Modularized flexible three-limb robot

Abstract

A modular flexible three-limb robot belongs to the technical field of robots and comprises a base used for supporting three legs of the robot. Each leg comprises a thigh and a shank, supporting points of the three legs are connected to form a triangle, and the gravity center of the robot is located in the triangle; the thighs are mounted at the bottom of the base and configured to deform under pneumatic action to change the gait of the robot; the shank is connected with the thigh and is configured to deform and change the gait of the robot under the pneumatic condition, the robot can change the topological structure of the robot according to the working environment, the robot can adapt to complex and changeable task requirements, the adaptability of the robot in the complex environment and the compliant operation capacity of the robot are improved, and the safety during man-machine interaction is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a three-limb robot, in particular to a modular flexible three-limb robot, belonging to the technical field of robots. Background Art

[0002] At present, common three-limb robots basically use rigid connecting components, and use a drive system to directly drive these rigid connecting components. The drive system structure of three-limb robots is usually more complex. This structural design greatly increases the volume and overall mass of the robot system, greatly affecting the portability of the robot. Due to the need to carry more components and energy, this type of robot will encounter more restrictions when moving, making it difficult for the robot to be used in scenarios with high requirements for overall quality and portability. In addition, common three-limb robots are usually designed as fixed topology structures. Due to the limited performance adjustment range, they are difficult to meet the complex and changeable task requirements in special environments, and have poor adaptability to different working environments; when the robot system fails, it requires a long period of downtime for maintenance, affecting operating efficiency.

[0003] In summary, traditional three-limb robots still have shortcomings in terms of lightweight, portability, environmental adaptability, and economy, which need to be urgently addressed. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention proposes a modular flexible three-limb robot. The limbs of the robot adopt a modular design. The robot can change its own topological structure according to the working environment to adapt to complex and changeable task requirements, which greatly improves the adaptability of the robot in complex environments; the limb modules can be converted into each other, and the scalability and versatility are strong. When the robot system fails, rapid repairs can be achieved by replacing the modules, reducing downtime; the main body is made of flexible materials, the structure is light and compact, and the flexible limbs are guaranteed to have a certain rigidity, the robot is more flexible in movement, the robot's ability to operate flexibly is improved, and the safety of human-computer interaction is guaranteed.

[0005] A modular flexible three-limb robot comprises:

[0006] A base, used to support three legs of the robot; each leg includes a thigh and a calf, the support points of the three legs are connected to form a triangle, and the center of gravity of the robot is located within the triangle;

[0007] The thigh is mounted on the bottom of the base and is configured to deform under pneumatic force to change the robot's gait;

[0008] The shank is connected to the thigh and is configured to be deformable under pneumatic pressure to change the robot's gait.

[0009] Furthermore, the thigh includes an end cover A, a flange A, a constraint sleeve A, a rope A and an inner wall A; the end cover A and the flange A are two symmetrically distributed ones, the constraint sleeve A is inserted into the inner wall A, the outer surface of the inner wall A is wrapped with a rope A, the two ends of the constraint sleeve A and the inner wall A are respectively against the two end covers A, and are clamped and sealed by the flange A installed on the end cover A; the inner wall A has a chamber A, and the thigh is deformed by inflating the chamber A to achieve the change of the robot's gait.

[0010] Furthermore, the calf comprises an end cap B, a flange B, a restraint sleeve B, a rope B and an inner wall B; the end cap B and the flange B are both symmetrically distributed, the restraint sleeve B is inserted into the inner wall B, the outer surface of the inner wall B is wrapped with a rope B, the two ends of the restraint sleeve B and the inner wall B are respectively against the two end caps B, and are clamped and sealed by the flange B installed on the end cap B; the inner wall B has a chamber B, and the thigh is deformed by inflating the chamber B to achieve the change of the robot's gait.

[0011] Furthermore, adaptive air cavities are provided in the thigh and the calf, and the thigh and the calf are deformed by inflating the air cavities.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0013] 1. Compared with traditional three-limb robots, the modular flexible three-limb robot in this scheme has a simple structure, low cost and good economy.

[0014] 2. The modular flexible three-limb robot of this scheme eliminates the complex mechanical transmission structure, further reduces the system volume, reduces the system weight, is easy to carry and install, and improves the flexibility of the overall design of the robot system.

[0015] 3. The limbs of the modular flexible three-limb robot in this scheme adopt a modular design, which enhances the scalability of the robot, facilitates deployment and maintenance, and has a flexible and changeable configuration, which improves the robot's ability to adapt to complex environments.

[0016] 4. The main part of the modular flexible three-limb robot in this scheme is made of flexible materials. The robot can undergo large and continuous deformation. The action design is more flexible than that of traditional three-limb robots, which improves the robot's ability to operate flexibly and ensures safety during human-machine interaction.

[0017] 5. In this scheme, suction cups are added to the ends of the legs of the modular flexible three-limb robot. When the suction force is large enough, the robot can move on a vertical wall.

[0018] The present application scheme is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1A three-dimensional diagram of the modular flexible three-limb robot of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is the main view of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 Assembly diagram for the thigh and calf;

[0022] Figure 4 It is a partial exploded view of the thigh and calf;

[0023] Figure 5 An exploded view of the thigh;

[0024] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the calf;

[0025] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of airway distribution and connection of chamber A and chamber B in the embodiment;

[0026] Figure 8 Inflation pattern diagram for thigh;

[0027] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 Corresponding robot gait schematic. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The embodiments of the technical solution of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present application are generally understood by those skilled in the art.

[0029] Reference Figure 1-Figure 2 , a modular flexible three-limb robot comprising:

[0030] A base 1 is used to support three legs of the robot; each leg comprises a thigh 2 and a calf 3, the thigh 2 and the calf 3 constitute a limb part, the support points of the three legs are connected to form a triangle, and the center of gravity of the robot is located in the triangle;

[0031] The thigh 2 is mounted on the bottom of the base 1 and is configured to be deformable under pneumatic pressure to change the robot's gait;

[0032] The calf 3 is connected to the thigh 2 and is configured to be deformable under pneumatic conditions to change the robot's gait.

[0033] The thigh 2 and the calf 3 adopt a modular flexible design, and the conversion between the thigh 2 and the calf 3 can be achieved by replacing the connecting parts.

[0034] Optionally, the base 1 is made of resin material by 3D printing, and has a triangular, quadrilateral or pentagonal shape, with a through hole in the center for easy manipulation and assembly. The robot thigh 2 is connected to the base 1 by bolts.

[0035] For example, refer to Figure 4 The thigh 2 and the calf 3 are provided with adapted air cavities, and the thigh 2 and the calf 3 are deformed by inflating the air cavities.

[0036] Figure 3 An assembly structure of a thigh 2 and a calf 3 is shown.

[0037] Figure 4 An exploded view of the thigh 2 and the calf 3 is shown.

[0038] Reference Figure 5 The thigh 2 provided in this embodiment includes an end cover A22, a flange A23, a restraining sleeve A24, a rope A25 and an inner wall A26;

[0039] Both the end cover A22 and the flange A23 are symmetrically distributed. The constraint sleeve A24 is inserted into the inner wall A26, and the outer surface of the inner wall A26 is wrapped with a rope A25. The two ends of the constraint sleeve A24 and the inner wall A26 are respectively against the two end covers A22, and are clamped and sealed by the flange A23 installed on the end cover A22; the inner wall A26 has a chamber A, and the thigh is deformed by inflating the chamber A to change the gait of the robot.

[0040] Optionally, the restraint sleeve A24 and the inner wall A26 are made of flexible material and constitute the main body; the flexible material includes but is not limited to carbon chain rubber, such as natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, fluororubber; heterochain rubber, such as polyurethane rubber; elemental organic rubber, such as silicone rubber.

[0041] Preferably, the restraint sleeve A24 and the inner wall A26 are made of silicone material through mold casting, and they themselves have good flexibility and elasticity. In order to prevent the inner wall B36 from expanding too much during inflation and to increase the rigidity of the inner wall, a rope winding groove is provided on the inner wall A26, which cooperates with the rope A25 to limit deformation and provide a certain rigidity to the legs. The cast restraint sleeve A24 makes the rope A25 and the inner wall A26 fit tightly. The end cover A22 and the inner wall A26 are inserted and connected, and the flange A23 is connected to the end cover A22 by bolts, which plays the role of clamping and increasing the sealing of the connection. They all play an elastic role

[0042] Reference Figure 6The calf 3 provided in this embodiment includes an end cover B32, a flange B33, a constraint sleeve B34, a rope B35 and an inner wall B36; the end cover B32 and the flange B33 are both symmetrically distributed, the constraint sleeve B34 is inserted into the inner wall B36, the outer surface of the inner wall B36 is wrapped with a rope B35, the two ends of the constraint sleeve B34 and the inner wall B36 are respectively against the two end covers B32, and are clamped and sealed by the flange B33 installed on the end cover B32; the inner wall B36 has a chamber B, and the thigh is deformed by inflating the chamber B to change the gait of the robot.

[0043] Optionally, the constraint sleeve A34 and the inner wall A36 are made of flexible materials, which constitute the main body; the flexible materials include but are not limited to carbon chain rubber, such as natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, fluororubber; heterogeneous chain rubber, such as polyurethane rubber; elemental organic rubber, such as silicone rubber. All of them play an elastic role.

[0044] Preferably, the constraint sleeve B34 and the inner wall B36 are made of silicone material through mold casting, and have good flexibility and elasticity. In order to prevent the inner wall B36 from expanding too much during inflation and increase the rigidity of the inner wall, a rope winding groove is provided on the inner wall B36, which cooperates with the rope B35 to limit deformation and provide a certain rigidity to the leg. The casting constraint sleeve B34 makes the rope B35 and the inner wall B36 fit tightly. The end cover B32 and the inner wall B36 are inserted and connected, and the flange B33 is connected to the end cover B32 by bolts, which plays the role of clamping and increasing the sealing of the connection.

[0045] The above embodiment is based on a robot structure without feet, and the design of the shank 3 is similar to that of the thigh 2, and can be used for planar motion. The connecting end cap B32 in the shank 3 is connected to the end cap A22 in the thigh 2 by bolts.

[0046] Exemplarily, chamber A and chamber B each have N chambers uniformly distributed along the circumference, where N=3;

[0047] The phase difference between chamber A and chamber B is 60°.

[0048] The connection method is: projected on the same circumscribed circle, and the chamber A and chamber B through the diameter of the circumscribed circle are connected; the specific mapping process is: two congruent triangles overlap, and then one of them is rotated 60 degrees around the center, and then the opposite vertices of the two congruent triangles are connected. The end faces of the two end caps A22 are provided with airway A connected to chamber A, and the end face of the end cap B32 connected to the end cap A22 is provided with airway B connected to chamber B. The gas first passes through the thigh 2 and then to the calf 3.

[0049] Preferably, refer to Figure 7The vertex positions of the two congruent triangles represent the airway positions of the three chambers of thigh 2 and calf 3 respectively. The airways of thigh 2 and calf 3 are connected in pairs through hoses, and the pairing method is airway No. 1 connected to airway No. 5, airway No. 2 connected to airway No. 6, and airway No. 3 connected to airway No. 4.

[0050] Alternatively, the number of chambers A and chamber B is uniformly distributed along the circumferential direction, N>3; such as N=4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8, etc.

[0051] Preferably, N is an even number, such as N=4 or 6 or 8, etc. The increase in the number of chambers makes the control more difficult and increases the complexity of the structure, but the robot's degrees of freedom and gait do not change significantly.

[0052] The connection between chamber A and chamber B is determined according to the robot's gait and airway design.

[0053] N is an even number. The vertex positions of the two congruent N-gons represent the airway positions of the N chambers of the thigh 2 and the calf 3 respectively. The airway positions do not need to be rotated and are connected diagonally.

[0054] For example, when N=4, the fixed positions of the two congruent quadrilaterals represent the airway positions of the four chambers of the thigh 2 and the calf 3 respectively. After overlapping, there is no need to rotate, and the diagonal vertices are directly connected to construct four airway pairing methods. This can realize the planar motion of the robot after inflation.

[0055] N is an odd number, and the vertex positions of the two congruent N-gons represent the airway positions of the N chambers of the thigh 2 and the calf 3 respectively. The rotation angle of the airway position is: 360° / 2N, and then they are connected diagonally.

[0056] For example, when N=5, the fixed positions of the two congruent pentagons represent the airway positions of the five chambers of the thigh 2 and the calf 3, respectively. After overlapping, one is rotated 36° relative to the other, and then the diagonal vertices are connected to construct five airway pairing methods. This can realize the planar motion of the robot after inflation.

[0057] The end faces of the two end covers A22 are provided with air passages A communicating with chamber A, and the end face of the end cover B32 connected to the end cover A22 is provided with air passages B communicating with chamber B. The gas first passes through the thigh 2 and then to the calf 3.

[0058] In the above, N≠2 because when N=2, only linear motion is possible, not planar motion.

[0059] N≠1, because when N=1, it is impossible to move in a plane.

[0060] Furthermore, in order to expand the scope of application and environmental conditions, a suction cup 39 is also designed at the bottom of the calf 3, wherein the suction cup 39 is connected to the end cover B32 of the calf 3 away from the thigh 2, wherein the end face of the end cover B32 away from the inner wall B36 has a groove with an internal thread on the side, and a protrusion with an external thread is provided on one side of the suction cup 3, and the protrusion is threadedly connected to the groove; a central airway passes through the middle of the end cover A22, the inner wall A26, the end cover B32 and the inner wall B36, and the central airway is connected to the chamber of the suction cup 39.

[0061] The end cap B32 away from the thigh 2 is changed to a threaded end cap. The threaded end cap B32 and the outer wall B36 are inserted and connected. The flange B33 is connected to the threaded end cap B32 by bolts, which plays a role of clamping and increasing the sealing of the connection. The suction cup 9 is connected to the threaded end cap B32 by threads, which is convenient for disassembly and use. The design of the suction cup 39 makes the robot have a stronger grip. When the suction force is sufficient, it can move on an inclined or even vertical wall, making it possible for the robot to move in three-dimensional space.

[0062] Based on the above embodiment, a robot motion gait is provided, referring to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 ;

[0063] During operation, the gait of the foot is controlled by inflating and deflating air through the air passages (for example, three evenly distributed air passages) in the end cover A22 of the thigh 2 connected to the base 1. The connection method of the air passages between the thigh 2 and the calf 3 determines that the deformation position at the thigh 2 must be on the opposite side to the deformation position at the calf 3. Figure 8 The schematic diagram of the partial gait of the modular flexible three-limb robot shows a cross-section of the chambers (e.g., three chambers) at the thigh. The red filling represents the inflation of the corresponding chambers. The airway for controlling the suction cup 39 is designed in the center. When the suction force is large enough, the robot can move on a vertical wall.

[0064] Fig. 9 (a) Fig. 9 (b) and Fig. 9 (c) corresponds to Figure 8 (a) Figure 8 (b) and Figure 8 (c) Gait diagrams of movement with and without inflation in different chambers. Fig. 9 (a) is the upright state when the three chambers are not inflated. Fig. 9 (b) The gait of three legs with three chambers in the same position after the single chamber is inflated, making a swinging posture. Fig. 9 (c) A gait in which the chambers in the same orientation of two legs are inflated in a single chamber while the two chambers of the other leg are inflated simultaneously, which resembles a step.

[0065] The present application has been disclosed as above with preferred implementation cases, but it is not intended to limit the present application. Any technician familiar with the profession can make slight changes or modifications to the above-disclosed structures and technical contents without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present application, and the equivalent implementation cases with equivalent changes are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present application.

Claims

1. A modular flexible three-limb robot, characterized in that: Include: A base (1) for supporting three legs of the robot; each leg comprises a thigh (2) and a calf (3), the support points of the three legs are connected to form a triangle, and the center of gravity of the robot is located within the triangle; A thigh (2), mounted on the bottom of the base (1), configured to be deformable under pneumatic conditions to change the robot's gait; The shank (3) is connected to the thigh (2) and is configured to be deformable under pneumatic conditions to change the gait of the robot.

2. A modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Adaptive air cavities are provided in the thigh (2) and the calf (3), and the thigh (2) and the calf (3) are deformed by inflating the air cavities.

3. A modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thigh (2) comprises an end cover A (22), a flange A (23), a restraint sleeve A (24), a rope A (25) and an inner wall A (26); the end cover A (22) and the flange A (23) are both symmetrically distributed, the restraint sleeve A (24) is inserted into the inner wall A (26), the outer surface of the inner wall A (26) is wrapped with a rope A (25), the two ends of the restraint sleeve A (24) and the inner wall A (26) are respectively against the two end covers A (22), and are clamped and sealed by the flange A (23) installed on the end cover A (22); the inner wall A (26) has a chamber A, and the thigh is deformed by inflating air into the chamber A, thereby changing the gait of the robot.

4. A modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The calf (3) comprises an end cover B (32), a flange B (33), a restraint sleeve B (34), a rope B (35) and an inner wall B (36); the end cover B (32) and the flange B (33) are both symmetrically distributed, the restraint sleeve B (34) is inserted into the inner wall B (36), the outer surface of the inner wall B (36) is wrapped with a rope B (35), the two ends of the restraint sleeve B (34) and the inner wall B (36) are respectively against the two end covers B (32), and are clamped and sealed by the flange B (33) installed on the end cover B (32); the inner wall B (36) has a chamber B, and the thigh is deformed by inflating the chamber B to achieve the change of the robot's gait.

5. A modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The chamber A and the chamber B each have N chambers uniformly distributed along the circumference, N=3; The phase difference between chamber A and chamber B is 60°, and the connection method is: projected on the same circumscribed circle, chamber A and chamber B are connected through the diameter of the circumscribed circle; the end faces of the two end covers A (22) are provided with air passages A connected with chamber A, and the end face of the end cover B (32) connected with the end cover A (22) is provided with air passages B connected with chamber B.

6. A modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The chamber A and the chamber B each have N chambers uniformly distributed along the circumference, N>3; The connection method between chamber A and chamber B is as follows: determined according to the robot gait and airway design method, the end faces of the two end covers A (22) are provided with airway A connected to chamber A, and the end face of the end cover B (32) connected to the end cover A (22) is provided with airway B connected to chamber B.

7. A modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a suction cup (39), wherein the end face of one end cover B (32) away from the inner wall B (36) has a groove with an internal thread on the side, and a protrusion with an external thread is provided on one side of the suction cup (39), and the protrusion is threadedly connected to the groove; a central air channel runs through the middle of the end cover A (22), the inner wall A (26), the end cover B (32) and the inner wall B (36), and the central air channel is connected to the chamber of the suction cup (39).

8. The modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (1) is made by 3D printing.

9. The modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The restraining sleeve A (24) and the inner wall A (26) are made of flexible materials.

10. The modular flexible three-limb robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The restraining sleeve B (34) and the inner wall B (36) are made of flexible material.

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