Rope driving system and software continuous robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a rope driving system and a soft continuous robot, and belongs to the field of robotics.The rope driving system comprises a mounting frame, a driving part fixed to the mounting frame and a rope, a plurality of ring bodies of the soft continuous robot are arranged at intervals along a straight line, every two adjacent ring bodies are connected through a connecting part, and each ring body is provided with a plurality of rope penetrating holes; the rope penetrating holes of the multiple ring bodies correspond in position, one end of the rope is fixed to the output end of the driving part, the rope penetrates through the corresponding rope penetrating holes in the extending direction of the soft continuous robot and forms a rope knot at the end of the soft continuous robot, each ring body is of a hollow structure, the multiple ring bodies form a through hole, and the through hole can be used for installing exploration equipment. The soft continuous robot is made of a flexible material, the driving piece drives the soft continuous robot to deform through the rope so as to drive the probing equipment installed on the soft continuous robot to a narrow and complex space needing probing, and the soft continuous robot is simple in overall structure, small in size and beneficial to moving in the narrow and complex space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robots, in particular to a rope drive system and a soft continuous robot. Background Art

[0002] Compared with rigid robotic arms, soft robots can adapt to complex working environments and achieve flexible movements with multiple degrees of freedom, so they have a wide range of application scenarios. Currently, the main driving methods of soft robots include pneumatics, ropes, shape memory alloys, magnetic fields, etc.

[0003] Pneumatic drive is the most widely used drive mode. It has a large driving force and is suitable for achieving a large range of deformation and multi-degree-of-freedom motion. However, pneumatic systems are usually large in size and are not suitable for applications that require high portability. In addition, the nonlinear problem caused by gas compression will make it difficult to control the accuracy and real-time feedback. Gas leakage will also affect the stability and durability of the system. Other drives, such as shape memory alloys, have good plasticity and deformation characteristics, but because the deformation of shape memory alloys is caused by temperature, their response speed is usually slow and difficult to control in real time. In addition, the temperature change during the heating process will affect the surrounding environment, especially the organism.

[0004] The existing rope-driven structure is complex and bulky, which is not conducive to detecting small and complex spaces, such as the human digestive system. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a rope drive system which has a simple structure, a small size and is capable of detecting narrow and complex spaces.

[0006] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, a second object of the present invention is to provide a soft continuous robot with a simple structure, small size, and the ability to detect narrow and complex spaces.

[0007] One of the purposes of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solution:

[0008] A rope drive system includes a mounting frame, a driving member fixed to the mounting frame, and a rope. The rope drive system also includes a soft continuous robot. The soft continuous robot includes a plurality of rings and a plurality of connecting parts. The plurality of rings are arranged at intervals along a straight line, and two adjacent rings are connected by the connecting parts. Each of the rings is provided with a plurality of rope threading holes, and the positions of the rope threading holes of the plurality of rings correspond. One end of the rope is fixed to the output end of the driving member. The rope is passed through the corresponding rope threading holes along the extension direction of the soft continuous robot and forms a knot at the end of the soft continuous robot. Each of the rings is a hollow structure, and the plurality of rings form through holes, and the through holes can be used to install detection equipment. The soft continuous robot is made of flexible material, and the driving member drives the rope to move, thereby causing the soft continuous robot to deform.

[0009] Furthermore, along the length direction of the soft continuous robot, two adjacent connecting parts are staggered.

[0010] Furthermore, along the length direction of the soft continuous robot, there are multiple connecting parts between two adjacent ring bodies, and the multiple connecting parts are arranged at intervals, and an opening is formed between two connecting parts.

[0011] Furthermore, the projections of the plurality of connecting portions coincide with the projection of the ring body.

[0012] Furthermore, the ring body is in a circular ring shape, the outer diameters of the plurality of connecting parts are the same as the outer diameter of the ring body, and the inner diameters of the plurality of connecting parts are the same as the inner diameter of the ring body.

[0013] Furthermore, the connecting portion is provided with a through hole, the through hole and the rope threading hole at a corresponding position of the ring body are located on the same axis, and the rope is passed through the through hole.

[0014] Furthermore, there are multiple ropes, and the multiple ropes are evenly distributed on the soft continuous robot.

[0015] Furthermore, the number of the driving members is the same as the number of the ropes, and the driving members are lead screw stepping motors.

[0016] Furthermore, the soft continuous robot is formed by 3D printing of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber.

[0017] The second object of the present invention is achieved by adopting the following technical solution:

[0018] A soft continuous robot comprises a plurality of ring bodies and a plurality of connecting parts. The plurality of ring bodies are arranged at intervals along a straight line, and two adjacent ring bodies are connected by the connecting parts. Each of the ring bodies is provided with a plurality of rope holes for installing ropes. The positions of the rope holes of the plurality of ring bodies correspond. Each of the ring bodies is a hollow structure, and the plurality of ring bodies form through holes, and the through holes can be used to install detection equipment. The soft continuous robot is made of flexible material.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the rope drive system of the present invention includes a mounting frame, a driving member fixed to the mounting frame and a rope. The rope drive system also includes a soft continuous robot. The soft continuous robot includes multiple ring bodies and multiple connecting parts. The multiple ring bodies are arranged at intervals along a straight line, and two adjacent ring bodies are connected by connecting parts. Each ring body is provided with multiple rope threading holes. The positions of the rope threading holes of the multiple ring bodies correspond. One end of the rope is fixed to the output end of the driving member. The rope is passed through the corresponding rope threading holes along the extension direction of the soft continuous robot and forms a knot at the end of the soft continuous robot. Each ring body is a hollow structure, and multiple ring bodies form through holes. The through holes can be used to install detection equipment. The soft continuous robot is made of flexible material. The driving member drives the rope to move, thereby driving the soft continuous robot to deform. Through the above design, the driving member drives the soft continuous robot to deform through the rope, thereby driving the detection equipment installed on the soft continuous robot to the narrow and complex space that needs to be detected. The overall structure of the soft continuous robot is simple and the size is small, which is conducive to moving in narrow and complex spaces. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rope drive system of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A perspective view of a mounting frame for a rope drive system;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the local structure of the rope drive system;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A three-dimensional diagram of the local structure of a soft continuous robot with a rope-driven system;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of the local structure of the soft continuous robot from another perspective;

[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional cross-sectional view of a local structure of a rope drive system;

[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the bending state of the soft continuous robot.

[0027] In the figure: 10, mounting frame; 11, top plate; 12, bottom plate; 13, column; 130, mounting groove; 14, mounting portion; 20, driving member; 30, soft continuous robot; 31, ring body; 310, rope threading hole; 32, connecting portion; 320, through hole; 33, opening; 34, through hole; 40, rope; 41, knot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. 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.

[0029] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be another intermediate component through which it is fixed. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be another intermediate component at the same time. When a component is considered to be "set on" another component, it may be directly set on the other component or there may be another intermediate component at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0031] See also Figure 1 The rope driving system includes a mounting frame 10, a driving member 20, a soft continuous robot 30, a rope 40 and an image acquisition device.

[0032] Please continue reading Figure 2The mounting frame 10 is used to fix the driving member 20 and install the soft continuous robot 30. The mounting frame 10 includes a top plate 11, a bottom plate 12, a plurality of columns 13 and a mounting portion 14. The top plate 11 is parallel to the bottom plate 12, one end of the column 13 is fixed to the top plate 11, and the other end of the column 13 is fixed to the bottom plate 12. The column 13 is perpendicular to the bottom plate 12. The column 13 is provided with a mounting groove 130, and the mounting groove 130 is used to accommodate the driving member 20. The mounting portion 14 is located above the top plate 11, and the mounting portion 14 is connected to one end of the soft continuous robot 30.

[0033] The driving member 20 is used to pull the rope 40, thereby driving the soft continuous robot 30 to deform and bend, and driving the exploration device installed at the end of the soft continuous robot 30 to move. Specifically, in this embodiment, the driving member 20 is a stepper motor, preferably a lead screw stepper motor, that is, a structure in which a four-wire two-phase stepper motor drives a threaded lead screw to rotate. The rotation of the threaded lead screw drives the threaded slider inserted thereon to perform linear motion. The final effect is that the rotation of the stepper motor is converted into the linear motion of the slider. By binding the rope 40 to the slider, the stepper motor can drive the rope 40 to perform linear extension and retraction.

[0034] Please continue reading Figures 3 to 6 The soft continuous robot 30 includes a plurality of ring bodies 31 and a plurality of connecting parts 32. When the soft continuous robot 30 is not deformed, the soft continuous robot 30 is in a straight line shape. The soft continuous robot 30 is a hollow structure as a whole, and a space for installing the exploration equipment is formed inside and is conducive to deformation. The soft continuous robot 30 is made of a flexible material. Specifically, the soft continuous robot 30 is formed by 3D printing of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber.

[0035] The plurality of ring bodies 31 are arranged at intervals, and along the length direction of the soft continuous robot 30, two adjacent ring bodies 31 are connected by a connecting portion 32. Along the length direction of the soft continuous robot 30, two adjacent connecting portions 32 are arranged staggered, so that the soft continuous robot 30 can bend in different directions.

[0036] In the length direction, there are two connecting parts 32 between two adjacent ring bodies 31, and the two connecting parts 32 are arranged at intervals, and an opening 33 is formed between the two connecting parts 32. The opening 33 facilitates the bending of the soft continuous robot 30.

[0037] The projections of the multiple connecting parts 32 coincide with the projection of the ring body 31. When the ring body 31 is in a circular ring shape, the outer diameters of the multiple connecting parts 32 are the same as the outer diameter of the ring body 31, and the inner diameters of the multiple connecting parts 32 are the same as the inner diameter of the ring body 31. Each ring body 31 is a hollow structure, and the multiple ring bodies 31 form through holes, and the through holes can be used to install detection equipment.

[0038] The ring body 31 is provided with a plurality of rope holes 310, which are evenly distributed on the ring body 31. The connecting portion 32 is provided with a through hole 320, which is coaxially arranged with the rope holes 310 at corresponding positions of the ring body 31 and is connected to each other.

[0039] One end of the rope 40 is fixed to the slider of the driving member 20 , and the other end passes through the rope threading hole 310 and the through hole 320 , and is tied at the end of the soft continuous robot 30 away from the mounting frame 10 to form a knot 41 .

[0040] Please continue reading Figure 7 When using the rope drive system, the detection device is installed in the through hole 34 at the end of the soft continuous robot 30 away from the mounting frame 10. The function of the host computer is to send control-related signals to the single-chip microcomputer, such as sending the stepping step signal of the stepping motor, controlling the distance of the stepping motor to control the extension and contraction of the rope 40 and then controlling the bending degree of the soft continuous robot 30. The stepper motor driver is connected to the single-chip microcomputer to receive the signal of the single-chip microcomputer to drive the stepper motor to move, and the stepper motor will be connected to the soft continuous robot 30 through the rope 40, driving the bending of the robot and moving the detection device installed on the soft continuous robot 30. The image acquisition device calibrates the position of the robot, obtains the position information of the robot and feeds it back to the host computer, and then the host computer calculates the path of the next position to obtain the control information to achieve the effect of closed-loop feedback.

[0041] The rope drive system of the present application has a simple driving structure, a small size, and is easy to integrate into the system. The control method of the stepper motor is highly accurate, and its step angle and feed rate can be precisely adjusted within a very small range. The stepper motor is self-locking and can keep the current position unchanged when stopped, which allows the soft continuous robot 30 driven by the rope 40 to maintain a stable position when the drive is interrupted. The stepper motor also responds very quickly. Combined with the rope 40, the robot's shape can be quickly changed, which helps to achieve real-time response in tasks, such as fast obstacle avoidance and flexible adjustment of surgical instruments. The rope drive system can achieve multi-angle deformation of the soft continuous robot 30 to achieve path adaptation in complex situations and other operating conditions that require flexible deformation. It can also perform real-time deformation with visual servoing to be more flexible.

[0042] The above 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 modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, which are equivalent modifications and improvements made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention, and all of them belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rope drive system, comprising a mounting frame, a driving member fixed to the mounting frame, and a rope, characterized in that: The rope drive system also includes a soft continuous robot, which includes a plurality of ring bodies and a plurality of connecting parts. The plurality of ring bodies are arranged at intervals along a straight line, and two adjacent ring bodies are connected by the connecting parts. Each of the ring bodies is provided with a plurality of rope threading holes, and the positions of the rope threading holes of the plurality of ring bodies correspond. One end of the rope is fixed to the output end of the driving member, and the rope is passed through the corresponding rope threading hole along the extension direction of the soft continuous robot and forms a knot at the end of the soft continuous robot. Each of the ring bodies is a hollow structure, and the plurality of ring bodies form a through hole, and the through hole can be used to install detection equipment. The soft continuous robot is made of flexible material, and the driving member drives the rope to move, thereby causing the soft continuous robot to deform.

2. The rope drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Along the length direction of the soft continuous robot, two adjacent connecting parts are staggered.

3. The rope drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Along the length direction of the soft continuous robot, there are multiple connecting parts between two adjacent ring bodies, and the multiple connecting parts are arranged at intervals, and an opening is formed between the two connecting parts.

4. The rope drive system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The projections of the plurality of connecting portions coincide with the projection of the ring body.

5. The rope drive system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ring body is in a circular shape, the outer diameters of the plurality of connecting parts are the same as the outer diameter of the ring body, and the inner diameters of the plurality of connecting parts are the same as the inner diameter of the ring body.

6. The rope drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting portion is provided with a through hole, the through hole and the rope threading hole at the corresponding position of the ring body are located on the same axis, and the rope is passed through the through hole.

7. The rope drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the ropes is multiple, and the multiple ropes are evenly distributed on the soft continuous robot.

8. The rope drive system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The number of the driving members is the same as the number of the ropes, and the driving members are lead screw stepping motors.

9. The rope drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The soft continuous robot is formed by 3D printing of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber.

10. A soft continuous robot, characterized in that: It includes multiple ring bodies and multiple connecting parts. The multiple ring bodies are arranged at intervals along a straight line. Two adjacent ring bodies are connected by the connecting parts. Each ring body is provided with multiple rope holes for installing ropes. The positions of the rope holes of the multiple ring bodies correspond. Each ring body is a hollow structure. The multiple ring bodies form through holes. The through holes can be used to install detection equipment. The soft continuous robot is made of flexible material.

Images