Climbing and stepping integrated quadruped robot with variable configuration

Abstract

The invention provides a climbing and stepping integrated variable-configuration quadruped robot, and relates to the technical field of robots. The climbing and stepping integrated variable-configuration quadruped robot comprises a robot body joint and four leg structures; the four leg structures are rotationally connected with the fuselage joints; the middle rotating motor is arranged in the center of the machine body bottom plate; one ends of the two long rotary connecting rods and the two short rotary connecting rods are connected with the middle rotary motor bracket, and the other ends are connected with one leg structure; the short rotary connecting rods perform rotation control on the corresponding leg structures through parallelogram structures, so that the rotation directions of the leg structures and the motor bracket of the middle rotary motor are the same; the long rotating connecting rods are used for performing rotating control on the corresponding leg structures through the multi-connecting-rod structures, so that the rotating directions of the leg structures are opposite to the rotating direction of the motor bracket of the middle rotating motor; through cooperation of the middle rotating motor, the middle rotating motor support, the two long rotating connecting rods and the two short rotating connecting rods, switching of the walking gait and the crawling gait of the quadruped robot is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robots, and particularly to a quadruped robot with an integrated crawling and walking variable configuration. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, quadruped robots have shown great potential in fields such as movement on complex terrains, disaster rescue, and military reconnaissance.

[0003] However, due to the fixed configuration of traditional quadruped robots, it is difficult to balance high mobility and multi-task adaptability. Most existing robots adopt a single motion mode (such as walking or crawling), lacking flexibility in narrow spaces or special terrains.

[0004] Although some existing technologies can switch gaits through deformable legs (such as folding joints and telescopic structures), they usually only support simple morphological changes and have complex control, still making it difficult to move flexibly in narrow spaces or special terrains, with insufficient flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the technical problem that existing quadruped robots are difficult to move flexibly in narrow spaces or special terrains and have insufficient flexibility, the present invention provides a quadruped robot with an integrated crawling and walking variable configuration.

[0006] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention are as follows: A quadruped robot with an integrated crawling and walking variable configuration provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes: a fuselage joint and four leg structures; All four of the leg structures are rotatably connected to the fuselage joint; The fuselage joint includes an upper fuselage plate, a lower fuselage plate, four fuselage side plates, an intermediate rotating motor connected to the fuselage, an intermediate rotating motor bracket, two long rotating linkages, and two short rotating linkages; The upper fuselage plate and the lower fuselage plate are connected by the four fuselage side plates; The intermediate rotating motor is disposed at the center of the lower fuselage plate; The intermediate rotating motor is fixedly connected to the intermediate rotating motor bracket; One end of each of the two long rotating linkages and the two short rotating linkages is connected to the intermediate rotating motor bracket, and the other end of each is connected to one of the leg structures; The two long rotating linkages are respectively located on one diagonal of the intermediate rotating motor bracket, and the two short rotating linkages are respectively located on the other diagonal of the intermediate rotating motor bracket; The short rotating linkage controls the rotation of the corresponding leg structure through a parallelogram structure, such that the rotation direction of the leg structure is the same as that of the intermediate rotating motor bracket; The long rotating link controls the rotation of the corresponding leg structure through a multi-link structure, such that the rotation direction of the leg structure is opposite to that of the intermediate rotating motor motor bracket; Through the cooperation of the intermediate rotating motor, the intermediate rotating motor motor bracket, the two long rotating links and the two short rotating links, the switching between the walking gait and the crawling gait of the quadruped robot is realized.

[0007] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention at least include: In the embodiment of the present invention, through the cooperation of the intermediate rotating motor, the intermediate rotating motor motor bracket, the two short rotating links and the two short rotating links, the convenient switching between the walking gait and the crawling gait of the quadruped robot is realized, such that the quadruped robot can move flexibly in a narrow space or on special terrains, improving the flexibility of the quadruped robot. Description of the Drawings

[0008] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0009] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a quadruped robot with an integrated crawling and walking variable configuration provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of a leg mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 It is an exploded structural diagram of a leg mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of a fuselage frame provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a front-elbow and rear-knee foot motion configuration provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a front-knee and rear-elbow foot motion configuration provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a full-knee foot motion configuration provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 8Schematic diagram of a full-elbow foot-type motion configuration provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of a crawling motion configuration provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Reference numerals: S1, upper body plate; S2, lower body plate; S3, body side plate; S4, long rotating link; S5, short rotating link; S6, intermediate rotating motor bracket; S7, intermediate rotating motor; T1, hip joint; T11, crawling step switching rotating motor bracket; T12, hip joint motor; T13, hip joint motor bracket; T14, thigh joint motor bracket; T15, thigh joint motor; T16, outer connecting bracket for thigh motor; T17, calf motor; T2, thigh joint; T21, calf motor bracket; T22, thigh housing; T23, long calf link; T24, thigh set screw; T25, thigh plate housing; T26, intermediate small link; T3, calf joint; T31, calf set screw; T32, calf shaft; T33, double-ear calf connecting piece; T34, double-ear calf; T35 and T36, foot end retainer; T37, foot end; K1, first through hole; K2, second through hole; K3, third through hole; K4, fourth through hole; K5, fifth through hole; K6, sixth through hole; K7, seventh through hole. Detailed implementation manners

[0019] The technical solutions in the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. At the same time, it should be noted here that in order to make the embodiments more detailed, the following embodiments are the best and preferred embodiments. For some well-known technologies, those skilled in the art can also adopt other alternative methods for implementation; moreover, the accompanying drawings are only for more specifically describing the embodiments, and are not intended to specifically limit the present invention.

[0020] As Figures 1 to 9 shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a quadruped robot with an integrated crawling step and variable configuration, including: a body joint and four leg structures.

[0021] All four leg structures are rotatably connected to the body joint.

[0022] The body joint includes an upper body plate S1, a lower body plate S2, four body side plates S3, an intermediate rotating motor S7 connected to the body, an intermediate rotating motor bracket S6, two long rotating links S4, and two short rotating links S5.

[0023] The upper body plate S1 and the lower body plate S2 are connected by four body side plates S3.

[0024] The intermediate rotating motor S7 is arranged at the center of the lower body plate S2.

[0025] The intermediate rotating motor S7 is fixedly connected to the intermediate rotating motor bracket S6.

[0026] One end of each of the two long rotating linkages S4 and the two short rotating linkages S5 is connected to the intermediate rotating motor bracket S6, and the other end of each is connected to a leg structure.

[0027] The two long rotating linkages S4 are respectively located on a diagonal of the intermediate rotating motor bracket S6, and the two short rotating linkages S5 are respectively located on the other diagonal of the intermediate rotating motor bracket S6.

[0028] As Figure 4 shown, the short rotating linkage S5 controls the rotation of the corresponding leg structure through a parallelogram structure, so that the rotation direction of the leg structure is the same as that of the intermediate rotating motor bracket S6.

[0029] As Figure 4 shown, the long rotating linkage S4 controls the rotation of the corresponding leg structure through a multi-link structure, so that the rotation direction of the leg structure is opposite to that of the intermediate rotating motor bracket S6.

[0030] Through the cooperation of the intermediate rotating motor S7, the intermediate rotating motor bracket S6, the two long rotating linkages S4 and the two short rotating linkages S5, the switching between the walking gait and the crawling gait of the quadruped robot is realized, greatly improving the adaptability of the quadruped robot to complex terrains.

[0031] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention at least include: In the embodiment of the present invention, through the cooperation of the intermediate rotating motor, the intermediate rotating motor bracket, the two short rotating linkages and the two short rotating linkages, the convenient switching between the walking gait and the crawling gait of the quadruped robot is realized, so that the quadruped robot can move flexibly in a narrow space or on special terrains, improving the flexibility of the quadruped robot.

[0032] In a possible implementation manner, the leg structure includes a hip joint T1, a thigh joint T2 and a calf joint T3.

[0033] The hip joint T1 includes a crawling step switching rotating motor bracket T11, a hip joint motor T12, a hip joint motor bracket T13, a thigh joint motor bracket T14, a thigh joint motor T15, a thigh motor outer connection bracket T16 and a calf motor T17.

[0034] The climbing step switching rotary motor bracket T11 is connected to two long rotary linkages S4 and two short rotary linkages S5. The climbing step switching rotary motor bracket T11 is connected to the fuselage bottom plate S2. The climbing step switching rotary motor bracket T11 is connected to the hip joint motor T12. One end of the hip joint motor T12 is connected to the thigh joint motor T15, and the other end of the hip joint motor T12 is connected to the hip joint motor bracket T13. The hip joint motor bracket T13 is connected to the outer thigh motor connection bracket T16. The thigh joint motor bracket T14 is nested and fixed inside the outer thigh motor connection bracket T16. The outer thigh motor connection bracket T16 is connected to the calf motor T17.

[0035] The thigh joint T2 includes a calf motor bracket T21, a thigh housing T22, a calf long linkage T23, a thigh set screw T24, a thigh plate housing T25, and an intermediate small linkage T26.

[0036] The calf motor T17 is connected to the thigh housing T22. The calf motor bracket T21 is connected to the calf motor T17. The calf motor bracket T21 is connected to the calf long linkage T23 by the thigh set screw T24. One end of the intermediate small linkage T26 is connected to the thigh housing T22, and the other end of the intermediate small linkage T26 is connected to the calf long linkage T23. The thigh housing T22 is connected to the thigh plate housing T25.

[0037] The calf joint T3 includes a calf set screw T31, a calf shaft T32, a double-ear calf link T33, a double-ear calf T34, a foot end retainer T35, T36, and a foot end T37.

[0038] The thigh joint T2 and the calf joint T3 are rotationally connected by the calf set screw T31 and the calf shaft T32. The double-ear calf link T33 is connected to the double-ear calf T34. The double-ear calf T34 is connected to the foot end T37 through the foot end retainers T35, T36.

[0039] Furthermore, the parallelogram structure is composed of the fuselage bottom plate S2, the short rotary linkage S5, and the climbing step switching rotary motor bracket T11. The first through hole K1 and the fourth through hole K4 of the fuselage bottom plate S2 form a set of short sides of the parallelogram structure. The short rotary linkage S5 forms a set of long sides of the parallelogram structure. The second through hole K2 and the third through hole K3 connected by the climbing step switching rotary motor bracket T11 form the other set of short sides of the parallelogram structure.

[0040] Further, the multi-link structure is composed of a fuselage bottom plate S2, a long rotating link S4, and a climbing gait switching rotating motor bracket T11. The first through hole K1 and the fifth through hole K5 of the fuselage bottom plate S2 form the first set of links of the multi-link structure. The long rotating link S4 forms the second set of links of the multi-link structure. The sixth through hole K6 and the seventh through hole K7 connected by the climbing gait switching rotating motor bracket T11 form the third set of links of the multi-link structure.

[0041] In a possible implementation, eight limit blocks are provided on the fuselage bottom plate S2 to limit the rotation angle of the hip joint T1 of the walking gait and the crawling gait.

[0042] In the embodiment of the present invention, the limit blocks can effectively prevent the joints from rotating excessively or causing structural interference, improving the safety and reliability of the mechanical system; at the same time, they can ensure the action consistency and accuracy during the posture switching process, avoid abnormal gaits or energy waste, and help improve the running stability and control accuracy of the quadruped robot in complex environments.

[0043] In a possible implementation, the foot end T37 is made of rubber.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present invention, designing the foot end T37 to be made of rubber can significantly improve the grip and friction of the quadruped robot on various terrain surfaces, effectively prevent slipping, and enhance the stability and safety during walking and crawling; at the same time, rubber has good shock absorption and buffering properties, which can reduce the impact of mechanical vibration on the structure and electronic components, extend the service life, and improve the environmental adaptability and motion smoothness of the robot on rough, slippery or fragile ground.

[0045] In a possible implementation, the walking gait includes a full-knee motion configuration, a full-elbow motion configuration, a front-knee rear-elbow motion configuration, and a front-elbow rear-knee motion configuration.

[0046] Optionally, when the quadruped robot is in the full-knee motion configuration, the left front leg, the right front leg, the left hind leg, and the right hind leg simultaneously bend forward at the knees. This configuration has high balance and strong adaptability, extremely high stability, can adapt to various terrains, and can also carry out load handling scenarios.

[0047] When the quadruped robot is in the full-elbow motion configuration, the left front leg, the right front leg, the left hind leg, and the right hind leg simultaneously bend backward at the knees. This configuration has the characteristic of a compact configuration, greatly avoiding collisions with obstacles in front of it, being able to adapt to specific gaits and tasks. The center of this configuration of the robot is biased forward, suitable for scenarios such as slope climbing and stair climbing.

[0048] When the quadruped robot is in the front-knee-and-rear-elbow motion configuration, the left front leg and the right front leg bend forward at the knees simultaneously, and the left rear leg and the right rear leg bend backward at the knees simultaneously. This configuration runs relatively smoothly, has the effects of high load capacity and high energy efficiency, is suitable for application scenarios of carrying loads while walking, and can ensure the long-term stable operation of a quadruped robot with a variable configuration that combines crawling and stepping.

[0049] When the quadruped robot is in the front-elbow-and-rear-knee motion configuration, the left front leg and the right front leg bend backward at the knees simultaneously, and the left rear leg and the right rear leg bend forward at the knees simultaneously. This configuration has high mobility and good buffering effects, and is suitable for complex terrains and situations that require running.

[0050] In a possible implementation, the crawling gait includes a crawling motion configuration.

[0051] Optionally, when the quadruped robot is in the crawling motion configuration, the rotation of the intermediate rotation motor bracket S6 is driven by the intermediate rotation motor S7. The intermediate rotation motor bracket S6 drives the crawling step switching motor bracket T11 through two long rotation linkages S4 and two short rotation linkages S5 to control the rotation of the leg structure, so that the leg structures located directly in front of and behind the fuselage rotate to the sides of the fuselage for crawling. The crawling motion configuration can lower the center of gravity of the robot, improve stability, and is suitable for advancing in rough terrains such as gravel, mud, and narrow passages. Compared with high-gait walking, the crawling gait can reduce the additional energy consumption caused by lifting the legs in some cases, especially in tasks that require stable climbing or maintaining a low-speed and uniform forward movement for a long time. The crawling structure can also reduce the overall height of the robot, enabling it to enter narrow environments such as pipes, caves, and building ruins.

[0052] Furthermore, when the quadruped robot enters the crawling motion configuration, it can adjust the gait and stride to adapt to different environments, and can even achieve static walking. It can also adjust the center of gravity of the fuselage at any time, greatly enhancing the stability of the fuselage and having a relatively high robustness. The quadruped robot adopts a symmetric leg structure design. By precisely controlling the alternating landing timing of the foot ends, combining the multi-leg cooperative support strategy and the intelligent planning of the landing points, it can achieve the obstacle-crossing function. Its modular leg configuration supports smooth and rapid switching, can adapt to the requirements of different application scenarios, and has multi-modal motion capabilities such as walking, running, and crawling, demonstrating excellent maneuverability and environmental adaptability in complex terrain environments.

[0053] In a possible implementation, a multi-parallelogram structure composed of a calf motor bracket T21, a calf long linkage T23, an intermediate small linkage T26, a calf setscrew T31, a calf shaft T32, a double-ear calf link T33, and a double-ear calf T34 is used to enable the quadruped robot to switch between various motion configurations.

[0054] Furthermore, the thigh rotation joint can achieve a 360° rotation. By using the rotation of the calf motor T17 as the driving force to achieve an approximate 310° deflection of the calf joint, the quadruped robot can more easily pass through the singular points of the parallel four-bar mechanism. The four leg structures can be rotated by 90° through the intermediate rotation motor installed on the fuselage bottom plate, and there are limit structures on the fuselage bottom plate, which can stop the rotation of the leg structures after rotating to the specified position, that is, the required crawling structure. Compared with the general quadruped robots with parallel four-bar structures, it has strong innovation. When the robot faces more extreme and complex terrain changes, it provides a variety of different operation modes and improves the passing ability of the robot in various environments.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present invention, a new transmission mode of multi-parallelogram transmission is adopted inside the thigh joint, which can make the quadruped robot more easily pass through the singular points of the parallel four-bar mechanism in the thigh joint; moreover, according to the connection of the parallel four-bar and cross four-bar of the intermediate rotation motor bracket and the crawling step switching rotation motor bracket inside the fuselage frame, a quadruped robot with an integrated crawling step variable configuration can use only one motor to switch between walking gait and crawling gait, which has strong innovation compared with the general quadruped robots with parallel four-bar structures.

[0056] The present invention covers any substitutions, modifications, equivalent methods and solutions made within the essence and scope of the present invention. In order to enable the public to have a thorough understanding of the present invention, specific details are described in detail in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can fully understand the present invention without the description of these details. In addition, in order to avoid unnecessary confusion to the essence of the present invention, well-known methods, processes, procedures, components and circuits are not described in detail.

[0057] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of the present invention, several improvements and refinements can be made, and these improvements and refinements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A quadruped robot with a variable configuration that can crawl and walk, characterized in that: include: Fuselage joints and four leg structures; The four leg structures are all rotatably connected to the fuselage joint; The fuselage joint comprises an upper fuselage plate, a bottom fuselage plate, four fuselage side plates, an intermediate rotating motor connected to the fuselage, a motor bracket of the intermediate rotating motor, two long rotating connecting rods and two short rotating connecting rods; The upper fuselage plate is connected to the bottom fuselage plate via four fuselage side plates; The intermediate rotary motor is arranged at the center of the fuselage bottom plate; The intermediate rotating motor is fixedly connected to the intermediate rotating motor motor bracket; One end of the two long rotating links and the two short rotating links are connected to the motor bracket of the intermediate rotating motor, and the other end is connected to one of the leg structures; The two long rotating connecting rods are respectively located at one diagonal corner of the motor bracket of the intermediate rotating motor, and the two short rotating connecting rods are respectively located at the other diagonal corner of the motor bracket of the intermediate rotating motor; The short rotating link controls the rotation of the corresponding leg structure through a parallelogram structure, so that the leg structure and the motor bracket of the intermediate rotating motor have the same rotation direction; The long rotating link controls the corresponding leg structure to rotate through a multi-link structure, so that the leg structure rotates in the opposite direction to the motor bracket of the intermediate rotating motor; The switching between the walking gait and the crawling gait of the quadruped robot is achieved through the cooperation of the intermediate rotary motor, the intermediate rotary motor motor bracket, the two long rotary connecting rods and the two short rotary connecting rods.

2. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration of crawling and walking according to claim 1, characterized in that: The leg structure includes a hip joint, a thigh joint and a calf joint; The hip joint comprises a climbing switching rotation motor bracket, a hip joint motor, a hip joint motor bracket, a thigh joint motor bracket, a thigh joint motor, a thigh motor outer side connection bracket and a calf motor; The climbing switching rotating motor bracket is connected to the two long rotating connecting rods and the two short rotating connecting rods, the climbing switching rotating motor bracket is connected to the fuselage bottom plate, the climbing switching rotating motor bracket is connected to the hip joint motor, one end of the hip joint motor is connected to the thigh joint motor, the other end of the hip joint motor is connected to the hip joint motor bracket, the hip joint motor bracket is connected to the outer connecting bracket of the thigh motor, the thigh joint motor bracket is nested and fixed in the outer connecting bracket of the thigh motor, and the outer connecting bracket of the thigh motor is connected to the calf motor; The thigh joint includes a calf motor bracket, a thigh shell, a calf long connecting rod, a thigh plug screw, a thigh plate shell and a middle small connecting rod; The calf motor is connected to the thigh shell, the calf motor bracket is connected to the calf motor, the calf motor bracket is connected to the calf long connecting rod through the thigh plug screw, one end of the middle small connecting rod is connected to the thigh shell, the other end of the middle small connecting rod is connected to the calf long connecting rod, and the thigh shell is connected to the thigh plate shell; The calf joint comprises a calf plug screw, a calf shaft, a double-ear calf link, a double-ear calf, a foot end baffle and a foot end; The thigh joint and the calf joint are rotationally connected to the calf shaft through the calf plug screw, the double-ear calf link is connected to the double-ear calf, and the double-ear calf is connected to the foot end through the foot end baffle.

3. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration of crawling and walking according to claim 2, characterized in that: The parallelogram structure is composed of the fuselage bottom plate, the short rotating connecting rod and the climbing switching rotating motor bracket. The first through hole and the fourth through hole of the fuselage bottom plate form a group of short sides of the parallelogram structure, the short rotating connecting rod constitutes a group of long sides of the parallelogram structure, and the second through hole and the third through hole connected by the climbing switching rotating motor bracket form another group of short sides of the parallelogram structure.

4. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration of crawling and walking according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multi-link structure is composed of the fuselage base plate, the long rotating link and the climbing switching rotating motor bracket. The first through hole and the fifth through hole of the fuselage base plate form a first group of links of the multi-link structure, the long rotating link constitutes a second group of links of the multi-link structure, and the sixth through hole and the seventh through hole connected by the climbing switching rotating motor bracket form a third group of links of the multi-link structure.

5. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration of crawling and walking according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom plate of the fuselage is provided with eight limiting blocks for limiting the rotation angle of the hip joint in the walking gait and the crawling gait.

6. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration that can crawl and walk as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The foot end is made of rubber.

7. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration of crawling and walking according to claim 2, characterized in that: The walking gait includes a full knee motion configuration, a full elbow motion configuration, a front knee and back elbow motion configuration, and a front elbow and back knee motion configuration; the crawling gait includes a crawling motion configuration.

8. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration that can crawl and walk as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The quadruped robot can switch between various motion configurations through the multi-parallelogram structure formed by the calf motor bracket, the calf long connecting rod, the middle small connecting rod, the calf plug screw, the calf shaft, the double-ear calf connecting piece and the double-ear calf.

9. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration that can crawl and walk as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: When the quadruped robot is in the full-knee motion configuration, the left front leg, the right front leg, the left hind leg and the right hind leg simultaneously bend forward; When the quadruped robot is in the full elbow motion configuration, the left front leg, the right front leg, the left hind leg and the right hind leg simultaneously bend backwards; When the quadruped robot is in the front knee and back elbow motion configuration, the left front leg and the right front leg simultaneously bend forward, and the left hind leg and the right hind leg simultaneously bend backward; When the quadruped robot is in the front elbow and back knee motion configuration, the left front leg and the right front leg simultaneously bend their knees backward, and the left back leg and the right back leg simultaneously bend their knees forward.

10. The quadruped robot with a variable configuration that can crawl and walk as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: When the quadruped robot is in the crawling motion configuration, the intermediate rotary motor drives the rotation of the intermediate rotary motor motor bracket, and the intermediate rotary motor motor bracket drives the crawling switching rotary motor bracket through the two long rotary links and the two short rotary links to control the rotation of the leg structure, so that the leg structure located in front and behind the fuselage rotates to the side of the fuselage for crawling.

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