adhesion-detachment conversion.

4. The flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion according to claim 3, characterized in that: The buffer component (901) is a spring and an oil cylinder that jointly play a buffering role.

5. The flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bionic adhesion structure (904) adopts a mushroom-shaped array and directly contacts the surface of the object for adhesion.

6. The flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lithium battery (4) supplies power to the brushless motor (606), the air pump / servo control unit (3) and the flight control unit (2) respectively.

7. The flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air pump / servo control unit (3) and the flight control unit (2) adopt a control board of a single-chip microcontroller, including a 51 single-chip microcomputer, an STM32 single-chip microcomputer and a TMS single-chip microcomputer; the air pump / servo control unit (3) controls the steering angle of the servo and the air suction of the air pump by adjusting the output signal to complete the climbing function of the robot; the flight control unit (2) performs sensor fusion, data filtering, attitude solution, control algorithm and motor PWM output to complete the flight function of the robot.

8. The flying / climbing amphibious variant robot based on bionic adhesion according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air pump / servo control unit (3) and the flight control unit (2) realize remote control of the amphibious variant robot by means of serial port communication.

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