Multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm and driving method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm and a driving method thereof in the field of mechanical arms, the mechanical arm comprises an arm body and a microwave driving device, and the arm body is connected with the microwave driving device; the microwave driving device comprises a shell and a plurality of memory elastic pieces, the memory elastic pieces are installed in corresponding cavities in the shell, a flexible circuit is arranged at the bottom of the shell, and the flexible circuit is connected with the memory elastic pieces; the arm body comprises a telescopic spring and a plurality of flexible ropes, one end of the telescopic spring is fixedly connected with the shell, the plurality of flexible ropes are connected with the other end of the telescopic spring and a plurality of memory elastic pieces, and the plurality of flexible ropes correspond to the plurality of memory elastic pieces one by one; according to the mechanical arm, the flexible ropes in different directions can be independently controlled to pull the telescopic spring by adjusting the polarization direction of microwaves in the space, flexible operation of the continuum mechanical arm in the three-dimensional space can be achieved through dynamic adjustment of microwave signals, and the working capacity of the robot in the extreme environment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of robot arm design, and in particular to a multi-degree-of-freedom robot arm and a driving method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development of robotics technology, flexible robotic arms have been widely used in the fields of medical treatment, industrial inspection, environmental monitoring, etc. However, traditional wire-driven or rigid robotic arms still have many limitations when performing tasks in small, confined or complex spaces. For example, traditional robotic arms usually rely on cables or hydraulic drives, which not only take up a large space, but are also easily restricted by physical structures in narrow or curved environments, making it difficult to achieve precise control.

[0003] In recent years, wireless driving technology has gradually become an important direction for the development of robotic arms. Among them, microwave driving technology has shown broad application prospects due to its characteristics of long-distance, non-contact, and efficient energy transmission. Compared with traditional driving methods, microwave driving can effectively overcome cable constraints, improve the adaptability and maneuverability of robotic arms in confined environments, and enable them to perform tasks in complex environments such as closed pipes and dangerous areas. In addition, the control method based on the polarization direction of microwaves can enable the robotic arm to achieve precise motion trajectory adjustment in three-dimensional space to meet high-precision operation requirements. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a microwave-driven continuum robotic arm with high flexibility, remote wireless control capabilities, and suitable for complex and narrow spaces. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and a driving method thereof, so as to solve the defects in the prior art that the traditional robotic arm is inflexible in use and is greatly affected by space limitations.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, this application is implemented by adopting the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, the present application discloses a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, which comprises an arm body and a microwave driving device, wherein the arm body and the microwave driving device are connected; The microwave driving device comprises a shell and a plurality of memory elastic members, wherein the plurality of memory elastic members are installed in corresponding cavities in the shell, and a flexible circuit is provided at the bottom of the shell, and the flexible circuit is connected to the memory elastic members; The arm body includes a telescopic spring and multiple flexible ropes, one end of the telescopic spring is fixedly connected to the shell, and the multiple flexible ropes are connected to the other end of the corresponding telescopic spring and multiple memory elastic parts, and the multiple flexible ropes correspond to the multiple memory elastic parts one by one; the microwave acts on the flexible circuit to cause the memory elastic part to contract and drive the telescopic spring to bend or compress.

[0006] According to a further solution of the present application, the arm body is composed of a plurality of the telescopic springs connected together, two adjacent telescopic springs are axially fixed by a connecting piece, the telescopic spring close to the shell is fixed to the shell, and an end piece is provided at the end of the telescopic spring far from the shell.

[0007] A further solution is characterized in that two ends of the flexible rope are fixedly connected to the end piece and the memory elastic piece, and the middle part of the flexible rope can move through the through hole on the connecting piece.

[0008] A further solution of the present application is characterized in that the memory elastic member array is arranged in a corresponding cavity in the microwave drive device.

[0009] A further solution of the present application is characterized in that a metal sheet is provided between adjacent cavities.

[0010] According to a further solution of the present application, each of the memory elastic members is provided with a first metal member at one end and a second metal member at the other end, the first metal member is fixedly connected to the corresponding flexible rope, and the second metal member is connected to the flexible circuit.

[0011] According to a further solution of the present application, the flexible circuit is provided with a plurality of monopole antennas, and the plurality of monopole antennas and the plurality of memory elastic members are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence along the axial direction of the shell.

[0012] In the second aspect, the present application discloses a driving method based on the above-mentioned multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm, which comprises: Applying microwaves to the flexible circuit so that the flexible circuit generates an induced current; The induced current conducts electricity to the memory elastic member, so that the temperature of the memory elastic member rises under the action of Joule heat; When the temperature of the memory elastic member reaches the austenite phase transition temperature, the memory elastic member generates a shape memory effect and compresses its own length, pulling the telescopic spring to bend.

[0013] In a further solution of the present application, the bending direction of the telescopic spring is achieved by changing the polarization direction of the microwave; The microwave rotates in one direction around the shell. When the polarization direction of the microwave is parallel to a certain monopole antenna, the microwave receiving efficiency of the monopole antenna is the highest, and the telescopic spring bends toward the direction of the monopole antenna.

[0014] According to a further solution of the present application, the telescopic spring can also be axially compressed; a plurality of microwaves are arranged, and the polarization directions of the plurality of microwaves are parallel to the arrangement directions of the plurality of monopole antennas in one-to-one correspondence, so that each of the memory elastic members is deformed and compressed synchronously, pulling the telescopic spring to be axially compressed.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this application are: The robotic arm in the present application can independently control flexible ropes in different directions by adjusting the polarization direction of microwaves in space, and can also realize flexible operation of the continuum robotic arm in three-dimensional space through dynamic adjustment of microwave signals. Compared with conventional robotic arms driven by cables or hydraulic drives, this robotic arm has a very small design space, which improves the robot's ability to work in extreme environments and makes it easy to perform high-precision operations in complex and narrow spaces.

[0016] In addition, multiple independent cavities are opened on the shell of the robotic arm to install memory elastic parts, and adjacent cavities are isolated by metal sheets to prevent mutual interference caused by secondary radiation during the driving process and improve operation accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 This is a schematic front view of a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic top view of a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Sectional view in the AA direction; Figure 5 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view in the BB direction; Figure 6 This is a flow chart of the principle of controlling the mechanical arm by the polarization direction of microwaves in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the logic of the robot arm driving method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Among them: 1. end piece; 2. connecting piece; 3. telescopic spring; 4. flexible rope; 5. shell; 6. base; 7. flexible circuit; 8. monopole antenna; 9. first metal piece; 10. memory elastic piece; 91. second metal piece; 11. first monopole antenna; 12. second monopole antenna; 13. third monopole antenna. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is by no means intended to limit the present application and its application or use. Example

[0020] The present embodiment discloses a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. The driving method of this robotic arm is different from that of a traditional robotic arm. It avoids the traditional driving method of using hydraulic pressure and cable power supply, and can be used in harsh spaces. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm includes an arm body and a microwave driving device, and the arm body and the output end of the microwave driving device are fixedly connected; the microwave driving device includes a shell 5 and a plurality of memory elastic parts 10, and the plurality of memory elastic parts 10 are installed in corresponding cavities in the shell 5. A flexible circuit 7 is provided at the bottom of the shell 5, and the flexible circuit 7 is connected to the memory elastic parts 10; the arm body includes a telescopic spring 3 and a plurality of flexible ropes 4, one end of the telescopic spring 3 is fixedly connected to the shell 5, and the plurality of flexible ropes 4 are connected to the other end of the telescopic spring 3 and the plurality of memory elastic parts 10, and the plurality of flexible ropes 4 correspond to the plurality of memory elastic parts 10 one by one; microwaves act on the flexible circuit 7, so that the memory elastic part contracts and drives the telescopic spring 3 to bend.

[0021] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, a specific robot arm is designed in this way, wherein the number of the flexible rope 4 and the memory elastic member 10 are both designed to be 3, and the memory elastic member 10 in this embodiment is an SMA spring with a phase change temperature of 40 to 60°C, an SMA spring wire diameter of 0.2mm, a pitch of 1.5mm, and an inner diameter of 1mm; this number can basically meet the movement requirements of the robot arm in space, and in this embodiment, the arm body is composed of 3 telescopic springs 3 connected, and two adjacent telescopic springs 3 are axially fixed by a connecting member 2, the telescopic spring 3 close to the shell 5 is fixed to the shell 5, and the end of the telescopic spring 3 away from the shell 5 is provided with an end member 1; design The connecting parts and the telescopic spring 3 are installed in a detachable connection manner, and the convex shafts are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the connecting piece 2. The adjacent telescopic springs 3 are axially interference fit installed on the convex shafts in the corresponding orientation. The end piece 1 is only provided with a convex shaft on one side, and the convex shaft is interference fit to install the port of the telescopic spring 3. A convex column is integrally designed with the top of the shell 5, and the convex column is also interference fit installed with the telescopic spring 3. Normally, the two ends of the flexible rope 4 are fixedly connected to the end piece 1 and the memory elastic piece 10, wherein a through hole is opened on the edge of the connecting piece 2. When the flexible rope 4 is installed, each flexible rope 4 moves through the corresponding through hole, and each flexible rope 4 is in a straight line in the initial state.

[0022] As attached Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, three circular guide holes with an angle of 120° and arranged at equal intervals are provided at the top of the shell 5 to limit the movement direction of the memory elastic member. It should be noted here that the through holes on the connecting member 2 are also provided accordingly; in some embodiments, in order to facilitate the connection between the flexible rope 4 and the end member 1, three through holes in a 120° circular array are also provided on the end member 1; correspondingly, at this time, the corresponding array of the memory elastic member 10 is provided in the corresponding cavity in the shell 5.

[0023] Observation attachment Figure 5 In a further embodiment, gaps are provided between adjacent cavities, and each gap is provided with a copper foil inserted therein to isolate the three memory elastic members 10 to prevent mutual interference caused by secondary radiation during the driving process.

[0024] When the memory elastic parts 10 are installed, one end of each memory elastic part 10 is connected to the first metal part 9, and the other end is connected to the second metal part 91. The flexible rope 4 is fixed in the inner hole of the first metal part 9 through a cold pressing process, and the second metal part 91 is connected to the flexible circuit 7. In order to facilitate the installation of metal parts and memory elastic parts 10, a base 6 is also provided at the bottom of the shell 5. The second metal part 91 passes through the mounting hole on the base 6 to connect to the flexible circuit. In actual production, copper tubes are used for metal parts, which are connected to the memory elastic parts 10 through special metal glue.

[0025] Continue to observe the attached Figure 5 In the present embodiment, the flexible circuit 7 is provided with three monopole antennas 8, and the three monopole antennas 8 and the three memory elastic members 10 are arranged one by one along the axial direction of the shell 5, and the angle between adjacent monopole antennas 8 is 120°, and the three monopole antennas 8 and the three memory elastic members 10 are connected one by one; when in use, the monopole antennas 8 generate current through the microwave action, and the current passes through the memory elastic member 10 (SAM spring) and generates heat, causing the memory elastic member 10 to contract, pulling the corresponding flexible rope 4, so that the telescopic spring 3 moves. Example

[0026] Attached Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment is based on the above-mentioned embodiment 1 and provides a driving method for a robotic arm, including subjecting the flexible circuit 7 to microwave action, so that the flexible circuit 7 generates an induced current; the induced current energizes the memory elastic member 10, so that the memory elastic member 10 is heated up under the action of Joule heat; when the temperature of the memory elastic member 10 reaches the austenite phase transition temperature, the memory elastic member 10 generates a shape memory effect and compresses its own length, pulling the telescopic spring 3 to bend.

[0027] Reference Figure 6 , in some embodiments, the driving method of the robot arm is implemented as follows; When in use, the frequency of the driving microwave is 5.9 GHz, and the length of the monopole antenna 8 (conductive track) is about 15 mm according to the microwave frequency; The flexible circuit 7 is equivalent to a monopole antenna 8 with a circular array spaced at 120° intervals; when microwaves (frequency 5.9GHz) are irradiated on the monopole antenna 8, the monopole antenna 8 generates an induced current. The induced current is conducted to the corresponding memory elastic member 10 through the second metal member 91, and the temperature of the memory elastic member 10 rises under the action of Joule heat. Here, the phase transition temperature of the memory elastic member 10 is 40-60°C. When its temperature reaches the austenite phase transition temperature, the memory elastic member 10 generates a shape memory effect, its length is shortened and pulls the corresponding flexible rope 4, and under the action of the flexible rope 4 and the spring skeleton, the arm body of the continuum style bends.

[0028] Since the interval between the monopole antennas 8 on the flexible circuit is 120°, the monopole antennas 8 have different polarization directions. Figure 6 As shown in the first figure. When the polarization direction of the polarized microwave in space is parallel to the direction of the first monopole antenna 11, the microwave receiving efficiency is the highest, while at this time, the projection of the second monopole antenna 12 and the third monopole antenna 13 in the microwave polarization direction is lcos60°=0.5l, and the polarization matching efficiency is low. Therefore, only the first monopole antenna 11 can receive enough microwave energy to make the memory elastic member 10 connected thereto contract and pull the flexible rope 4. The microwave receiving efficiency of the other two antennas is low, and the corresponding memory elastic member 10 will not contract.

[0029] By simultaneously controlling the release of multiple microwaves in different directions, the multiple memory elastic parts 10 can be adaptively controlled to contract, so that the arm body can complete the bending in different directions; when the polarization directions of the three microwaves and the arrangement directions of the three monopole antennas 8 are parallel and one by one, each memory elastic part is deformed and compressed synchronously, pulling the telescopic spring to axially compress and reduce the length of the arm body.

[0030] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood by specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, characterized in that: It comprises an arm body and a microwave driving device, wherein the arm body and the microwave driving device are connected; The microwave drive device comprises a housing (5) and a plurality of memory elastic members (10), wherein the plurality of memory elastic members (10) are installed in corresponding cavities in the housing (5), and a flexible circuit (7) is provided at the bottom of the housing (5), wherein the flexible circuit (7) is connected to the memory elastic members (10); The arm body comprises a telescopic spring (3) and a plurality of flexible ropes (4); one end of the telescopic spring (3) is fixedly connected to the housing (5); the plurality of flexible ropes (4) are connected to the other end of the telescopic spring (3) and the memory elastic member (10); the plurality of flexible ropes (4) correspond one to one with the plurality of memory elastic members (10); the microwave acts on the flexible circuit (7) to cause the memory elastic member to contract and drive the telescopic spring (3) to bend or compress.

2. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm body is composed of a plurality of telescopic springs (3) connected together, two adjacent telescopic springs (3) are axially fixed by a connecting piece (2), the telescopic spring (3) close to the shell (5) is fixed to the shell (5), and the end of the telescopic spring (3) farthest from the shell (5) is provided with an end piece (1).

3. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two ends of the flexible rope (4) are fixedly connected to the end piece (1) and the memory elastic piece (10), and the middle of the flexible rope (4) movably passes through a through hole on the connecting piece (2).

4. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The memory elastic member (10) array is arranged in a corresponding cavity in the microwave drive device.

5. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: Metal sheets are arranged between adjacent cavities.

6. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the memory elastic members (10) is provided with a first metal member (9) at one end and a second metal member (91) at the other end; the first metal member (9) is fixedly connected to the corresponding flexible rope (4); and the second metal member (91) is connected to the flexible circuit (7).

7. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible circuit (7) is provided with a plurality of monopole antennas (8), and the plurality of monopole antennas (8) and the plurality of memory elastic members (10) are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence along the axial direction of the housing (5).

8. A driving method for a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: include Subjecting the flexible circuit (7) to microwaves, so that the flexible circuit (7) generates an induced current; The induced current performs an energizing process on the memory elastic member (10), so that the temperature of the memory elastic member (10) increases under the action of Joule heat; When the temperature of the memory elastic member (10) reaches the austenite phase transition temperature, the memory elastic member (10) generates a shape memory effect and compresses its own length, pulling the telescopic spring (3) to bend.

9. The driving method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The bending direction of the telescopic spring (3) is achieved by changing the polarization direction of the microwave; The microwave rotates in one direction around the housing (5). When the polarization direction of the microwave is parallel to a certain monopole antenna (8), the microwave receiving efficiency of the monopole antenna (8) is the highest, and the telescopic spring (3) bends in the direction of the monopole antenna (8).

10. The driving method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The telescopic spring (3) can also be axially compressed; a plurality of microwaves are arranged, and the polarization directions of the plurality of microwaves are parallel to the arrangement directions of the plurality of monopole antennas (8) in a one-to-one correspondence, so that each of the memory elastic members (10) is deformed and compressed synchronously, thereby pulling the telescopic spring (3) to be axially compressed.

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