Omni-directional moving underwater robot based on software deformation and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses an omni-directional moving underwater robot based on software deformation and a control method. The omni-directional moving underwater robot comprises a main body frame, an air bag and a propeller system. The multiple flexible air bags are combined into a sphere and fixed to the main body frame, and each air bag is connected with a water pump through an independent water pipe to achieve water injection expansion or drainage contraction. The propeller system is composed of four independently-driven propellers and fixed to the rigid extending support. The direction of the propeller is changed by controlling deformation of the air bag to extrude the support, and omni-directional movement is achieved by combining rotation speed adjustment of the propeller. The control method comprises the steps that during floating, all the airbags are drained and shrunk, and the propellers rotate cooperatively to generate lift force; during advancing, the front airbag expands to tilt the robot, and the propellers accelerate to propel; and the airbags and the propellers are selectively adjusted during compound movement, so that oblique movement or rotation is realized. The device is high in flexibility, quick in response, high in environmental adaptability and suitable for operation in narrow water areas, corrosion resistance and reliability are improved through flexible materials, and maintenance cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of omnidirectional mobile underwater robots, and in particular relates to an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Traditional underwater mobile robots are limited by the characteristics of rigid materials, with large and complex structures, insufficient flexibility, and difficulty operating in narrow spaces; the water-filling and discharging buoyancy adjustment method is inefficient and slow to respond, making it difficult to adapt to emergencies; their rigid materials are prone to rust and breakage, reducing watertightness, leading to damage to components, poor reliability, and high maintenance costs.

[0003] In summary, the technical problems of traditional underwater mobile robots are: The structure is complex and bulky, making it difficult to adapt to narrow and complex waters The movement and lifting response speed is slow, making it difficult to deal with emergencies Traditional materials are more likely to rust and break, increasing maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to provide an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation and a control method to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the specific technical solutions of the omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation and the control method of the present invention are as follows: An omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation includes a main frame, airbags and a propeller system. Multiple airbags and multiple propeller systems are fixedly installed on the main frame. The airbags are soft and flexible airbags. Multiple airbags are combined into a spherical shape. Each airbag is connected to a water pump through an independent water pipe to achieve water injection expansion or drainage recovery. When the size of the airbag is deformed, the direction of the propeller system is changed by squeezing.

[0006] Furthermore, the main frame includes a central support and an extension support, the extension support extends from the end of the central support to the left, right, front and back directions, the bottom of the airbag is fixed on the central support of the robot, and the propeller system is fixed on the extension support.

[0007] Furthermore, the central support is a soft structure, and the extension support is a rigid structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the airbag is made of flexible material.

[0009] Furthermore, the number of the airbags is 8, and the 8 airbags are combined into a spherical shape.

[0010] Furthermore, a water inlet and a water outlet are provided at the upper end of the air bag, which are respectively connected to the water inlet and outlet pipes of the water pump.

[0011] Further, the propeller system includes four propellers and four independent drive motors. The drive motors are fixed on the extension brackets, and the propellers are fixed on the output shafts of the drive motors. Each propeller is driven by an independent drive motor.

[0012] Further, there is a through hole on the upper side of the central bracket, and the water pipes of the airbags and the wires of the drive motors are led out from here.

[0013] Further, the robot controls the inflation or deflation of single or multiple airbags through an external control system to achieve expansion or contraction, change the spatial position of the propellers, and thus adjust the propulsion direction. The external control system includes a water pump control module and a motor control module, and adjusts the water injection volume of the airbags and the rotation speed of the propellers through a preset program or real-time instructions.

[0014] The present invention also discloses a control method for an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation, which is characterized by including the following steps: Name the 8 airbags. In the counterclockwise direction in the upper half, they are airbag one, airbag two, airbag three, and airbag four respectively; in the counterclockwise direction in the lower half, they are airbag five, airbag six, airbag seven, and airbag eight respectively. The propellers between airbag one, airbag four, airbag five, and airbag eight are named propeller one, the propellers between airbag one, airbag two, airbag five, and airbag six are named propeller two, the propellers between airbag two, airbag three, airbag six, and airbag seven are named propeller three, and the propellers between airbag three, airbag four, airbag seven, and airbag eight are named propeller four. Set the extension direction of propeller one as the positive direction of direction A, the extension direction of propeller two as the positive direction of direction B, the normal direction of the plane formed by direction A and direction B as the positive direction of direction C, and the positive direction of direction C as the positive direction of the device; Basic motion control: Floating: Control all airbags to drain water and contract simultaneously, reduce the volume of the robot body, rotate propeller one and propeller two clockwise, and rotate propeller three and propeller four counterclockwise to generate an upward thrust; Forward: Airbag one, airbag two, airbag five, and airbag six expand, causing the front part of the robot to tilt downward, and propeller one and propeller two rotate at an accelerated speed to push the robot forward; Compound motion control: Oblique movement: Airbag one, airbag three, airbag five, and airbag seven expand, propeller one and propeller three rotate clockwise, propeller two and propeller four rotate counterclockwise, and the robot moves in the 45° direction; Rotation: Airbag one, airbag three, airbag six, and airbag eight expand, propeller one and propeller two rotate clockwise, and propeller three and propeller four are stationary, and the robot rotates clockwise around the vertical axis.

[0015] The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation and its control method of the present invention have the following advantages: Omnidirectional movement ability Through the coordinated control of the deformation of the airbag and the propeller system, the robot can achieve flexible movement in the directions of floating, sinking, forward, backward, rotation, and compound directions, significantly improving the multi-directional maneuverability of underwater operations.

[0016] High flexibility and adaptability The use of a soft flexible airbag and a partially soft support structure enables the robot to adapt to narrow or complex water environments, overcoming the limitations of traditional rigid structures in space-constrained scenarios.

[0017] Fast response and efficient adjustment The independently controlled airbag water injection and drainage system and the multi-propeller drive design achieve dynamic and rapid adjustment of buoyancy and propulsion force, with a response speed superior to that of traditional water filling and discharging buoyancy adjustment devices.

[0018] High reliability and low maintenance cost The use of flexible materials (such as silicone or rubber) enhances corrosion resistance and anti-breakage ability, reduces failures caused by rust or insufficient watertightness, and lowers long-term maintenance costs.

[0019] Structural simplification and lightweight By indirectly adjusting the propeller direction through the deformation of the airbag, complex mechanical steering mechanisms are eliminated, the overall weight is reduced, and the structural design is simplified.

[0020] Precise control and compound motion Combined with preset programs or real-time instructions, the deformation amount of the airbag and the rotation speed of the propeller can be precisely coordinated to achieve compound motions such as oblique movement and rotation, meeting diverse task requirements.

[0021] Environmental friendliness The flexible materials and oil-free design reduce interference with the underwater ecological environment and are suitable for ecological monitoring or operations in sensitive waters. Description of the drawings

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the main body frame of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic sectional view of the omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic sectional view of the omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation of the present invention; Description of the markings in the figure: 1. Main frame; 11. Central support; 12. Extension support; 13. Through hole; 2. Airbag; 21. Airbag 1; 22. Airbag 2; 23. Airbag 3; 24. Airbag 4; 25. Airbag 5; 26. Airbag 6; 27. Airbag 7; 28. Airbag 8; 3. Propeller system; 31. Propeller; 311. Propeller 1; 312. Propeller 2; 313. Propeller 3; 314. Propeller 4; 32. Driving motor. Detailed implementation mode

[0023] To better understand the purpose, structure and function of the present invention, the following further describes in detail a fully omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] As Figures 1 - 3 shown, a fully omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation of the present invention includes a main frame 1, an airbag 2 and a propeller system 3. The main frame 1 includes a central support 11 and an extension support 12. The extension support 12 extends from the end of the central support 11 in the left, right, front and back directions. The bottom of the airbag 2 is fixed on the central support 11 of the robot, and the propeller system 3 is fixed on the extension support 12. The central support 11 is a soft body structure, so that when the size of the airbag changes, it can squeeze and push the extension support 12 and the corresponding propeller system 3 to change directions. The extension support 12 is a rigid structure and is used to firmly fix the propeller system 3.

[0025] The airbag 2 is a soft and flexible airbag, made of flexible materials (such as silicone or rubber), and the number is 8. The 8 airbags are combined into a spherical shape. Each airbag 2 is connected to a water pump through an independent water pipe to realize inflation by injecting water or restoration by draining water. Specifically, the upper end of the airbag 2 is provided with a water inlet and a drain outlet, which are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet water pipes of the water pump.

[0026] The propeller system 3 includes four propellers 31 and four independent driving motors 32. The driving motors 32 are fixed on the extension support 12, and the propellers 31 are fixed on the output shafts of the driving motors 32. Each propeller 31 is driven by an independent driving motor 32 and can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0027] There is a through hole 13 on the upper side of the central support 11, and the water pipes of the airbag 2 and the wires of the four driving motors 32 are all led out from here; The device of the present invention controls the inflation or contraction of a single or multiple airbags 2 by an external control system to inject water or drain water, changes the spatial position of the propeller 31, and thus adjusts the propulsion direction. The propeller system 3 provides propulsion force and cooperates with the deformation of the airbag 2 to achieve multi-directional movement. Precise control of the eight airbags 2 can achieve movement, floating and sinking, rotation and combined movement.

[0028] The external control system includes a water pump control module and a motor control module, which adjust the water injection volume of the airbag 2 and the rotation speed of the propeller 31 through a preset program or real-time instructions.

[0029] Preferably, the airbag 2 is connected to the water pump by a pressure-resistant hose, and the interface is reinforced with a waterproof sealing ring. The driving motor 32 is fixed on the extension bracket 12 by bolts, and a shock-absorbing gasket is arranged between the extension bracket 12 and the shaft of the propeller 31.

[0030] As Figure 4 shown, name the 8 airbags. In the upper half, in the counterclockwise direction, they are airbag one 21, airbag two 22, airbag three 23, and airbag four 24 respectively; in the lower half, in the counterclockwise direction, they are airbag five 25, airbag six 26, airbag seven 27, and airbag eight 28 respectively. The propellers between airbag one 21, airbag four 24, airbag five 25, and airbag eight 28 are named propeller one 311, the propellers between airbag one 21, airbag two 22, airbag five 25, and airbag six 26 are named propeller two 312, the propellers between airbag two 22, airbag three 23, airbag six 26, and airbag seven 27 are named propeller three 313, and the propellers between airbag three 23, airbag four 24, airbag seven 27, and airbag eight 28 are named propeller four 314. Set the extension direction of propeller one 311 as the positive direction of direction A, the extension direction of propeller two 312 as the positive direction of direction B, the normal direction of the plane formed by direction A and direction B as the positive direction of direction C, and the positive direction of direction C as the positive direction of the device.

[0031] The control method of the omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation of the present invention includes: 1. Basic motion control: Floating: Control all airbags 2 to drain water and contract simultaneously, reduce the volume of the robot body, and make propeller one 311 and propeller two 312 rotate clockwise, while propeller three 313 and propeller four 314 rotate counterclockwise to generate an upward thrust.

[0032] Moving forward: Airbag one 21, airbag two 22, airbag five 25, and airbag six 26 expand, causing the front part of the robot to tilt downward, and propeller one 311 and propeller two 312 rotate at an accelerated speed to push the robot forward.

[0033] 2. Composite motion control Oblique movement: Airbag one 21, airbag three 23, airbag five 25, and airbag seven 27 expand, propeller one 311 and propeller three 313 rotate clockwise, and propeller two 312 and propeller four 314 rotate counterclockwise, and the robot realizes a 45° direction movement.

[0034] Rotation: The airbags 21, 23, 26, and 28 expand, the propellers 311 and 312 rotate clockwise, the propellers 313 and 314 are stationary, and the robot rotates clockwise around the vertical axis.

[0035] Illustrate some representative forms of motion as follows:

[0036] It can be understood that the present invention is described by way of some embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments. Additionally, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments can be modified to adapt to specific circumstances and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application belong to the scope protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. An omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation, characterized in that It includes a main body frame (1), air bags (2) and a propeller system (3). A plurality of air bags (2) and a plurality of propeller systems (3) are fixedly installed on the main body frame (1). The air bags (2) are soft and flexible air bags. A plurality of air bags are combined into a spherical shape. Each air bag (2) is connected to a water pump through an independent water pipe to achieve inflation by water injection or restoration by drainage. When the size of the air bag (2) is deformed, the direction of the propeller system (3) is changed by extrusion.

2. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body frame (1) includes a central support (11) and an extension support (12). The extension support (12) extends from the end of the central support (11) in the left, right, front and back directions. The bottom of the air bag (2) is fixed on the central support (11) of the robot, and the propeller system (3) is fixed on the extension support (12).

3. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation according to claim 2, wherein The central support (11) is a soft structure, and the extension support (12) is a rigid structure.

4. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation according to claim 1, wherein The air bag (2) is made of a flexible material.

5. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation according to claim 1, characterized in that The number of the air bags (2) is eight, and eight air bags (2) are combined into a spherical shape.

6. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the air bag (2) is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet, which are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet water pipes of the water pump.

7. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation according to claim 2, wherein, The propeller system (3) includes four propellers (31) and four independent drive motors (32). The drive motors (32) are fixed on the extension support (12), and the propellers (31) are fixed on the output shafts of the drive motors (32). Each propeller (31) is driven by an independent drive motor (32).

8. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation according to claim 7, wherein There is a through hole (13) on the upper side of the central support (11), and the water pipes of the air bag (2) and the wires of the drive motors (32) are led out from here.

9. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation according to claim 7, characterized in that, The robot controls the inflation or contraction of single or multiple air bags (2) by an external control system to achieve inflation or contraction, changes the spatial position of the propellers (31), and thus adjusts the propulsion direction. The external control system includes a water pump control module and a motor control module, and adjusts the water injection amount of the air bag (2) and the rotation speed of the propellers (31) through a preset program or a real-time instruction.

10. A control method for an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot based on soft body deformation as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: Name the eight airbags. In the upper half, in the counterclockwise direction, they are airbag one (21), airbag two (22), airbag three (23), and airbag four (24); in the lower half, in the counterclockwise direction, they are airbag five (25), airbag six (26), airbag seven (27), and airbag eight (28). The propeller between airbag one (21), airbag four (24), airbag five (25), and airbag eight (28) is named propeller one (311). The propeller between airbag one (21), airbag two (22), airbag five (25), and airbag six (26) is named propeller two (312). The propeller between airbag two (22), airbag three (23), airbag six (26), and airbag seven (27) is named propeller three (313). The propeller between airbag three (23), airbag four (24), airbag seven (27), and airbag eight (28) is named propeller four (314). Let the extension direction of propeller one (311) be the positive direction of direction A, the extension direction of propeller two (312) be the positive direction of direction B, the normal direction of the plane formed by direction A and direction B be the positive direction of direction C, and the positive direction of direction C be the positive direction of the device; Basic motion control: Ascend: Control all airbags (2) to drain water and shrink simultaneously, reduce the volume of the robot body, rotate propeller one (311) and propeller two (312) clockwise, and rotate propeller three (313) and propeller four (314) counterclockwise to generate an upward thrust; Move forward: Expand airbag one (21), airbag two (22), airbag five (25), and airbag six (26) to make the front part of the robot tilt downward, and accelerate the rotation of propeller one (311) and propeller two (312) to push the robot forward; Compound motion control: Diagonal movement: Expand airbag one (21), airbag three (23), airbag five (25), and airbag seven (27), rotate propeller one (311) and propeller three (313) clockwise, rotate propeller two (312) and propeller four (314) counterclockwise, and the robot moves in the 45° direction; Rotate: Expand airbag one (21), airbag three (23), airbag six (26), and airbag eight (28), rotate propeller one (311) and propeller two (312) clockwise, and keep propeller three (313) and propeller four (314) stationary, and the robot rotates clockwise around the vertical axis.

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