Spring jumping type flapping-wing flying robot and robot movement method

Abstract

The invention discloses a spring jumping type flapping-wing flying robot and a robot movement method, and belongs to the technical field of robots. The flying robot comprises a jumping mechanism, a flying mechanism and a control module; the jumping mechanism comprises a jumping rack, a driving device I, a series elastic actuator and a parallel elastic leg; the series elastic actuator comprises an input small gear, a speed reduction large gear, an output gear pair, a torsion spring and a transmission shaft. The parallel elastic legs comprise connecting rod assemblies and linear springs, and the flying mechanism is installed on the jumping rack to achieve flying of the robot. The control module is installed on the jumping rack and used for controlling the jumping mechanism and the flight mechanism to work cooperatively. The method comprises an energy storage process, a push-off process and a flight process. According to the invention, the jumping action is utilized to assist the flapping wing to take off, so that jumping and flying are carried out synergistically, the flexibility and motion ability of the robot are improved, and the adaptability and application value of the robot to complex scenes are further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot and a motion method, and particularly to a spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot and a robot motion method. It belongs to the technical field of flying robots. Background Art

[0002] With the increase of human activities in some special fields such as military operations, post-disaster rescue, interstellar exploration, and archaeological research, the application environment of robots has deviated from the original single and structured environment. Adapting to complex and unstructured environments has gradually become the development trend of future robots. This requires future robots to have better ground adaptability and autonomous motion ability, stronger obstacle-crossing performance, and faster risk-avoiding ability in order to be applied to complex and unpredictable environments.

[0003] For different application scenarios, amphibious robots with ground movement and aerial flight capabilities can adapt to complex environments and perform different tasks. They can move smoothly on the ground and also switch to a flight motion mode, take off without being restricted by terrain, and quickly reach the task location. They are particularly suitable for tasks such as complex environment detection, high-altitude rescue, and material transportation.

[0004] Currently, most amphibious robots mainly adopt the combination of rotors and wheeled movement, which can independently achieve flight and ground movement. However, the wheeled mobile platform has poor adaptability on complex terrains, and conventional propellers are relatively large in volume under large loads, which limits the activity space and flexibility of the robot. Therefore, a power source with a small volume and high thrust-to-weight ratio is needed. At the same time, the current mode switching mainly relies on manual control or direct instructions, and the flight and ground modes are independent of each other, resulting in resource waste and performance limitations.

[0005] In summary, how to further improve the adaptability and motion ability of robots to complex scenarios has become an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot and a robot motion method to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art. The robot uses jumping actions to assist flapping-wing takeoff, enabling jumping and flying to work together, improving the flexibility and motion ability of the robot, and further enhancing the adaptability and application value of the robot to complex scenarios.

[0007] A spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot includes a jumping mechanism, a flying mechanism, and a control module; the jumping mechanism includes a jumping frame, a driving device I, a series elastic actuator, and a parallel elastic leg;

[0008] The series elastic actuator includes an input pinion, a reduction gear, an output gear pair, a torsion spring, and a transmission shaft; the driving device I is installed on the jumping frame, the input pinion is driven by the driving device I, the reduction gear is installed on the transmission shaft, the transmission shaft is rotatably arranged on the jumping frame, the input pinion meshes with the reduction gear, one gear of the output gear pair is rotatably installed on the transmission shaft, the other gear of the output gear pair is rotatably installed on the jumping frame, the torsion spring is sleeved on the transmission shaft, one end of the torsion spring is installed on the said one gear of the output gear pair, and the other end of the torsion spring is installed on the transmission shaft;

[0009] The parallel elastic leg includes a link assembly and a linear spring. The link assembly includes rod a, rod b, rod c, rod d, and a foot; one ends of rod b and rod c are fixed to the two gears of the output gear pair. Both ends of rod a are hinged to rod b and the foot respectively. Both ends of rod d are hinged to rod c and the foot respectively. Both ends of the linear spring are connected to the hinge points of rod b and rod a and the hinge points of rod c and rod d respectively; the flight mechanism is installed on the jumping frame to realize the flight of the robot; the control module is installed on the jumping frame and is used to control the coordinated work of the jumping mechanism and the flight mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, the flight mechanism includes a driving device II, wings, and a tail wing. The driving device II includes a motor, a crank, a connecting rod, an incomplete gear I, and an incomplete gear II; the flight frame is installed on the jumping frame, the motor is installed on the flight frame, the flight frame is installed on the jumping frame, the crank is installed on the output shaft of the motor, one end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the crank, the other end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the incomplete gear II, the incomplete gear II and the incomplete gear I are respectively rotatably arranged on the flight frame, the incomplete gear II meshes with the incomplete gear I, the wings are installed on the incomplete gear I and the incomplete gear II, and the tail wing is installed on the flight frame.

[0011] Based on the above-mentioned spring jumping flapping-wing flying robot, a robot motion method is provided, which includes the following processes:

[0012] (1) Energy storage process

[0013] At the beginning, the micro reduction motor runs counterclockwise to load the torsion spring until the torque of the torsion spring matches the reverse torque jointly exerted by the initial linear spring and the gravity of the whole machine. At this time, rod b and rod c start to rotate. Since the slope of the torque of the torsion spring is less than the slope of the reverse torque of the linear spring and gravity, and their values are always equal. At this time, rod b and rod c rotate to maintain dynamic balance. Without increasing the input torque, the micro reduction motor continuously works to store elastic energy;

[0014] (2) Pushing-off process

[0015] When the slope of the torsional spring torque is equal to the slopes of the linear spring and the gravity counter-torque, a slight rotation of the output shaft of the micro reduction motor can break the torque balance and trigger the push-off. During the push-off process, the link assembly spontaneously extends. First, as the link assembly extends, the energy stored in the torsional spring begins to be released, but the linear spring continues to store energy until rods a and c are collinear, at which point the energy stored in both springs is released, further accelerating. Finally, when the reaction force of the foot against the ground is zero, the robot jumps off the ground;

[0016] (3) Flight process

[0017] When the robot reaches the highest point off the ground, the motor starts, driving the crank to rotate, causing the incomplete gear II to rotate through the link. The incomplete gear I meshes with the incomplete gear II, and the alternating meshing of the two incomplete gears causes the wings to generate periodic symmetric flapping, achieving continuous lift and thrust through aerodynamic effects to assist the robot in flying off the ground.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0019] The present invention adopts a series elastic actuator design, introducing a torsional spring between the motor output and the link assembly, which can effectively store and release energy. The robot can release a large amount of energy in a short time, thus significantly improving the power density of the jump and achieving higher jumping performance. This energy storage and release mechanism enables the robot to flexibly respond in a variety of complex environments, demonstrating excellent mobility and site adaptability.

[0020] At the same time, the robot is designed with parallel elastic legs in the leg part. This latchless jumping mechanism can absorb the fluctuations of dynamic loads by configuring linear springs at the hinge joints of the links. During the jumping process, the force borne by the robot may change instantaneously, and traditional latch mechanisms often lead to stepwise mutations of the force, thus bringing mechanical shocks. Through this parallel elastic design, mechanical shocks can be significantly reduced, the reliability of the structure can be improved, and the service life of the robot can be extended. These series of innovative designs enable this spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot to demonstrate excellent performance in various application scenarios.

[0021] The research on the land-air collaborative movement of the present invention has important value and can significantly improve the movement ability of the robot.

[0022] The following further illustrates the application solution with reference to the drawings and embodiments: Description of the Drawings

[0023] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional view of the flapping-wing flying robot of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2A perspective view of the jumping mechanism in the forward view direction

[0025] Figure 3 A perspective view of the jumping mechanism in another direction

[0026] Figure 4 A perspective view of the jumping mechanism in the rear view direction

[0027] Figure 5 A perspective view of the flying mechanism in one direction

[0028] Figure 6 A perspective view of the flying mechanism in another direction

[0029] Accompanying drawings: A. Jumping mechanism, 1. Rod a, 2. Linear spring, 3. Jumping frame, 4. Rod b, 5. Driving device I, 6. Control module, 7. Connecting piece, 8. Connecting rod, 9. Bolt, 10. Incomplete gear I, 11. Membrane skin, 12. Incomplete gear II, 13. Skeleton, 14. Flying frame, 15. Tail fin, 16. Motor, 17. Crank, 18. Input pinion, 19. Transmission shaft, 20. Reducing large gear, 21. Torsion spring, 22. Rod c, 23. Output gear pair, 24. Rod d, 25. Support leg, B. Flying mechanism Detailed implementation manners

[0030] The embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the technical terms or scientific terms used in this application have the ordinary meanings understood by those skilled in the art

[0031] Refer to Figures 1-4 , a spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot provided in this implementation manner includes a jumping mechanism A, a flying mechanism B and a control module 6; the jumping mechanism A includes a jumping frame 3, a driving device I 5, a series elastic actuator and a parallel elastic leg

[0032] The series elastic actuator includes an input pinion 18, a reducing large gear 20, an output gear pair 23, a torsion spring 21 and a transmission shaft 19; the driving device I 5 is installed on the jumping frame 3, the input pinion 18 is driven by the driving device I 5, the reducing large gear 20 is installed on the transmission shaft 19, the transmission shaft 19 is rotatably arranged on the jumping frame 3, the input pinion 18 meshes with the reducing large gear 20, one gear of the output gear pair 23 is rotatably installed on the transmission shaft 19, the other gear of the output gear pair 23 is rotatably installed on the jumping frame 3, the torsion spring 21 is sleeved on the transmission shaft 19, one end of the torsion spring 21 is installed on the said one gear of the output gear pair 23, and the other end of the torsion spring 21 is installed on the transmission shaft 19

[0033] The parallel elastic legs include a link assembly and a linear spring 2. The linear spring 2 is an elastic element of the robot and is used for storing energy for jumping. The link assembly includes rod a1, rod b4, rod c22, rod d24, and a foot 25. One end of rod b4 and rod c22 is fixed to two gears of the output gear pair 23. Both ends of rod a1 are hinged to rod b4 and the foot 25 respectively. Both ends of rod d24 are hinged to rod c22 and the foot 25 respectively. Both ends of the linear spring 2 are connected to the hinge joint of rod b4 and rod a1 and the hinge joint of rod c22 and rod d24 respectively. The foot 25 is used to provide physical support to ensure that the robot remains stable during movement or rest, preventing tipping or loss of balance, and is hinged to rod a1 and rod c22 respectively.

[0034] The flight mechanism B is installed on the jumping frame 3 to enable the robot to fly.

[0035] The control module 6 is installed on the jumping frame 3 and is used to control the coordinated operation of the jumping mechanism A and the flight mechanism B.

[0036] The driving device I5 is a micro reduction motor. The control module 6 is a circuit board. The micro reduction motor I5 is installed on the jumping frame 3, and the positive and negative wires of the micro reduction motor I5 are connected to the circuit board.

[0037] In the embodiment, the input pinion 18 is in D-shaped hole fit with the output shaft of the micro reduction motor 5 to transmit torque, and the tooth surface part meshes with the reduction gear 20. After the torque is amplified by the reduction gear 20, it is transmitted to the output gear pair 23 through the transmission shaft 19 and the torsion spring 21 in sequence to transmit the torque output by the micro reduction motor 5. In the design of the flight structure, the robot adopts a rod-gear compound mechanism. This design is not only simple in structure, high in efficiency and light in weight, but also effectively overcomes the problem of asymmetric flapping flight of the traditional single crank double rocker. This symmetry enhances the stability of the robot's flapping in the air, makes the flight more stable and controllable, reduces unnecessary energy loss during flight, and finally improves the overall flight efficiency.

[0038] Further, referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the flight mechanism B includes a driving device II, wings, and a tail fin 15.

[0039] The drive device II includes a motor 16, a crank 17, a connecting rod 8, an incomplete gear I 10, and an incomplete gear II 12; the flight frame 14 is mounted on the jumping frame 3, the motor 16 is mounted on the flight frame 14, and the flight frame 14 serves as the base of the flying part of the robot and cooperates with multiple parts. The flight frame 14 is mounted on the jumping frame 3, the crank 17 is mounted on the output shaft of the motor 16, one end of the connecting rod 8 is rotatably connected to the crank 17, and the other end of the connecting rod 8 is rotatably connected to the incomplete gear II 12. The incomplete gear II 12 and the incomplete gear I 10 are respectively rotatably arranged on the flight frame 14, the incomplete gear II 12 and the incomplete gear I 10 are engaged, and the wings are mounted on the incomplete gear I 10 and the incomplete gear II 12, and the tail fin 15 is mounted on the flight frame 14.

[0040] The motor 16 is a brushless motor. The circuit board is fixed to the jumping frame 3 and is located directly above the cross beam of the jumping frame 3, connecting the positive and negative wires of the micro reduction motor 5, the three-phase wires of the brushless motor 16, and an external power supply to drive and control the micro reduction motor 5 and the brushless motor 16. The drive motor types of the robot use small brushless motors and micro reduction motors, which have the advantages of high torque density, strong overload capacity, stable operation, and very long service life.

[0041] The wings include a skeleton 13 (such as made of carbon fiber) and a thin film skin 11 (such as made of polyester); the skeleton 13 is mounted on the incomplete gear I 10 and the incomplete gear II 12 to provide rigid support for the wings, and the thin film skin 11 is laid on the skeleton 13.

[0042] For example: the crank 17 is fixed on the output shaft of the brushless motor 16, one end of the connecting rod 8 is connected to the crank 17 through a hinge, and the other end is rotatably connected to the incomplete gear II 12 through a bolt 9. The incomplete gear II 12 and the incomplete gear I 10 are mounted on the flight frame 14 and can rotate around their respective central axes and are engaged with each other.

[0043] For example: the skeleton 13 is directly inserted into the protruding ends of the incomplete gear I 10 and the incomplete gear II 12, the polyester thin film skin is adhered to the carbon fiber skeleton through glue, and the tail fin 15 (such as a V-shaped tail fin, which provides stability in the pitch and yaw directions. Adhered to the flight frame 14 through glue) is directly mounted on the end of the flight frame 14.

[0044] The jumping mechanism A and the flying mechanism B are mechanically coupled through a connecting piece 7, and the connecting piece 7 is respectively bolted to the jumping mechanism A and the flying mechanism B.

[0045] Specifically, the materials of the jumping frame 3 and the flying frame 14 are carbon fiber. The materials of the output gear pair 23, the incomplete gear I 10, the incomplete gear II 12, and the support feet 25 are nylon. Each component of the robot uses high-strength-to-weight-ratio materials such as carbon fiber and nylon. At the same time, each structural member has been optimized through static analysis and hollowing to reduce weight. Under the goal of the best strength-to-weight ratio, the weight is reduced by more than 30%, resulting in better jumping-flying performance.

[0046] Referring to Figures 1-6 , based on the above flapping-wing flying robot, a method for the jumping and flying motion of the robot is also provided. The motion method includes the following processes:

[0047] (1) Energy storage process

[0048] At the beginning, the micro reduction motor runs counterclockwise to load the torsion spring 21 until the torque of the torsion spring 21 matches the counter torque jointly exerted by the initial linear spring 2 and the gravity of the whole machine. At this time, the rod b4 and the rod c22 start to rotate. Since the slope of the torque of the torsion spring 21 is less than the slope of the counter torque of the linear spring 2 and gravity, and the values of the two are always equal, at this time, the rod b4 and the rod c22 rotate to maintain dynamic balance. Without increasing the input torque, the micro reduction motor 5 continuously operates to store elastic energy;

[0049] (2) Pushing-off process

[0050] When the slope of the torque of the torsion spring 21 is equal to the slope of the counter torque of the linear spring 2 and gravity, the micro rotation of the output shaft of the micro reduction motor 5 can break the torque balance and trigger the pushing-off. During the pushing-off process, the connecting rod assembly spontaneously extends. First, as the connecting rod assembly extends, the energy stored in the torsion spring 21 starts to be released, but the linear spring 2 continues to store energy until the rod a4 and the rod c22 are collinear. At this time, the energy stored in both springs is released, further accelerating. Finally, when the reaction force of the support feet 25 on the ground is zero, the robot jumps off the ground;

[0051] (3) Flying process

[0052] When the robot reaches the highest point off the ground, the motor 16 rotates to drive the crank 17 to rotate. Through the connecting rod 8, the incomplete gear II 12 is rotated. The incomplete gear I 10 meshes with the incomplete gear II 12. The alternating meshing of the two incomplete gears causes the wings to produce periodic symmetric flapping, achieving continuous lift and thrust through aerodynamic effects to assist the robot in flying off the ground.

[0053] The present invention has been disclosed above in preferred embodiments. However, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the relevant art can make some modifications or variations within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention by using the disclosed structure and technical content, and such equivalent embodiments shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot, characterized in that: It comprises a jumping mechanism (A), a flying mechanism (B) and a control module (6); the jumping mechanism (A) comprises a jumping frame (3), a driving device I (5), a series elastic actuator and a parallel elastic leg; The series elastic actuator comprises an input pinion (18), a reduction gear (20), an output gear pair (23), a torsion spring (21) and a transmission shaft (19); the driving device I (5) is installed on the jumping frame (3), the input pinion (18) is driven by the driving device I (5), the reduction gear (20) is installed on the transmission shaft (19), the transmission shaft (19) is rotatably arranged on the jumping frame (3), the input pinion (18) is meshed with the reduction gear (20), one gear of the output gear pair (23) is rotatably installed on the transmission shaft (19), the other gear of the output gear pair (23) is rotatably installed on the jumping frame (3), the torsion spring (21) is sleeved on the transmission shaft (19), one end of the torsion spring (21) is installed on the one gear of the output gear pair (23), and the other end of the torsion spring (21) is installed on the transmission shaft (19); The parallel elastic leg comprises a connecting rod assembly and a linear spring (2), wherein the connecting rod assembly comprises a rod a (1), a rod b (4), a rod c (22), a rod d (24) and a support foot (25); one end of the rod b (4) and the rod c (22) are fixed to two gears of the output gear pair (23), the two ends of the rod a (1) are respectively hinged to the rod b (4) and the support foot (25), the two ends of the rod d (24) are respectively hinged to the rod c (22) and the support foot (25), and the two ends of the linear spring (2) are respectively connected to the hinge between the rod b (4) and the rod a (1) and the hinge between the rod c (22) and the rod d (24); The flight mechanism (B) is installed on the jumping frame (3) to realize the flight of the robot; The control module (6) is installed on the jumping frame (3) and is used to control the jumping mechanism and the flying mechanism to work in coordination.

2. The spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flying mechanism (B) comprises a driving device II, wings and a tail (15). The driving device II comprises a motor (16), a crank (17), a connecting rod (8), an incomplete gear I (10) and an incomplete gear II (12); the flying frame (14) is mounted on the jumping frame (3), the motor (16) is mounted on the flying frame (14), the flying frame (14) is mounted on the jumping frame (3), the crank (17) is mounted on the output shaft of the motor (16), one end of the connecting rod (8) is rotatably connected to the crank (17), the other end of the connecting rod (8) is rotatably connected to the incomplete gear II (12), the incomplete gear II (12) and the incomplete gear I (10) are rotatably arranged on the flying frame (14), the incomplete gear II (12) and the incomplete gear I (10) are meshed, the wing is mounted on the incomplete gear I (10) and the incomplete gear II (12), and the tail (15) is mounted on the flying frame (14).

3. The spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wing comprises a frame (13) and a thin film skin (11); the frame (13) is installed on an incomplete gear I (10) and an incomplete gear II (12), and the thin film skin (11) is laid on the frame (13).

4. The spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving device I (5) is a micro reduction motor.

5. The spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The motor (16) is a brushless motor.

6. The spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control module (6) is a circuit board that drives and controls the micro reduction motor (5) and the brushless motor (16).

7. The spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The jumping frame (3) and the flying frame (14) are made of carbon fiber.

8. The spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The output gear pair (23), the incomplete gear I (10), the incomplete gear II (12) and the support foot (25) are made of nylon.

9. A robot motion method, characterized in that: The method is based on the spring-jumping flapping-wing flying robot according to claim 5, and the movement method comprises the following process: (1) Energy storage process At the beginning, the micro reduction motor runs counterclockwise, loading the torsion spring (21) until the torque of the torsion spring (21) matches the counter torque of the initial linear spring (2) and the gravity of the whole machine. At this time, the rod b (4) and the rod c (22) begin to rotate. Since the slope of the torque of the torsion spring (21) is smaller than the slope of the linear spring (2) and the counter torque of gravity, the values ​​of the two are always equal. At this time, the rotation of the rod b (4) and the rod c (22) maintains dynamic balance. In the case of no increase in input torque, the micro reduction motor (5) continues to work to store elastic energy. (2) Push-off process When the slope of the torque of the torsion spring (21) is equal to the slope of the linear spring (2) and the gravity counter-torque, the micro-rotation of the output shaft of the micro-reduction motor (5) can break the torque balance and trigger the push-off. During the push-off process, the connecting rod assembly extends spontaneously. First, as the connecting rod assembly extends, the energy stored in the torsion spring (21) begins to be released, but the linear spring (2) continues to store energy until the rod a (4) and the rod c (22) are collinear. The energy stored in the two springs is released, further accelerating. Finally, when the reaction force between the support foot (25) and the ground is zero, the robot jumps off the ground. (3) Flight process When the robot leaves the ground and reaches the highest point, the motor (16) starts, driving the crank (17) to rotate, and the incomplete gear II (12) is rotated through the connecting rod (8), and the incomplete gear I (10) is meshed with the incomplete gear II (12). The alternating meshing of the two incomplete gears causes the wings to flap periodically and symmetrically, and continuous lift and thrust are achieved through aerodynamic effects, thereby helping the robot to fly off the ground.

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