Amphibious micro-robot based on piezoelectric driving and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an amphibious micro-robot based on piezoelectric driving and a control method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of amphibious robots, the amphibious micro-robot comprises a hollow body buoyancy regulation and control module and an even number of pairs of piezoelectric driving foot modules, and the bottom of the inner wall of the body buoyancy regulation and control module is fixedly connected with an electric control unit; the electric control unit is electrically connected with the piezoelectric driving foot modules through wires, the piezoelectric driving foot modules form deflection angles alpha with the horizontal plane, and the adjacent deflection angles are opposite in direction. Excitation signals are converted into bending deformation of the piezoelectric vibrators through the inverse piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric vibrators, the amphibious driving pieces are driven to vibrate, a complex transmission structure is avoided, the size of the robot is smaller, and the robot can be conveniently applied to a narrow space or a complex environment; by reasonably designing deflection angles and deflection angle directions of the piezoelectric driving foot modules and selectively controlling power-on and power-off of the amphibious driving pieces, various amphibious motion modes can be achieved, the amphibious driving foot modules can be automatically adjusted to be in a normal state even if turned over, and stability and practicability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of amphibious robots, and in particular to an amphibious micro robot based on piezoelectric drive and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of water areas by humans, amphibious micro-robots have gradually attracted widespread attention due to their excellent terrain adaptability. This type of robot combines the dual capabilities of water and land operations, can switch movement modes in a timely manner according to mission requirements, and has excellent movement performance in areas where water and land are intertwined, such as swamps and shallow water areas. Its diverse application scenarios have been fully verified, including resource exploration, scientific investigation, post-disaster emergency response, security patrols, military reconnaissance and other fields, demonstrating its rich practical value.

[0003] Traditional amphibious robots usually use complex transmission structures and large volumes, which not only increases manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulties, but also limits their application in small spaces or complex environments. In addition, many existing amphibious robots often cannot continue to move normally when encountering unexpected situations such as flipping, affecting their stability and practicality.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide an amphibious micro robot with simple structure, small size and anti-flipping is a problem that technical personnel in this field need to solve urgently. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an amphibious micro robot based on piezoelectric drive and a control method thereof to solve the problems in the background technology.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides an amphibious micro-robot based on piezoelectric drive, comprising a hollow body buoyancy control module and an even number of piezoelectric drive foot modules, wherein a plurality of connectors are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the body buoyancy control module, and a wire is arranged in the connector, and an electric control unit is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the body buoyancy control module, and the electric control unit is electrically connected to the piezoelectric drive foot module through the wire, and the piezoelectric drive foot modules are all in a horizontal plane. α Deflection angle, 0°< α <90°, and the deflection angles of two adjacent piezoelectric drive foot modules are opposite.

[0007] Preferably, the main body buoyancy control module includes a buoyancy adjustment unit and a lower cover, the buoyancy adjustment unit is fixedly connected to the top of the electronic control unit, and the lower cover is fixedly connected to the bottom of the electronic control unit.

[0008] Preferably, the top end of the lower cover is fixedly connected to an upper cover, and the upper cover and the lower cover are wrapped around the outside of the buoyancy regulating unit and the electronic control unit.

[0009] Preferably, the piezoelectric drive foot module includes a piezoelectric vibrator, an amphibious drive sheet, and a packaging shell. One end of the piezoelectric vibrator is fixedly connected inside the packaging shell, and the other end of the piezoelectric vibrator is fixedly connected to the amphibious drive sheet through an adapter. The end of the amphibious drive sheet is in a hyperbolic sector shape.

[0010] Preferably, a soft vibration isolation pad is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the packaging shell. The packaging shell is fixedly connected inside the connecting member through the soft vibration isolation pad. The piezoelectric vibrator located inside the connecting member is electrically connected to the electronic control unit through the wire.

[0011] Preferably, the material of the amphibious drive sheet is a low-rigidity film, and the material of the piezoelectric vibrator is a piezoelectric material.

[0012] The present invention also provides a control method for the above-mentioned amphibious micro-robot based on piezoelectric drive, including the following steps: S1. The electronic control unit is responsible for adjusting the excitation signal input to the piezoelectric vibrator. After receiving the excitation signal, the piezoelectric vibrator is energized and generates a bending deformation, driving the amphibious drive sheet to vibrate through the adapter. S2. When on the ground, the vibrating amphibious drive sheet slaps and rubs against the ground, and the ground gives the amphibious micro-robot an intermittent reverse driving force. When in water, the flow fields on both sides of the vibrating amphibious drive sheet alternately form a low-pressure area and a high-pressure area, and the water flows from the high-pressure area to the low-pressure area to generate a jet flow, forming a driving force. S3. By adjusting the excitation signals of each piezoelectric vibrator, the driving component forces of the amphibious micro-robot in different directions are changed, and the buoyancy adjustment unit is jointly used to adjust the floating and sinking state and the motion state of the amphibious micro-robot.

[0013] Preferably, in S3, the specific adjustment method for the floating and sinking state of the amphibious micro-robot is as follows: 1) When the sum of the vertically upward driving component force generated by the piezoelectric drive foot module and the buoyancy is greater than the gravity, the amphibious micro-robot floats upward. 2) When the sum of the vertically upward driving component force generated by the piezoelectric drive foot module and the buoyancy is equal to the gravity, the amphibious micro-robot hovers. 3) When the sum of the vertically upward driving component force generated by the piezoelectric drive foot module and the buoyancy is less than the gravity, the amphibious micro-robot sinks.

[0014] Preferably, in S3, the specific adjustment method for the motion state of the amphibious micro-robot is as follows: 1) When two piezoelectric drive foot modules in an inverted V shape on the same side are energized, the land motion state of the amphibious micro-robot is to translate in the same-side direction, and the water motion state is to translate in the opposite direction. 2) When two piezoelectric drive foot modules in the shape of a regular octagon on the same side are energized, both the land movement state and the water movement state of the amphibious micro-robot are translational in the opposite direction; 3) When two piezoelectric drive foot modules in the shape of a regular slash on the same axis are energized, both the land movement state and the water movement state of the amphibious micro-robot are clockwise in-situ rotation in the vertical plane; 4) When two piezoelectric drive foot modules in the shape of an inverted slash on the same axis are energized, both the land movement state and the water movement state of the amphibious micro-robot are counterclockwise in-situ rotation in the vertical plane.

[0015] Therefore, the amphibious micro-robot based on piezoelectric drive and its control method of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: (1) By converting the excitation signal into the bending deformation of the piezoelectric vibrator through the inverse piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric vibrator, driving the amphibious drive sheet to vibrate, avoiding complex transmission structures, making the robot smaller in size and facilitating application in narrow spaces or complex environments.

[0016] (2) By reasonably designing the deflection angle and deflection direction of the piezoelectric drive foot module and selectively controlling the power on and off of the amphibious drive sheet, various amphibious movement modes such as floating, hovering, sinking, forward movement, backward movement, in-situ rotation, and left and right translation can be realized, enabling the robot to self-adjust to the normal state even when flipped, improving stability and practicality.

[0017] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the body buoyancy regulation module of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the piezoelectric drive foot module of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a side view of the amphibious drive sheet of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the land drive mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the water surface drive mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention; Reference Numerals: 1. Body buoyancy regulation module; 11. Upper cover; 12. Lower cover; 13. Buoyancy adjustment unit; 2. Piezoelectric drive foot module; 21. Amphibious drive sheet; 22. Adapter; 23. Encapsulation shell; 24. Piezoelectric vibrator; 25. Soft vibration isolation pad; 3. Connector; 4. Electric control unit; 5. Wire. Detailed implementation mode

[0019] The technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] Embodiment As Figure 1 shown, an amphibious micro-robot based on piezoelectric drive provided by the present invention includes a hollow body buoyancy regulation module 1 and an even number of piezoelectric drive foot modules 2. The body buoyancy regulation module 1 is preferably streamlined, and a plurality of connectors 3 are fixedly connected to its outer wall. The connectors 3 and the body buoyancy regulation module 1 are set as an integral structure. A wire 5 is arranged inside the connector 3. An electronic control unit 4 is adhesively bonded to the bottom of the inner wall of the body buoyancy regulation module 1. The electronic control unit 4 is electrically connected to the piezoelectric drive foot module 2 through the wire 5.

[0022] The piezoelectric drive foot modules 2 are symmetrically distributed at a certain distance interval, and are all at an α angle of deflection with the horizontal plane, 0° < α < 90°, preferably 45°, and the deflection directions of two adjacent piezoelectric drive foot modules 2 are opposite, that is, the deflection directions alternate in a positive and negative manner in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0023] As Figure 2 shown, the body buoyancy regulation module 1 includes a buoyancy adjustment unit 13 and a lower cover 12. The buoyancy adjustment unit 13 is adhesively bonded to the top of the electronic control unit 4, and the lower cover 12 is adhesively bonded to the bottom of the electronic control unit 4. The top of the lower cover 12 is adhesively bonded or threadedly connected to an upper cover 11. The upper cover 11 and the lower cover 12 wrap the outside of the buoyancy adjustment unit 13 and the electronic control unit 4.

[0024] As Figure 3 shown, the piezoelectric drive foot module 2 includes a piezoelectric vibrator 24, an amphibious drive sheet 21, and a package shell 23. The material of the piezoelectric vibrator 24 is selected from piezoelectric materials, such as piezoelectric bimorphs or piezoelectric ceramics pasted on copper sheets, etc. One end of the piezoelectric vibrator 24 is adhesively bonded inside the package shell 23, and the other end of the piezoelectric vibrator 24 is fixedly connected to the amphibious drive sheet 21 through an adapter 22.

[0025] As Figure 4As shown, the end of the amphibious driving piece 21 is in a hyperbolic fan shape. The left side in the figure is one end connected to the adapter 22, and the material is a low-rigidity film, such as a copper sheet. The hyperbolic shape makes the underwater drive of fluid-structure interaction more efficient; the fan-shaped structure enables the amphibious driving piece 21 to have two feet up and down, so that the robot can still work normally even if it flips over, and at the same time it is convenient to cooperate with the motion state to flip back in time.

[0026] A soft vibration isolation pad 25 is adhesively connected to the outer wall of the encapsulation shell 23. The soft vibration isolation pad 25 is made of any soft material, such as a soft silicone pad. The encapsulation shell 23 is fixedly connected to the inside of the connector 3 through the soft vibration isolation pad 25. The piezoelectric vibrator 24 located inside the connector 3 is electrically connected to the electronic control unit 4 through a wire 5. The connection part between the piezoelectric vibrator 24 and the wire 5 can be insulated to improve safety.

[0027] As a flexible component of the piezoelectric driving foot module 2, the soft vibration isolation pad 25 has a variable stiffness, which can reduce the influence on other driving feet during vibration, thereby reducing coupling; while the piezoelectric vibrator 24 has a higher stiffness. Therefore, the amphibious driving piece 21 is fixed to the end of the piezoelectric vibrator 24 through the adapter 22 to achieve variable-stiffness driving, making the underwater drive of fluid-structure interaction and the ground drive of friction accumulation more efficient.

[0028] The control method of the above-mentioned amphibious micro-robot based on piezoelectric drive includes the following steps: S1. The electronic control unit 4 is responsible for adjusting the excitation signal input to the piezoelectric vibrator 24. After receiving the excitation signal, the piezoelectric vibrator 24 is powered on, generates a bending deformation, and drives the amphibious driving piece 21 to vibrate through the adapter 22. S2. A driving force is formed on the ground or water surface through the friction between the amphibious driving piece 21 and the ground or through the vibration-induced flow of the amphibious driving piece 21. Specifically: 1) Land driving mechanism: As Figure 5 shown, when on the ground, the ground gives the amphibious micro-robot an intermittent reverse driving force; the piezoelectric driving foot module 2 can be simplified to an ideal model with one end fixed to the body and the other end in contact with the ground. When vibrating, the speed V of the contact point with the ground is perpendicular to the plane of the amphibious driving piece 21. This contact point continuously impacts the ground in a cycle. Since the ground can only provide a reverse pressure, the amphibious driving piece 21 hitting the ground will only generate an intermittent reverse cyclic driving force. Therefore, by selecting an appropriate angle, a forward driving force F can be generated, and a resultant force in the same direction can also be formed by using two symmetric piezoelectric driving foot modules 2 to make the robot move horizontally or rotate vertically more stably.

[0029] 2) Water surface driving mechanism: As Figure 6As shown, the periodic vibration of the piezoelectric drive foot module 2 generates an unbalanced force, resulting in different amplitudes and vibration speeds at various positions on the amphibious drive plate 21, causing the flow fields on its upper and lower surfaces to alternately form low-pressure areas and high-pressure areas. The jet flow generated during the process of water flowing from the high-pressure area to the low-pressure area forms a driving force on the robot. Therefore, using the symmetric piezoelectric drive foot module 2 can generate a driving resultant force in the same direction; S3. By adjusting the excitation signals of the piezoelectric vibrators 24, change the driving component forces of the amphibious micro-robot in different directions, and jointly adjust the floating and sinking state and the motion state of the amphibious micro-robot with the adjustment of the buoyancy by the buoyancy adjustment unit 13 (such as using buoyancy materials and changing the volume ratio of the buoyancy materials, etc.). Specifically: 1) The specific adjustment method for the floating and sinking state of the amphibious micro-robot is as follows: ① When the sum of the vertically upward driving component force generated by controlling the piezoelectric drive foot module 2 and the buoyancy is greater than the gravity, the amphibious micro-robot floats upward; ② When the sum of the vertically upward driving component force generated by controlling the piezoelectric drive foot module 2 and the buoyancy is equal to the gravity, the amphibious micro-robot hovers; ③ When the sum of the vertically upward driving component force generated by controlling the piezoelectric drive foot module 2 and the buoyancy is less than the gravity, the amphibious micro-robot sinks.

[0030] 2) The following specifically describes the adjustment method for the motion state of a four-legged amphibious micro-robot: ① When two piezoelectric drive foot modules 2 in an inverted V shape on the same side are energized (such as Figure 1 the two left-side drive feet or the two right-side drive feet), the land motion state of the amphibious micro-robot is to translate in the same-side direction, and the water motion state is to translate in the opposite direction; ② When two piezoelectric drive foot modules 2 in a regular V shape on the same side are energized (such as Figure 1 the two upper-side drive feet or the two lower-side drive feet), the land motion state and the water motion state of the amphibious micro-robot are both to translate in the opposite direction; ③ When two piezoelectric drive foot modules 2 in a positive slash ' / ' shape on the same axis are energized (such as Figure 1 the two left-lower and right-upper drive feet), the land motion state and the water motion state of the amphibious micro-robot are both to rotate clockwise in place in the vertical plane; ④ When two piezoelectric drive foot modules 2 in an inverted slash '\' shape on the same axis are energized (such as Figure 1 the two left-upper and right-lower drive feet), the land motion state and the water motion state of the amphibious micro-robot are both to rotate counterclockwise in place in the vertical plane.

[0031] Based on the above, combining the first two motion states can achieve horizontal movement in four directions: forward, backward, left, and right. Combining the last two motion states can achieve in-situ flipping. Additionally, by adjusting parameters such as the waveform, voltage, frequency, duty cycle, and shape of the excitation signal, multiple control experiments can be conducted to find the corresponding parameters of the excitation signal that enable the amphibious micro-robot to move at the fastest speed and in the best motion state on land and water, thereby improving the mobility of the robot in different environments.

[0032] Therefore, for an amphibious micro-robot based on piezoelectric drive and its control method of the present invention, the excitation signal is converted into the bending deformation of the piezoelectric vibrator through the inverse piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric vibrator, driving the amphibious driving piece to vibrate, avoiding a complex transmission structure, making the robot smaller in size and facilitating its application in narrow spaces or complex environments. By reasonably designing the deflection angle and deflection direction of the piezoelectric drive foot module and selectively controlling the power on and off of the amphibious driving piece, multiple amphibious motion modes such as floating, hovering, sinking, forward movement, backward movement, in-situ rotation, and left and right translation can be achieved, enabling the robot to self-adjust to the normal state even when flipped, improving stability and practicality.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify or equivalently replace the technical solutions of the present invention, and such modifications or equivalent replacements do not make the modified technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. An amphibious micro robot based on piezoelectric drive, characterized in that: The invention comprises a hollow body buoyancy control module and an even number of piezoelectric drive foot modules, wherein a plurality of connectors are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the body buoyancy control module, and a wire is arranged in the connector, and an electric control unit is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the body buoyancy control module, and the electric control unit is electrically connected to the piezoelectric drive foot module through the wire, and the piezoelectric drive foot modules are all in a horizontal plane. α Deflection angle, 0°< α <90°, and the deflection angles of two adjacent piezoelectric drive foot modules are opposite.

2. The piezoelectrically driven amphibious micro robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body buoyancy control module includes a buoyancy adjustment unit and a lower cover. The buoyancy adjustment unit is fixedly connected to the top of the electric control unit, and the lower cover is fixedly connected to the bottom of the electric control unit.

3. The piezoelectrically driven amphibious micro robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top end of the lower cover is fixedly connected with an upper cover, and the upper cover and the lower cover are wrapped around the outside of the buoyancy regulating unit and the electronic control unit.

4. The piezoelectrically driven amphibious micro robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piezoelectric drive foot module includes a piezoelectric vibrator, an amphibious drive plate and a packaging shell. One end of the piezoelectric vibrator is fixedly connected to the inside of the packaging shell, and the other end of the piezoelectric vibrator is fixedly connected to the amphibious drive plate through an adapter. The end of the amphibious drive plate is in a hyperbolic fan shape.

5. The piezoelectrically driven amphibious micro robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: A soft vibration isolation pad is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the packaging shell, and the packaging shell is fixedly connected to the inside of the connecting member through the soft vibration isolation pad. The piezoelectric vibrator located inside the connecting member is electrically connected to the electronic control unit through the wire.

6. The piezoelectrically driven amphibious micro robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material of the amphibious driving sheet is a low-rigidity film, and the material of the piezoelectric vibrator is a piezoelectric material.

7. A control method for an amphibious micro robot based on piezoelectric drive according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. The electronic control unit is responsible for adjusting the excitation signal input into the piezoelectric vibrator. After receiving the excitation signal, the piezoelectric vibrator is energized, generates bending deformation, and drives the amphibious drive plate to vibrate through the adapter; S2. When located on the ground, the vibrating amphibious driving piece slaps and rubs the ground, and the ground gives the amphibious micro-robot an intermittent reverse driving force; when located in water, the water basins on both sides of the vibrating amphibious driving piece alternately form low-pressure areas and high-pressure areas, and the water flows from the high-pressure area to the low-pressure area to generate a jet, forming a driving force; S3. By adjusting the excitation signal of each piezoelectric vibrator, the driving force of the amphibious micro-robot in different directions is changed, and the floating and sinking states and movement states of the amphibious micro-robot are jointly adjusted by the buoyancy adjustment unit.

8. The control method of the piezoelectrically driven amphibious micro-robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: In S3, the specific method for adjusting the floating and sinking state of the amphibious micro robot is: 1) When the sum of the vertical upward driving force generated by the piezoelectric driving foot module and the buoyancy is greater than the gravity, the amphibious micro robot floats up; 2) When the sum of the vertical upward driving force generated by the piezoelectric driving foot module and the buoyancy is equal to the gravity, the amphibious micro robot hovers; 3) When the sum of the vertical upward driving force generated by the piezoelectric drive foot module and the buoyancy is less than gravity, the amphibious micro robot sinks.

9. The control method of the piezoelectrically driven amphibious micro robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: In S3, the specific adjustment method of the motion state of the amphibious micro robot is: 1) When the two piezoelectric driving foot modules in the shape of an inverted eight on the same side are powered on, the amphibious micro-robot moves in the same direction on land and in the opposite direction in water; 2) When the two piezoelectric driving foot modules on the same side in a regular eight shape are powered on, the amphibious micro-robot moves in opposite directions both on land and in water; 3) When the two piezoelectric driving foot modules in the shape of a forward slash on the same axis are powered on, the amphibious micro robot rotates clockwise in the vertical plane in both the land motion state and the water motion state; 4) When the two piezoelectric driving foot modules in the shape of a backslash on the same axis are energized, the amphibious micro robot rotates counterclockwise in place in the vertical plane in both the land motion state and the water motion state.

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