Multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of underwater robots, discloses a multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot, and solves the problems that in the process of salvaging sediments by an underwater rescue robot, as the sediments are accumulated on a machine body, the overall weight of the machine body is increased, and an impeller for controlling the robot to lift needs to increase power to balance the excessive weight, so that the energy consumption of the robot is increased, and the service life of the robot is prolonged. The problems that the weight of a rack is increased and the energy consumption of the robot is increased due to the fact that the overall weight of the rack is increased due to the fact that the load salvages the sediment, and the service life of the robot is prolonged are solved, the buoyancy assembly expanded through inflation generates buoyancy underwater, gravity burden caused by sediment storage in a basket is counteracted, and the suspension state of the robot in water can be guaranteed by keeping an impeller to operate at the original power. And the endurance time is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater robots, and particularly to a multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot. Background Art

[0002] Underwater emergency rescue robots are mainly used to perform rescue tasks in underwater environments, such as searching for drowning persons and salvaging sunken objects.

[0003] As Figure 1 shown, the underwater rescue robot (hereinafter referred to as the robot) moves underwater through the control of impellers arranged at multiple different angles, and each impeller is independently controlled by a separate motor; while the rescue task is completed by a manipulator on one side; for positioning, navigation, vision, and sonar detection, corresponding unit modules are used for control; among them, the body weight of the robot can sink into the water and be in a suspended state statically, so that all impellers can dive into the water, facilitating diving.

[0004] For the robot, turning underwater is controlled by the cooperation of multiple impellers in a plane, and the underwater lifting is controlled by an additional vertically arranged impeller; when salvaging sunken objects with the robot, the sunken objects are temporarily stored in a collection box on the body, but the weight of the sunken objects also becomes part of the overall weight of the robot. This phenomenon causes the impeller controlling the lifting of the robot to constantly overcome this part of the gravity, increasing the load, further increasing the energy consumption, and shortening the battery life of the robot. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot, which solves the problem that when the underwater rescue robot salvages sunken objects, as the sunken objects accumulate on the body, the overall weight of the body becomes larger, and the impeller controlling the lifting of the robot needs to increase power to balance the extra weight, resulting in increased energy consumption of the robot and shortened battery life.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot, comprising:

[0007] A frame equipped with impellers and a manipulator;

[0008] An assembly plate assembled on the upper side of the frame, with baskets hung on both sides of the assembly plate;

[0009] A balance mechanism for increasing buoyancy is assembled on the upper side of the assembly plate, and the balance mechanism includes a buoyancy component. The buoyancy component includes a bottom plate movably assembled on the assembly plate and an airbag connected to the upper side of the bottom plate;

[0010] The balance mechanism further includes an air injection unit for injecting air into the airbag against water pressure; an exhaust unit for discharging the gas in the airbag; and a locking unit for movably locking the bottom plate above the assembly plate.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution: a second assembly cavity for assembling the buoyancy assembly is centrally opened on the upper side of the assembly plate, and first assembly cavities for assembling the air injection unit, the exhaust unit, and the locking unit are distributed on both sides of the second assembly cavity. A flip cover that rotates and opens is provided on the upper side of the assembly plate. An extending groove corresponding to the second assembly cavity is opened on the upper side of the flip cover, and a hook for hanging a basket is provided on the side of the flip cover.

[0012] As a further description of the above technical solution: the air injection unit includes a storage tank and a booster air pump arranged in the first assembly cavity. A solenoid valve A is provided at the output end of the storage tank, and the solenoid valve A is connected to the input end of the booster air pump through a connecting pipe.

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution: the output end of the booster air pump is connected with an air delivery base through a pipeline. The air delivery base is fixedly assembled on the bottom surface of the second assembly cavity. The inside of the air delivery base is hollow, and the air delivery base is docked with the bottom plate through a luer connector.

[0014] As a further description of the above technical solution: the male port of the luer connector is arranged on the upper side of the air delivery base, and the female port is arranged inside the bottom plate. The female port communicates with the inside of the airbag.

[0015] As a further description of the above technical solution: the exhaust unit includes another air delivery base fixedly assembled on the bottom surface of the second assembly cavity. The air delivery base is docked with the bottom plate through a corresponding luer connector. A solenoid valve B is connected to one side of the air delivery base, and the output end of the solenoid valve B is communicated to the outside of the assembly plate through a pipeline.

[0016] As a further description of the above technical solution: the locking unit includes an electric telescopic lock fixed on the side wall of the second assembly cavity. One side of the electric telescopic lock has a lock column that telescopically moves electrically. It also includes a lock hole opened on one side of the bottom plate, and the lock column is correspondingly fitted into the lock hole.

[0017] As a further description of the above technical solution: a suspension rope is connected to the side of the bottom plate. The suspension rope bypasses the upper surface of the flip cover and is connected to the basket.

[0018] As a further description of the above technical solution: a top plate is fixedly connected to the upper side of the airbag. A plurality of guide rings are provided at the edge of the top plate. A plurality of guide rods corresponding to the plurality of guide rings one by one are fixedly assembled on the upper surface of the flip cover. The guide rings slide on the surface of the guide rods.

[0019] As a further description of the above technical solution: a tension spring for pulling them closer is provided between the top plate and the bottom plate.

[0020] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The buoyancy assembly that expands through inflation generates buoyancy underwater, offsetting the gravitational burden brought by the heavy objects stored in the basket, enabling the impeller to operate at the original power to ensure the suspension state of the robot in water, avoiding the increase in the overall weight of the robot frame due to the load of salvaging heavy objects, resulting in increased energy consumption of the robot and shortened endurance time. Additionally, the buoyancy assembly is movably assembled on the assembly plate through an electric telescopic lock. When the lock is released, the buoyancy assembly can float away from the assembly plate under the action of buoyancy, using the lifting rope to first bring the basket containing heavy objects to the water surface, while the frame can still remain at the bottom of the water to continue the salvage or other rescue tasks, extending the return time of the robot. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly plate and the basket structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of A in it;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the assembly plate of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the flip structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the gas injection unit, exhaust unit, and locking unit structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the buoyancy assembly structure of the present invention.

[0028] In the figure: 10, frame; 11, assembly plate; 12, flip; 13, hook; 14, first assembly cavity; 15, second assembly cavity; 16, protruding groove; 17, guide rod; 20, impeller; 30, manipulator; 40, balance mechanism; 41, buoyancy assembly; 411, bottom plate; 412, airbag; 413, top plate; 414, guide ring; 415, lifting rope; 416, tension spring; 417, lock hole; 42, storage tank; 421, solenoid valve A; 422, connecting pipe; 43, booster air pump; 44, air delivery base; 45, electric telescopic lock; 46, solenoid valve B; 471, male port; 472, female port; 50, basket. Detailed Embodiments

[0029] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to 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. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0030] To further understand the content of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Combined Figures 1-7 , a multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot, comprising:

[0032] A frame 10 equipped with impellers 20 and a manipulator 30. There are multiple impellers 20, and each impeller 20 is independently driven by a corresponding motor. Among them, at least two axially crossed impellers 20 are arranged in a plane to enable the frame 10 to rotate circumferentially in the horizontal plane; in the vertical direction, at least one impeller 20 is arranged to enable the frame 10 to lift in water. The manipulator 30 is used to grab sunken objects underwater.

[0033] An assembly plate 11 assembled on the upper side of the frame 10. Baskets 50 are hung on both sides of the assembly plate 11. The sunken objects grabbed by the manipulator 30 underwater are put into the baskets 50 for temporary storage.

[0034] A balance mechanism 40 for increasing buoyancy is assembled on the upper side of the assembly plate 11. The balance mechanism 40 includes a buoyancy component 41. The buoyancy component 41 includes a bottom plate 411 movably assembled on the assembly plate 11, and an airbag 412 connected to the upper side of the bottom plate 411. The airbag 412 has elasticity.

[0035] The balance mechanism 40 further includes an air injection unit for injecting air into the airbag 412 against water pressure; an exhaust unit for discharging the gas in the airbag 412; and a locking unit for locking the bottom plate 411 movably on the upper side of the assembly plate 11.

[0036] Specifically, when the captured sinking object is placed into the basket 50 by the manipulator 30, the air injection unit is controlled to inject air into the airbag 412 at the same time, so that the airbag 412 generates buoyancy, and the buoyancy acts on the assembly plate 11 to balance the gravity burden brought by the sinking object in the basket 50. In this way, when the sinking object carried on the frame 10 causes its overall weight to increase, the impeller 20 responsible for the lifting and lowering of the frame 10 needs to increase the operating power to make the robot hover in the water. The buoyancy increased by the inflated airbag 412 is used to offset the sinking object in the water. Gravity is used so that the impeller 20 can maintain the original power operation to ensure the robot's suspension in the water, thereby saving energy consumption on the robot and increasing endurance; when the air bag 412 is over-inflated, resulting in excessive buoyancy of the frame 10 as a whole, making it inconvenient to maintain the suspension state, part of the gas in the air bag 412 can be discharged through the exhaust unit so that the overall buoyancy of the robot can be restored to the state of suspension in the water; when the robot returns and unloads the sunken objects in the basket 50, the gas in the air bag 412 is also discharged through the exhaust unit to facilitate the robot to repeat operations.

[0037] Combination Figures 4-6 The assembly plate 11 has a second assembly cavity 15 for assembling the buoyancy assembly 41 in the center, and first assembly cavities 14 for assembling the gas injection unit, the gas exhaust unit, and the locking unit on both sides of the second assembly cavity 15. The buoyancy assembly 41 assembled through the second assembly cavity 15 is located between the two baskets 50. After gas injection, the buoyancy generated by the buoyancy assembly 41 is located in the middle to avoid biasing to one side and affecting the balance state of the assembly plate 11. The assembly plate 11 has a rotatable flap 12 on the upper side, and a protrusion groove 16 corresponding to the second assembly cavity 15 is provided on the upper side of the flap 12. A hook 13 for hanging the basket 50 is provided on the side of the flap 12. When the assembly plate 11 is underwater, the first assembly cavity 14 is closed by the flap 12, so that the main parts of the gas injection unit, the gas exhaust unit, and the locking unit are located inside to prevent water from intruding and affecting the normal operation of the structure. The second assembly cavity 15 is connected to the external environment through the protrusion groove 16, so that the airbag 412 can expand toward the external environment when it is inflated.

[0038] Combination Figures 4-6 The gas injection unit includes a storage tank 42 and a booster air pump 43 arranged in the first assembly cavity 14. The storage tank 42 stores high-pressure gas or liquefied gas, such as pressurized air or pressurized liquefied carbon dioxide. An electromagnetic valve A421 is provided at the output end of the storage tank 42, and the electromagnetic valve A421 is connected to the input end of the booster air pump 43 through a connecting pipe 422.

[0039] The output end of the booster air pump 43 is connected to a gas delivery base 44 through a pipeline. The gas delivery base 44 is fixedly assembled on the bottom surface of the second assembly cavity 15. The gas delivery base 44 is hollow inside, and the gas delivery base 44 is connected to the bottom plate 411 through a Luer joint.

[0040] The male connector 471 of the Luer connector is arranged on the upper side of the gas transmission base 44, the female connector 472 is arranged inside the bottom plate 411, and the female connector 472 communicates with the inside of the airbag 412. When the male connector 471 is docked with the female connector 472, they are in a connected state, and when the male connector 471 and the female connector 472 are separated, they are in a closed state respectively;

[0041] When it is necessary to inject gas into the airbag 412, first control the solenoid valve A421 to open, and inject the gas discharged from the storage tank 42 into the solenoid valve A421 through the booster air pump 43, so that the gas overcomes the water pressure underwater to expand the airbag 412. By controlling the expansion size of the airbag 412, the required buoyancy is provided for the rack 10, so as to overcome the gravity of the sediment in the basket 50 and maintain a suspended state.

[0042] The exhaust unit includes another gas transmission base 44 fixedly assembled on the bottom surface of the second assembly cavity 15. The gas transmission base 44 is docked with the bottom plate 411 through a corresponding Luer connector. One side of the gas transmission base 44 is connected with a solenoid valve B46, and the output end of the solenoid valve B46 is connected to the outside of the assembly plate 11 through a pipeline.

[0043] For the exhaust problem in the airbag 412, when necessary, control the solenoid valve B46 to open, and the airbag 412 will contract under the action of water pressure, so that the internal gas is discharged through the solenoid valve B46, thereby reducing the buoyancy generated by the airbag 412.

[0044] The solenoid valve A421 and the solenoid valve B46 adopt a one-way connection structure according to their corresponding gas flow directions to prevent gas backflow.

[0045] Combined Figures 2-6 , the locking unit includes an electric telescopic lock 45 fixed on the side wall of the second assembly cavity 15. One side of the electric telescopic lock 45 has a lock column that can be telescopically moved. It also includes a lock hole 417 opened on one side of the bottom plate 411, and the lock column corresponds to and fits into the lock hole 417. At least two electric telescopic locks 45 are provided and distributed on both sides of the bottom plate 411. The lock column extended from one side of the electric telescopic lock 45 is inserted into the lock hole 417 to lock the bottom plate 411 in the second assembly cavity 15.

[0046] A lifting rope 415 is connected to the side of the bottom plate 411, and the lifting rope 415 bypasses the upper surface of the flip cover 12 and is connected to the basket 50. The bottom plate 411 is locked in the second assembly cavity 15 by an electric telescopic lock 45. When the electric telescopic lock 45 unlocks the bottom plate 411 in the case where the airbag 412 is filled with gas, the buoyancy assembly 41 can disengage from the inner side of the second assembly cavity 15 under the action of buoyancy. Among them, the male port 471 and the female port 472 of the Luer connector each become a closed state to prevent backflow of water. Since the bottom plate 411 is connected to the basket 50 by the lifting rope 415, the buoyancy assembly 41 that disengages from the frame 10 and floats up with buoyancy can also carry the basket 50 to float up together (here, after the gas is injected into the airbag 412, the generated buoyancy needs to be sufficient to lift the basket 50 together with the sunken object and float up), so that the basket 50 containing the sunken object is first brought to the water surface; in actual use, in addition to providing additional buoyancy for the frame 10 and improving its load capacity, the buoyancy assembly 41 can also disengage from the frame 10 and bring the salvaged sunken object to the water surface in advance, while the frame 10 can still be at the bottom of the water to continue the salvage or other rescue tasks, extending the return time of the robot. In some comprehensive rescue tasks, using the above design, after the robot completes the salvage task, the buoyancy assembly 41 can be made to carry the sunken object and disengage first, and the robot can continue to perform operations such as exploration underwater in an unloaded state, avoiding the need for a return journey and also avoiding additional power consumption caused by carrying the sunken object during exploration movement.

[0047] Combined Figures 2-7 , a top plate 413 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the airbag 412, and a plurality of guide rings 414 are provided at the edge of the top plate 413. A plurality of guide rods 17 corresponding to the plurality of guide rings 414 one by one are fixedly assembled on the upper surface of the flip cover 12, and the guide rings 414 slide on the surface of the guide rods 17.

[0048] Since the soft surface of the airbag 412 is likely to tilt to one side, usually in the opposite direction of the movement of the frame 10, when the inflated and expanded airbag 412 floats near the impeller 20, it is likely to cover the impeller 20 and affect its operation; in this embodiment, through the setting of the top plate 413, the expansion of the airbag 412 is restricted within the space between the plurality of guide rods 17 and the top plate 413, avoiding the free shaking of the expanded airbag 412; in addition, after the buoyancy assembly 41 and the top plate 413 are disengaged from the assembly plate 11, the area between the second assembly cavity 15 and the plurality of guide rods 17 can also temporarily serve as a space for storing the sunken object, enabling the robot to still have the ability to salvage and store the sunken object, further improving the practicality of the robot underwater;

[0049] A tension spring 416 for pulling them closer is provided between the top plate 413 and the bottom plate 411. The tension spring 416 is provided to urge the top plate 413 to merge towards the bottom plate 411 when discharging the gas inside the airbag 412 in the atmospheric environment, facilitating the airbag 412 to return to its natural state when the airbag 412 returns to its original state, but there is still a certain space inside, and the gas inside can also be fully discharged automatically; in addition, the tension spring 416 causes the top plate 413 and the bottom plate 411 to merge, urging the airbag 412 in the normal state to be clamped between them, thereby also forming a protective effect on the top plate 413.

[0050] The above is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, according to the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, making equivalent substitutions or changes, should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot, characterized in that: include: A frame (10) equipped with an impeller (20) and a manipulator (30); An assembly plate (11) assembled on the upper side of the frame (10), with baskets (50) hung on both sides of the assembly plate (11); The upper side of the assembly plate (11) is equipped with a balancing mechanism (40) for increasing buoyancy, the balancing mechanism (40) comprising a buoyancy assembly (41), the buoyancy assembly (41) comprising a bottom plate (411) movably assembled on the assembly plate (11), and an air bag (412) connected to the upper side of the bottom plate (411); The balancing mechanism (40) further comprises an air injection unit for injecting air into the airbag (412) against water pressure; an air exhaust unit for exhausting the gas in the airbag (412); and a locking unit for movably locking the bottom plate (411) on the upper side of the assembly plate (11).

2. The multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second assembly cavity (15) for assembling a buoyancy assembly (41) is provided in the center of the upper side of the assembly plate (11), and first assembly cavities (14) are provided on both sides of the second assembly cavity (15) for assembling an air injection unit, an exhaust unit, and a locking unit. A rotatably opened flip cover (12) is provided on the upper side of the assembly plate (11), a protruding groove (16) corresponding to the second assembly cavity (15) is provided on the upper side of the flip cover (12), and a hook (13) for hanging a basket (50) is provided on the side of the flip cover (12).

3. A multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas injection unit comprises a storage tank (42) and a booster air pump (43) arranged in a first assembly cavity (14); an electromagnetic valve A (421) is provided at the output end of the storage tank (42); and the electromagnetic valve A (421) is connected to the input end of the booster air pump (43) via a connecting pipe (422).

4. The multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The output end of the booster air pump (43) is connected to a gas delivery base (44) via a pipeline. The gas delivery base (44) is fixedly mounted on the bottom surface of the second assembly cavity (15). The gas delivery base (44) is hollow inside. The gas delivery base (44) is butt-jointed with the bottom plate (411) via a Luer connector.

5. The multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sub-port (471) of the Luer connector is arranged on the upper side of the gas transmission base (44), and the female port (472) is arranged on the inner side of the bottom plate (411), and the female port (472) is connected to the inner side of the air bag (412).

6. The multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The exhaust unit comprises another gas delivery base (44) fixedly mounted on the bottom surface of the second assembly chamber (15); the gas delivery base (44) is connected to the bottom plate (411) via a corresponding Luer connector; one side of the gas delivery base (44) is connected to a solenoid valve B (46); an output end of the solenoid valve B (46) is connected to the outside of the assembly plate (11) via a pipeline.

7. The multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The locking unit comprises an electric telescopic lock (45) fixed to the side wall of the second assembly cavity (15), one side of the electric telescopic lock (45) having an electric telescopic lock column, and also comprises a lock hole (417) opened on one side of the bottom plate (411), the lock column and the lock hole (417) correspondingly engaging.

8. The multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: A hanging rope (415) is connected to the side of the bottom plate (411), and the hanging rope (415) passes around the upper surface of the flip cover (12) and is connected to the basket (50).

9. The multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The upper side of the airbag (412) is fixedly connected to a top plate (413), and a plurality of guide rings (414) are provided on the edge of the top plate (413). The upper surface of the flip cover (12) is fixedly equipped with a plurality of guide rods (17) corresponding to the plurality of guide rings (414) one by one, and the guide rings (414) slide on the surface of the guide rods (17).

10. The multi-degree-of-freedom underwater emergency rescue robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: A tension spring (416) is provided between the top plate (413) and the bottom plate (411) to pull them closer together.

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