Mobile robot capable of continuously adsorbing and moving and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a continuous adsorption and movement mobile robot and a control method thereof, and belongs to the field of mobile robots, an adsorption assembly realizes adsorption and separation of the robot on various surfaces through passive and active adsorption, and a driving assembly utilizes a solenoid to rotate so as to extrude the bottom surface of a robot main body; and continuous traveling waves are generated through continuous deformation of the bottom face of the robot body to drive the mobile robot to move. According to the robot, frequent adsorption state switching and complex multi-foot cooperative control can be avoided, and continuous adsorption and movement are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mobile robots, and in particular to a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Being able to attach to various surfaces and have the ability to crawl is an important research direction in the field of mobile robots, and such robots have great potential in various application scenarios, such as industrial inspection and search and rescue missions. A major challenge in the field of mobile robots is how to ensure smooth and coordinated movement while maintaining stable attachment, especially on different types of surfaces and in complex environments.

[0003] At present, many bionic adsorption climbing robots adopt multi-legged design. These multi-legged robots use the rhythmic movement of multiple legs to achieve crawling, which involves frequent adsorption and detachment, as well as complex coordinated control. How to avoid frequent adsorption state switching and complex multi-legged coordinated control to achieve continuous adsorption and movement is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement and a control method thereof, which can avoid frequent switching of adsorption states and complex multi-legged coordinated control, and realize continuous adsorption and movement.

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement, comprising:

[0006] Robot body;

[0007] A driving assembly, wherein the driving assembly comprises a solenoid, a connecting piece and a driving motor, wherein the driving motor is fixedly mounted at one end of the connecting piece, and the other end of the connecting piece is fixedly mounted on the robot body, wherein the output shaft of the driving motor passes through the connecting piece and is fixedly mounted on the solenoid, wherein the driving motor is aligned with a central axis of the solenoid, and the solenoid passes through a through hole on the robot body, wherein the driving motor drives the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and a continuous traveling wave is generated by the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body to drive the mobile robot to move;

[0008] An adsorption component, which is connected to the bottom surface of the robot body and extends outward, and is used to fix the mobile robot by adsorbing the crawling contact surface of the mobile robot;

[0009] An air pressure controller, which is connected to the air pressure interface on the adsorption component and is used to adjust the air pressure between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface, and control the adsorption force between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface;

[0010] A power supply is connected to the driving assembly and the air pressure controller for supplying power.

[0011] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the robot body includes a main frame part and a main flexible part, and the main frame part and the main flexible part are fixedly assembled to form a through hole, the diameter of the through hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the solenoid, the solenoid is placed in the through hole and is elastically extruded, the Shore hardness of the main flexible part is lower than the Shore hardness of the main frame part, the main flexible part produces a larger deformation than the main frame part under the extrusion of the solenoid, and the solenoid squeezes the main flexible part outward to form a corrugated shape.

[0012] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the adsorption component includes an air pressure interface, an adsorption transition surface and an adsorption sealing surface, the adsorption sealing surface is connected to the bottom surface of the robot body through the adsorption transition surface, the adsorption sealing surface and the adsorption transition surface are not in the same plane, the air pressure interface is arranged on the adsorption transition surface and passes through the adsorption transition surface, and the air pressure interface is connected to the air pressure controller through an air pipe.

[0013] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the solenoid is a solenoid with a constant pitch or a solenoid with a variable pitch, and the solenoid with a variable pitch generates a concentrated thrust at a location where the pitch is dense.

[0014] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, a lubricant is applied on the surface of the adsorption component.

[0015] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, a lubricant is applied to the solenoid.

[0016] A second aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement, which is used for the mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement described in the above embodiment. The control method comprises the following steps:

[0017] Step 1, plug the air pressure interface on the adsorption component;

[0018] Step 2, bringing the adsorption component into contact with the crawling contact surface, and pressing downward to squeeze out the air between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface;

[0019] Step 3: Turn on the power supply, control the operation of the driving component, use the driving motor to drive the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body generates continuous traveling waves to drive the mobile robot to move.

[0020] A third aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement, which is used for the mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement described in the above embodiment. The control method comprises the following steps:

[0021] Step 21, connecting the air pressure interface on the adsorption component to the air pressure controller;

[0022] Step 22, contacting the adsorption component with the crawling contact surface, turning on the power supply, and starting the air pressure controller to generate negative pressure between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface, thereby adjusting the adsorption force of the mobile robot adsorbed on the crawling contact surface;

[0023] Step 23: Control the operation of the driving component, use the driving motor to drive the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and generate continuous traveling waves through the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body to drive the mobile robot to move.

[0024] The embodiments of the present invention provide a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement and a control method thereof. The negative air pressure between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface is adjusted by adjusting the air pressure controller to control the adsorption force of the mobile robot. The positive air pressure between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface is adjusted to enable the mobile robot to quickly detach from the surface of the crawling contact surface. The solenoid is rotated by a driving motor to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, causing the bottom surface of the robot body to deform. The continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body generates a continuous traveling wave to drive the mobile robot to move, thereby enabling the mobile robot to be adsorbed upside down on the ceiling or vertical wall for movement.

[0025] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a driving component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the main structure of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the main frame part of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the main flexible part of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of a solenoid with a constant pitch according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the variable pitch solenoid structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 A front view of the robot in a natural state according to an embodiment of the present invention (without a drive motor and connecting parts);

[0035] Fig. 9 A cross-sectional view of the robot in a natural state (without a drive motor and a connecting piece) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Fig.10 This is a cross-sectional view of the robot in an adsorption state according to an embodiment of the present invention (without a drive motor and connecting parts).

[0037] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1-robot body, 11-main frame part, 12-main flexible part, 13-through hole, 2-driving assembly, 21-solenoid, 22-connecting part, 23-driving motor, 3-adsorption assembly, 31-air pressure interface, 32-adsorption transition surface, 33-adsorption sealing surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0039] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, a mobile robot with continuous adsorption and movement includes:

[0041] Robot body 1;

[0042] Drive component 2, such as Figure 2As shown, the driving assembly 2 includes a solenoid 21, a connecting piece 22 and a driving motor 23. The driving motor 23 is fixedly mounted on one end of the connecting piece 22, and the other end of the connecting piece 22 is fixedly mounted on the robot body 1. The output shaft of the driving motor 23 passes through the connecting piece 22 and is fixedly mounted on the solenoid 21. The driving motor 23 is aligned with the central axis of the solenoid 21. The solenoid 21 passes through the through hole 13 on the robot body 1. The driving motor 23 is used to drive the solenoid 21 to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body 1, so that the bottom surface of the robot body 1 is deformed, and the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body 1 generates a continuous traveling wave to drive the mobile robot to move;

[0043] An adsorption component 3, which is connected to the bottom surface of the robot body 1 and extends outward, and is used to fix the mobile robot by adsorbing the crawling contact surface of the mobile robot;

[0044] An air pressure controller (not shown in the figure), which is connected to the air pressure interface 31 on the adsorption component 3 and is used to adjust the air pressure between the adsorption component 3 and the crawling contact surface, and control the adsorption force between the adsorption component 3 and the crawling contact surface;

[0045] A power supply (not shown in the figure) is connected to the driving assembly 2 and the air pressure controller for supplying power.

[0046] In the embodiment of the present invention, the power source may be a battery, or may be a power source connected to the outside world through a power line, which is not specifically limited.

[0047] In an embodiment of the present invention, the air pressure controller may be an air pressure pump, and an air pressure detection sensor is provided on the adsorption component to obtain the air pressure between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface in real time.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the robot body 1 includes a main frame part 11 and a main flexible part 12. The main frame part 11 and the main flexible part 12 are fixedly assembled to form a through hole 13. The diameter of the through hole 13 is smaller than the outer diameter of the solenoid 21. The solenoid 21 is placed in the through hole 13 and is elastically squeezed. The Shore hardness of the main flexible part 12 is lower than the Shore hardness of the main frame part 11. The main flexible part 12 produces a larger deformation than the main frame part 11 under the squeezing of the solenoid 21. The solenoid 21 squeezes the main flexible part 12 outward to form a corrugated shape.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1As shown, the adsorption component 3 includes an air pressure interface 31, an adsorption transition surface 32 and an adsorption sealing surface 33. The adsorption sealing surface 33 is connected to the bottom surface of the robot body 2 through the adsorption transition surface 32. The adsorption sealing surface 33 and the adsorption transition surface 32 are not in the same plane. The air pressure interface 31 is arranged on the adsorption transition surface 32 and passes through the adsorption transition surface 32. The air pressure interface 31 is connected to the air pressure controller through an air pipe.

[0050] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the solenoid 21 is a solenoid with a constant pitch or a solenoid with a variable pitch, and the solenoid with a variable pitch generates a concentrated thrust at a location where the pitch is dense.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, the solenoid 21 may be coated with lubricating oil to reduce the sliding friction between the solenoid 21 and the robot body 1 .

[0052] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 , which shows a front view of a constant pitch solenoid and a variable pitch solenoid. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , which shows the front view and cross-sectional view of the robot in its natural state.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the adsorption component 3 is coated with mineral lubricating oil as a lubricant, and a surfactant such as detergent can also be coated as a lubricant.

[0054] Furthermore, the surface of the adsorption component 3 has a hydrogel coating, and water is added to the hydrogel coating to achieve lubrication.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present invention, the robot body 1 and the adsorption component 3 are made of silicone rubber.

[0056] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a control method for a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement, which is used for the mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement of the above embodiment.

[0057] The control method of the passive continuous adsorption and motion mobile robot comprises the following steps:

[0058] Step 11, plug the air pressure interface on the adsorption component to maintain air tightness;

[0059] Step 12: contact the adsorption component with the crawling contact surface, and press downward to squeeze out the air between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface. Fig.10 As shown;

[0060] Step 13: Turn on the power supply, control the operation of the driving assembly, and use the driving motor to drive the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body generates continuous traveling waves to drive the mobile robot to move.

[0061] When the driving motor drives the solenoid to rotate, the bottom surface of the mobile robot undergoes continuous deformation, thereby generating continuous traveling waves to drive the robot to move, while the robot remains in an adsorbed state. Thus, the robot can crawl forward or backward while maintaining an adsorbed state.

[0062] The control method of the active continuous adsorption and movement mobile robot comprises the following steps:

[0063] Step 21, connecting the air pressure interface on the adsorption component to the air pressure controller;

[0064] Step 22, bringing the adsorption component into contact with the crawling contact surface, turning on the power supply, and starting the air pressure controller to generate negative pressure between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface, thereby adjusting the adsorption force of the mobile robot adsorbed on the crawling contact surface;

[0065] Step 23: Control the operation of the driving assembly, use the driving motor to drive the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body generates a continuous traveling wave to drive the mobile robot to move.

[0066] Thus, the mobile robot can crawl forward or backward while maintaining the adsorption state, and provide additional load capacity. If the mobile robot needs to be detached, the air pressure controller generates positive air pressure to achieve detachment.

[0067] Furthermore, in order to reduce sliding friction, a lubricant is applied between the adsorption component and the creeping contact surface.

[0068] According to the mobile robot with continuous adsorption and movement and the control method thereof proposed in the embodiments of the present invention, the adsorption component realizes the adsorption and detachment of the robot on various surfaces through passive and active adsorption, and utilizes the driving motor to drive the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body generates continuous traveling waves to drive the mobile robot to move, thereby realizing smooth and continuous movement of the robot. The robot can be adsorbed on the ceiling or vertical wall upside down for movement.

[0069] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or N embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0070] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying 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 the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "N" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

Claims

1. A mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement, characterized in that: include: Robot body; A driving assembly, wherein the driving assembly comprises a solenoid, a connecting piece and a driving motor, wherein the driving motor is fixedly mounted at one end of the connecting piece, and the other end of the connecting piece is fixedly mounted on the robot body, wherein the output shaft of the driving motor passes through the connecting piece and is fixedly mounted on the solenoid, wherein the driving motor is aligned with a central axis of the solenoid, and the solenoid passes through a through hole on the robot body, wherein the driving motor drives the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and a continuous traveling wave is generated by the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body to drive the mobile robot to move; An adsorption component, which is connected to the bottom surface of the robot body and extends outward, and is used to fix the mobile robot by adsorbing the crawling contact surface of the mobile robot; An air pressure controller, which is connected to the air pressure interface on the adsorption component and is used to adjust the air pressure between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface, and control the adsorption force between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface; A power supply is connected to the driving assembly and the air pressure controller for supplying power.

2. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot body includes a main frame part and a main flexible part. The main frame part and the main flexible part are fixedly assembled to form a through hole. The diameter of the through hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the solenoid. The solenoid is placed in the through hole and is elastically extruded. The Shore hardness of the main flexible part is lower than the Shore hardness of the main frame part. The main flexible part produces a larger deformation than the main frame part under the extrusion of the solenoid, and the solenoid extrudes the main flexible part outward to form a corrugated shape.

3. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption component includes an air pressure interface, an adsorption transition surface and an adsorption sealing surface. The adsorption sealing surface is connected to the bottom surface of the robot body through the adsorption transition surface. The adsorption sealing surface and the adsorption transition surface are not in the same plane. The air pressure interface is arranged on the adsorption transition surface and passes through the adsorption transition surface. The air pressure interface is connected to the air pressure controller through an air pipe.

4. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solenoid is a solenoid with a constant pitch or a solenoid with a variable pitch, and the solenoid with a variable pitch generates a concentrated thrust at a location where the pitch is dense.

5. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the adsorption component is coated with lubricant.

6. The mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solenoid is coated with lubricant.

7. A control method for a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement, used for the mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control method comprises the following steps: Step 11, blocking the air pressure interface on the adsorption component; Step 12, contacting the adsorption component with the crawling contact surface, and pressing downward to squeeze out the air between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface; Step 13: Turn on the power supply, control the operation of the driving assembly, use the driving motor to drive the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body generates continuous traveling waves to drive the mobile robot to move.

8. A control method for a mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement, used for the mobile robot capable of continuous adsorption and movement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control method comprises the following steps: Step 21, connecting the air pressure interface on the adsorption component to the air pressure controller; Step 22, bringing the adsorption component into contact with the crawling contact surface, turning on the power supply, and starting the air pressure controller to generate negative pressure between the adsorption component and the crawling contact surface, thereby adjusting the adsorption force of the mobile robot adsorbed on the crawling contact surface; Step 23: Control the operation of the driving component, use the driving motor to drive the solenoid to rotate to squeeze the bottom surface of the robot body, so that the bottom surface of the robot body is deformed, and generate continuous traveling waves through the continuous deformation of the bottom surface of the robot body to drive the mobile robot to move.

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