Wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrain and control method of wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in a complex terrain and a control method thereof, and relates to the field of mobile robots, the wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot comprises a robot body, a telescopic rod, an environment sensing structure and a mobile structure, the environment sensing structure is fixed above the robot body through the telescopic rod, and the mobile structure is located below the robot body. The telescopic motor controls the rack to move downwards through the driving rod, two effects are achieved at the same time, one effect is that the moving wheels are placed below the supporting base to achieve the supporting effect, the other effect is that the auxiliary supporting frame at the bottom of the driving rod extends out of the lower portion of the supporting base to achieve auxiliary supporting, and then the requirement for walking of the mobile robot on the sand is met; the telescopic motor controls the rack to move upwards through the driving rod, the moving wheels are synchronously controlled to be placed on the two sides of the supporting base to serve as moving rolling wheels, the auxiliary supporting frame is folded, and rolling wheel movement of the mobile robot on the common ground is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of mobile robots, and particularly to a wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrains and its control method. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of robot technology, the application demand of robots in complex terrains is increasing day by day. Although traditional wheeled robots have high moving efficiency, they are difficult to pass through complex terrains such as rough, soft and muddy terrains; while legged robots have strong adaptability, but have slow moving speed and high energy consumption. The wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot combines the advantages of wheeled movement and legged movement, and shows efficient, stable and flexible moving capabilities in complex terrains, becoming a research hotspot in the field of robots. The wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot combines the high efficiency of wheeled movement and the adaptability of legged movement, showing great potential in complex terrains. Although wheel-legged robots have shown strong adaptability in complex terrains, there are still some terrains that are difficult to handle. The mechanical structure design for walking on sand needs to solve the problems of insufficient traction and sinking caused by soft ground surfaces.

[0003] In summary, a wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrains and its control method. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the above deficiencies, the present invention provides a wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrains and its control method.

[0005] The present invention achieves the above object through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrains includes a fuselage, a telescopic rod, an environment perception structure and a moving structure. The environment perception structure is fixed above the fuselage through the telescopic rod, and the moving structure is located below the fuselage;

[0007] The moving structure includes a swing motor, a cylinder and four moving components. The swing motor is located inside the fuselage, and the swing motor controls the swing of the cylinder. The cylinder is fixed at the bottom of the fuselage, and the cylinder controls the up and down movement of the moving components. The moving components include a support seat and four moving units. The four moving units are located on both sides of the bottom of the support seat. A driving unit is provided inside the support seat, and the driving unit controls the four moving units to be vertically or horizontally arranged.

[0008] Preferably, the mobile unit includes a first driven gear, a second driven gear, a pin shaft, a fixed rod, and a mobile wheel. The first driven gear is in transmission connection with the driving unit. The first driven gear meshes with the second driven gear. The second driven gear is arranged inside the support base through the pin shaft. One end of the fixed rod is fixed on the pin shaft and rotates synchronously with the pin shaft. A rotating motor is provided at the other end of the fixed rod. The rotating motor is in transmission connection with the mobile wheel. The first driven gear and the second driven gear are both arranged vertically. Through the transmission of the first driven gear, the second driven gear, the pin shaft, and the fixed rod, the position change of the mobile wheel can be realized to perform various walking modes of the wheel-legged robot.

[0009] Preferably, the driving unit includes a telescopic motor, a driving rod, and a rack. The telescopic motor is vertically fixed inside the support base. The telescopic motor controls the up and down movement of the rack through the driving rod. The rack meshes with the first driven gear.

[0010] Preferably, several circles of ball bearings are provided on the outer side of the mobile wheel, which can play a role in buffering and sliding when the mobile wheel switches from both sides of the support base to below the support base.

[0011] Preferably, an auxiliary support frame is provided at the bottom of the driving rod. The auxiliary support frame is composed of a circular support frame and a cross support frame. An airbag is provided below the circular support frame. The airbag is communicated with the through holes on the cross support frame. When the driving rod controls the circular support frame to contact the sand, the airbag first contacts the sand, and then the airbag is compressed. The air in the airbag is ejected from the through holes to compact the sand below, which can improve the stability of the robot's movement.

[0012] Preferably, a first limit block and a second limit block are provided inside the support base. The first limit block is located at the upper end when the fixed rod is horizontally arranged, and the second limit block is located inside when the fixed rod is vertically arranged, which can reliably limit the positional relationship between the mobile wheel and the support base.

[0013] Preferably, the environmental perception structure includes a vision sensor, a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter-wave radar, and a GPS module. The vision sensor includes a panoramic camera and an infrared camera. The vision sensor, lidar, ultrasonic sensor, and millimeter-wave radar are all electrically connected to the central control module inside the fuselage through a signal acquisition module. The panoramic camera is used to capture environmental images, provide a 360° field of view, and support target recognition, path planning, and scene reconstruction. The infrared camera is used for image capture in night or low-light environments. The lidar (LiDAR) generates high-precision environmental point cloud data by emitting laser beams and measuring the reflection time. The ultrasonic sensor calculates the distance by emitting ultrasonic waves and measuring the echo time, and is used for close-range obstacle avoidance and object detection. The millimeter-wave radar uses electromagnetic waves in the millimeter-wave band for ranging and speed measurement, and is used for obstacle detection in high-speed moving scenarios. The GPS module provides the global positioning information of the robot.

[0014] A control method for a wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot moving in complex terrains includes the following steps:

[0015] Step 1: Environmental perception. The surrounding environment is perceived through a vision sensor, a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, and a millimeter-wave radar.

[0016] Step 2: Position positioning. The position of the robot is positioned through the GPS module.

[0017] Step 3: Mobile module selection. By collecting signals in Step 1 and Step 2, the situation of the surrounding environment is judged. When the surrounding environment is sandy, the sandy terrain wheel-legged mode is started. When the surrounding environment is in the normal mode, the mobile wheel mode is started.

[0018] Preferably, Step 3 includes the following steps:

[0019] S31. Judge the current moving mode of the robot;

[0020] S32. Start the sandy terrain wheel-legged mode. The telescopic motor controls the rack to move downward through the driving rod. Through the transmission of the first driven gear and the second driven gear, the fixed rod synchronously controls the mobile wheel to start swinging, so that the mobile wheel switches from the vertical state to the horizontal state. The mobile wheels move from both sides of the support seat to the bottom of the support seat. The synchronous driving rod controls the auxiliary support frame at the bottom to extend out of the support seat. Then, four mobile wheels and an auxiliary support frame form a support. By increasing the contact area with the sand, the stability of walking on the sand is ensured. Then, the cylinder controls the up and down movement of the support seat and the swing motor controls the cylinder to swing, so as to realize the movement of the four mobile units similar to mobile feet.

[0021] S33. Activate the mobile wheel mode. The telescopic motor controls the rack to move upward through the drive rod. Through the transmission of the first driven gear and the second driven gear, the fixed rod synchronously controls the mobile wheel to start swinging, so that the mobile wheel switches from the horizontal state to the vertical state. The mobile wheel moves from the bottom of the support seat to both sides of the support seat. At this time, the mobile wheel can be used as a wheel. Then, the rotation motor controls the mobile wheel to rotate, realizing the walking mode of the mobile robot with mobile wheels.

[0022] Preferably, in the second position, the robot synchronously transmits the positioning information to the remote control terminal, so that the staff can remotely monitor the mobile robot.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: in the wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot moving in complex terrains and its control method:

[0024] 1. The telescopic motor controls the rack to move downward through the drive rod, achieving two functions simultaneously. One function is to place the mobile wheel under the support seat for support, and the other function is to extend the auxiliary support frame at the bottom of the drive rod under the support seat for auxiliary support, thereby meeting the requirements for the mobile robot to walk on sandy ground;

[0025] 2. The telescopic motor controls the rack to move upward through the drive rod, synchronously controls the mobile wheel to be placed on both sides of the support seat, uses it as a moving roller, and retracts the auxiliary support frame, realizing the roller movement of the mobile robot on ordinary ground;

[0026] 3. When the drive rod controls the circular support frame to contact the sandy ground, the airbag first contacts the sandy ground, and then the airbag is compressed. The air in the airbag is ejected from the through hole to compact the sandy ground below, which can improve the stability of the robot's movement;

[0027] 4. A number of circles of ball bearings are provided on the outer side of the mobile wheel, which can make the ball bearings play a role in buffering and sliding when the mobile wheel switches from both sides of the support seat to below the support seat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present invention will be described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention in the mobile wheel mode;

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention in the sandy ground wheel-legged mode;

[0031] Figure 3 is a top view of the present invention with the environmental perception structure removed;

[0032] Figure 4It is a schematic structural diagram of the moving unit in the moving wheel mode of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 It is a top view of the moving unit in the moving wheel mode of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the moving unit in the sand wheel-foot mode of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of the moving wheel and the auxiliary support frame in the sand wheel-foot mode of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0036] Now, the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are all simplified schematic diagrams, only illustrating the basic structure of the present invention in a schematic manner, so they only show the components related to the present invention.

[0037] As Figures 1 - 7 shown, a wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot moving in complex terrains includes a fuselage 1, a telescopic rod 2, an environmental perception structure 3 and a moving structure. The environmental perception structure 3 is fixed above the fuselage 1 through the telescopic rod 2, and the moving structure is located below the fuselage 1;

[0038] The moving structure includes a swing motor, a cylinder 4, and four moving components 5. The swing motor is located inside the fuselage. The swing motor controls the swing of the cylinder 4. The cylinder 4 is fixed at the bottom of the fuselage. The cylinder 4 controls the up and down movement of the moving components 5. The moving components 5 include a support seat 16 and four moving units. The four moving units are located on both sides of the bottom of the support seat 16. A driving unit is provided inside the support seat 16, and the driving unit controls the four moving units to be set vertically or horizontally.

[0039] Specifically, the moving unit includes a first driven gear 10, a second driven gear 11, a pin shaft 12, a fixed rod 13 and a moving wheel 14. The first driven gear 10 is in transmission connection with the driving unit. The first driven gear 10 meshes with the second driven gear 11. The second driven gear 11 is arranged inside the support seat 16 through the pin shaft 12. One end of the fixed rod 13 is fixed on the pin shaft 12, and the fixed rod 13 rotates synchronously with the pin shaft 12. A rotating motor is provided at the other end of the fixed rod 13. The rotating motor is in transmission connection with the moving wheel 14. Both the first driven gear 10 and the second driven gear 11 are arranged vertically.

[0040] Specifically, the driving unit includes a telescopic motor 6, a driving rod 7 and a rack 9. The telescopic motor 6 is vertically fixed inside the support seat 16. The telescopic motor 6 controls the up and down movement of the rack 9 through the driving rod 7. The rack 9 meshes with the first driven gear 10.

[0041] Specifically, several circles of ball bearings 15 are provided on the outer side of the moving wheels 14.

[0042] Specifically, an auxiliary support frame 8 is provided at the bottom of the driving rod 7. The auxiliary support frame 8 is composed of a circular support frame and a cross support frame. An airbag is provided below the circular support frame, and the airbag is communicated with the through holes on the cross support frame.

[0043] Specifically, a first limiting block 17 and a second limiting block 18 are provided inside the support seat 16. The first limiting block 17 is located at the upper end when the fixing rod 13 is horizontally arranged, and the second limiting block 18 is located inside when the fixing rod 13 is vertically arranged.

[0044] Specifically, the environment perception structure 3 includes a visual sensor, a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar and a GPS module. The visual sensor includes a panoramic camera and an infrared camera. The visual sensor, the lidar, the ultrasonic sensor and the millimeter wave radar are all electrically connected to the central control module inside the fuselage 1 through a signal acquisition module. The panoramic camera is used to capture environmental images, provide a 360° field of view, support target recognition, path planning and scene reconstruction. The infrared camera is used for image capture in night or low light environments. The lidar (LiDAR) generates high-precision environmental point cloud data by emitting laser beams and measuring the reflection time. The ultrasonic sensor calculates the distance by emitting ultrasonic waves and measuring the echo time, and is used for short-distance obstacle avoidance and object detection. The millimeter wave radar uses electromagnetic waves in the millimeter wave band for ranging and speed measurement, and is used for obstacle detection in high-speed moving scenarios. The GPS module provides the global positioning information of the robot.

[0045] A control method for a wheel-legged hybrid mobile robot moving in complex terrains includes the following steps:

[0046] Step 1: Environment perception, perceiving the surrounding environment through a visual sensor, a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor and a millimeter wave radar;

[0047] Step 2: Position positioning, positioning the position of the robot through the GPS module;

[0048] Step 3: Mobile module selection, judging the situation of the surrounding environment through the signal acquisition in Step 1 and Step 2. When the surrounding environment is sandy, start the sandy terrain wheel-legged mode. When the surrounding environment is in the normal mode, start the moving wheel 14 mode.

[0049] Specifically, the Step 3 includes the following steps:

[0050] S31. Judge the current moving mode of the robot;

[0051] S32. Activate the sand wheel-foot mode. The telescopic motor 6 controls the rack 9 to move downward through the driving rod 7. Through the transmission of the first driven gear 10 and the second driven gear 11, the fixed rod 13 synchronously controls the moving wheel 14 to start swinging, so that the moving wheel 14 switches from the vertical state to the horizontal state. The moving wheel 14 moves from both sides of the support base 16 to the bottom of the support base 16. The synchronous driving rod 7 controls the auxiliary support frame 8 at the bottom to extend out of the support base 16. Then, the support is formed by four moving wheels 14 and an auxiliary support frame 8. By increasing the contact area with the sand, the stability of walking on the sand is ensured. Then, the cylinder 4 controls the up and down movement of the support base 16 and the swing motor controls the cylinder 4 to swing, so as to realize the movement of the four moving units similar to moving feet;

[0052] S33. Activate the moving wheel 14 mode. The telescopic motor 6 controls the rack 9 to move upward through the driving rod 7. Through the transmission of the first driven gear 10 and the second driven gear 11, the fixed rod 13 synchronously controls the moving wheel 14 to start swinging, so that the moving wheel 14 switches from the horizontal state to the vertical state. The moving wheel 14 moves from the bottom of the support base 16 to both sides of the support base 16. At this time, the moving wheel 14 can be used as a wheel. Then, the rotation motor controls the moving wheel 14 to rotate, realizing the walking mode of the moving wheel 14 of the mobile robot.

[0053] Specifically, in the second position, the robot synchronously transmits the positioning information to the remote control terminal, so that the staff can remotely monitor the mobile robot.

[0054] Inspired by the present invention, through the above description, relevant staff can completely make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical idea of this invention. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the content in the specification, and its technical scope must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot that moves in complex terrain, characterized by: It includes a fuselage, a telescopic rod, an environment sensing structure and a mobile structure, wherein the environment sensing structure is fixed on the upper part of the fuselage through the telescopic rod, and the mobile structure is located under the fuselage; The moving structure includes a swing motor, a cylinder, and four moving parts. The swing motor is located inside the fuselage. The swing motor controls the swing of the cylinder. The cylinder is fixed at the bottom of the fuselage. The cylinder controls the moving part to move up and down. The moving part includes a support base and four moving units. The four moving units are located on both sides of the bottom of the support base. A driving unit is provided inside the support base. The driving unit controls the four moving units to be set vertically or horizontally.

2. A wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrain according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving unit includes a first driven gear, a second driven gear, a pin shaft, a fixed rod and a moving wheel. The first driven gear is connected to the driving unit in a transmission manner. The first driven gear is meshed with the second driven gear. The second driven gear is arranged inside the support seat through the pin shaft. One end of the fixed rod is fixed on the pin shaft, and the fixed rod rotates synchronously with the pin shaft. A rotating motor is provided on the other end of the fixed rod. The rotating motor is connected to the moving wheel in a transmission manner. The first driven gear and the second driven gear are both arranged vertically.

3. A wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrain according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving unit comprises a telescopic motor, a driving rod and a rack. The telescopic motor is vertically fixed inside the support seat. The telescopic motor controls the rack to move up and down through the driving rod. The rack is meshed with the first driven gear.

4. A wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrain according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of circles of balls are arranged on the outer side of the moving wheel.

5. The wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrain according to claim 3, characterized in that: An auxiliary support frame is arranged at the bottom of the driving rod, and the auxiliary support frame consists of a circular support frame and a cross support frame. An air bag is arranged below the circular support frame, and the air bag is connected with a through hole on the cross support frame.

6. The wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrain according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support seat is provided with a first limit block and a second limit block inside, wherein the first limit block is located at the upper end of the fixing rod when the fixing rod is arranged horizontally, and the second limit block is located at the inner side of the fixing rod when the fixing rod is arranged vertically.

7. The wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot capable of moving in complex terrain according to claim 1, characterized in that: The environmental perception structure includes a visual sensor, a laser radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter-wave radar and a GPS module. The visual sensor includes a panoramic camera and an infrared camera. The visual sensor, the laser radar, the ultrasonic sensor, and the millimeter-wave radar are all electrically connected to the central control module inside the fuselage through a signal acquisition module.

8. A control method for a wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot moving in complex terrain according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Environmental perception: using visual sensors, lidar, ultrasonic sensors, and millimeter-wave radar to perceive the surrounding environment; Step 2: Position positioning: Use the GPS module to locate the robot. Step 3: Mobile module selection, through the signal collection of step 1 and step 2, to judge the surrounding environment. When the surrounding environment is sandy, start the sand wheel mode. When the surrounding environment is normal mode, start the mobile wheel mode.

9. The control method of a wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot moving in complex terrain according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step three comprises the following steps: S31, determining the current movement mode of the robot; S32, start the sand wheel foot mode, the telescopic motor controls the rack to move downward through the driving rod, and after the transmission of the first driven gear and the second driven gear, the fixed rod synchronously controls the moving wheel to start swinging, so that the moving wheel switches from a vertical state to a horizontal state, and the moving wheel moves from both sides of the support seat to the bottom of the support seat, and the synchronous driving rod controls the auxiliary support frame at the bottom to extend out of the support seat, and the support is formed by four moving wheels and an auxiliary support frame, and then the cylinder controls the support seat to move up and down and the swing motor controls the cylinder to swing, so that the four moving units can move similarly to the moving foot; S33, start the moving wheel mode, the telescopic motor controls the rack to move upward through the driving rod, and after the transmission of the first driven gear and the second driven gear, the fixed rod synchronously controls the moving wheel to start swinging, so that the moving wheel switches from a horizontal state to a vertical state, and the moving wheel moves from the bottom of the support seat to both sides of the support seat. At this time, the moving wheel can be used as a wheel, and then the rotating motor controls the rotation of the moving wheel, thereby realizing the moving wheel walking mode of the mobile robot.

10. The control method of a wheel-foot hybrid mobile robot moving in complex terrain according to claim 8, characterized in that: In the second position, the robot synchronously transmits the positioning information to the remote control terminal, so that the staff can remotely monitor the mobile robot.

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