Soft robot capable of bouncing and advancing quickly

Abstract

The invention discloses a soft robot capable of bouncing and advancing quickly in the field of soft robots. The soft robot comprises an elastic bottom plate, an elastic soft body and a ventilation connector. The elastic soft body and the ventilation connector are arranged on the elastic bottom plate; when the air pressure value of the elastic soft body is smaller than a set threshold value, the bistable valve is in a closed state, all the air bags expand, and the elastic soft body is converted into a bent state from a straight state; when the air pressure value of the elastic soft body is larger than or equal to a set threshold value, the bistable valve is in an open state, air in the air bag is sprayed out, the elastic soft body is converted into a straight state from a bent state, and the soft robot moves in a bouncing mode. By means of the bistable principle, elastic potential energy is accumulated and rapidly released at the moment of instability, so that the pneumatic soft robot rapidly, continuously and directionally advances in a bouncing mode, and the pneumatic soft robot is suitable for rapid movement in complex terrains.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of radiating antennas, and in particular relates to a soft robot that can bounce forward quickly. Background Art

[0002] As a new type of robotic technology, pneumatic soft robots have significant advantages in adaptability and flexibility in complex environments. However, existing pneumatic soft robots face some key problems in practical applications. First, when moving in complex terrain, these robots often find it difficult to move quickly, especially on rugged terrain, where their movement speed and efficiency are greatly limited. Secondly, pneumatic soft robots also show difficulty in crossing or pushing obstacles, making it difficult to complete tasks efficiently. These limitations have seriously restricted the promotion and use of pneumatic soft robots in engineering and practical applications.

[0003] Common pneumatic soft robots are not only cumbersome to perform multiple consecutive actions due to the closed design of their air cavities, but also have very slow movement speeds, which cannot meet the needs of fast response and efficient operation. Therefore, how to improve the movement speed and terrain adaptability of pneumatic soft robots has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently in this field. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a soft robot that can bounce forward quickly, and utilize the bistable principle to achieve elastic potential energy accumulation and rapid release at the moment of instability, so that the pneumatic soft robot can bounce forward quickly and continuously in a directional manner.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides: A fast-bouncing soft robot comprises an elastic base, an elastic soft body and a ventilation joint; the elastic soft body and the ventilation joint are arranged on the elastic base; the elastic soft body comprises a plurality of air bags arranged in parallel, each of which is connected in sequence and then connected to the ventilation joint; the ventilation joint comprises an air inlet and an exhaust port; a bistable valve is arranged on the exhaust port; Gas is filled into each airbag on the elastic soft body through the air inlet. When the air pressure value of the elastic soft body is less than a set threshold, the bistable valve is in a closed state, each airbag expands, and the elastic soft body changes from a straight state to a curved state. When the air pressure value inside the elastic soft body is greater than or equal to the set threshold, the bistable valve is in an open state, the gas in the airbag is ejected from the bistable valve, the elastic soft body changes from a curved state to a straight state, and the soft robot moves in a bouncing manner.

[0006] Furthermore, ventilation joints are provided at both ends of the elastic soft body, the two ventilation joints are connected to the airbags on the elastic soft body, and the exhaust ports of the two ventilation joints face opposite directions.

[0007] Furthermore, two groups of ventilation joints and elastic software are provided on the elastic bottom plate, and the ventilation joints and elastic software are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence; the two elastic softwares are distributed along the same axis, and the two elastic softwares are arranged between the two ventilation joints; the exhaust ports of the two ventilation joints are in opposite directions.

[0008] Furthermore, four sets of ventilation joints and elastic soft bodies are provided on the elastic bottom plate, the four elastic soft bodies are arranged to form a cross shape, and the exhaust ports of the four ventilation joints are respectively facing four directions.

[0009] Furthermore, the bistable valve comprises a hemispherical rubber sleeve, the center of the hemispherical rubber sleeve is recessed into the ventilation joint, and an exhaust cutout is provided on the hemispherical rubber sleeve.

[0010] Furthermore, the exhaust cutout includes a first cutout and a second cutout that are cross-arranged, and the intersection of the first cutout and the second cutout is arranged at the center of the hemispherical rubber sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, the first incision forms an angle of 45 degrees with the longitudinal axis, and the second incision forms an angle of 45 degrees with the transverse axis.

[0012] Furthermore, the exhaust cutout is in a "Y" shape, a "T" shape, and a "X" shape.

[0013] Furthermore, the airbags on the elastic body are of equal size and are distributed at equal intervals.

[0014] Furthermore, the ventilation joint is configured to be wedge-shaped, and the height of the ventilation joint gradually decreases in a direction away from the elastic soft body.

[0015] Furthermore, the exhaust cutout is arranged on the wedge-shaped inclined surface of the ventilation joint, and the air inlet is arranged on the vertical inclined surface of the ventilation joint.

[0016] Furthermore, the gap between the airbag and the adjacent airbag is set to be rectangular.

[0017] Furthermore, the air inlet is connected to an external air source; a one-way valve is provided between the air inlet and the air source, and the direction of the one-way valve is from the air source to the air inlet.

[0018] Furthermore, an air pump is arranged on the air inlet, and the air pump presses air into the elastic soft body.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: In the present invention, gas is filled into each airbag on the elastic soft body through the air inlet. When the air pressure value of the elastic soft body is less than a set threshold value, the bistable valve is in a closed state, each airbag expands, and the elastic soft body changes from a straight state to a curved state; when the air pressure value inside the elastic soft body is greater than or equal to the set threshold value, the bistable valve is in an open state, the gas in the airbag is ejected from the bistable valve, the elastic soft body changes from a curved state to a straight state, and the soft robot moves in a bouncing manner. By utilizing the bistable principle, the rapid accumulation and release of elastic potential energy is achieved, so that the robot can move forward rapidly and continuously in a bouncing manner without a complex motion direction control module. Efficient motion is achieved through the bistable characteristics of the valve and the elastic deformation of the cavity. It can efficiently cross or push obstacles and is suitable for rapid movement in complex terrain.

[0020] The elastic soft body and elastic bottom plate of the present invention change from a bent state to a straight state to release elastic potential energy, and the gas in the airbag 22 is ejected by the bistable valve 3 to release pressure potential energy; the superposition and release of pressure potential energy and elastic potential energy can increase the moving distance of the soft robot in a single bounce. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 An axonometric view of the soft robot provided in Example 1; Figure 2 A front view of the soft robot provided in Example 1; Figure 3 A top view of the soft robot provided in Example 1; Figure 4 A structural diagram of a bistable valve provided in Example 1; Figure 5 A front view of the soft robot provided in Example 2; Figure 6 A front view of the soft robot provided in Example 3; Figure 7 A top view of the soft robot provided in Example 4; In the figure: 1 is an elastic bottom plate, 2 is an elastic soft body, 21 is a ventilation joint, 22 is an air bag, 3 is a bistable valve, 4 is an air inlet, 5 is a solenoid valve, 121 is an exhaust incision, 1211 is a first incision, and 1212 is a second incision. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up", "down", "inside", "outside", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention rather than requiring the present invention to be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. The terms "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up", and "down" used in the description of the present invention refer to the directions in the accompanying drawings, and the terms "inside" and "outside" refer to the directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a fast-bouncing soft robot comprises an elastic base plate, an elastic soft body 2 and a ventilation joint 21; the elastic base plate 1 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and the length of the elastic base plate 1 is greater than the width and thickness; the elastic soft body and the ventilation joint are arranged on the elastic base plate; the elastic base plate 1 and the elastic soft body 2 can be formed in one piece, and then the elastic soft body 2 is glued to the elastic base plate 1. The elastic base plate 1 and the elastic soft body 2 are both made of elastic rubber material, for example, the elastic soft body 2 can be made by a silicone rubber casting method, the elastic soft body 2 is elastic, and inflating the elastic soft body 2 can make the cavity 2 elastically deformed.

[0026] The elastic soft body 2 includes a plurality of airbags 22 arranged in parallel, and each airbag 22 on the elastic soft body 2 is of equal size and distributed at equal intervals; the airbags 22 of equal size and distributed at equal intervals can ensure that the elastic soft body is subjected to uniform force during inflation and deflation. The pressure and deformation degree borne by each airbag are similar, thereby avoiding structural damage or unstable movement caused by local overload or uneven force. The airbags 22 of equal size and distributed at equal intervals can respond quickly to inflation and deflation instructions. Since the airbags 22 have the same size and spacing, the flow resistance of the gas in each airbag 22 is similar, and the inflation and deflation process is faster and more synchronous, thereby improving the movement efficiency of the soft robot.

[0027] The gap between the airbags 22 and the adjacent airbags 22 is set as a rectangular parallelepiped; each airbag 22 is connected in sequence and then connected to a ventilation joint; the ventilation joint 21 includes an air inlet 4 and an exhaust port; the exhaust port is provided with a bistable valve 3; The bistable valve 3 includes a hemispherical rubber sleeve, the center of which is recessed into the ventilation joint, and an exhaust cutout 121 is provided on the hemispherical rubber sleeve. In the natural state when the cavity is not inflated, the bistable valve 3 is recessed into the cavity, the exhaust cutout 121 is squeezed and is in a closed state, and the hemispherical rubber sleeve is closed. Ventilate the ventilation joint 21 through the air inlet 4. In the early stage of ventilation, the exhaust cutout 121 is still in a closed state, and the gas in the cavity of the ventilation joint 21 will not leak from the exhaust cutout 121. Continue to ventilate the cavity in the ventilation joint 21. When the air pressure in the ventilation joint 21 reaches a critical value, the bistable valve 3 suddenly jumps and becomes unstable, the gas is ejected instantly, and the elastic potential energy accumulated in the elastic bottom plate 1 and the elastic soft body 2 is released instantly, pushing the entire soft robot to jump forward. When the gas is released, the air pressure drops, and the bistable valve 3 closes automatically.

[0028] like Figure 4 As shown, the exhaust cutout 121 includes a first cutout 1211 and a second cutout 1212 which are arranged crosswise, and the intersection of the first cutout 1211 and the second cutout 1212 is arranged at the center of the hemispherical rubber sleeve. The first cutout 1211 is at an angle of 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis (y-axis), and the second cutout 1212 is at an angle of 45 degrees to the transverse axis (x-axis). In addition, the exhaust cutout 121 can also be arranged in a "Y" shape, a "T" shape, and a "cross" shape. Among them, the hemispherical shell only represents the general shape of the bistable valve 3, and does not limit the bistable valve 3 to a half spherical shell. The bistable valve 3 can be in the shape of a hemispherical shell such as a one-third spherical shell.

[0029] The ventilation joint 21 is set in a wedge shape. Due to its small size and light weight, the user can arrange system components more flexibly to improve the overall performance of the system. The height of the ventilation joint gradually decreases in the direction away from the elastic soft body. The exhaust cutout 121 is set on the wedge-shaped inclined surface of the ventilation joint, and the air inlet 4 is set on the vertical inclined surface of the ventilation joint 21.

[0030] The air inlet 4 is provided with an air pump, and the air pump presses air into the elastic soft body. Alternatively, the air inlet 4 is connected to an external air source; a one-way valve is provided between the air inlet 4 and the air source, and the direction of the one-way valve is from the air source to the air inlet 4, and the one-way valve is used to prevent gas from being discharged from the air inlet.

[0031] Gas is filled into each airbag 22 on the elastic soft body 2 through the air inlet 4. When the air pressure value of the elastic soft body 2 is less than a set threshold, the bistable valve 3 is in a closed state, each airbag 22 expands, and the elastic soft body 2 changes from a straight state to a curved state; when the air pressure value in the elastic soft body 2 is greater than or equal to the set threshold, the bistable valve 3 is in an open state, the gas in the airbag 22 is ejected by the bistable valve 3, the elastic soft body 2 changes from a curved state to a straight state, and the soft robot moves in a bouncing manner.

[0032] In this embodiment, the bistable principle is used to achieve rapid accumulation and release of elastic potential energy, so that the robot can move forward quickly and continuously in a bouncing manner. No complex motion direction control module is required. Efficient movement is achieved through the bistable characteristics of the valve and the elastic deformation of the cavity. It can efficiently cross or push obstacles and is suitable for rapid movement in complex terrain.

[0033] Example 2 like Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment discloses a soft robot that can bounce forward quickly. The difference from the soft robot described in Example 1 is that ventilation connectors 21 are provided at both ends of the elastic soft body 2. The two ventilation connectors 21 are connected to the airbags 22 on the elastic soft body 2. The exhaust ports of the two ventilation connectors 21 face opposite directions, so that the soft robot can bounce and move in two directions. In this embodiment, an electromagnetic valve 5 for controlling the opening and closing is provided between the ventilation connector 21 and the elastic soft body 2.

[0034] Example 3 like Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment discloses a soft robot that can bounce forward quickly, and the difference from the soft robot described in Example 1 is that: two groups of ventilation joints 21 and elastic soft bodies 2 are provided on the elastic base plate 1, and the ventilation joints 21 and the elastic soft bodies 2 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence; the two elastic soft bodies 2 are distributed along the same axis, and the two elastic soft bodies 2 are arranged between the two ventilation joints; the exhaust ports of the two ventilation joints 21 face opposite directions, so that the soft robot can bounce and move in two directions.

[0035] Example 4 like Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment discloses a soft robot that can bounce forward quickly, and the difference from the soft robot described in Example 1 is that: four groups of ventilation joints 21 and elastic soft bodies 2 are provided on the elastic base plate 1, and the four elastic soft bodies 2 are arranged in a cross shape, and the exhaust ports of the four ventilation joints 21 are respectively facing four directions. A single group of ventilation joints 21 and elastic soft bodies 2 work to enable the soft robot to bounce and move in the front, rear, left and right directions; two groups of ventilation joints 21 and elastic soft bodies 2 work in coordination to enable the soft robot to bounce and move in the left front, left rear, right front and right rear directions, thereby increasing the flexibility of the soft robot.

[0036] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fast-bouncing soft robot, characterized in that: It includes an elastic base plate, an elastic soft body and a ventilation joint; the elastic soft body and the ventilation joint are arranged on the elastic base plate; the elastic soft body includes a plurality of air bags arranged in parallel, each air bag is connected in sequence and then connected to the ventilation joint; the ventilation joint includes an air inlet and an exhaust port; a bistable valve is arranged on the exhaust port; Gas is filled into each airbag on the elastic soft body through the air inlet. When the air pressure value of the elastic soft body is less than a set threshold, the bistable valve is in a closed state, each airbag expands, and the elastic soft body changes from a straight state to a curved state. When the air pressure value inside the elastic soft body is greater than or equal to the set threshold, the bistable valve is in an open state, the gas in the airbag is ejected from the bistable valve, the elastic soft body changes from a curved state to a straight state, and the soft robot moves in a bouncing manner.

2. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of the elastic soft body are provided with ventilation joints, the two ventilation joints are connected with the air bags on the elastic soft body, and the exhaust ports of the two ventilation joints face in opposite directions.

3. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic bottom plate is provided with two sets of ventilation joints and elastic soft bodies, and the ventilation joints and elastic soft bodies are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the two elastic soft bodies are distributed along the same axis, and the two elastic soft bodies are arranged between the two ventilation joints; the exhaust ports of the two ventilation joints face opposite directions.

4. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic bottom plate is provided with four sets of ventilation joints and elastic software, and the ventilation joints and elastic software are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the four elastic softwares are arranged to form a cross shape, and the exhaust ports of the four ventilation joints face four directions respectively.

5. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bistable valve comprises a hemispherical rubber sleeve, the center of which is recessed into the ventilation joint, and an exhaust cutout is arranged on the hemispherical rubber sleeve.

6. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The exhaust cutout includes a first cutout and a second cutout which are arranged crosswise, and the intersection of the first cutout and the second cutout is arranged at the center of the hemispherical rubber sleeve.

7. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first incision is at an angle of 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis, and the second incision is at an angle of 45 degrees to the transverse axis.

8. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The exhaust cutouts are in the shape of a "Y", a "T" or a "X".

9. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air bags on the elastic body are of equal size and are distributed at equal intervals.

10. The fast-jumping soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ventilation joint is configured to be wedge-shaped, and the height of the ventilation joint gradually decreases in a direction away from the elastic soft body.

Images