A soft truss robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a soft truss robot, comprising a frame, a rotating frame, a guide ring, a gear train, a roller assembly, a motor, and a battery. The frame comprises a node connection bracket, a top plate, and side plates, which are sequentially connected. The side plates are provided with side plate through-holes and side plate connection holes and are mounted with a gear train. The top plate is provided with top plate through-holes and top plate connection holes, and is mounted with a battery and a motor. The rotating frame is connected to the guide ring and mounted on the side plates. The roller assembly is located at the bottom of the side plates and passes through the rotating frame. The reel actuator provided by the present invention can be combined with a fixed-length inflatable tube to form a truss-structured robot, which is modular and reconfigurable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of solid mechanical engineering, and in particular relates to a soft truss robot. Background Art

[0002] Collaborative work between robots and humans is becoming increasingly mainstream in today's world. These collaborative work scenarios require robots to be safe for humans and flexible enough to adapt to various work scenarios and move in complex terrain. These attributes require not only highly adaptable control algorithms and rich sensor information collection and processing, but also a new type of reconfigurable and adaptable robot structure - the truss robot. A truss robot is a truss-like structure whose units can affect the robot's global shape and position by changing their length. Typically, a truss robot is a network of linear actuators interconnected by universal joints. These robots can move by segmented tumbling and can also grasp objects.

[0003] However, because the rigid components of these truss robots lack mechanisms to absorb and buffer energy, they can break or become stuck after being subjected to high impact forces. Such impact forces are common in the complex environments in which they operate, causing the robots to tumble and fall. Therefore, soft truss robots constructed from flexible materials have attracted attention. The inherent elasticity of these materials can enable robots to better adapt to environmental uncertainties and ensure the safety of humans working alongside them.

[0004] Compared to rigid truss robots, the inherent flexibility of compliant soft truss robots allows them to better adapt to environmental uncertainties and operate safely. The robot's flexible beam can change shape to engulf an object and grasp it using two or more modular units. For example, during search and rescue operations, it can operate unplugged in unknown environments and actively adapt to complex terrain to undertake various search and rescue tasks, such as supporting rubble, moving dangerous objects, and assisting survivors in evacuation. These advantages will further facilitate the safe and effective use of this soft truss robot in real-world situations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a soft truss robot with good flexibility, high safety and a reel actuator that can continuously displace without changing the total length of the inflation hose.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a soft truss robot, characterized in that: it includes a frame, the frame includes a node connection bracket, a top plate, a first side plate and a third side plate connected in sequence, the first side plate, the second side plate, the third side plate and the fourth side plate are connected in sequence by the first bracket, the second bracket and the third bracket, the top plate is connected to the first side plate and the third side plate, a battery is installed on one side of the top plate, the battery is located on one side of the node connection bracket, a motor is installed on the other side of the top plate, the motor is located on the side opposite to the battery, and is connected to the driving gear facing the third side plate, and the driving gear is simultaneously The first gear and the second gear are engaged with each other, and the driving gear, the first gear and the second gear are located between the third side plate and the fourth side plate. The first roller group and the second roller group are located between the first side plate and the fourth side plate. The first roller group includes a first roller and a second roller, and the second roller group includes a third roller and a fourth roller. The first rotating frame and the third rotating frame are located between the first side plate and the second side plate, and the second rotating frame and the fourth rotating frame are located between the third side plate and the fourth side plate. The first guide ring is connected to the first rotating frame and the second rotating frame, and the second guide ring is connected to the third rotating frame and the fourth rotating frame.

[0007] Preferably, one end of the first guide ring is connected to the first rotating frame via a first L-shaped member via a bolt, the other end of the first guide ring is connected to the second rotating frame via a second L-shaped member via a bolt, one end of the second guide ring is connected to the third rotating frame via a bolt via a third L-shaped member, and the other end of the second guide ring is connected to the fourth rotating frame via a bolt via a fourth L-shaped member. The guide rings are all perpendicular to the rotating frame.

[0008] The present invention provides a flexible truss robot that combines an inflatable hose with a truss structure. Compared to other truss robots, the inflatable hose offers the advantages of flexibility and safety, while providing a continuous displacement mechanism without changing the length of the hose. Furthermore, compared to traditional truss robots, the flexible truss robot is modular, offering advantages such as high efficiency and portability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a soft truss robot of the present invention;

[0010] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0012] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 11. Node connecting bracket; 12. Top plate; 13. First side plate; 14. Second side plate; 15. Third side plate; 16. Fourth side plate; 161. First bracket; 162. Second bracket; 163. Third bracket; 2. Battery; 3. Motor; 41. First roller; 42. Second roller; 51. Third roller; 52. Fourth roller; 611. First rotating frame; 612. Second rotating frame; 621. Third rotating frame; 622. Fourth rotating frame; 711. First L-profile; 712. Second L-profile; 721. Third L-profile; 722. Fourth L-profile; 81. First guide ring; 82. Second guide ring; 9. Driving gear; 91. First driven gear set; 92. Second driven gear set. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0014] Example 1

[0015] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a soft truss robot provided by the present invention includes a frame, the frame includes a node connection bracket, a top plate, a first side plate and a third side plate connected in sequence, the first side plate, the second side plate, the third side plate and the fourth side plate are connected in sequence by the first bracket, the second bracket and the third bracket, the top plate is connected to the first side plate and the third side plate, a battery is installed on one side of the top plate, the battery is located on one side of the node connection bracket, a motor is installed on the other side of the top plate, the motor is located on the side opposite to the battery, and is connected to the driving gear facing the third side plate, and the driving gear is simultaneously connected to the first driven gear group and The second driven gear group is meshed, the driving gear, the first driven gear group and the second driven gear group are located between the third side plate and the fourth side plate, the first roller group and the second roller group are located between the first side plate and the fourth side plate, the first roller group includes a first roller and a second roller, the second roller group includes a third roller and a fourth roller, the first rotating frame and the third rotating frame are located between the first side plate and the second side plate, the second rotating frame and the fourth rotating frame are located between the third side plate and the fourth side plate, the first guide ring is connected to the first rotating frame and the second rotating frame, and the second guide ring is connected to the third rotating frame and the fourth rotating frame.

[0016] One end of the first guide ring is bolted to the first rotating frame via a first L-shaped member, and the other end of the first guide ring is bolted to the second rotating frame via a second L-shaped member. One end of the second guide ring is bolted to the third rotating frame via a third L-shaped member, and the other end of the second guide ring is bolted to the fourth rotating frame via a fourth L-shaped member. The guide rings are all perpendicular to the rotating frame.

[0017] In this embodiment, three of the above-mentioned reel actuators and a fixed-length closed hose form a single triangular module. This module is the basic modular unit of the present invention. This module is composed of a group of identical reel actuators. These modules are installed on the inflatable hose to form the main structure of the single module of the robot. The reel actuator clamps the inflatable hose through a group of rollers. The motor drives its rotation to realize the free movement of the reel actuator on the inflatable hose, thereby changing the shape and posture of the triangular module. The structural diagram of this embodiment is shown in FIG. Figure 2 shown.

[0018] Example 2

[0019] Compared with the first embodiment, the present embodiment is a three-dimensional truss structure robot composed of multiple first embodiments, and has the characteristics of modularization and reconfiguration.

[0020] This embodiment is an octahedral truss robot composed of four triangular modules in the first embodiment. The drum actuators are connected to each other on the node connection bracket using a three-degree-of-freedom universal joint. The universal joint is connected by two connecting rods, and each connecting rod can rotate freely around its axis. The structural diagram is shown in the figure below. Figure 3 shown.

[0021] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments described herein are intended to help readers understand the principles of the present invention, and it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to such specific descriptions and embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various other specific variations and combinations based on the technical teachings disclosed in the present invention without departing from the essence of the present invention, and such variations and combinations are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A soft truss robot, characterized by: The invention comprises a frame, wherein the frame comprises a node connection bracket (11), a top plate (12), a first side plate (13) and a third side plate (15) connected in sequence, wherein the first side plate (13), the second side plate (14), the third side plate (15) and the fourth side plate (16) are connected in sequence by a first bracket (161), a second bracket (162) and a third bracket (163), the top plate (12) is connected to the first side plate (13) and the third side plate (15), a battery (2) is installed on one side of the top plate (12), and the battery (2) is located on one side of the node connection bracket (11), and a motor (3) is installed on the other side of the top plate (12), and the motor (3) is located on the side opposite to the battery and connected to the driving gear (9) facing the third side plate (15), and the driving gear (9) is meshed with the first driven gear group (91) and the second driven gear group (92) at the same time, and the driving gear (9) is meshed with the first driven gear group (91) and the second driven gear group (92). The gear (9), the first driven gear group (91) and the second driven gear group (92) are located between the third side plate (15) and the fourth side plate (16); the first roller group and the second roller group are located between the first side plate (13) and the fourth side plate (16); the first roller group includes a first roller (41) and a second roller (42); the second roller group includes a third roller (51) and a fourth roller (52); the first rotating frame (611) and the third rotating frame (621) are located between the first side plate (13) and the second side plate (14); the second rotating frame (612) and the fourth rotating frame (622) are located between the third side plate (15) and the fourth side plate (16); the first guide ring (81) is connected to the first rotating frame (611) and the second rotating frame (612); and the second guide ring (82) is connected to the third rotating frame (621) and the fourth rotating frame (622).

2. A soft truss robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the first guide ring (81) is connected to the first rotating frame (611) by a first L-shaped material (711) through bolts, the other end of the first guide ring (81) is connected to the second rotating frame (612) by a second L-shaped material (712) through bolts, one end of the second guide ring (82) is connected to the third rotating frame (621) by a third L-shaped material (721) through bolts, and the other end of the second guide ring (82) is connected to the fourth rotating frame (622) through bolts, and the guide rings are all kept perpendicular to the rotating frame.

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