Edge-surface composite variable-stiffness soft robot and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an edge-face composite variable-rigidity soft robot and a control method thereof.The soft robot comprises a sponge driving module, at least one edge variable-rigidity module and at least one face variable-rigidity module, the sponge driving module is of a polyhedral structure, and the edge variable-rigidity modules are arranged on the edges of the sponge driving module; the surface variable stiffness module is attached to the surface of the sponge driving module; and the side variable-rigidity modules and the surface variable-rigidity modules are controlled to change rigidity so as to cooperate to conform to or prevent the sponge driving modules from deforming. According to the soft robot disclosed by the invention, the side surface variable rigidity and the side axial stretching of the side variable rigidity module and the side variable rigidity module are controlled to conform to or prevent the deformation of the sponge driving module, and the soft robot provided by the embodiment of the invention can realize accurate control and rigidity adjustment in various forms; therefore, the large-range rigidity change of the robot is realized so as to adapt to different complex application scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of soft robots, and in particular to a soft robot with composite variable stiffness on edges and surfaces and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Traditional soft robots are mostly made of a single material or structure and achieve deformation through pneumatic, hydraulic or electric drive. However, these robots often lack effective control over local stiffness during the deformation process, which limits their adaptability and operational accuracy in complex environments.

[0003] In recent years, researchers have begun to explore soft robots with variable stiffness characteristics. These robots introduce components with variable stiffness into the structure to adjust the stiffness under different working conditions, thereby improving the flexibility and stability of the robot. For example, some studies use materials such as shape memory alloys and magnetorheological fluids to achieve dynamic adjustment of stiffness, but these methods are usually costly and complex to control.

[0004] Therefore, the prior art needs further improvement. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the above-mentioned related technologies, an object of the present invention is to provide a soft robot with composite variable stiffness on edges and surfaces and a control method thereof, so as to overcome the defects of the soft robots provided in the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application discloses an edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot, which includes: a sponge drive module, at least one edge variable stiffness module and at least one surface variable stiffness module;

[0008] The sponge driving module is a polyhedral structure, the edge variable stiffness module is arranged on the edge of the sponge driving module; the surface variable stiffness module is attached to the surface of the sponge driving module;

[0009] The sponge driving module is controlled to expand or contract to provide deformation driving force;

[0010] The edge-variable stiffness module and / or the surface-variable stiffness module are controlled to expand or contract to conform to, prevent or drive the corresponding edges and corresponding surfaces of the sponge driving module to deform.

[0011] Optionally, the sponge driving module includes a first airbag filled with a flexible material, and the first airbag is connected to a first gas pipeline, so that the first airbag is inflated or deflated through the first gas pipeline to drive the sponge driving module to expand or contract. Optionally, the edge-variable stiffness module includes: a bellows structure and a second gas pipeline connected to the bellows structure, and the bellows structure is inflated or deflated through the second gas pipeline to drive the bellows structure to axially expand and contract, so as to drive the deformation of the corresponding edge of the sponge driving module; wherein the bellows structure is used to prevent the radial expansion of the edge-variable stiffness module and to achieve the axial expansion and contraction of the edge-variable stiffness module.

[0012] Optionally, an inflatable airbag is arranged in the bellows structure, and the inflatable airbag includes: a first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and a second multi-columnar inflatable airbag; the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag are nested with each other, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag is embedded in the interior of the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag; the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag is connected to a first gas delivery tube, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag is connected to a second gas delivery tube, and the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag is inflated or deflated through the first gas delivery tube, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag is inflated or deflated through the second gas delivery tube, so that the first columnar inflatable airbag and the second columnar inflatable airbag radially expand or contract.

[0013] Optionally, a first sealing cover and a second sealing cover are respectively provided at both ends of the bellows, and the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag each contain a plurality of columnar inflatable airbags; the first sealing cover is provided at one end of the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag, and a first air chamber connected to each columnar inflatable airbag in the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag is provided on one side of the first sealing cover connected to the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag, and the other side of the first sealing cover is connected to the first gas delivery pipe, and the first air chamber is connected to the first gas delivery pipe; the second sealing cover is provided at one end of the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag, and a second air chamber is provided on one side of the second sealing cover connected to the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag, the second air chamber is connected to each columnar inflatable airbag in the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag, and the other side of the second sealing cover is connected to the second gas delivery pipe, and the second gas delivery pipe is connected to the second air chamber.

[0014] Optionally, the surface variable stiffness module includes: a second airbag, the interior of the second airbag is filled with sandpaper and a honeycomb sandwich panel, and pre-folds are arranged on the sandpaper and the honeycomb sandwich panel; the second airbag is connected to a third gas pipeline, and the third gas pipeline is used to inflate or deflate the second airbag to reduce or enhance the bending stiffness of the surface variable stiffness module, and cooperate with the pre-fold to prevent or comply with the pre-deformation of the corresponding surface of the sponge driving module.

[0015] Optionally, the sponge driving module is in the shape of a cube, the surface variable stiffness module is in the shape of a square and is attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the sponge driving module, and the edge variable stiffness module is in the shape of a cylinder and is arranged on the four side edges of the sponge driving module.

[0016] Optionally, the surface variable stiffness model and the sponge driving module are locked and connected; the edge variable stiffness module and the sponge driving module are glued and connected.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present application discloses a control method for a soft robot with composite variable stiffness on an edge surface, wherein the method is applied to the soft robot with composite variable stiffness on an edge surface;

[0018] Obtaining morphological control instructions for the soft robot;

[0019] According to the morphology control instruction, the overall expansion or contraction of the sponge driving module, the linear expansion and contraction of the edge stiffness module along the axial direction and the variable stiffness and / or the variable stiffness of the surface stiffness module are controlled to change stiffness, so as to realize the deformation of the soft robot to the shape corresponding to the morphology control instruction.

[0020] Optionally, after obtaining the morphology control instruction for the soft robot, the method further includes:

[0021] The morphology control instructions are parsed to obtain state control information for edges and faces with different numbers in the morphology control instructions; wherein the edges with different numbers correspond to the numbers corresponding to the four edges of the edge face stiffness module in the soft robot; and the faces with different numbers correspond to the numbers corresponding to the two faces of the sponge drive module and the face variable stiffness module in the soft robot.

[0022] Beneficial effects:

[0023] The present embodiment discloses a soft robot with composite variable stiffness on edges and faces and a control method thereof. The soft robot comprises: a sponge driving module, at least one edge variable stiffness module and at least one surface variable stiffness module. The sponge driving module is a polyhedron structure. The edge variable stiffness module is arranged on the edge of the sponge driving module; the surface variable stiffness module is attached to the surface of the sponge driving module; the edge variable stiffness module and the surface variable stiffness module are controlled to change stiffness to cooperate with or prevent the deformation of the sponge driving module. The soft robot disclosed in the present embodiment conforms to or prevents the deformation of the sponge driving module by controlling the variable stiffness of the edges and faces of the surface variable stiffness module and the edge variable stiffness module and the axial extension and contraction of the edges. The soft robot provided in the present embodiment can realize precise control and stiffness adjustment of various forms, thereby realizing a wide range of stiffness changes of the robot to adapt to different application scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a soft robot with variable stiffness on edges and surfaces according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a sponge driving module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the external structure of the edge-variable stiffness module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4a It is a schematic structural diagram of a nested combination of a first columnar inflatable airbag and a second columnar inflatable airbag in an edge-variable stiffness module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4b 2 is a schematic diagram of a structure in which a first columnar inflatable airbag and a second columnar inflatable airbag in an edge-variable stiffness module in an embodiment of the present invention are independent of each other;

[0029] Figure 5 Figure a is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the first columnar inflatable airbag in this embodiment, and Figure b is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the first columnar inflatable airbag;

[0030] Figure 6 Figure a is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the second columnar inflatable airbag in this embodiment from one side, and Figure b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second columnar inflatable airbag from the other side;

[0031] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view and a front view of an edge-variable stiffness module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view of an edge-variable stiffness module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the sealing plate in this embodiment;

[0034] Fig.10 is a schematic structural diagram of a surface variable stiffness module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Fig.11 is a simplified structural diagram of a robot in multiple deformation states in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Fig.12 is a deformation process diagram of a soft robot with edge-surface composite variable stiffness performing a twisting action in a surface variable stiffness restriction mode in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Fig.13 is a diagram of the deformation process of the edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot performing a bending action in the edge variable stiffness structure restriction mode in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig.14is a diagram showing the deformation process of the edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot performing a bending action in the edge contraction structure restriction mode in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.15 It is a flow chart of the control method steps of the edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0041] Soft robots are a new type of soft robots that have the characteristics of safe interaction, good adaptability and strong flexibility. Therefore, they are widely used in many fields such as medical care, agriculture, disaster relief and detection.

[0042] Traditional soft robots mostly use a single material or structure, and achieve deformation through air pressure, hydraulic pressure or electric drive. However, these methods often lack effective control of local stiffness in the process of controlling robot deformation, resulting in the inability to maintain better stability, operation accuracy and better adaptability in complex environments. In order to improve the operation accuracy of soft robots in complex environments, researchers began to explore soft robots with variable stiffness characteristics. Components with variable stiffness are introduced into the structure of these soft robots to achieve stiffness adjustment under different working conditions, thereby improving the flexibility and stability of soft robots. For example, some studies use materials such as shape memory alloys and magnetorheological fluids to achieve dynamic adjustment of stiffness, but the above methods are usually costly and have complex control steps.

[0043] In order to overcome the defects in the above-mentioned prior art, the present application provides a soft robot with composite variable stiffness on edges and faces and a control method thereof, the soft robot comprising: a sponge driving module, an edge variable stiffness module and a surface variable stiffness module; the structure of the sponge driving module is a polyhedron structure, the edge variable stiffness module is arranged on the edge of the sponge driving module; the surface variable stiffness module is attached to the surface of the sponge driving module; on the one hand, the sponge driving module is controlled to expand or contract to provide a deformation driving force; on the other hand, the edge variable stiffness module is controlled to expand or contract to achieve a stiffness change to comply with or prevent the deformation of the corresponding edge of the sponge driving module; the surface variable stiffness module is controlled to expand or contract to achieve a stiffness change to comply with or prevent the deformation of the corresponding surface of the sponge driving module. The soft robot disclosed in this embodiment integrates the above-mentioned multiple different types of modules to respectively deal with the deformation of each degree of freedom of the soft robot, realize the fine control of the overall and local stiffness of the soft robot, and improve the adaptability and robustness of the soft robot.

[0044] The following is a further description of a soft robot with composite variable stiffness on an edge surface and a control method thereof disclosed in this embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides an edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot, comprising: a sponge driving module 100 , at least one edge variable stiffness module 200 and at least one surface variable stiffness module 300 .

[0046] The sponge driving module is located in the middle position and has a polyhedral structure. The edge variable stiffness module 200 is arranged on the edge of the sponge driving module 100; the surface variable stiffness module 300 is attached to the surface of the sponge driving module 100 to realize that the edge variable stiffness module increases stiffness by inflation and reduces stiffness by deflation, and the surface variable stiffness module reduces stiffness by inflation and increases stiffness by deflation, so as to cope with the deformation of the sponge driving module.

[0047] In detail, the sponge driving module is controlled to expand or contract to provide a deformation driving force; the edge-variable stiffness module is controlled to expand or contract to achieve a stiffness change to conform to or prevent the deformation of the corresponding edge of the sponge driving module; the surface-variable stiffness module is controlled to expand or contract to achieve a stiffness change to conform to or prevent the deformation of the corresponding surface of the sponge driving module.

[0048] In one implementation, the sponge driving module is shaped as a cube, the surface variable stiffness module is shaped as a square, and the surface variable stiffness module is attached to the upper surface and the lower surface of the sponge driving module. The edge variable stiffness module is shaped as a cylinder and is arranged on the four side edges of the sponge driving module, and each edge variable stiffness module is connected to the sponge driving module.

[0049] Specifically, the sponge driving module expands or contracts by inflating or deflating to provide a driving force for deformation. In this embodiment, the sponge driving module includes a first airbag filled with a flexible material, and the first airbag is connected to a first gas pipeline to inflate or deflate the first airbag through the first gas pipeline to drive the sponge driving module to expand or contract.

[0050] Combination Figure 2 As shown, the sponge drive module includes a hollow first airbag 110, which is a thin film airbag and is located outside the sponge drive module. The first airbag is filled with a flexible material 120, which not only allows the sponge drive module to have better shock absorption, but also improves the sealing and impermeability of the sponge drive module. The flexible material in the sponge drive module can fix the shape of the first airbag, support the outer wall and assist in deformation, and can adapt to the shape and size requirements in different scenarios. Specifically, the flexible material in the sponge drive module is sponge.

[0051] In addition, the sponge driving module is also provided with a first gas pipeline 130, one end of which extends to the interior of the first airbag and the other end is outside the sponge driving module. The sponge driving module is inflated and deflated by inputting gas into a gas pipeline located outside the sponge driving module or extracting gas from the first airbag through the pipeline opening. The sponge driving module expands when inflated and contracts when deflated. Since the surface variable stiffness module is attached to the surface of the sponge driving module and the edge variable stiffness module is attached to the edge of the sponge driving module, the expansion and contraction of the sponge driving module drives the surface variable stiffness module and the edge variable stiffness module to deform synchronously. Similarly, the deformation of the edge variable stiffness module also drives the deformation of the sponge driving module.

[0052] Furthermore, in order to realize the connection between the sponge driving module and the edge variable stiffness module and the surface variable stiffness module, hook-and-loop fasteners are provided at both ends of the first airbag, and the connection with the surface variable stiffness module and the edge variable stiffness module is established through the hook-and-loop fasteners. In addition, the edge variable stiffness module can also be glued to the sponge driving module.

[0053] Combination Figure 3 , Figure 4a , Figure 4b , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the edge-variable stiffness module includes: a bellows structure 210 and a second gas pipeline 232 connected to the bellows structure 210, through which the bellows structure is inflated or deflated, driving the bellows structure to expand or axially contract, thereby driving the deformation of the corresponding edges of the sponge driving module; wherein the bellows structure is used to prevent the radial expansion of the edge-variable stiffness module and to achieve the axial contraction of the edge-variable stiffness module.

[0054] Furthermore, in order to obtain a better stiffness enhancement or reduction effect, Figure 4a , Figure 4b , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, an inflatable airbag is arranged in the bellows structure, and the inflatable airbag includes: a first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 and a second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420; the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 are nested with each other, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 is embedded in the interior of the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410; the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 is connected to a first gas delivery tube 221, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 is connected to a second gas delivery tube 231, and the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 is inflated or deflated through the first gas delivery tube 221, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 is inflated or deflated through the second gas delivery tube 231, so that the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 radially expand or contract.

[0055] like Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, the bellows structure 210 is a cylindrical structure as a whole, and the cylindrical surface of the cylinder is a corrugated structure. Sealing covers are provided at both ends of the cylinder. The sealing cover located on the right side of the bellows structure is a first sealing cover 220. One side of the first sealing cover 220 is connected to the first multi-column inflatable airbag. The sealing cover located on the left side of the bellows structure is a second sealing cover 222. Figure 4a , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 are respectively composed of a plurality of columnar and interconnected inflatable airbags. The second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 is located inside the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410, and the plurality of columnar inflatable airbags contained in the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 are arranged in a circular structure. In one embodiment, the plurality of columnar inflatable airbags in the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 form an inner and outer circle, the plurality of columnar inflatable airbags in the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 form an inner and outer circle, and the two layers of inflatable airbags of the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 can be embedded in the two layers of inflatable airbags of the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 to form a stacked design. In addition, the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 is connected to the first gas delivery tube 221, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 is connected to the second gas delivery tube 231. The first multi-columnar inflatable airbag 410 and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag 420 are inflated and deflated respectively through the connected first gas delivery tube 221 and the second gas delivery tube 231, thereby achieving the enhancement or reduction of the edge variable stiffness module through tubular blocking stiffness.

[0056] Specifically, combined Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9As shown, the first sealing cover is provided with a first air chamber 620 connected to the first multi-column inflatable airbag on the inner side, the second sealing cover 222 is provided with a second air chamber 223 connected to the second multi-column inflatable airbag on the inner side, one end of the second gas pipeline 232 is connected to the bellows, and the other end extends out of the bellows structure through the second sealing cover 222. The second air chamber 223 is connected to the second gas delivery pipe 231, through which the columnar inflatable airbag 610 in the second multi-column inflatable airbag can be directly inflated or deflated, so as to realize the edge-variable stiffness module to enhance or reduce the stiffness through tubular blocking.

[0057] Likewise, the edge variable stiffness module and the sponge driving module are connected by gluing, and the edge variable stiffness module is glued to the edge of the sponge driving module.

[0058] like Fig.10 As shown, the surface variable stiffness module disclosed in the present application includes: a second airbag 330, the interior of the second airbag 330 is filled with sandpaper and a honeycomb sandwich panel, and the second airbag 330 is connected to a third gas pipeline 320, so that the second airbag 330 can be inflated or deflated through the third gas pipeline 320 to reduce or enhance the stiffness of the surface variable stiffness module; pre-folds are arranged on the sandpaper and the honeycomb sandwich panel, and the pre-folds are used to cope with the pre-deformation of the sponge driving module.

[0059] The second airbag included in the surface variable stiffness module is a hollow film airbag. The film airbag is filled with a layer of blocking variable stiffness material, and the layer of blocking variable stiffness material is used to achieve the stiffness change of the surface variable stiffness module. The specific layer of blocking variable stiffness material is: sandpaper and honeycomb sandwich panel, which is achieved by fitting the sandpaper and the honeycomb sandwich panel together to achieve blocking extrusion or flexible separation when the film airbag is inflated or deflated, so as to achieve stiffness change. At the same time, the film airbag is also used to ensure airtightness, and the honeycomb sandwich panel located in the film airbag also provides buffer protection and load support structure.

[0060] In addition, the sandpaper may provide additional friction function, and the honeycomb sandwich panel has the characteristics of light weight and high strength, which can play the role of rigidity, sound insulation and heat insulation.

[0061] Specifically, preset folds are arranged on the surface of the surface variable stiffness module, the diagonal folds on the surface correspond to the torsional deformation of the sponge driving module, and the preset opposite side folds on the surface correspond to the bending compression deformation of the sponge driving module.

[0062] Combination Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment, the shape of the sponge driving module is designed to be a cube, the shape of the surface variable stiffness module is designed to be a square, and the surface variable stiffness module is attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the sponge driving module. The shape of the edge variable stiffness module is cylindrical and is arranged on the four side edges of the sponge driving module.

[0063] In a specific implementation, the surface variable stiffness model and the sponge driving module are locked and connected, and specifically, they can be connected by hook and loop fasteners. The edge variable stiffness module and the sponge driving module are glued and connected.

[0064] The soft robot provided by the present application is further explained below in combination with the variable forms of the edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot of the present application.

[0065] The sponge driving module is inflated or deflated to control the expansion or compression of the overall shape of the sponge driving module. The expansion, bending and twisting of the sponge driving module in different directions need to be achieved by controlling the edge variable stiffness module and / or the surface variable stiffness module.

[0066] Specifically, combined Figures 11 to 14 As shown, the edge-variable stiffness module is controlled to linearly expand and contract in the axial direction, that is, the bellows structure in the edge-variable stiffness module is inflated or deflated, which can drive the sponge driving module to expand and contract or bend in the up-down direction, front-to-back direction, or left-to-right direction. The edge-variable stiffness module is controlled to increase or decrease in bending stiffness, that is, the inflatable airbag in the edge-variable stiffness module is inflated or deflated to increase or decrease the stiffness of the edge-variable stiffness module, so as to prevent or comply with the deformation of the corresponding edges of the sponge driving module, so as to realize the expansion or contraction or bending of the sponge driving module in the up-down direction, front-to-back direction, or left-to-right direction, or to realize the twisting of the sponge driving module in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Furthermore, by controlling the deflation and inflation of the airbag in the variable stiffness module, the bending stiffness of the variable stiffness module can be increased or decreased, and pre-creases (diagonal creases or opposite side creases) are used to prevent or comply with the pre-deformation of the corresponding surface of the sponge driving module, so as to realize the expansion or contraction or bending of the sponge driving module in the up and down directions, front and back directions or left and right directions, or to realize the twisting of the sponge driving module in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0067] Combination Fig.11 As shown, by inflating or deflating the edge variable stiffness module and / or the surface variable stiffness module on the edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot, the shape of the soft robot can be twisted, compressed or bent, thereby achieving flexible adjustment of the soft robot in different degrees of freedom. Fig.12 As shown, the pre-crease of the surface variable stiffness module is set as a diagonal crease, and the edge variable stiffness module is inflated to enhance the edge stiffness of the sponge drive module. By charging the sponge drive module with negative pressure, the soft robot can perform a twisting motion. The greater the negative pressure of the sponge drive module, the greater the twisting motion of the soft robot. Fig.13As shown, if the surface variable stiffness modules located on the upper and lower surfaces of the sponge driving module are evacuated to increase the stiffness of the upper and lower surfaces of the sponge driving module, a pair of adjacent side internal airbags are inflated, the stiffness increases, and the sponge driving module is evacuated, which will cause the soft robot to deform and perform bending movements. The greater the stiffness, the more obvious the bending effect. Fig.14 As shown, if the surface variable stiffness modules on the upper and lower surfaces are deflated, the internal airbags of a pair of adjacent sides are inflated and the stiffness is increased, and the bellows of another pair of adjacent sides are evacuated and stretched, which can cause the soft robot to deform by bending.

[0068] The edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot provided in this embodiment controls the expansion and contraction of the airbags in the sponge driving module, the edge variable stiffness module, and the surface variable stiffness module respectively, changes the stiffness, and conforms to and prevents deformation in different degrees of freedom, so as to achieve the expansion, bending, and twisting of the sponge driving module in the up-down, left-right, front-back directions, and further achieve the deformation of the sponge driving module in different degrees of freedom. The soft robot disclosed in this embodiment integrates a variety of variable stiffness modules to achieve precise control and flexible stiffness adjustment of the robot to adapt to different complex environments, thereby improving the applicability and robustness of the robot operation.

[0069] This embodiment not only discloses the above-mentioned edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot, but also proposes a control method for the edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot, which is applied to the above-mentioned edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot; Fig.15 As shown, the control method includes:

[0070] Step S1, obtaining morphological control instructions for the soft robot.

[0071] When controlling the soft robot disclosed in the present application, a morphological control instruction for controlling the soft robot is first received, and then corresponding morphological control of the soft robot is further implemented according to the morphological control instruction.

[0072] Specifically, the device that issues the morphology control instruction to the soft robot may be a computer device, a controller or other intelligent device. The computer device may send the control signal of the morphology control instruction to the driving system of the soft robot, so that the driving system of the soft robot can perform corresponding morphology control on the soft robot based on the received control signal.

[0073] In order to achieve accurate control of the soft robot, before sending the morphology control instruction, the corresponding faces and edges of the soft robot are numbered respectively. The information corresponding to the morphology control instruction is the control information of the faces or edges corresponding to the numbers, thereby achieving accurate control of the robot.

[0074] In one implementation, after obtaining the morphology control instruction for the soft robot, the method further includes:

[0075] The morphology control instructions are parsed to obtain state control information for edges and faces with different numbers in the morphology control instructions; wherein the edges with different numbers correspond to the numbers corresponding to the four edges of the edge face stiffness module in the soft robot; and the faces with different numbers correspond to the numbers corresponding to the two faces of the sponge drive module and the face variable stiffness module in the soft robot.

[0076] After the soft robot receives the morphology control instruction, it parses the morphology control requirements for each number in the morphology control instruction, and then performs morphology control according to the morphology control requirements of different numbers.

[0077] Step S2, according to the morphology control instruction, control the overall expansion or contraction of the sponge driving model, the linear expansion and contraction of the edge stiffness module along the axial direction and the variable stiffness and / or the variable stiffness of the surface variable stiffness module to realize the deformation of the soft robot to the shape corresponding to the morphology control instruction.

[0078] In this step, the shapes are adjusted according to the edges and faces with corresponding numbers according to the shape requirements, so as to realize the deformation of the edge and face composite variable stiffness soft robot.

[0079] Specifically, the bellows is evacuated through the second gas pipeline in the bellows structure, and the external gas source is input with negative pressure, and the peripheral bellows structure is deflated to shrink the edge variable stiffness module; or the peripheral bellows structure is inflated through the second gas pipeline, and the external gas source is input with positive pressure, and the peripheral bellows structure is inflated to extend the edge variable stiffness module. The edge variable stiffness module linearly expands and contracts in the axial direction, and can drive the sponge driving module to expand and contract or bend in the up-down direction, the front-back direction, or the left-right direction.

[0080] Specifically, the external air source inputs negative pressure, and the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag are deflated to make the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag contract and relax, thereby reducing the bending stiffness of the edge-variable stiffness module to adapt to the corresponding edge deformation of the sponge driving module; the external air source inputs positive pressure, and the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag are inflated to make the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag expand, squeeze and block, thereby enhancing the bending stiffness of the edge-variable stiffness module to prevent the corresponding edge deformation of the sponge driving module.

[0081] The bending stiffness of the edge-variable stiffness module is controlled to be enhanced or reduced to prevent or comply with the deformation of the corresponding edges of the sponge driving module, so as to drive the sponge driving module to expand or bend in the up-down direction, front-back direction or left-right direction, or to drive the sponge driving module to twist in the clockwise direction or counterclockwise direction.

[0082] In addition, the external air source inputs negative pressure, and the surface variable stiffness module is deflated to make the sandpaper and honeycomb sandwich panels filled inside vacuum squeezed and blocked, thereby enhancing the bending stiffness of the surface variable stiffness module to prevent the pre-deformation of the corresponding surface of the sponge driving module. The external air source inputs positive pressure, and the surface variable stiffness module is inflated to relax the sandpaper and honeycomb sandwich panels filled inside, thereby reducing the bending stiffness of the surface variable stiffness module to comply with the pre-deformation of the corresponding surface of the sponge driving module. The bending stiffness of the surface variable stiffness module is controlled to be enhanced or reduced, and pre-creases are used in combination to prevent or comply with the pre-deformation of the corresponding surface of the sponge driving module, so as to achieve the expansion or contraction or bending of the sponge driving module in the up-down direction, the front-back direction, or the left-right direction, or to achieve the twisting of the sponge driving module in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0083] The soft robot and control method thereof disclosed in the present invention realize precise control and stiffness adjustment of the soft robot in multiple degrees of freedom by integrating multiple variable stiffness modules such as surface variable stiffness modules and edge variable stiffness modules, thereby improving the adaptability and robustness of the robot, and being suitable for various complex environments such as medical surgery, industrial automation, exploration and rescue, etc.

[0084] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or N embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0085] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, 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 a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A soft robot with variable stiffness on edges and surfaces, characterized in that: include: A sponge driving module, at least one edge variable stiffness module and at least one surface variable stiffness module; The sponge driving module is a polyhedral structure, the edge variable stiffness module is arranged on the edge of the sponge driving module; the surface variable stiffness module is attached to the surface of the sponge driving module; The sponge driving module is controlled to expand or contract to provide deformation driving force; The edge-variable stiffness module and / or the surface-variable stiffness module are controlled to expand or contract to conform to, prevent or drive the corresponding edges and corresponding surfaces of the sponge driving module to deform.

2. The edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sponge driving module comprises a first airbag filled with a flexible material, and the first airbag is connected to a first gas pipeline so that the first airbag is inflated or deflated through the first gas pipeline to drive the sponge driving module to expand or contract.

3. The edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edge-variable stiffness module includes: a bellows structure and a second gas pipeline connected to the bellows structure. The bellows structure is inflated or deflated through the second gas pipeline to drive the bellows structure to axially expand and contract, thereby driving the deformation of the corresponding edges of the sponge driving module; wherein the bellows structure is used to prevent the radial expansion of the edge-variable stiffness module and to realize the axial expansion and contraction of the edge-variable stiffness module.

4. The edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: An inflatable airbag is arranged in the bellows structure, and the inflatable airbag includes: a first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and a second multi-columnar inflatable airbag; the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag are nested with each other, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag is embedded in the interior of the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag; the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag is connected to a first gas delivery tube, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag is connected to a second gas delivery tube, and the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag is inflated or deflated through the first gas delivery tube, and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag is inflated or deflated through the second gas delivery tube, so that the first columnar inflatable airbag and the second columnar inflatable airbag expand or contract radially.

5. The edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first and second sealing covers are respectively provided at both ends of the bellows, and the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag and the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag both contain multiple columnar inflatable airbags; the first sealing cover is provided at one end of the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag, and the side where the first sealing cover is connected to the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag is provided with a first air chamber connected to each columnar inflatable airbag in the first multi-columnar inflatable airbag, and the other side of the first sealing cover is connected to the first gas delivery pipe, and the first air chamber is connected to the first gas delivery pipe; the second sealing cover is provided at one end of the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag, and the side where the second sealing cover is connected to the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag is provided with a second air chamber, the second air chamber is connected to each columnar inflatable airbag in the second multi-columnar inflatable airbag, and the other side of the second sealing cover is connected to the second gas delivery pipe, and the second gas delivery pipe is connected to the second air chamber.

6. The edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface variable stiffness module includes: a second airbag, the interior of the second airbag is filled with sandpaper and a honeycomb sandwich panel, and pre-folds are arranged on the sandpaper and the honeycomb sandwich panel; the second airbag is connected to a third gas pipeline, and the third gas pipeline is used to inflate or deflate the second airbag to reduce or enhance the bending stiffness of the surface variable stiffness module, and cooperate with the pre-fold to prevent or comply with the pre-deformation of the corresponding surface of the sponge driving module.

7. The edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sponge driving module is in the shape of a cube, the surface variable stiffness module is in the shape of a square and is attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the sponge driving module, and the edge variable stiffness module is in the shape of a cylinder and is arranged on the four side edges of the sponge driving module.

8. The edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The surface variable stiffness model and the sponge driving module are locked and connected; the edge variable stiffness module and the sponge driving module are glued and connected.

9. A control method for a soft robot with variable stiffness on edges and surfaces, characterized in that: Applicable to the soft robot with composite variable stiffness on edge surface as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8; Obtaining morphological control instructions for the soft robot; According to the morphology control instruction, the overall expansion or contraction of the sponge driving module, the linear expansion and contraction of the edge stiffness module along the axial direction and the variable stiffness and / or the variable stiffness of the surface stiffness module are controlled to change stiffness, so as to realize the deformation of the soft robot to the shape corresponding to the morphology control instruction.

10. The control method of the edge-surface composite variable stiffness soft robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: After obtaining the morphological control instruction for the soft robot, the method further includes: The morphology control instructions are parsed to obtain state control information for edges and faces with different numbers in the morphology control instructions; wherein the edges with different numbers correspond to the numbers corresponding to the four edges of the edge face stiffness module in the soft robot; and the faces with different numbers correspond to the numbers corresponding to the two faces of the sponge drive module and the face variable stiffness module in the soft robot.

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