Cross-medium robot imitating octopus tentacles and control method of cross-medium robot

Abstract

The invention provides a cross-medium robot simulating octopus tentacles and a control method of the cross-medium robot. The cross-medium robot comprises a buoyancy adjusting module which comprises a buoyancy bin and a water pumping device, and the water pumping device is used for injecting water into the buoyancy bin or draining water from the buoyancy bin; the flight module comprises a rotor fixing frame and a plurality of propeller units, the rotor fixing frame is connected to the buoyancy bin, and the propeller units are distributed at intervals and installed on the rotor fixing frame; the mechanical arm module comprises a mechanical arm fixing frame and a plurality of octopus-tentacle-imitating mechanical arms, the mechanical arm fixing frame is connected to the buoyancy bin, the octopus-tentacle-imitating mechanical arms are distributed at intervals and installed on the mechanical arm fixing frame, high-maneuverability, high-efficiency and low-noise bionic propelling can be achieved, and by controlling the postures of the bionic mechanical arms, the bionic propelling efficiency is improved. Therefore, the purposes of energy conservation and high efficiency are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of bionics, and in particular, relates to a cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] A cross-media grasping robot is a robot that can switch freely between different physical media (such as air, water, etc.) and perform grasping tasks. Regarding the movement and propulsion methods of cross-media robots, there are mainly propeller propulsion and gliding. The propeller can generate a large propulsion force, which has the following effects: 1) Provide the robot with a large propulsion force from underwater across the medium into the air; 2) The large thrust improves the response speed of the robot system, so that the robot can have better anti-interference ability to factors such as air flow and water flow. However, single propeller propulsion also has the disadvantages of low efficiency, low maneuverability and high noise. Gliding allows the robot to stay in the air for a period of time after jumping out of the water. This flying method is efficient and has low noise, but it also has the disadvantages of poor anti-interference ability and poor load capacity. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem solved by this application is: how to solve the problems of low mobility, low efficiency and high noise of cross-media robots.

[0004] The present application provides a cross-media robot imitating an octopus tentacle, the cross-media robot comprising:

[0005] A buoyancy adjustment module comprises: a buoyancy chamber and a pumping device, wherein the pumping device is used to inject water into the buoyancy chamber or to drain water from the buoyancy chamber;

[0006] The flight module comprises: a rotor fixing frame and a plurality of propeller units, wherein the rotor fixing frame is connected to the buoyancy chamber, and the plurality of propeller units are distributed at intervals and installed on the rotor fixing frame;

[0007] The robot arm module comprises: a robot arm fixing frame and a plurality of octopus tentacle-like robot arms, wherein the robot arm fixing frame is connected to the buoyancy chamber, and the plurality of octopus tentacle-like robot arms are distributed at intervals and installed on the robot arm fixing frame.

[0008] Optionally, the cross-media robot further includes:

[0009] A power module, a battery compartment of the power module is connected to the bottom of the buoyancy compartment, and the power module is used to supply power to the buoyancy adjustment module, the flight control module, and the robotic arm module.

[0010] Optionally, the cross-media robot further includes:

[0011] The control module comprises: a control chamber and a plurality of components, wherein the control chamber is installed above the buoyancy chamber, and the plurality of components are installed inside the control chamber.

[0012] Optionally, the rotor fixing frame includes four rotor fixing arms, and the rotor fixing arms are distributed on the sides of the buoyancy chamber at 90° between each other, and the propeller units are installed on the rotor fixing arms in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0013] Optionally, the robotic arm fixing frame is installed below the buoyancy chamber, the number of the imitation octopus tentacle robotic arms is four, and the imitation octopus tentacle robotic arms are installed on the side of the robotic arm fixing frame at 90° between each other.

[0014] Optionally, the octopus tentacle-like mechanical arms and the rotor fixing arms are 45 degrees apart.

[0015] Optionally, the octopus tentacle-like robotic arm includes a rotating section and a plurality of swinging sections, the rotating section is mounted on the robotic arm fixing frame, the plurality of swinging sections are connected in series and to the rotating section, and the rotating section is used to drive the plurality of swinging sections to rotate as a whole.

[0016] Optionally, the rotating section includes a rotating servo and a first connecting rod, the rotating servo is mounted on the mechanical arm fixing frame, one end of the first connecting rod is connected to the output shaft of the rotating servo, and the other end of the first connecting rod is rotationally connected to the swinging section.

[0017] Optionally, two adjacent swing sections are connected for relative rotation via a second connecting rod, and each swing section includes a mechanical arm housing and a swing servo, wherein the swing servo is installed on the mechanical arm housing, and the output shaft of the swing servo of the swing section at the head end is rotationally connected to the other end of the first connecting rod, and the output shafts of the swing servos of the remaining swing sections are rotationally connected to the second connecting rod.

[0018] The present application also discloses a control method for a cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles, the control method comprising:

[0019] Filling water into the buoyancy chamber or draining water from the buoyancy chamber through a pumping device, so as to make the cross-media robot sink to the bottom of the water or float to the surface of the water;

[0020] When the cross-medium robot sinks to the bottom of the water, the corresponding octopus tentacle-like mechanical arms are controlled to swing so that the cross-medium robot moves to a predetermined position, and the posture of each octopus tentacle-like mechanical arm is adjusted so that each octopus tentacle-like mechanical arm can grasp an object;

[0021] When the cross-media robot surfaces, the propeller unit is started to make the cross-media robot fly to the target position.

[0022] The present application provides a cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles and a control method thereof, which have the following technical effects:

[0023] When the robot is underwater, it uses four bionic robotic arms to imitate the swinging of octopus tentacles underwater to achieve high-efficiency, low-noise bionic propulsion. At the same time, the four robotic arms can generate thrust in four different directions, thereby realizing the robot's omnidirectional movement underwater and improving the cross-medium robot's underwater maneuverability. When the robot is in the air and in the water, it controls the posture of the bionic robotic arms to grasp and attach to fixed objects, thereby achieving energy-saving and high-efficiency purposes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a cross-media robot imitating an octopus tentacle according to one or more embodiments;

[0025] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacle according to one or more embodiments from another angle;

[0026] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a buoyancy chamber according to one or more embodiments;

[0027] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a robot arm module according to one or more embodiments;

[0028] Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a robot arm module at another rotation angle according to one or more embodiments;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a cross-medium robot imitating octopus tentacles swinging and propulsion underwater according to one or more embodiments;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of omnidirectional underwater movement of a cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles according to one or more embodiments;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a cross-media robot imitating an octopus tentacle grasping an object underwater or in the air according to one or more embodiments;

[0032] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a cross-media robot imitating an octopus tentacle grasping a fixed object according to one or more embodiments;

[0033] Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the cross-media movement process of the cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles according to one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0035] Before describing the various embodiments of the present application in detail, the technical concept of the present application is first briefly described: At present, cross-media robots have problems such as low maneuverability, low efficiency, and high noise. For this reason, the present application provides a cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles and a control method thereof, which combines a propeller and an octopus tentacle-like mechanical arm. By imitating the swimming and grasping actions of the octopus tentacles, the robot can swim omnidirectionally in the water and grasp in the air and underwater. When the robot is underwater, multiple bionic mechanical arms are unfolded and a single one is driven to swing, so that underwater movement in a certain direction can be achieved. Switching the swinging mechanical arm can achieve the change of the moving direction, which improves the maneuverability of the robot underwater. At the same time, this swinging bionic propulsion also has the advantages of high efficiency and low noise. When multiple bionic mechanical arms move in cooperation at the same time, the robot can grasp underwater and in the air. The specific principles of the cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles and the control method thereof of the present application are described below in combination with more embodiments.

[0036] Specifically, Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the cross-medium robot imitating octopus tentacles in this embodiment includes a buoyancy adjustment module, a flight module and a mechanical arm module. The buoyancy adjustment module includes a buoyancy chamber 11 and a pumping device 12, and the pumping device 12 is used to inject water into the buoyancy chamber or to drain water from the buoyancy chamber, so as to adjust the overall weight of the robot and control the ascent and descent of the robot in the water. The flight module includes a rotor fixing frame 21 and a plurality of propeller units 22, the rotor fixing frame 21 is connected to the buoyancy chamber 11, and the plurality of propeller units 22 are distributed at intervals and installed on the rotor fixing frame 21. Among them, after the propeller unit 22 is started, the cross-medium robot flies in the air and can fly to the water surface or fly away from the water surface. The mechanical arm module includes a mechanical arm fixing frame 31 and a plurality of octopus tentacle imitating mechanical arms 32, the mechanical arm fixing frame 31 is connected to the buoyancy chamber 11, and the plurality of octopus tentacle imitating mechanical arms 32 are distributed at intervals and installed on the mechanical arm fixing frame 31. By controlling the posture and swinging motion of the octopus tentacle imitating mechanical arms 32, the robot can be driven to move in the water and grab objects.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, the cross-medium robot also includes a power module, the battery compartment 41 of the power module is connected to the bottom of the buoyancy compartment 11, and the power module is used to supply power to the buoyancy adjustment module, the flight control module, and the robotic arm module. The cross-medium robot also includes a control module, which includes a control compartment 51 and a number of components. The control compartment 51 is installed above the buoyancy compartment 11, and the number of components are installed inside the control compartment 51. The number of components include electronic components such as a control panel, a GPS module, and a binocular camera. The control compartment 51 is equipped with a sealed cabin to prevent moisture penetration. Exemplarily, the control compartment 51, the buoyancy compartment 11, and the battery compartment 41 of the cross-medium robot are distributed in sequence from top to bottom.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the rotor fixing frame 21 includes four rotor fixing arms 211, which are distributed on the side of the buoyancy chamber at 90° between each other, and the propeller units 22 are installed on the rotor fixing arms 211 one by one. The mechanical arm fixing frame 31 is installed below the buoyancy chamber 11, and the number of the imitation octopus tentacle mechanical arms 32 is four, and the imitation octopus tentacle mechanical arms 32 are installed on the side of the mechanical arm fixing frame 31 at 90° between each other. Exemplarily, the imitation octopus tentacle mechanical arms 32 and the rotor fixing arms 211 are 45° apart, and the propeller units 22 and the imitation octopus tentacle mechanical arms 32 are located in the upper and lower layers and have a certain angle between them, so as to avoid interference during operation.

[0039] In one or more embodiments, Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the octopus tentacle-like mechanical arm 32 includes a rotating section 32a and a plurality of swinging sections 32b, wherein the rotating section 32a is mounted on the mechanical arm fixing frame 31, and the plurality of swinging sections 32b are connected in series to the rotating section 32a, and the rotating section 32a is used to drive the plurality of swinging sections 32b to rotate as a whole. Through the mutual cooperation of the rotating section 32a and the swinging section 32b, four-degree-of-freedom motion can be achieved.

[0040] Exemplarily, the rotating section 32a includes a rotating steering gear 321 and a first connecting rod 322. The rotating steering gear 321 is installed on the mechanical arm fixing frame 31. One end of the first connecting rod 322 is connected to the output shaft of the rotating steering gear 321, and the other end of the first connecting rod 322 is rotatably connected to the swinging section 32b. By rotating the swinging section 32b by the rotating steering gear 321 to different angles, swinging in different directions can be achieved. For example, when the rotating angle of the rotating steering gear 321 is adjusted to 0°, the robot can be driven to move forward when swinging back and forth in the horizontal direction to achieve bionic propulsion; when the rotating angle of the rotating steering gear 321 is adjusted to 90°, the robot can be swung in the vertical direction and adjusted to a predetermined state to achieve bionic grasping of objects.

[0041] Exemplarily, two adjacent swinging sections 32b are connected for relative rotation via a second connecting rod 33, each swinging section 32b includes a mechanical arm housing 323 and a swinging servo 324, the swinging servo 324 is mounted on the mechanical arm housing 323, the output shaft of the swinging servo 324 of the swinging section 32b at the head end is rotationally connected to the other end of the first connecting rod 322, and the output shafts of the swinging servos 324 of the remaining swinging sections 32b are rotationally connected to the second connecting rod 33. When the octopus tentacle-like mechanical arm 32 is in the straight state, the rotation axis of the swinging servo 324 is coplanar and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating servo 321, and the rotation axes of each swinging servo 324 are coplanar and parallel. By controlling the rotation angle of the rotating servo 321, the angles of the rotation axes of the other three swinging servos 324 relative to the robot can be adjusted, and by controlling the angles of the other three swinging servos 324, the posture of the mechanical arm can be controlled to achieve grasping and bionic swimming.

[0042] In one or more embodiments, a control method for a cross-media robot with octopus-like tentacle-like arms includes: injecting water into a buoyancy tank or draining water from the buoyancy tank through a pumping device to make the cross-media robot sink to the bottom of the water or float to the surface; when the cross-media robot sinks to the bottom of the water, controlling the corresponding octopus-like tentacle-like robotic arms to swing so that the cross-media robot moves to a predetermined position, and adjusting the posture of each octopus-like tentacle-like robotic arms so that each octopus-like tentacle-like robotic arms can clamp objects; when the cross-media robot floats to the surface, starting the propeller unit to make the cross-media robot fly to the target position.

[0043] For example, Figure 6 The figure shows the cross-medium robot moving underwater like an octopus tentacles. At this time, the tentacles have a large water surface area and generate a large propulsion force. Since the four robotic arms are arranged symmetrically at 90 degrees, their omnidirectional movement in the plane when underwater is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, by swinging the octopus tentacle-like robotic arms in different directions, the cross-medium robot can achieve omnidirectional movement in the underwater plane.

[0044] For example, Figure 8The figure shows a schematic diagram of a cross-medium robot grasping an object underwater or in the air. At this time, the flat surface of the octopus tentacle-like robotic arm faces the grasped object, increasing the contact area with the grasped object. At the same time, since each robotic arm has four degrees of freedom, two different grasping postures are proposed. The first method uses the end of the robotic arm to contact the surface of the object and clamp it. This method has a smaller contact area with the object and is suitable for grasping objects with irregular shapes and small masses. The second method uses the flat surface of the robotic arm to contact the surface of the object and clamp it. This method has a larger contact area with the object and is suitable for grasping objects with regular shapes and large masses. In addition, the grasping function of the robotic arm can also help the robot grasp fixed objects in the air or in water, achieving energy-saving and high-efficiency purposes, such as Fig. 9 shown.

[0045] For example, in order to achieve more effective cross-media movement of the robot, this solution uses a water pump on the robot to inject water into or drain water from the buoyancy tank, adjust the overall mass of the robot, and make the robot's propeller float or submerge in the water, thereby effectively switching between underwater and air cross-media movement. Fig.10 As shown in the figure, specifically, (1) is the process of the robot landing from the air to the water surface. In this process, the robot is landed in the vertical direction by controlling the propeller and adjusting the posture of the robot arm. By properly adjusting the buoyancy, the robot can be in the initial state of landing on the water surface with the propeller exposed above the water surface and the water pump inlet / outlet immersed in the water; (2) is the process of the robot being completely immersed in the water from the water surface. In this process, the posture of the robot arm is maintained, the propeller is stopped, and the water pump is controlled to suck water into the buoyancy chamber to make the robot sink, ensuring that the propeller is completely immersed in the water; (3) is the process of the robot being able to float underwater with the propeller. The process of vertical movement by propeller propulsion is achieved by the rotation of the propeller; (4) (5) is the process of the robot moving in a plane by bionic swinging underwater, in which the propeller stops rotating and is achieved by the swinging of a single robotic arm; (6) is the process of the robot rising underwater, which is similar to (3); (7) is the process of the robot floating up to the surface of the water by the propeller, which is achieved by controlling the water pump to discharge the liquid in the buoyancy tank so that the propeller completely floats to the surface; (8) is the process of the robot moving from the water surface to the air, which is achieved by the thrust of the propeller.

[0046] The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacle and the control method thereof provided in this embodiment, combined with a propeller and an octopus tentacle imitating mechanical arm, can grab fixed objects in the air or underwater, and can change direction through the swing of the mechanical arm, thereby improving maneuverability, and has the advantages of high efficiency and low noise.

[0047] The specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail above. Although some embodiments have been shown and described, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments can be modified and improved without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application whose scope is defined by the claims and their equivalents. These modifications and improvements should also be within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles, characterized in that: The cross-media robot comprises: A buoyancy adjustment module comprises: a buoyancy chamber and a pumping device, wherein the pumping device is used to inject water into the buoyancy chamber or to drain water from the buoyancy chamber; The flight module comprises: a rotor fixing frame and a plurality of propeller units, wherein the rotor fixing frame is connected to the buoyancy chamber, and the plurality of propeller units are distributed at intervals and installed on the rotor fixing frame; The robot arm module comprises: a robot arm fixing frame and a plurality of octopus tentacle-like robot arms, wherein the robot arm fixing frame is connected to the buoyancy chamber, and the plurality of octopus tentacle-like robot arms are distributed at intervals and installed on the robot arm fixing frame.

2. The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-media robot also includes: A power module, a battery compartment of the power module is connected to the bottom of the buoyancy compartment, and the power module is used to supply power to the buoyancy adjustment module, the flight control module, and the robotic arm module.

3. The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-media robot also includes: The control module comprises: a control chamber and a plurality of components, wherein the control chamber is installed above the buoyancy chamber, and the plurality of components are installed inside the control chamber.

4. The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotor fixing frame includes four rotor fixing arms, and the rotor fixing arms are distributed on the sides of the buoyancy chamber at 90 degrees between each other, and the propeller units are installed on the rotor fixing arms in a one-to-one correspondence.

5. The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles according to claim 4, characterized in that: The mechanical arm fixing frame is installed below the buoyancy chamber. The number of the imitation octopus tentacle mechanical arms is four, and the imitation octopus tentacle mechanical arms are installed on the side of the mechanical arm fixing frame at 90 degrees between each other.

6. The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles according to claim 5, characterized in that: The octopus tentacle-like mechanical arms and the rotor fixing arms are arranged at an angle of 45 degrees to each other.

7. The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The octopus tentacle-like mechanical arm comprises a rotating section and a plurality of swinging sections, wherein the rotating section is mounted on the mechanical arm fixing frame, the plurality of swinging sections are connected in series and connected to the rotating section, and the rotating section is used to drive the plurality of swinging sections to rotate as a whole.

8. The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacles according to claim 7, characterized in that: The rotating section includes a rotating steering gear and a first connecting rod. The rotating steering gear is installed on the mechanical arm fixing frame. One end of the first connecting rod is connected to the output shaft of the rotating steering gear, and the other end of the first connecting rod is rotationally connected to the swinging section.

9. The cross-media robot imitating octopus tentacle according to claim 8, characterized in that: Two adjacent swing sections are connected for relative rotation via a second connecting rod, and each swing section includes a mechanical arm housing and a swing servo, which is installed on the mechanical arm housing. The output shaft of the swing servo of the swing section at the head end is rotationally connected to the other end of the first connecting rod, and the output shafts of the swing servos of the remaining swing sections are rotationally connected to the second connecting rod.

10. A control method for a cross-media robot imitating an octopus tentacle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The control method comprises: Filling water into the buoyancy chamber or draining water from the buoyancy chamber through a pumping device, so as to make the cross-media robot sink to the bottom of the water or float to the surface of the water; When the cross-medium robot sinks to the bottom of the water, the corresponding octopus tentacle-like mechanical arms are controlled to swing so that the cross-medium robot moves to a predetermined position, and the posture of each octopus tentacle-like mechanical arm is adjusted so that each octopus tentacle-like mechanical arm can grasp an object; When the cross-media robot surfaces, the propeller unit is started to make the cross-media robot fly to the target position.

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