Knee / elbow wheel type quadruped robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a knee / elbow wheel type quadruped robot, and relates to the technical field of quadruped bionic robots, the knee / elbow wheel type quadruped robot comprises a robot body and four legs arranged at four corners around the robot body, each leg comprises a thigh body and a shank body, and a knee / elbow joint is formed at the joint of the thigh body and the shank body; mounting seats are arranged at the knee / elbow joints, driving wheels are rotationally connected to the mounting seats, and the driving wheels are located on the outer sides, relative to the robot body, of the knee / elbow joints; when the driving wheel needs to be used for walking, the shank body is controlled to be bent towards the thigh body around the knee / elbow joint till the driving wheel makes contact with the ground and the foot of the shank body leaves the ground, and then the machine body can be driven to advance through the driving wheel. According to the robot, the driving wheels are arranged at the knee / elbow joints, the flexibility and adaptability of a leg structure of a traditional quadruped robot are reserved, rapid and efficient movement on the flat terrain is achieved through the driving wheels, and the application range of the robot is widened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of quadruped bionic robots, and more specifically, to a knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of robot technology, quadruped robots have been widely used in military, education, rescue, and daily life due to their excellent terrain adaptability and flexibility. However, there are still some limitations in the structural design of existing quadruped robots, making it difficult to meet the increasingly complex application requirements.

[0003] Traditional quadruped robots usually adopt bionic designs and achieve actions such as walking, running, and climbing through the leg structure. For example, the patent (CN112874651A) applied by Southern University of Science and Technology discloses a quadruped robot, whose leg structure includes a hip, a thigh, a calf, and a walking part, and realizes complex motion postures through multi-degree-of-freedom joint drives. This design has high flexibility and adaptability and can better simulate the walking mode of organisms. However, when facing complex terrains or requiring rapid movement, its walking efficiency and speed are limited to a certain extent.

[0004] To improve the movement efficiency of quadruped robots, some studies have started to introduce wheels into the design of quadruped robots. The patent (CN117769181A) applied by Shenzhen Zhujidongli Technology Co., Ltd. shows a wheeled quadruped robot, with wheels installed at the ends of the legs to achieve rapid movement through the rolling of the wheels. This design has high walking efficiency on flat terrains, but when dealing with complex terrains or requiring fine operations, the presence of wheels may limit the flexibility and adaptability of the leg structure.

[0005] Although traditional quadruped robots have high flexibility and adaptability and can handle complex terrains and perform fine operations, their walking efficiency is low on flat terrains, making it difficult to achieve rapid movement, which limits their efficiency in certain application scenarios. Wheeled quadruped robots, although having high movement efficiency on flat terrains and being able to quickly cover a large area, may have their leg structure flexibility and adaptability restricted by the presence of wheels when dealing with complex terrains or requiring fine operations. In addition, the design of installing wheels at the ends of the legs may have an adverse impact on the overall stability and bionic performance of the robot.

[0006] Given the limitations of the existing technology, there is an urgent need to develop a new quadruped robot structure that can incorporate the advantages of both wheeled and non-wheeled structures while minimizing their disadvantages as much as possible. This new structure should be able to flexibly switch walking modes under different terrain conditions, maintain both the high adaptability and flexibility of traditional quadruped robots, and achieve rapid and efficient movement on flat terrains, thereby comprehensively enhancing the performance and application scope of quadruped robots. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the above, the present invention provides a knee / elbow-wheel type quadruped robot, aiming to solve the above technical problems.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] A knee / elbow-wheel type quadruped robot includes a fuselage and four legs disposed at the four corners around the fuselage. Each leg includes a thigh body and a calf body, and a knee / elbow joint is formed at the connection between the thigh body and the calf body.

[0010] An installation seat is provided at the knee / elbow joint. The installation seat is disposed on the outer side of the bending direction of the knee / elbow joint and does not interfere with the bending of the knee / elbow joint. A driving wheel is rotatably connected to the installation seat, and the driving wheel is located on the outer side of the knee / elbow joint relative to the fuselage. When it is necessary to use the driving wheel to walk, control the calf body to bend towards the thigh body around the knee / elbow joint until the driving wheel touches the ground and the foot of the calf body leaves the ground, and then the fuselage can be driven to move forward by the driving wheel.

[0011] Through the above technical solution, the robot provided by the present invention is provided with driving wheels at the knee / elbow joints, which not only retains the flexibility and adaptability of the leg structure of traditional quadruped robots, can cope with complex terrains and perform delicate operations, but also realizes fast and efficient movement through the driving wheels on flat terrains, making up for the deficiency of low walking efficiency of traditional quadruped robots on flat terrains. By controlling the calf body to bend towards the thigh body around the knee / elbow joint, the driving wheel can be made to touch the ground and drive the robot to move forward, realizing flexible switching between wheeled and legged walking modes, so as to better adapt to different terrain conditions and expand the application range of the robot.

[0012] Preferably, in the above knee / elbow-wheel type quadruped robot, the driving wheel is driven by a driving motor.

[0013] Preferably, in the above knee / elbow-wheel type quadruped robot, the driving motor is installed on the installation seat or the fuselage. When the driving motor is installed on the installation seat, the power output shaft of the driving motor directly drives the axle of the driving wheel to rotate; when the driving motor is installed on the fuselage, the power output shaft of the driving motor and the axle of the driving wheel are cooperatively driven through a gear transmission pair.

[0014] Preferably, in the above knee / elbow-wheel type quadruped robot, the driving motor is at least installed on the installation seats of the two front legs.

[0015] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] 1. Improve terrain adaptability: Combining the advantages of wheeled and legged structures, it can flexibly switch the walking mode between complex terrains and flat terrains, being suitable for both fine operations in complex environments and fast movement on flat terrains. Through the design of drive wheels at the knee / elbow joints, the limitations of traditional wheeled robots on complex terrains are avoided, while maintaining the high adaptability of quadruped robots.

[0017] 2. Optimize the structural design: The layout of the mounting seat and drive wheels is reasonable, avoiding interference with the movement of the knee / elbow joints, while reducing the center of gravity of the robot and improving the overall stability. The various mounting methods of the drive motor (such as mounting on the mounting seat or the body) and the gear transmission design further optimize the structural layout and reduce the load at the joints.

[0018] 3. Improve the movement efficiency: The use of drive wheels significantly improves the moving speed and efficiency of the robot on flat terrains and reduces energy loss. The design of the locking mechanism prevents the ineffective rotation of the drive wheels in the non-use state, further improving the reliability and energy efficiency of the system.

[0019] 4. Enhance flexibility and reliability: By controlling the coordinated work of the leg structure and drive wheels, the robot can flexibly switch the walking mode to adapt to different task requirements. The optimized design of bevel gears and spur gears, as well as the use of the locking mechanism, improves the transmission efficiency and the reliability of the system, reducing the possibility of mechanical failures.

[0020] 5. Expand the application scope: This robot can work efficiently in a variety of complex environments and is applicable to multiple fields such as military, rescue, education, and daily life, having broad application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the provided drawings without creative efforts.

[0022] Figure 1 The drawings are the structural schematic diagrams of the knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 The drawings are the enlarged structural diagrams of the knee / elbow joints of the knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot in Embodiment 1 provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 The accompanying drawings are schematic structural diagrams of the knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot according to Embodiment 2 provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 The accompanying drawings are side views of the knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot according to Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 provided by the present invention when using drive wheels;

[0026] Figure 5 The accompanying drawings are schematic structural diagrams of the knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot according to Embodiment 3 provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 The accompanying drawings are enlarged structural diagrams of the knee / elbow joint of the knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot according to Embodiment 4 provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 The accompanying drawings are cross-sectional views of the knee / elbow joint of the knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot according to Embodiment 4 provided by the present invention.

[0029] Wherein:

[0030] 1 - fuselage;

[0031] 2 - leg;

[0032] 21 - thigh body; 22 - calf body; 23 - knee / elbow joint;

[0033] 3 - mounting seat;

[0034] 4 - drive wheel;

[0035] 41 - wheel axle; 42 - driven gear;

[0036] 5 - drive motor;

[0037] 51 - driving gear;

[0038] 6 - locking mechanism;

[0039] 61 - locking shaft; 62 - spline structure; 63 - locking piece; 64 - spring; 65 - tooth pattern. Detailed implementation manners

[0040] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0041] See the attached Figure 1, embodiments of the present invention disclose a knee / elbow wheeled quadruped robot, including a fuselage 1 and four legs 2 arranged at the four corners around the fuselage 1. The legs 2 include a thigh body 21 and a calf body 22, and a knee / elbow joint 23 is formed at the connection between the thigh body 21 and the calf body 22;

[0042] There is a mounting seat 3 at the knee / elbow joint 23. The mounting seat 3 is arranged on the outer side of the bending direction of the knee / elbow joint 23 and does not interfere with the bending of the knee / elbow joint 23. A driving wheel 4 is rotatably connected to the mounting seat 3, and the driving wheel 4 is located on the outer side of the knee / elbow joint 23 relative to the fuselage 1; when it is necessary to use the driving wheel 4 to walk, control the calf body 22 to bend towards the thigh body 21 around the knee / elbow joint until the driving wheel 4 touches the ground and the foot of the calf body 22 leaves the ground, then the fuselage 1 can be driven to move forward by the driving wheel 4.

[0043] The present invention aims to provide a new wheeled quadruped robot, abandoning the traditional structure of setting the wheel body at the feet of the quadruped robot, but setting the wheel body at the knee / elbow joint 23. The design of this structure can simultaneously meet the flexibility and mobility of the quadruped robot. Through the bending action of the thigh body 21 and the calf body 22, the feet leave the ground and the driving wheel touches the ground. This form can not give up the flexible structure of the feet and can also combine the advantages of the wheeled structure.

[0044] Embodiment 1:

[0045] See the appendix Figure 2 , driving motors 5 are installed on all four mounting seats 3. The driving motors 5 are arranged on the inner side of the knee / elbow joint 23 relative to the fuselage 1, and the power output shaft of the driving motor 5 is connected to the wheel shaft 41 of the driving wheel 4.

[0046] In this embodiment, the mounting seat 3 is two mounting plates extended from the two side plates at the bottom end of the thigh body 21, and the structures in the following embodiments are the same.

[0047] In this embodiment, all four driving wheels 4 are configured with driving power, and the driving control is more stable and reliable.

[0048] In this embodiment, driving motors are installed on all four mounting seats, and each driving wheel is equipped with an independent power source, so that when the robot walks using the driving wheels, the power output is more uniform and stable, and it can better cope with various road conditions, reducing walking problems caused by insufficient power or uneven distribution. All driving wheels are configured with driving power, improving the traction and controllability of the robot, enabling it to move forward more stably in complex terrains or situations requiring greater driving force, and enhancing the overall performance of the robot.

[0049] Embodiment 2:

[0050] In Embodiment 1, the driving mode of the driving wheel 4 is simple, but the added counterweight load at the knee / elbow joint 23 actually increases the control torque during design, and the rationality is poor. Therefore, this embodiment is further improved on the basis of Embodiment 1.

[0051] See the appendix Figure 3 , driving motors 5 are installed on two of the front mounting seats 3 or two of the rear mounting seats 3. The driving motors 5 are arranged inside the knee / elbow joint 23 relative to the fuselage 1, and the power output shaft of the driving motor 5 is connected to the axle 41 of the driving wheel 4.

[0052] It can be seen that in this embodiment, only two driving wheels 4 are selected to install the driving motors 5 to form a front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive form, and the other two driving wheels 4 without driving motors 5 are only support structures. This structure reduces the load on the knee / elbow joint 23 to a certain extent.

[0053] When switching the driving wheel 4 to move forward in this embodiment and Embodiment 1, as Figure 4 shown in the schematic diagram.

[0054] In this embodiment, driving motors are only installed on two of the front or rear mounting seats to form a front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive form, reducing the number of driving motors, thereby reducing the counterweight load at the knee / elbow joint, avoiding the adverse effects on joint movement caused by excessive load increase, and improving the flexibility and service life of the joint. On the premise of ensuring the driving function, the use of driving motors is reduced, making the structure more concise and reasonable, reducing the control torque, and improving the reliability and economy of the system.

[0055] Embodiment 3:

[0056] Although the driving structure provided in Embodiment 2 reduces the number of driving motors 5, it still increases the load on the knee / elbow joint 23. Therefore, this embodiment is further improved.

[0057] See the appendix Figure 5 , the axle 41 of the driving wheel 4 on two of the front mounting seats 3 extends through the mounting seat 3, and a driven gear 42 is fixed at the end. A driving motor 5 is fixed on the bottom surface of the fuselage 1, and a driving gear 51 is fixed on the power output shaft of the driving motor 5. When it is necessary to use the driving wheel 4 to move, while the calf body 22 and the thigh body 21 are moving, the thigh body 21 is controlled to bend towards the fuselage 1 until the driven gear 42 meshes with the driving gear 51.

[0058] To further optimize the above technical solution, both the driven gear 42 and the driving gear 51 are spur gears.

[0059] In this embodiment, to avoid the load on the knee / elbow joint 23, the drive motor 5 is installed on the fuselage, and the transmission is achieved through the meshing between gears.

[0060] In this embodiment, the drive motor is installed at the bottom of the fuselage, and the drive wheel is driven through gear transmission, avoiding the additional load caused by installing the drive motor at the knee / elbow joint, maximizing the flexibility and motion performance of the joint, and also facilitating the simplification of the structural design at the joint. By adopting the gear transmission method, precise power transmission can be achieved, improving the transmission efficiency, ensuring that the drive wheel can rotate stably and reliably during walking, and enhancing the walking performance of the robot under different speed and load conditions.

[0061] Embodiment 4:

[0062] To prevent the drive wheel 4 from rotating when it is not in use, this embodiment is further improved on the basis of Embodiment 3:

[0063] See the appendix Figure 6 , the axle 41 of the drive wheel 4 with the driven gear 42 is connected to the mounting seat 3 through the locking mechanism 6. When the driven gear 42 and the driving gear 51 are disengaged, the locking mechanism 6 restricts the rotation of the drive wheel 4. When the driven gear 42 and the driving gear 51 are engaged, the locking mechanism 6 is unlocked.

[0064] See the appendix Figure 7 , the locking mechanism 6 includes a locking shaft 61, the locking shaft 61 is slidably and rotatably connected to the mounting seat 3. One end of the locking shaft 61 passing through the mounting seat 3 is fixedly connected to the driven gear 42, the other end of the locking shaft 61 is inserted into the axle 41 of the drive wheel 4 through a spline structure 62. The locking shaft 61 has a radially protruding locking piece 63. A spring 64 is sleeved on the locking shaft 61, and the spring 64 abuts against the locking piece 63 and the inner wall of the mounting seat 3 on the side close to the drive wheel 4, so that the locking piece 63 is locked and abutted against the inner wall of the other side of the mounting seat 3.

[0065] To further optimize the above technical solution, the surface of the locking piece 63 in contact with the mounting seat 3 has mutually engaged tooth patterns 65.

[0066] To further optimize the above technical solution, both the driven gear 42 and the driving gear 51 are bevel gears.

[0067] To further optimize the above technical solution, both the driven gear 42 and the driving gear 51 are bevel gears.

[0068] To further optimize the above technical solution, the movable axial distance of the spline structure 62 is greater than the meshing depth of the tooth patterns between the locking piece 63 and the mounting seat 3.

[0069] Appendix Figure 7The figure shows a schematic diagram of the state when the driven gear 42 meshes with the driving gear 51.

[0070] When the drive wheel 4 is not in use, that is, when the driven gear 42 and the driving gear 51 are not meshed, under the action of the spring 64, the tooth patterns 65 are inserted and engaged, restricting the rotation of the wheel shaft 41; when the drive wheel 4 is in use, the driven gear 42 moves upward and abuts against the driving gear 51, first forming a wedge-shaped structure to push, and then the gears are meshed. The driven gear 42 is pushed, compressing the spring 64 to deform, and the tooth patterns 65 are separated, and the driving gear 51 can drive the drive wheel 4 to rotate.

[0071] This embodiment adds a locking mechanism. When the drive wheel is not in use, the locking mechanism restricts the rotation of the drive wheel, preventing it from making ineffective rotations due to external forces, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption, and improving the energy efficiency of the robot. The design of the locking mechanism increases the reliability of the system, prevents potential risks such as collisions and damages caused by accidental rotations of the drive wheel in the non-use state, and also provides additional guarantees for the stability and safety of the robot. Through the cooperation of the locking mechanism and the gear transmission, the smooth meshing and disengagement of the driven gear and the driving gear are achieved, further optimizing the performance of the gear transmission and improving the overall operating efficiency and stability of the robot.

[0072] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts among the various embodiments can be referred to each other. For the devices disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the descriptions are relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the description of the method part.

[0073] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to these embodiments shown herein, but will be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A knee / elbow wheel type quadruped robot, comprising a body (1), and four legs (2) arranged at four corners around the body (1), the legs (2) comprising a thigh body (21) and a shank body (22), the connection between the thigh body (21) and the shank body (22) forming a knee / elbow joint (23); characterized in that: The knee / elbow joint (23) is provided with a mounting seat (3), the mounting seat (3) is arranged on the outside of the bending direction of the knee / elbow joint (23) and will not interfere with the bending of the knee / elbow joint (23), and the mounting seat (3) is rotatably connected to a driving wheel (4), and the driving wheel (4) is located on the outside of the knee / elbow joint (23) relative to the body (1); when it is necessary to use the driving wheel (4) for walking, the calf body (22) is controlled to bend around the knee / elbow joint toward the thigh body (21) until the driving wheel (4) contacts the ground and the foot of the calf body (22) leaves the ground, and the body (1) can be driven to move forward by the driving wheel (4).

2. A knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A drive motor (5) is installed on each of the four mounting seats (3). The drive motor (5) is arranged on the inner side of the knee / elbow joint (23) relative to the fuselage (1), and the power output shaft of the drive motor (5) is connected to the wheel axle (41) of the drive wheel (4).

3. A knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A drive motor (5) is installed on the two front mounting seats (3) or the two rear mounting seats (3), and the drive motor (5) is arranged on the inner side of the knee / elbow joint (23) relative to the fuselage (1), and the power output shaft of the drive motor (5) is connected to the wheel axle (41) of the drive wheel (4).

4. A knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wheel axles (41) of the driving wheels (4) of the two front mounting seats (3) extend through the mounting seats (3), and a driven gear (42) is fixed at the end. A driving motor (5) is fixed on the bottom surface of the body (1), and a driving gear (51) is fixed on the power output shaft of the driving motor (5). When the driving wheels (4) are needed to walk, while the calf body (22) and the thigh body (21) are moving, the thigh body (21) is controlled to bend toward the body (1) until the driven gear (42) is meshed with the driving gear (51).

5. A knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The driven gear (42) and the driving gear (51) are both spur gears.

6. A knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The wheel shaft (41) of the driving wheel (4) having the driven gear (42) is connected to the mounting seat (3) via a locking mechanism (6); when the driven gear (42) and the driving gear (51) are disengaged, the locking mechanism (6) restricts the rotation of the driving wheel (4); when the driven gear (42) and the driving gear (51) are meshed, the locking mechanism (6) is unlocked.

7. A knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The locking mechanism (6) comprises a locking shaft (61), the locking shaft (61) is slidably and rotatably connected to the mounting seat (3), one end of the locking shaft (61) passing through the mounting seat (3) is fixedly connected to the driven gear (42), the other end of the locking shaft (61) is plugged into the wheel shaft (41) of the driving wheel (4) through a spline structure (62), the locking shaft (61) is provided with a radially protruding locking plate (63), the locking shaft (61) is sleeved with a spring (64), the spring (64) is pressed against the locking plate (63) and the inner wall of one side of the mounting seat (3) close to the driving wheel (4), so that the locking plate (63) and the inner wall of the other side of the mounting seat (3) are locked and fitted.

8. A knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The surfaces of the locking plate (63) and the mounting seat (3) that are in contact with each other have tooth patterns (65) that fit together.

9. A knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The driven gear (42) and the driving gear (51) are both bevel gears.

10. The knee / elbow wheel quadruped robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The movable axial distance of the spline structure (62) is greater than the tooth engagement depth of the locking plate (63) and the mounting seat (3).

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