Water-land-air multi-domain microspherical robot system
By designing a multi-domain microspheric robot system in the water, land, air, and air, using hollow spherical shells combined with enclosed and hollow structures, the existing spherical robots have been solved, and flexible movement and efficient perception in various environments are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510131726.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-06
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-09
AI Technical Summary
The existing spherical robots are large in size, lack flexibility, single movement mode, and the sensors of flying spherical drones are insufficiently protected, which affects the perceived quality.
A multi-domain micro-spherical robot system in the land and air is designed, using a hollow spherical shell combined with a closed and hollow structure, a multi-modal core processing module, an integrated electric modulation and power module are set up to realize multi-domain movement in the land and air, and the internal structure is protected by polymer waterproof and anti-seepage film and waterproof coating.
It realizes the free movement of the robot in closed narrow spaces and complex indoor environments, improves anti-interference and maneuverability, reduces cost and self-weight, extends battery life, and enhances load weight and perceived quality.
Smart Images
Figure CN119953112A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robot systems, and in particular to a multi-domain micro-spherical robot system on land, water and air. Background Art
[0002] In recent years, under the guidance of science and technology, the development of drone technology has entered a new stage. It is not only more efficient and has a longer hovering time, but also has a faster flight speed and can be deployed quickly. This makes the application of drones no longer limited to traditional fields such as aerial photography and high-altitude operations. In the fields of military and surveying, people have also begun to use drones to perform high-risk and high-intensity tasks. The application scenarios of drones have also developed from outdoor open scenes to closed spaces such as indoor and underground corridors. Among the many research directions of drones, the research and development of micro drones has always been one of the important contents in the field of drones. Their small and flexible characteristics make them have broad application prospects in many fields. However, in some closed and unstructured environments, or in environments with human contact, traditional drones often face a series of challenges.
[0003] Spherical robots have excellent mobility and adaptability, can withstand certain impacts, and perform tasks in closed, unstructured or human-contact environments. At the same time, spherical robots can roll on the spherical shell, which enables them to achieve amphibious movement without adding additional action components, and can better meet the needs of amphibious movement. There are many existing spherical robot technologies, and they have made great progress, but there are also some problems: the existing spherical robots are relatively large in size, suitable for working in open scenes, but lack flexibility and are relatively inconvenient to move in narrow and closed spaces; the existing spherical robots have a relatively single movement mode, often only have the ability to fly, walk on land or dive, and their movement ability has certain limitations; the existing flying spherical robots, that is, spherical drones, often use hollow spherical shells, and all sensors are placed inside the spherical shells, which makes the fragile structures such as internal circuit boards and rotors not adequately protected, and at the same time, sensors such as laser radars and cameras will also be affected by the spherical shells, interfering with the perception quality.
[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical deficiencies of the prior art, it is necessary to design a multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air. Summary of the invention
[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the shortcomings of the prior art and to propose a multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air.
[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: a multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air, comprising a spherical protective shell and a multi-modal core processing module, an integrated electric regulator and a power module arranged therein; the spherical protective shell comprises a hollow upper outer layer and a closed upper inner layer, a closed lower inner layer and a hollow lower outer layer which are sequentially connected to the hollow upper outer layer to form a spherical shell, a center plate is fixed between the closed upper inner layer and the closed lower inner layer by nylon columns, and duct fixing notches are opened at the four corners of the center plate, and the hollow upper outer layer and the hollow lower outer layer are respectively fixedly connected to the closed upper inner layer and the closed lower inner layer by nylon columns.
[0007] Furthermore, the multimodal core processing module includes a perception module and a control module for sensing the environment and generating perception data of the height from the lower plane of the robot and the speed relative to the ground; the perception module includes a camera, a laser radar, an optical flow module and a GPS that establish communication connections with the control module; the camera is embedded in the closed upper inner layer for visual perception of the environment, the laser radar and the optical flow module are embedded in the hollow lower outer layer for sensing the height from the lower plane of the robot and the speed relative to the ground, and the GPS is installed on the outer surface of the closed upper inner layer.
[0008] Furthermore, the control module includes a flight control mainboard that establishes a communication connection with the perception module, receives the perception data, analyzes and processes it into position, posture and speed data, a computing module that calculates the position, posture and speed data, and sends the calculated control instructions to the flight control mainboard, and a data transmission for communication between the robot and the ground control end; the flight control mainboard and the computing module establish serial port communication through UART; the integrated electric speed controller establishes a communication connection with the control module and the power module respectively, receives the control instructions of the flight control mainboard through the integrated electric speed controller and sends the control signal to the power module, thereby controlling its operation to realize the robot's multi-domain movement on land, water and air.
[0009] Furthermore, the integrated electric speed controller is fixed on the center board via a nylon column, the flight control mainboard is arranged on the integrated electric speed controller, and the computing module is fixed on the center board via a fixing plate and is located below the integrated electric speed controller.
[0010] Furthermore, the power module includes a plurality of ducts and batteries; the duct includes a duct sleeve fixed on the corresponding duct fixing notch through a duct fitting, a waterproof brushless motor installed therein, and a rotor arranged at the output end of the waterproof brushless motor, and the battery is connected to the waterproof brushless motor to power it; the waterproof brushless motor receives the control signal sent by the integrated electronic speed controller and drives the rotor to work.
[0011] Furthermore, the flight control main board adopts a PID control algorithm to realize the control of water, land and air movements, wherein the air and water movements adopt a four-level cascade PID control algorithm, the motion control strategy adopts a four-rotor flight control strategy, and the land rolling adopts a two-level cascade PID control algorithm. The control strategy of controlling the rotor speed controls the robot to roll on land.
[0012] Furthermore, the specific control method for controlling the robot's movement on land is: when the robot needs to roll forward, backward, left or right, the rotation speed of the rotor is controlled to generate tangential force forward, backward, left or right, and the rotation speed of several rotors is controlled to generate corresponding tangential force.
[0013] Furthermore, the battery is fixed on the central board, and its battery management system establishes a communication connection with the integrated electric regulator, and the remaining power and real-time current of the battery are monitored through the integrated electric regulator. A counterweight module is also provided on the battery.
[0014] Furthermore, the surfaces of the flight control mainboard, integrated electric regulator, computing module, data transmission, camera, laser radar, optical flow module and GPS are all covered with a polymer waterproof and anti-seepage film; the surface of the spherical protective shell is coated with a waterproof coating.
[0015] Furthermore, the computing module adopts Raspberry Pi, and the fixing board adopts Raspberry Pi fixing board.
[0016] Beneficial effects: The present invention provides comprehensive protection for the robot's internal hardware system by setting a closed upper inner layer and a closed lower inner layer, and the hollow upper outer layer and the hollow lower outer layer provide sufficient air circulation space for the power module while protecting the robot system to ensure its power. By combining the closed and hollow spherical shells, it can not only achieve anti-collision protection of the internal structure, but also provide sufficient air circulation space for the interior, thereby improving the working efficiency of the power module. Moreover, the shape of the spherical protective shell allows the robot to move on land in a rolling manner, without the need to mount wheels and carry a wheel-driven drive system for driving, thereby reducing costs, reducing the robot's own weight to a certain extent, providing it with a longer battery life, and increasing the robot's load weight. Its tiny size allows it to move freely in closed and narrow and complex indoor spaces or in scenes of contact with humans, with stronger anti-interference and maneuverability, and has broad application prospects in the fields of unknown environment survey, indoor operations, military reconnaissance, etc. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure inside the spherical protective shell of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of various components on the center board of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the power module of the present invention; In the figure: 1. Spherical protective shell; 11. Hollow upper outer layer; 12. Closed upper inner layer; 13. Closed lower inner layer; 14. Hollow lower outer layer; 15. Center board; 21. Perception module; 211. Camera; 212. LiDAR and optical flow module; 22. Control module; 221. Flight control mainboard; 222. Computing module; 223. Data transmission; 3. Integrated electric regulator; 4. Power module; 41. Duct; 411. Duct sleeve; 412. Waterproof brushless motor; 413. Rotor; 42. Battery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0019] Reference Figure 1-4 In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: a multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air, comprising a spherical protective shell 1 and a multi-modal core processing module, an integrated electric regulator 3 and a power module 4 arranged therein; the spherical protective shell 1 comprises a hollow upper outer layer 11 and a closed upper inner layer 12, a closed lower inner layer 13 and a hollow lower outer layer 14 which are sequentially connected to the hollow upper outer layer 11 to form a spherical shell, a center plate 15 is fixed between the closed upper inner layer 12 and the closed lower inner layer 13 through nylon columns, and duct fixing notches are opened at the four corners of the center plate 15, the hollow upper outer layer 11 and the hollow lower outer layer 14 are respectively fixedly connected to the closed upper inner layer 12 and the closed lower inner layer 13 through nylon columns, and the closed upper inner layer 12 and the closed lower inner layer 13 are provided with comprehensive protection for the internal hardware system of the robot. The hollow upper outer layer 11 and the hollow lower outer layer 14 provide sufficient air circulation space for the power module 4 while protecting the robot system to ensure its power. By combining the closed and hollow spherical shells, it can not only achieve anti-collision protection of the internal structure, but also provide sufficient air circulation space for the interior, thereby improving the working efficiency of the power module 4. Moreover, the shape of the spherical protective shell 1 allows the robot to move on land in a rolling manner, without the need to mount wheels and carry a wheel drive system for driving, thereby reducing costs, reducing the robot's own weight to a certain extent, providing it with a longer battery life, and increasing the robot's load weight. Its tiny size allows it to move freely in closed, narrow and complex indoor spaces or in scenes of contact with humans, with stronger anti-interference and maneuverability, and has broad application prospects in the fields of unknown environment survey, indoor operations, military reconnaissance, etc.
[0020] The multimodal core processing module includes a perception module 21 and a control module 22 for sensing the environment and generating perception data of the height from the plane below the robot and the speed relative to the ground; the perception module 21 is installed on the spherical protective shell 1 to avoid affecting the perception quality, and the perception module 21 includes a camera 211, a laser radar and an optical flow module 212, and a GPS that establish communication connections with the control module 22; the camera 211 is embedded in the closed upper inner layer 12 for visual perception of the environment, the laser radar and the optical flow module 212 are embedded in the hollow lower outer layer 14 for sensing the height from the plane below the robot and the speed relative to the ground, and the GPS is installed on the outer surface of the closed upper inner layer 12. By reasonably setting the positions of the camera 211, the laser radar, the optical flow module 212, and the GPS, the influence of the spherical shell and interference with the perception quality can be further prevented.
[0021] The control module 22 includes a flight control mainboard 221 that establishes a communication connection with the perception module 21 to receive the perception data and analyze and process it into position, posture, and speed data, a calculation module 222 for calculating the position, posture, and speed data, and sending the calculated control instructions to the flight control mainboard 221, and a data transmission 223 for communication between the robot and the ground control end; the integrated electric speed controller 3 is fixed to the center plate 15 through a nylon column, the flight control mainboard 221 is set on the integrated electric speed controller 3, the calculation module 222 is fixed to the center plate 15 through a fixing plate and is located below the integrated electric speed controller 3, the flight control mainboard 221 and the calculation module 222 establish serial port communication through UART, and share The robot's position, posture, speed and other information, the computing module 222 uses a Raspberry Pi, and the Raspberry Pi is equipped with top-level control algorithms, such as cluster algorithms and obstacle avoidance algorithms, and the fixed board uses a Raspberry Pi fixed board; the integrated electric regulator 3 establishes communication connections with the control module 22 and the power module 4 respectively, and the perception module 21 transmits the perception data to the flight control mainboard 221, which is processed into posture and position data by the flight control mainboard 221, and then transmitted to the computing module 222 for calculation to generate control instructions and send them to the flight control mainboard 221. The integrated electric regulator 3 receives the control instructions of the flight control mainboard 221 and sends control signals to the power module 4 to control its operation to realize the robot's multi-domain movement on land, water and air.
[0022] After the flight control mainboard 221 receives the signal for switching the working state, the system sends a command to the power module 4. The power module 4 responds to the command and provides power to the robot, thereby realizing the control of the robot's movements and postures. No additional driving hardware and software are required. Only one system is needed to realize movement in multiple domains of land, water and air, which reduces the cost to a certain extent. The combination of a closed and hollow spherical shell can also avoid being affected by the perception quality.
[0023] The power module 4 is used to provide power for the robot, including several ducts 41 and batteries 42; the battery 42 is fixed on the central plate 15, and its battery management system establishes a communication connection with the integrated electric speed controller 3, and the remaining power and real-time current of the battery 42 are monitored through the integrated electric speed controller 3. A counterweight module is also provided on the battery 42, and the counterweight module can prevent the robot from being hindered by the gravity torque when rolling. At the same time, the robot's own gravity offsets the buoyancy generated when it is completely submerged in water, so as to eliminate the influence of buoyancy on the motion control in the water, and overcome the water resistance through differential control to achieve movement; the duct 41 includes a duct sleeve 411 fixed on the corresponding duct fixing notch through a duct accessory, a waterproof brushless motor 412 installed therein, and a rotor 413 arranged at the output end of the waterproof brushless motor 412, and the battery 42 is connected to the waterproof brushless motor 412 to power it; the waterproof brushless motor 412 receives the control signal sent by the integrated electric speed controller 3 and drives the rotor 413 to work.
[0024] The flight control mainboard 221 adopts PID control algorithm to realize the control of water, land and air movement. Among them, the air and water actions adopt a four-level cascade PID control algorithm, the movement control adopts a four-rotor flight control strategy, and the land rolling adopts a two-level cascade PID control algorithm. The robot is controlled to roll on land by controlling the rotation speed of the rotor 413.
[0025] The four-stage cascade PID control algorithm used in this embodiment includes a position controller, a speed controller, a posture controller and an angular velocity controller, and each level of the controller is constructed based on the PID control theory. The goal of the position controller is to calculate an ideal speed so that the robot moves from the current position to the target position. This calculation depends on the position error and is adjusted by PID control. The speed controller receives the target speed calculated by the position controller and generates the necessary acceleration instructions to achieve this speed. This process also uses the PID control algorithm and is adjusted according to the speed error. The posture controller is responsible for the robot's tilt angle (pitch, roll and yaw). This controller calculates the desired posture angle based on the acceleration instruction obtained from the speed controller, and adjusts the actual posture to match these target postures through the PID algorithm. The angular velocity controller directly controls the robot's angular velocity. It uses PID control to adjust the angular velocity based on the posture error provided by the posture controller, thereby accurately controlling the robot's actual posture movement. The robot's motion equation in the air and in water can be expressed by the following formula: .
[0026] The two-stage cascade PID control algorithm used in this embodiment includes a position controller and an angular velocity controller. The goal of the position controller is to calculate an ideal speed and convert it into an ideal angular velocity through the formula, so that the robot moves from the current position to the target position. This calculation depends on the position error and is adjusted by PID control. The angular velocity controller directly controls the angular velocity of the robot. It uses PID control to adjust the current rolling angular velocity of the robot according to the angular velocity provided by the position controller, thereby accurately controlling the actual posture movement of the robot. The robot's land motion equation can be expressed by the following formula: , in, is the inertia matrix, is a nonlinear term, is the input transformation matrix, is the constraint matrix, T is the input vector, and λ is the constraint multiplier vector.
[0027] The specific control method for controlling the robot's movement on land is: when the robot needs to roll forward, backward, left or right, the rotation speed of the rotor 413 is controlled to generate tangential force forward, backward, left or right, and the rotation speeds of several rotors 413 are controlled to generate corresponding tangential forces. By utilizing the shape advantage of the spherical protective shell 1, its movement mode on land is set to a rolling movement mode, without the need for additional wheels and a wheel drive system for driving, which reduces the cost to a certain extent.
[0028] The surfaces of the flight control mainboard 221, the integrated electric speed controller 3, the computing module 222, the data transmission 223, the camera 211, the laser radar and the optical flow module 212 and the GPS are all affixed with a polymer waterproof and anti-seepage film; the surface of the spherical protective shell 1 is coated with a waterproof coating to play a waterproof role and protect the robot components.
[0029] Finally, it should be noted that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, it is still possible for those skilled in the art to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments or to make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features therein. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air, characterized in that: The invention comprises a spherical protective shell (1) and a multi-modal core processing module, an integrated electric regulator (3) and a power module (4) arranged therein; the spherical protective shell (1) comprises a hollow upper outer layer (11) and a closed upper inner layer (12), a closed lower inner layer (13) and a hollow lower outer layer (14) which are sequentially connected to the hollow upper outer layer (11) to form a spherical shell; a center plate (15) is fixed between the closed upper inner layer (12) and the closed lower inner layer (13) via nylon columns; duct fixing notches are provided at the four corners of the center plate (15); the hollow upper outer layer (11) and the hollow lower outer layer (14) are respectively fixedly connected to the closed upper inner layer (12) and the closed lower inner layer (13) via nylon columns.
2. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multimodal core processing module comprises a perception module (21) and a control module (22) for sensing the environment and generating perception data based on the height from the plane below the robot and the speed relative to the ground; the perception module (21) comprises a camera (211), a laser radar and an optical flow module (212), and a GPS that establish communication connections with the control module (22); the camera (211) is embedded in the closed upper inner layer (12) and is used for visually sensing the environment; the laser radar and the optical flow module (212) are embedded in the hollow lower outer layer (14) and are used for sensing the height from the plane below the robot and the speed relative to the ground; and the GPS is installed on the outer surface of the closed upper inner layer (12).
3. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control module (22) comprises a flight control mainboard (221) which establishes a communication connection with the perception module (21) to receive the perception data and analyze and process it into position, posture and speed data, a calculation module (222) for calculating the position, posture and speed data and sending the calculated control instructions to the flight control mainboard (221), and a data transmission (223) for communication between the robot and the ground control end; the flight control mainboard (221) and the calculation module (222) establish serial port communication via UART; the integrated electric regulator (3) establishes communication connections with the control module (22) and the power module (4) respectively, receives the control instructions of the flight control mainboard (221) via the integrated electric regulator (3) and sends the control signal to the power module (4), thereby controlling the operation thereof to realize the multi-domain movement of the robot on land, water and air.
4. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 3, characterized in that: The integrated electric regulator (3) is fixed to the center plate (15) via a nylon column, the flight control mainboard (221) is arranged on the integrated electric regulator (3), and the computing module (222) is fixed to the center plate (15) via a fixing plate and is located below the integrated electric regulator (3).
5. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power module (4) comprises a plurality of ducts (41) and a battery (42); the duct (41) comprises a duct sleeve (411) fixed to a corresponding duct fixing notch through a duct fitting, a waterproof brushless motor (412) installed therein, and a rotor (413) arranged at an output end of the waterproof brushless motor (412); the battery (42) is connected to the waterproof brushless motor (412) to supply power to the waterproof brushless motor (412); the waterproof brushless motor (412) receives a control signal sent by the integrated electric speed controller (3) and drives the rotor (413) to operate.
6. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 5, characterized in that: The flight control mainboard (221) adopts a PID control algorithm to realize the control of water, land and air movement, wherein the air and water movements adopt a four-level cascade PID control algorithm, the movement control strategy adopts a four-rotor flight control strategy, and the land rolling adopts a two-level cascade PID control algorithm. The robot is controlled to roll on land through a control strategy that controls the rotation speed of the rotor (413).
7. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 5, characterized in that: The specific control method for controlling the robot to move on land is: when the robot needs to roll forward, backward, left or right, the rotation speed of the rotor (413) is controlled to generate tangential forces forward, backward, left or right, and the rotation speeds of a plurality of rotors (413) are controlled to generate corresponding tangential forces.
8. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 5, characterized in that: The battery (42) is fixed on the central plate (15), and its battery management system establishes a communication connection with the integrated electric regulator (3), and the remaining power and real-time current of the battery (42) are monitored through the integrated electric regulator (3). A counterweight module is also provided on the battery (42).
9. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 3, characterized in that: The surfaces of the flight control mainboard (221), the integrated electric regulator (3), the computing module (222), the data transmission (223), the camera (211), the laser radar and the optical flow module (212), and the GPS are all affixed with a polymer waterproof and anti-seepage film; and the surface of the spherical protective shell (1) is coated with a waterproof coating.
10. The multi-domain micro-spherical robot system for land, water and air according to claim 3, characterized in that: The computing module (222) adopts a Raspberry Pi, and the fixing board adopts a Raspberry Pi fixing board.