Bionic origami gripper and manipulator

Abstract

The present invention discloses a bionic origami gripper and manipulator. The bionic origami gripper comprises a mounting frame, an origami structure, multiple closing drive lines, multiple opening pull lines, a first drive member, and a second drive member. The origami structure comprises multiple first, second, third, and fourth origami units, and the origami structure has a grasping state and a release state. The first drive member is used to drive the origami structure from the closed state to the open state; the second drive member drives the origami structure from the open state to the closed state via the multiple closing drive lines and multiple opening pull lines. The bionic origami gripper of the present invention is suitable for complex working environments and grasping objects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robot end effectors, and in particular to a bionic origami gripper and a manipulator. Background Art

[0002] Existing robotic grippers are primarily categorized as rigid and flexible. Rigid grippers can grasp large objects, but when handling delicate objects (such as glassware and living organisms), they require complex control systems or mechanical structures to ensure safe grasping. In contrast, flexible grippers utilize the material's flexibility to significantly reduce collision forces during grasping, minimizing damage to the object. However, their gripping force is relatively low, making them less suitable for grasping large objects. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a bionic origami gripper, which is suitable for grasping different objects.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the bionic origami gripper proposed in the present invention comprises:

[0005] Mounting rack;

[0006] A plurality of origami structures, comprising a plurality of first origami units, a second origami unit, a plurality of third origami units and a fourth origami unit, wherein the first origami unit, the second origami unit, the plurality of third origami units and the fourth origami unit are nested with each other, the second origami unit is located between the plurality of first origami units and the plurality of third origami units, the second origami unit is provided with a plurality of first wire-passing holes, the plurality of first wire-passing holes are spaced apart along the circumference of the second origami unit, the plurality of third origami units are located between the second origami unit and the fourth origami unit, the fourth origami unit is provided with a plurality of second wire-passing holes, the plurality of second wire-passing holes are spaced apart along the circumference of the fourth origami unit, the plurality of second wire-passing holes correspond one-to-one to the plurality of first wire-passing holes, the origami structure has a grasping state and a releasing state, and in the grasping state, the origami structure encloses to form a clamping space;

[0007] A plurality of closing drive lines, each of the closing drive lines correspondingly passing through two adjacent second wire holes;

[0008] A plurality of open puller wires, each of the open puller wires is simultaneously passed through two adjacent first wire holes and two adjacent second wire holes;

[0009] a first driving member mounted on the mounting frame, the first driving member being connected to the first paper folding unit and configured to drive the paper folding structure to move from a closed state to an open state; and

[0010] A second driving member is installed on the mounting frame, and the second driving member is connected to the multiple closing driving lines and the multiple opening pulling lines, and drives the origami structure to move from the open state to the closed state through the multiple closing driving lines and the multiple opening pulling lines.

[0011] Optionally, the origami unit is based on the Miura origami structure, and the folds are pre-cut by an engraving machine, and then formed after folding and gluing the two ends.

[0012] Optionally, the thickness of the origami structure is between 0.095 mm and 0.090 mm.

[0013] Optionally, the bionic origami gripper further includes a wire passing disk, which is mounted on the mounting frame. The wire passing disk is provided with a plurality of wire threading holes, and the wire passing holes are spaced apart along the circumference of the wire passing disk. The plurality of closing drive wires and the plurality of opening pulling wires are each correspondingly passed through one of the wire threading holes.

[0014] Optionally, the mounting bracket is made of PLA material by 3D printing.

[0015] Optionally, the mounting frame includes a mounting seat and a first mounting rod and a second mounting rod. The first mounting rod and the second mounting rod are both mounted on the mounting seat and spaced apart from each other. The first driving member is mounted on the first mounting rod, and the second driving member is mounted on the second mounting rod. The mounting seat is used to be installed on a manipulator.

[0016] Optionally, the bionic origami gripper further includes a flexible sensor, which is installed on the inner side of the origami structure.

[0017] Optionally, the bionic origami gripper further includes a pressure sensor, which is installed on the inner side of the origami structure.

[0018] Optionally, the first driving member is a stepping motor.

[0019] Optionally, the second driving member is a stepping motor.

[0020] The present invention also proposes a manipulator, which includes a manipulator arm and the bionic origami gripper as described above, wherein the manipulator arm is connected to a mounting base of the bionic origami gripper.

[0021] The technical solution of the present invention is to set up an origami structure, which includes a plurality of first origami units, a second origami unit, a plurality of third origami units and a fourth origami unit. The first origami unit, the second origami unit, the plurality of third origami units and the fourth origami unit are arranged in a mutually nested manner. The second origami unit is located between the plurality of first origami units and the plurality of third origami units. The second origami unit is provided with a plurality of first wire holes, and the plurality of first wire holes are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the second origami unit. The plurality of third origami units are located between the second origami unit and the fourth origami unit. The fourth origami unit is provided with a plurality of second wire holes, and the plurality of second wire holes are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the fourth origami unit and are connected to the first origami unit. The positions of the wire holes correspond to each other, and the origami structure has a grasping state and a releasing state. In the grasping state, the origami structure is enclosed to form a clamping space; each closing drive line is simultaneously passed through two adjacent first wire holes and two adjacent second wire holes; each opening pull line is correspondingly passed through two adjacent second wire holes; the first drive member is installed on the mounting frame, and the first drive member is connected to the first origami unit, and is used to drive the origami structure from the closed state to the open state; the second drive member is installed on the mounting frame, and the second drive member is connected to multiple closing drive lines and multiple opening pull lines, and drives the origami structure from the open state to the closed state through multiple closing drive lines and multiple opening pull lines. In this way, through the characteristics of the origami structure, the bionic origami gripper of the present application has a multi-stable property. By utilizing the characteristics of its stable state and rapid conversion, small stable state conversion energy and variable envelope size, it has adaptive and rapid grasping capabilities for targets with different surface characteristics and different motion modes. The first driving member, the second driving member, the closing driving wire and the opening pulling wire are used to drive the origami curved surface, so as to achieve the grasping of different objects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of the bionic origami gripper of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the origami structure;

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the origami structure;

[0026] Figure 4for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the usage and structural changes of the bionic origami gripper;

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the multi-stable changes of the origami structure during passive triggering.

[0028] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0029] 10. Mounting frame; 11. First mounting rod; 12. Second mounting rod; 13. Mounting seat; 20. Origami structure; 21. First folding unit; 22. Second folding unit; 221. First wire hole; 23. Third folding unit; 24. Fourth folding unit; 241. Second wire hole; 30. Closing drive line; 40. Opening pull line; 50. First drive member; 60. Second drive member; 70. Wire tray

[0030] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0033] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text is to include three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, or solution B, or a solution in which both A and B are satisfied. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0034] The invention provides a bionic origami gripper.

[0035] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the bionic origami gripper includes a mounting frame 10 , an origami structure 20 , a closing drive line 30 , an opening pulling line 40 , a first drive member 50 and a second drive member 60 .

[0036] Specifically, the plurality of origami structures 20 include a plurality of first origami units 21, a second origami unit 22, a plurality of third origami units 23 and a fourth origami unit 24, and the plurality of first origami units 21, the second origami units 22, the plurality of third origami units 23 and the fourth origami unit 24 are arranged in a mutually nested manner, the second origami unit 22 is located between the plurality of first origami units 21 and the plurality of second origami units 23, the second origami unit 22 is provided with a plurality of first wire holes 221, and the plurality of first wire holes 221 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the second origami unit 22, the plurality of third origami units 23 are located between the second origami unit 22 and the fourth origami unit 24, the fourth origami unit 24 is provided with a plurality of second wire holes 241, and the plurality of second wire holes 241 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the fourth origami unit 24 and are aligned with the first origami unit 21. The positions of the wire holes 221 correspond to each other, and the origami structure 20 has a grasping state and a releasing state. In the grasping state, the origami structure 20 is enclosed to form a clamping space; each closing drive line 30 is simultaneously passed through two adjacent first wire holes 221 and two adjacent second wire holes 241; each opening pull line 40 is correspondingly passed through two adjacent second wire holes 241; the first driving member 50 is installed on the mounting frame 10, and the first driving member 50 is connected to the origami structure 20, and is used to drive the origami structure 20 to move from a closed state to an open state; the second driving member 60 is installed on the mounting frame 10, and the second driving member 60 is connected to multiple closing drive lines 30 and multiple opening pull lines 40, and drives the origami structure 20 from an open state to a closed state through multiple closing drive lines 30 and multiple opening pull lines 40.

[0037] Specifically, the mounting frame 10 is used to provide support and installation positions for other components. A plurality of first folding paper units 21, a second folding paper unit 22, a plurality of third folding paper units 23 and a fourth folding paper unit 24 are arranged in a nested manner to form a nested structure. The second folding paper unit 22 is located between the first folding paper unit 21 and the second folding paper unit 22. A plurality of third folding paper units 23 are located between the second folding paper unit 22 and the fourth folding paper unit 24. The second folding paper unit 22 is provided with a plurality of first wire holes 221, and the plurality of first wire holes 221 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the second folding paper unit 22. The fourth folding paper unit 24 is provided with a plurality of second wire holes 241, and the plurality of second wire holes 241 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the fourth folding unit 24, the first wire hole 221 and the second wire hole 241 provide a passage for the closing drive line 30, and the second wire hole 241 provides a passage for the opening pulling line 40. The origami structure 20 has two states, namely, a grasping state and a release state. In the grasping state, multiple first origami units 21, second origami units 22, multiple third origami units 23 and fourth origami units 24 are enclosed to form a clamping space for grasping objects. In the release state, multiple first origami units 21, second origami units 22, multiple third origami units 23 and fourth origami units 24 are stored to release the grasped objects.

[0038] The first driving member 50 and the second driving member 60 are both installed on the mounting frame 10. The driving end of the first driving member 50 is connected to the first paper folding unit 21 to drive the paper folding structure 20 to move from the release state to the grasping state to grasp the object. The driving end of the second driving member 60 is simultaneously connected to the opening pulling line 40 and the closing driving line 30 to drive the paper folding structure 20 to move from the grasping state to the release state to release the grasped object.

[0039] Through the characteristics of the origami structure 20, the bionic origami gripper of the present application has multi-stable properties. By utilizing its stable properties and the characteristics of rapid conversion, low steady-state conversion energy and variable envelope size, it has the ability to adapt and quickly grasp targets with different surface characteristics and different motion modes.

[0040] The bionic origami gripper of the present application has an actuated state and a non-actuated state. Specifically, when not actuated or constrained, the origami structure 20 can quickly move from a released state to a grasping state, thereby achieving rapid passive grasping. Compared to traditional grippers, the bionic origami gripper of the present application has superior sensitivity, fast grasping speed, and low trigger energy.

[0041] When the drive mechanism is applied, the first and second drive members 50 and 60 cooperate to control the shape of the origami gripping surface. Specifically, the second drive member 60 controls the retraction of the closing and pulling ropes, while simultaneously coordinating with the first drive member 50 to adjust the position of the gripping surface, thereby changing the size of the curved surface envelope. Combining the gripper system's stepper motor line drive system with a force feedback system, a feedback loop enables precise control of the gripping surface size and gripping force.

[0042] The technical solution of the present invention is to set up an origami structure 20, which includes a plurality of first origami units 21, a second origami unit 22, a plurality of third origami units 23 and a fourth origami unit 24. The first origami unit 21, the second origami unit 22, the plurality of third origami units 23 and the fourth origami unit 24 are mutually nested. The second origami unit 22 is located between the plurality of first origami units 21 and the plurality of third origami units 23. The second origami unit 22 is provided with a plurality of first wire holes 221, and the plurality of first wire holes 221 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the second origami unit 22. The plurality of third origami units 23 are located between the second origami unit 22 and the fourth origami unit 24. The fourth origami unit 24 is provided with a plurality of second wire holes 241, and the plurality of second wire holes 241 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the fourth origami unit 24. Corresponding to the position of the first wire-passing hole 221, the origami structure 20 has a grasping state and a releasing state. In the grasping state, the origami structure 20 is enclosed to form a clamping space; each closing drive line 30 is simultaneously passed through the two adjacent first wire-passing holes 221 and the two adjacent second wire-passing holes 241; each opening pull line 40 is correspondingly passed through the two adjacent second wire-passing holes 241; the first driving member 50 is installed on the mounting frame 10, and the first driving member 50 is connected to the first origami unit 21, and is used to drive the origami structure 20 from the closed state to the open state; the second driving member 60 is installed on the mounting frame 10, and the second driving member 60 is connected to multiple closing drive lines 30 and multiple opening pull lines 40, and drives the origami structure 20 from the open state to the closed state through multiple closing drive lines 30 and multiple opening pull lines 40. The characteristics of the origami structure 20 thus give the bionic origami gripper of this application multi-stable properties. Leveraging its stable state properties, rapid transitions, low steady-state transition energy, and variable envelope size, it offers adaptive and rapid grasping capabilities for objects with diverse surface characteristics and motion patterns. The origami surface is driven by the first and second drive members 50, 60, closing drive wire 30, and opening pull wire 40, enabling the gripping of various objects, thereby meeting the needs of diverse users.

[0043] In some embodiments, the origami unit is based on the Miura origami structure 20, with the folds pre-cut by a stamping machine, and then formed after folding and gluing the two ends. Specifically, the origami is folded from ordinary cardboard, specifically, it is composed of 15x9 variable-angle Miura origami units arranged in an array. The paper surface has the characteristics of light weight, large fold-to-expansion ratio, multi-stability, and high impact resistance. When no drive or constraint is applied, the origami surface can achieve sensitive and rapid steady-state changes, thereby achieving rapid passive capture. Compared with traditional grasping, the bionic origami gripper of the present application has superior sensitivity and low trigger energy characteristics.

[0044] When the drive mechanism is applied, the first and second drive members 50 and 60 cooperate to control the shape of the origami gripping surface. Specifically, the second drive member 60 controls the retraction of the closing and pulling ropes, while simultaneously coordinating with the first drive member 50 to adjust the position of the gripping surface, thereby changing the size of the curved surface envelope. Combining the gripper system's stepper motor line drive system with a force feedback system, a feedback loop enables precise control of the gripping surface size and gripping force.

[0045] In some embodiments, the thickness of the origami structure 20 is between 0.095 mm and 0.090 mm. Specifically, it is easy to understand that if the thickness of the origami structure 20 is less than 0.090 mm, the origami structure 20 is too thin, resulting in a lower gripping force of the bionic origami gripper. If the thickness of the origami structure 20 is greater than 0.095 mm, the origami structure 20 is too thick, resulting in a lower flexibility of the bionic origami gripper.

[0046] Therefore, the thickness of the origami structure 20 is set between 0.095 mm and 0.090 mm, so that the origami structure 20 has a certain structural strength and a certain degree of flexibility. For example, the thickness of the origami structure 20 can be 0.095 mm, 0.094 mm, 0.093 mm, 0.092 mm, 0.091 mm, or 0.090 mm.

[0047] In some embodiments, the bionic origami gripper further includes a wire drum 70, which is mounted on the mounting frame 10. The wire drum 70 is provided with a plurality of wire threading holes, which are spaced apart along the circumference of the wire drum 70. Each closing drive wire 30 and each opening pull wire 40 is correspondingly passed through a wire threading hole. Specifically, each closing drive wire 30 is correspondingly passed through a wire threading hole, and each opening pull wire 40 is correspondingly passed through a wire threading hole, so that the closing drive wire 30 and the opening pull wire 40 are limited by the wire threading holes to prevent the closing drive wire 30 and the opening pull wire 40 from being scattered. In addition, in other embodiments, the bionic origami gripper is not provided with a wire drum 70.

[0048] In some embodiments, mounting bracket 10 is 3D-printed from PLA. As is known, 3D printing can save materials, improve material utilization, and reduce costs. When applied to the technical solution of this application, it can reduce the production cost of mounting bracket 10. Furthermore, in other embodiments, mounting bracket 10 is made of metal (e.g., iron, aluminum, steel, etc.).

[0049] In some embodiments, the mounting frame 10 includes a mounting base 13 and a first mounting rod 11 and a second mounting rod 12. The first mounting rod 11 and the second mounting rod 12 are both mounted on the mounting base 13 and spaced apart from each other. The first driving member 50 is mounted on the first mounting rod 11, and the second driving member 60 is mounted on the second mounting rod 12. The mounting base 13 is used to be installed on the manipulator. Specifically, the first mounting rod 11 is used to provide a mounting position for the first driving member 50, and the second mounting rod 12 is used to provide a mounting position for the second driving member 60. That is, during installation, the first driving member 50 can be mounted on the first mounting rod 11, and the second driving member 60 can be mounted on the second mounting rod 12. This helps to reduce the difficulty of installing the first driving member 50 and the second driving member 60. Optionally, the first driving member 50 and the second driving member 60 are both stepper motors. In addition, in other embodiments, the first driving member 50 and the second driving member 60 are both cylinders.

[0050] In some embodiments, the bionic origami gripper also includes a flexible sensor, mounted on the inner side of the origami structure 20. Specifically, a flexible sensor is made of a flexible material, exhibiting excellent flexibility and ductility, allowing for free bending and even folding, and offering a variety of structural forms. In this embodiment, the flexible sensor measures the curvature of the surface, forming a closed-loop feedback control mechanism and providing an escape prevention function. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the bionic origami gripper does not include a flexible sensor.

[0051] In some embodiments, the bionic origami gripper also includes a pressure sensor mounted on the inner side of the origami structure 20. Specifically, the pressure sensor is used to detect gripping force, preventing excessive gripping force and potential damage to flexible objects when grasping them. This pressure sensor enables precise gripping. In other embodiments, the bionic origami gripper does not include a pressure sensor.

[0052] The present invention also provides a manipulator comprising a manipulator arm and a bionic origami gripper. The specific structure of the bionic origami gripper is similar to that of the above-described embodiments. Since the present manipulator utilizes all the technical solutions of all the above-described embodiments, it possesses at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above-described embodiments, and therefore will not be further detailed here. The manipulator arm is connected to the mounting base 13 of the bionic origami gripper.

[0053] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's description and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, within the scope of the present invention are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bionic origami gripper, characterized in that: include: Mounting rack; A plurality of origami structures, comprising a plurality of first origami units, a second origami unit, a plurality of third origami units and a fourth origami unit, wherein the first origami unit, the second origami unit, the plurality of third origami units and the fourth origami unit are nested with each other, the second origami unit is located between the plurality of first origami units and the plurality of third origami units, the second origami unit is provided with a plurality of first wire-passing holes, the plurality of first wire-passing holes are spaced apart along the circumference of the second origami unit, the plurality of third origami units are located between the second origami unit and the fourth origami unit, the fourth origami unit is provided with a plurality of second wire-passing holes, the plurality of second wire-passing holes are spaced apart along the circumference of the fourth origami unit, the plurality of second wire-passing holes correspond one-to-one to the plurality of first wire-passing holes, the origami structure has a grasping state and a releasing state, and in the grasping state, the origami structure encloses to form a clamping space; A plurality of closing drive lines, each of the closing drive lines correspondingly passing through two adjacent second wire holes; A plurality of open puller wires, each of the open puller wires is simultaneously passed through two adjacent first wire holes and two adjacent second wire holes; a first driving member mounted on the mounting frame, the first driving member being connected to the first paper folding unit and configured to drive the paper folding structure to move from a closed state to an open state; as well as A second driving member is installed on the mounting frame, and the second driving member is connected to the multiple closing driving lines and the multiple opening pulling lines, and drives the origami structure to move from the open state to the closed state through the multiple closing driving lines and the multiple opening pulling lines.

2. The bionic origami gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The origami unit is based on the Miura origami structure, with the folds pre-cut by a stamping machine, and then formed after folding and gluing the two ends.

3. The bionic origami gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the origami structure is between 0.095 mm and 0.090 mm.

4. The bionic origami gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bionic origami gripper also includes a wire passing disk, which is installed on the mounting frame. The wire passing disk is provided with a plurality of wire threading holes, and the wire passing holes are spaced apart along the circumference of the wire passing disk. The plurality of closing drive wires and the plurality of opening pulling wires are each correspondingly passed through one of the wire threading holes.

5. The bionic origami gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting frame is made of PLA material by 3D printing.

6. The bionic origami gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting frame includes a mounting seat and a first mounting rod and a second mounting rod. The first mounting rod and the second mounting rod are both mounted on the mounting seat and spaced apart from each other. The first driving member is mounted on the first mounting rod, and the second driving member is mounted on the second mounting rod. The mounting seat is used to be mounted on a manipulator.

7. The bionic origami gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bionic origami gripper further includes a flexible sensor, which is installed on the inner side of the origami structure.

8. The bionic origami gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bionic origami gripper further includes a pressure sensor, which is installed on the inner side of the origami structure.

9. The bionic origami gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving member is a stepping motor; The second driving component is a stepping motor.

10. A robot, characterized in that: The manipulator comprises a manipulator arm and the bionic origami gripper according to claims 1 to 9, wherein the manipulator arm is connected to a mounting base of the bionic origami gripper.

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