Spherical ocean robot based on wave driving

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of robot equipment, in particular to a wave-driven spherical ocean robot which comprises a spherical shell, guide plates are circumferentially distributed on the surface of the middle of the spherical shell, and a double-shaft steering pendulum system is arranged in the spherical shell. The double-shaft steering pendulum system comprises a main shaft, an auxiliary shaft, an L-shaped shaft sleeve, a pendulum bob and a steering engine driving module, the L-shaped shaft sleeve is provided with a shaft hole in the horizontal direction, and the two ends of the main shaft are connected through a one-way bearing after the main shaft penetrates through the shaft hole; a bearing hole is formed in the vertical direction of the L-shaped shaft sleeve, a first two-way bearing is installed in the bearing hole, the auxiliary shaft and the main shaft are horizontally arranged in a crossed mode in space, one end of the auxiliary shaft is connected with the first two-way bearing, and the other end of the auxiliary shaft is in driving connection with the steering engine driving module. And the pendulum bob is mounted and connected to the tail part. The robot is driven based on waves, and has lower energy consumption and higher energy continuity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of robot equipment, and in particular to a spherical marine robot driven by waves. Background Art

[0002] The ocean covers more than 70% of the earth's surface and contains rich resources. In-depth ocean observation is of great significance for human beings to understand the marine environment, protect the ecosystem and develop marine resources. The continuous advancement of marine observation technology has led to the widespread application of various types of robots in the field of ocean. There are many types of marine robots, which can be divided into two categories: manned and unmanned. The former is mainly used for special offshore operations or scientific research activities that require real-time manual decision-making; the latter is mainly used to complete operations in harsh sea conditions and deep sea areas, and has gradually become a mainstream application.

[0003] Spherical marine robots are a type of unmanned marine robots. They have a fully enclosed spherical shell and can move only through mass center offset or momentum conservation. They have the advantages of good sealing, strong balance, and high flexibility. There are two ways to drive spherical robots in water. The first is to use water jets or propellers to drive the robot to sail, which is similar to conventional unmanned marine robots. The second adopts a rolling mode similar to land, which has the characteristics of simple and reliable structure. Under the action of the driving mechanism, the forward driving force is generated through the impeller, pattern paddling or seabed contact on the shell surface, so the movement area is mainly on the water surface or the bottom of the water. The specific mechanisms that drive the spherical robot to roll in water include wheel drive, flywheel drive, and heavy pendulum drive. Among the three, the heavy pendulum drive type has a simple and reliable motion control model compared to the other two, which is more in line with the needs of flexible maneuverability in the marine environment; however, all three types rely on the drive motor and battery carried by the robot to move, which can achieve precise control, but consumes a lot of energy, and the movement endurance is limited by the power supply.

[0004] In the marine environment, the existing energy methods mainly include offshore solar energy, wind energy, ocean current energy, and wave energy. Wave energy has undoubtedly become an excellent power source driven by the environment due to its sustainability and stability, high energy density, economy and environmental protection. Using wave energy as the external driving force of the spherical robot can not only improve the robot's endurance energy, but also realize autonomous energy supply, which can better meet the long-term and large-scale operation requirements of deep-sea observation in the marine environment. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes a spherical marine robot based on wave drive, and its specific technical solution is as follows: A spherical marine robot driven by waves comprises a spherical shell, the middle surface of the spherical shell is circumferentially provided with guide plates, a dual-axis steering pendulum system is arranged inside the spherical shell, the dual-axis steering pendulum system comprises a main shaft, a secondary shaft, an L-shaped sleeve, a pendulum and a steering gear drive module, the L-shaped sleeve is provided with an axial hole in the horizontal direction, and the two ends of the main shaft are connected by a one-way bearing after passing through the axial hole; the L-shaped sleeve is provided with a bearing hole in the vertical direction, and a first bidirectional bearing is installed in the bearing hole, the secondary shaft and the main shaft are horizontally intersected, one end of the secondary shaft is connected to the first bidirectional bearing, and the other end is driven and connected by the steering gear drive module, a tail is extended from the middle section of the secondary shaft body, and the pendulum is installed and connected to the tail.

[0006] Furthermore, the spherical shell includes a left spherical shell, a central sphere and a right spherical shell, and the left spherical shell and the right spherical shell are symmetrically installed and connected on both sides of the central sphere.

[0007] Furthermore, the left spherical shell and the right spherical shell have the same structure, a hanging ring is provided on the outer top of the left spherical shell and the right spherical shell, and a supporting base is placed in the inner cavity of the left spherical shell and the right spherical shell; the supporting base is a four-legged supporting structure, which has a flat boxed structure evenly distributed and supported by four legs.

[0008] Furthermore, a control system is also arranged inside the spherical shell, the end face of the L-shaped sleeve is connected to a load rib, the tail of the secondary shaft, the load rib and the surface of the plane boxed structure are evenly provided with mounting holes, and the hardware module of the control system is configured through the mounting holes on the tail of the secondary shaft, the load rib and the surface of the plane boxed structure.

[0009] Furthermore, the guide plates have a scimitar-shaped cross section, and the guide plates are distributed on the spherical surface of the central sphere in a linear circle.

[0010] Furthermore, the curvature of the outer contour of the pendulum is the same as the curvature of the inner wall contour of the central spherical cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, stepped holes and circular grooves are provided on the left and right end faces of the central sphere, and end covers are installed on the two end faces through the stepped holes, and O-rings are installed in the circular grooves. Multiple groups of irregular slots are arranged at the edges of the left and right end faces of the central sphere in a linear circular distribution. The slots are used to cooperate with shell sealing screws and square shell sealing nuts to install and connect the left spherical shell and the right spherical shell.

[0012] Furthermore, the end cover is stepped, the bottom of the end cover is connected to the central sphere, the top of the end cover is a cylindrical trough body, a slender protrusion is provided in the cylindrical trough body, the one-way bearing is installed through the slender protrusion, and the two one-way bearings in the end covers on both sides are installed oppositely.

[0013] Furthermore, the end face of the L-shaped sleeve is provided with an ear buckle; the servo drive module includes a bearing seat, a servo, a steering wheel, a servo shaft connecting plate and a coupling, the end face of one side of the bearing seat is provided with a second bidirectional bearing and connecting holes matching the ear buckles are provided on both sides of the end face, and the other side of the bearing seat is fixedly connected to the servo; the steering wheel is connected to the output shaft of the servo, one end of the servo shaft connecting plate is connected to the coupling, and the other end is connected to the steering wheel; the other end of the secondary shaft is connected to the second bidirectional bearing and connected to the coupling.

[0014] Beneficial effects: The present invention uses an environmentally driven method, utilizes the characteristics of wave energy in the marine environment, and adopts wave-driven robot movement. Compared with traditional motor drive, solar energy, and wind energy drive, it has lower energy consumption and higher energy sustainability, meeting the needs of long-endurance and large-scale operations such as marine observation, and integrates electronic sensor elements internally to improve the ability to perceive the marine environment and self-monitoring, providing an effective and reliable solution for marine monitoring and development, and integrating wave-driven methods to integrate wave energy generation and energy storage devices, providing great potential for realizing autonomous energy supply applications. The proposed spherical structure design has good streamlines and a small and flexible structural feature, especially in narrow areas and harsh sea conditions, and can show strong maneuverability and adaptability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the spherical robot of the present invention in a traveling state; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the spherical robot of the present invention in a turning state; Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a left spherical shell or a right spherical shell of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the central sphere of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the exploded decomposition of the overall structure of the spherical robot of the present invention; Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the dual-axis steering pendulum system of the present invention; Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of an L-shaped shaft sleeve part of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the steering gear drive module of the present invention.

[0016] In the figure: 1. left spherical shell, 2. central sphere, 3. right spherical shell, 4. dual-axis steering pendulum system, 5. lifting ring, 6. support base, 7. cavity, 8. end cover, 9. O-ring, 10. housing sealing screw, 11. square housing sealing nut, 12. end cover fixing screw, 13. square end cover fixing nut, 14. one-way bearing, 15. main shaft, 16. secondary shaft, 17. L-type bushing, 18. bearing seat, 19. servo, 20. steering disc, 21. servo shaft connecting plate, 22. coupling, 23. first bidirectional bearing, 24. load rib, 25. pendulum, 26. servo drive module, 27. ear buckle, 28. guide plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and technical effect of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0018] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a unidirectional rotating pendulum-type spherical robot driven by ocean waves in this embodiment comprises a left spherical shell 1, a central sphere 2, a right spherical shell 3, and a dual-axis steering pendulum system 4. The structures of the left spherical shell 1 and the right spherical shell 3 are consistent, and both have a lifting ring 5, a supporting base 6, and a cavity 7; the left spherical shell 1 and the right spherical shell 3 are symmetrically installed on both sides of the central sphere 2 to form a complete spherical shell together; the lifting ring 5 is arranged on the top of the left spherical shell 1 and the right spherical shell 3; the supporting base 6 is arranged in the cavity 7 of the left spherical shell 1 and the right spherical shell 3, and the lifting ring 5 and the supporting base 6 are integrally formed with the left spherical shell 1 and the right spherical shell 3 and are rounded; the supporting base 6 is a four-legged supporting structure, which is evenly distributed and supported by four legs to have a flat box-shaped structure, and the surface of the flat box-shaped structure is evenly provided with mounting holes, which can be used to install module components of the control system such as processors and sensors; the shell edges of the left spherical shell 1 and the right spherical shell 3 are both provided with stepped holes according to a linear circumferential distribution.

[0019] The spherical surface of the central sphere 2 is provided with guide plates 28 in a linear circumferential distribution, and the cross-section of the guide plates 28 is scimitar-shaped; the central sphere 2 has a symmetrical structural design, and stepped holes and circular grooves are provided on the left and right end faces, and end covers 8 are installed on the end faces through the stepped holes, and O-rings 9 are installed in the circular grooves. The edges of the left and right end faces of the central sphere 2 are provided with multiple groups of irregular grooves in a linear circumferential distribution, which are used to cooperate with the shell sealing screws 10 and the square shell sealing nuts 11 to install the left ball shell 1 and the right ball shell 3.

[0020] The end cover 8 is characterized by a stepped shape, and stepped holes are arranged on the bottom surface of the end cover 8 in a linear circumferential distribution, which are used to cooperate with the end cover fixing screws 12 and the square end cover fixing nuts 13 to install and connect it with the central sphere 2; the top of the end cover 8 is a cylindrical trough body, and a slender protrusion is provided in the cylindrical trough body. A one-way bearing 14 is compactly installed in the end cover 8 through the slender protrusion, and the two one-way bearings 14 in the end covers 8 on the left and right sides of the central sphere 2 are installed oppositely.

[0021] like Figure 6 As shown, the dual-axis steering pendulum system 4 includes a main shaft 15, a secondary shaft 16, an L-shaped sleeve 17, a first bidirectional bearing 23, a load rib 24, a pendulum 25, and a steering gear drive module 26. Both ends of the main shaft 15 are mounted on the end cover 8 in cooperation with the one-way bearing 14.

[0022] like Figure 7 As shown, the L-shaped sleeve 17 has an axial hole in the horizontal direction for mounting the main shaft 15, and a bearing hole in the vertical direction for mounting the first bidirectional bearing 23. The end face of the L-shaped sleeve 17 is provided with an ear buckle 27 and a threaded hole for mounting the load rib 24.

[0023] like Figure 8 As shown, the servo drive module 26 includes a bearing seat 18, a servo 19, a steering wheel 20, a servo shaft connecting plate 21, and a coupling 22. The bearing seat 18 is an irregular support structure, one side end face of the bearing seat 18 is provided with a bearing hole and connecting holes matching with the ear buckle 27 are provided on both sides of the side end face, a second bidirectional bearing is installed in the bearing hole, and a mounting hole is provided on the other side and fixedly connected with the servo 19; the secondary shaft 16 is installed and rotated with the main shaft 15 through the first bidirectional bearing 23 in the bearing hole of the L-shaped sleeve 17 and the second bidirectional bearing in the bearing hole of the irregular bearing seat 18, and a tail portion is extended from the side of the secondary shaft 16 shaft body, and a mounting hole is provided in the tail portion; the main shaft 1 5 is arranged horizontally and crosswise with the rotational freedom direction of the secondary shaft 16; the coupling 22 is installed at the shaft end of the secondary shaft 16; a mounting hole is opened on the steering gear shaft connecting plate 21, one end of which is connected to the coupling 22, and the other end is connected to the steering plate 20; the steering plate 20 is connected to the output shaft of the steering gear 19; the steering gear 19 is installed on the irregular bearing seat 18; the pendulum 25 is installed at the tail of the secondary shaft 16, and the pendulum 25 is crescent-shaped, and its outer contour curvature is the same as the contour curvature of the inner wall of the cavity of the central sphere 2, so as to obtain more rotation angles.

[0024] In summary, the solution adopted by the unidirectional rotating pendulum spherical robot driven by ocean waves in this embodiment is to generate the torque required for the robot movement by changing the center of mass position of the robot, and the change of the center of mass position of the robot is determined by the weight and center of mass position change of the pendulum 25. Among them, the weight of the pendulum 25 needs to be as large as possible to meet the large torque required for movement; the volume of the pendulum 25 needs to be as compact as possible and close to the inner wall of the cavity of the central sphere 2 to meet the stability required for movement.

[0025] The unidirectional rotating pendulum spherical robot is also provided with a control system, including a power supply, a microprocessor, and in addition to the necessary sensors for ocean monitoring, it is also equipped with a GPS, a gyroscope and an acceleration sensor for monitoring any changes in the dynamic state, such as changes in direction, speed, height, etc. The control system can also communicate with the shore base station through a wireless communication module to support real-time modification of mission parameters and data transmission. The hardware module of the control system can be configured through the mounting holes on the support base 6, the secondary shaft 16, and the load rib 24.

[0026] The one-way rotating pendulum spherical robot of the present invention has the following working principle: When waves act on the spherical surface of the central sphere 2, the waves flow between the guide plate 28 and the spherical surface, thereby generating thrust, causing the central sphere 2 to roll around its own central axis. At the same time, as the central sphere 2 gains a tendency to move under the excitation of waves, the pendulum 25 will move in the direction where the one-way bearing 14 is not locked. Since the pendulum 25 has a tendency to swing back to the rear due to gravity, but because of the locking function of the one-way bearing 14, the pendulum 25 can only rotate and swing in a single direction. Under the continuous excitation of waves, the pendulum 25 always rotates and swings forward, generating a continuous rolling torque, and cooperates with the external wave thrust to achieve continuous and stable forward motion.

[0027] When the robot needs to adjust its posture or change its path, the servo drive module 26 starts working. When the servo 19 receives the control signal, it will drive the steering wheel 20 to rotate, and drive the secondary shaft 16 to rotate through the servo shaft connecting plate 21 and the coupling 22, thereby adjusting the swing direction of the pendulum 25. Due to the gravity and inertia characteristics of the pendulum 25, the rolling torque generated by the pendulum 25 in the new direction will change the center of mass distribution of the robot, causing the robot to deflect to a new direction of movement under the action of waves. In conjunction with the real-time sensor data and control algorithm in the control system, the servo 19 can accurately adjust the direction of the pendulum 25 to help the robot achieve flexible steering and path planning and adjustment, so as to adapt to the complex marine environment.

[0028] The above is only a preferred implementation case of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any form. Although the implementation process of the present invention is described in detail above, for those familiar with the art, they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the above examples, or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. All modifications, equivalent replacements, 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 wave-driven spherical marine robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises a spherical shell, wherein the middle surface of the spherical shell is provided with guide plates (28) distributed around the circumference, and a dual-axis steering pendulum system (4) is provided inside the spherical shell, wherein the dual-axis steering pendulum system (4) comprises a main shaft (15), a secondary shaft (16), an L-shaped shaft sleeve (17), a pendulum (25) and a steering gear drive module (26), wherein the L-shaped shaft sleeve (17) is provided with a shaft hole in the horizontal direction, and the two ends of the main shaft (15) are connected by a one-way bearing (14) after passing through the shaft hole; the L-shaped shaft sleeve (17) is provided with a bearing hole in the vertical direction, and a first bidirectional bearing (23) is installed in the bearing hole; the secondary shaft (16) and the main shaft (15) are arranged horizontally in space, one end of the secondary shaft (16) is connected to the first bidirectional bearing (23), and the other end is driven and connected by the steering gear drive module (26); a tail portion is extended from the shaft body side of the middle section of the secondary shaft (16), and the pendulum (25) is installed and connected to the tail portion.

2. The spherical marine robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spherical shell comprises a left spherical shell (1), a central sphere (2) and a right spherical shell (3); the left spherical shell (1) and the right spherical shell (3) are symmetrically mounted and connected on both sides of the central sphere (2).

3. The spherical marine robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The left spherical shell (1) and the right spherical shell (3) have the same structure. A hanging ring (5) is arranged on the top of the outer side of the left spherical shell (1) and the right spherical shell (3). A supporting base (6) is arranged in the inner cavity of the left spherical shell (1) and the right spherical shell (3). The supporting base (6) is a four-legged supporting structure, which evenly distributes and supports a flat box structure through the four legs.

4. The spherical marine robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: A control system is also arranged inside the spherical shell, the end surface of the L-shaped shaft sleeve (17) is connected to a load rib plate (24), the tail of the secondary shaft (16), the load rib plate (24) and the surface of the plane box-shaped structure are evenly provided with mounting holes, and the hardware module of the control system is configured through the mounting holes on the tail of the secondary shaft (16), the load rib plate (24) and the surface of the plane box-shaped structure.

5. The spherical marine robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide plates (28) have a scimitar-shaped cross section, and the guide plates (28) are distributed on the spherical surface of the central sphere (2) in a linear circumferential manner.

6. The spherical marine robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The curvature of the outer contour of the pendulum (25) is the same as the curvature of the inner wall contour of the cavity of the central sphere (2).

7. The spherical marine robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The left and right end surfaces of the central sphere (2) are provided with stepped holes and circular grooves, and end covers (8) are installed on the two end surfaces through the stepped holes, and O-rings (9) are installed in the circular grooves. The edges of the left and right end surfaces of the central sphere (2) are provided with a plurality of groups of irregularly shaped slots in a linear circumferential distribution, and the slots are used to cooperate with housing sealing screws (10) and square housing sealing nuts (11) to install and connect the left spherical shell (1) and the right spherical shell (3).

8. The spherical marine robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The end cover (8) is stepped, the bottom of the end cover (8) is connected to the central sphere (2), the top of the end cover (8) is a cylindrical trough, a slender protrusion is provided in the cylindrical trough, the one-way bearing (14) is installed through the slender protrusion, and the two one-way bearings (14) in the end covers (8) on both sides are installed in opposite directions.

9. The spherical marine robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end surface of the L-shaped sleeve (17) is provided with an ear buckle (27); the steering gear drive module (26) comprises a bearing seat (18), a steering gear (19), a steering disc (20), a steering gear shaft connecting disc (21) and a coupling (22); a second bidirectional bearing is mounted on one end surface of the bearing seat (18) and connecting holes matching the ear buckle (27) are provided on both sides of the end surface; the other side of the bearing seat (18) is fixedly connected to the steering gear (19); the steering disc (20) is connected to the output shaft of the steering gear (19); one end of the steering gear shaft connecting disc (21) is connected to the coupling (22) and the other end is connected to the steering disc (20); the other end of the secondary shaft (16) is connected to the second bidirectional bearing and connected to the coupling (22).

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