A fast flexible grasping underwater robot

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of underwater operation equipment, and specifically provides a quick flexible underwater robot for grabbing, a camera and a plurality of current generators are arranged on the robot body, a gripper assembly comprises a connecting frame, an electric push rod, a plurality of magnetic field generating modules and a plurality of magnetic flexible grippers, the electric push rod is installed on the connecting frame, the output end of the push rod is located above the gripper connecting part and the magnetic flexible grippers, the plurality of magnetic field generating modules are arranged in the periphery of the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers along the circumference and are connected with the plurality of current generators one by one, the camera acquires image information of underwater objects to be grabbed, and sends the image information to a control module, the control module controls the current generators to supply power to the corresponding magnetic field generating modules according to the image information, and drives the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers to perform a grabbing action. The quick flexible underwater robot for grabbing can realize quick response and flexible grabbing, and can adjust the magnetic field for different underwater objects to be grabbed, thereby improving the flexibility and accuracy of grabbing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of underwater operation equipment, and in particular relates to a fast and flexible grasping underwater robot. Background Art

[0002] As a core tool for ocean exploration and sustainable utilization, underwater robots have made significant technological progress, especially in the fields of marine fish capture and deep-sea mineral extraction, effectively reducing the manpower burden and shortening operation time.

[0003] The gripper assembly (connected to the end of the underwater robot's robotic arm) is a key component of the underwater robot. It serves as the actuator, enabling the underwater robot to grasp, salvage, or search for underwater targets (plants, animals, or minerals, etc.). The gripper assembly of an underwater robot is generally divided into two types: rigid grippers and flexible grippers. Flexible grippers effectively avoid damage to the target object during grasping and are more adaptable to complex environments, thus compensating for the shortcomings of rigid grippers.

[0004] In related technologies, the driving modes of underwater robot gripper components are mainly hydraulic drive and pneumatic drive. Although hydraulic or pneumatic drive can generate significant driving force, it has problems of slow response speed and pressure leakage. The slow response speed will affect the accuracy of the grasping operation, and the pressure leakage will weaken the grasping force and affect the reliability of the grasping operation. In addition, hydraulic or pneumatic drive must rely on a complex piping system to connect the gripper components, resulting in a large equipment size and increased installation complexity. Furthermore, hydraulic or pneumatic drive cannot adjust the gripper opening and closing size and angle according to the size and shape of the underwater target to be grasped, which will also affect the accuracy and flexibility of the grasping operation.

[0005] Based on the above situation, there is still room for improvement in existing underwater robots. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a fast and flexible grasping underwater robot, which can solve the problems in the prior art of underwater robots such as slow grasping response speed of the grasping hand assembly, pressure leakage problem, and the need for complex piping system connection, resulting in low grasping accuracy and reliability, poor flexibility, large overall machine size, and cumbersome assembly.

[0007] In order to achieve the purpose of solving the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions to achieve the goal, a fast and flexible grasping underwater robot, comprising:

[0008] Control module;

[0009] A robot body, wherein the robot body is provided with a camera and a plurality of current generators, wherein the camera and the current generators are respectively communicatively connected to the control module;

[0010] a mechanical arm connected to the robot body;

[0011] a gripper assembly connected to the end of the mechanical arm, comprising a connecting frame, an electric push rod, a plurality of magnetic field generating modules and a plurality of magnetic flexible grippers; the connecting frame comprises a mechanical arm connecting part at its upper end and a gripper connecting part at its lower end, the mechanical arm connecting part is connected to the end of the mechanical arm, a plurality of magnetic flexible grippers are arranged circumferentially and connected to the gripper connecting part; the electric push rod is installed upside down on the connecting frame, the push rod output end is above the gripper connecting part and the magnetic flexible grippers, the electric push rod is in communication with the control module; a plurality of magnetic field generating modules are arranged circumferentially around the periphery of a plurality of magnetic flexible grippers and are connected one-to-one with a plurality of current generators; the upper end of the magnetic field generating module is hinged to the push rod output end through a first connecting rod, and the lower end of the magnetic field generating module is hinged to the gripper connecting part through a second connecting rod;

[0012] The camera obtains image information of the underwater object to be grabbed and sends the image information to the control module, and the control module controls each current generator to supply power to the corresponding magnetic field generating module according to the image information, and drives a plurality of magnetic flexible grippers to perform a grabbing action.

[0013] In some embodiments, the axes of the circumferences where the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers are located, the axes of the circumferences where the plurality of magnetic field generating modules are located, and the axis of the electric push rod are collinear.

[0014] In some embodiments, the magnetic field generating module is inclined, with its bottom surface facing the magnetic flexible gripper.

[0015] In some embodiments, the angle between the axis of the magnetic field generating module and the axis of the electric push rod is in the range of 15-45°.

[0016] In some embodiments, one magnetic field generating module is arranged between every two adjacent magnetic flexible grippers.

[0017] In some embodiments, the magnetic field generating module comprises a cylindrical and high-pressure-resistant sealed shell, an electromagnetic coil arranged in the sealed shell and coaxial with the sealed shell, an annular cooling cavity formed between the electromagnetic coil and the sealed shell, and the cooling cavity is filled with cooling liquid; a waterproof threading bolt is arranged on the sealed shell, and the lead wire of the electromagnetic coil is led out through the waterproof threading bolt to be connected with the current generator.

[0018] In some embodiments, the magnetic flexible gripper comprises a magnetic full-flexible gripper body, a supporting framework embedded in the full-flexible gripper body, and a plurality of flexible microneedles formed on one side of the full-flexible gripper body, one end of the full-flexible gripper body is fixedly connected with the connecting end of the gripper, the other end is a grabbing end, a plurality of flexible microneedles protrude into the inside of the circumference surrounded by the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers, and are arranged on the full-flexible gripper body close to the grabbing end.

[0019] In some embodiments, the full-flexible gripper body is in the shape of a T-shaped sheet, the plurality of flexible microneedles are distributed in a rectangular array, the flexible microneedles are in the shape of a conical tooth structure, the height is 0.5 mm, the bottom diameter is 0.5 mm, and the distribution spacing is 0.8 mm.

[0020] In some embodiments, the supporting framework comprises a plurality of supporting sheets arranged obliquely, and the plurality of supporting sheets are sequentially connected and arranged in a polyline along the length direction of the full-flexible gripper body.

[0021] In some embodiments, the full-flexible gripper body is made of platinum silicone glue mixed with neodymium iron boron magnetic powder, the mass fraction of the neodymium iron boron magnetic powder is 60%, the flexible microneedles are made of platinum silicone glue, and the material of the supporting sheet is nylon film.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following advantages and positive effects:

[0023] 1. The underwater robot of the present application is equipped with a camera and a plurality of current generators on the robot body, the gripper assembly is provided with an electric push rod, a plurality of magnetic field generating modules and a plurality of magnetic flexible grippers, the control module controls each current generator to supply power to the corresponding magnetic field generating module according to the image information obtained by the camera, and drives the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers to perform a grabbing action; according to the image information of the underwater object to be grabbed, the control module can control each current generator to generate different sizes or different types of current, and then the plurality of magnetic field generators generate different sizes or different types of magnetic field, so as to adjust the magnetic field for different underwater objects to be grabbed to achieve the best grabbing force, and significantly improve the flexibility and accuracy of the grabbing operation; the multiple magnetic fields can also be coupled into a complex and variable total magnetic field to realize customized grabbing of irregular objects.

[0024] 2. The plurality of magnetic flexible grippers are driven by the plurality of magnetic field generating modules to perform a grabbing action, which has fast response speed and is beneficial to improve the grabbing accuracy; without complex pipeline connection structure, it is beneficial to simplify the structure of the gripper assembly, reduce the volume of the underwater robot and reduce the complexity of equipment assembly; the gripper is soft, which can effectively avoid damage to the underwater object to be grabbed, and is especially suitable for flexible grabbing of rigid clamping of fragile marine plants and animals, multi-metal nodule minerals and other targets.

[0025] 3. When the electric push rod moves, the push rod extension and retraction can drive multiple magnetic field generating modules to simultaneously perform pitching movement, so that the installation angle of the magnetic field generating modules relative to the magnetic flexible gripper changes, the magnetic field received by the corresponding magnetic flexible gripper changes, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating modules of the present application is more diversified and customized, and the flexibility and accuracy of the gripping are further improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0027] Figure 1 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment;

[0028] Figure 2 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment;

[0029] Figure 3 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment; Figure 2 Front view of the gripper assembly shown in the figure;

[0030] Figure 4 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment;

[0031] Figure 5 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment;

[0032] Figure 6 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment;

[0033] Figure 7 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment;

[0034] Figure 8 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment;

[0035] Figure 9 Structure diagram of the quick flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment;

[0036] Figure 10 The control logic schematic diagram of the magnetic field generating module in the gripper assembly of the fast flexible underwater robot according to the embodiment.

[0037] Reference signs:

[0038] 100, robot body;

[0039] 200, mechanical arm;

[0040] 300, gripper assembly; 310, connecting frame; 311, mechanical arm connecting part; 312, gripper connecting part; 313, top plate; 314, middle plate; 315, double-pass stud; 316, stepped hole; 317, gripper fixing plate; 320, electric push rod; 321, push rod output end; 330, magnetic field generating module; 331, shell body; 332, electromagnetic coil; 333, cooling cavity; 334, waterproof threading bolt; 335, end cover; 336, rotary groove; 340, magnetic flexible gripper; 341, fully flexible gripper main body; 3411, connecting end; 3412, gripping end; 342, support sheet; 343, flexible microneedle; 350, first connecting rod; 360, second connecting rod; 370, upper pipe clamp; 380, lower pipe clamp;

[0041] 400, camera;

[0042] 500, current generator;

[0043] 600, control module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0045] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as there is no conflict between them.

[0046] Reference Figures 1 to 10 In some embodiments of the present application, a fast flexible underwater robot is proposed, which comprises a control module 600, a robot body 100, a mechanical arm 200 and a gripper assembly 300.

[0047] The robot body 100 is provided with a camera 400 and a plurality of current generators 500, and the camera 400 and the current generators 500 are in communication connection with a control module 600.

[0048] The mechanical arm 200 is connected to the robot body 100, and the mechanical arm 200 does not interfere with the robot body 100 during movement.

[0049] The gripper assembly 300 is connected to the end of the mechanical arm 200, and the gripper assembly 300 includes a connecting frame 310, an electric push rod 320, a plurality of magnetic field generating modules 330, and a plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340.

[0050] The connecting frame 310 includes a mechanical arm connecting portion 311 at the upper end and a gripper connecting portion 312 at the lower end, the mechanical arm connecting portion 311 is connected to the end of the mechanical arm 200 to realize the connection of the whole gripper assembly 300 and the mechanical arm 200, and the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340 are arranged circumferentially and connected to the gripper connecting portion 312; the electric push rod 320 is installed in an inverted manner on the connecting frame 310, that is, the push rod output end 321 is directed to the side of the gripper connecting portion 312 and the magnetic flexible gripper 340 and is located above the gripper connecting portion 312 and the magnetic flexible gripper 340, and the electric push rod 320 is in communication connection with the control module 600 and is controlled by the control module 600; the plurality of magnetic field generating modules 330 are arranged circumferentially around the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340 and are connected one by one with the plurality of current generators 500, that is, each magnetic field generating module 330 is connected with one current generator 500, and each current generator 500 is powered separately.

[0051] As shown in Figure 10 The camera 400 is used to obtain image information of the underwater object to be grabbed, and sends the image information to the control module 600, and the control module 600 controls each current generator 500 to supply power to the corresponding magnetic field generating module 330 according to the image information, and drives the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340 to perform the grabbing action.

[0052] Specifically, when the current generator 500 supplies a reverse current to the corresponding magnetic field generating module 330, the magnetic field generating module 330 generates a reverse magnetic field, and the magnetic flexible gripper 340 has magnetism and a certain softness, and under the action of the reverse magnetic field, the free section thereof moves to the side where the magnetic field generating module 330 is located (defined as outward movement) and deforms, so that the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340 as a whole are in an open state to surround the underwater object to be gripped; then, the current generator 500 supplies a forward current to the magnetic field generating module 330, and the magnetic field generating module 330 generates a forward magnetic field to drive the free section of the magnetic flexible gripper 340 to move to the side away from the side where the magnetic field generating module 330 is located (defined as inward movement), so that the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340 as a whole are in a closed state to exert a gripping force on the underwater object to be gripped, that is, to grip the underwater object to be gripped; when the underwater object to be gripped needs to be released, the current generator 500 is powered off, and the magnetic flexible gripper 340 is no longer controlled by the external magnetic field driving force and automatically releases the underwater object to be gripped.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present application, the control module 600 mainly includes two parts: a data acquisition card and a power amplifier. The function of the data acquisition card is to output an analog signal, that is, to convert the output voltage waveform written by the computer into an excitation signal transmitted to the power amplifier; the function of the power amplifier is to amplify the excitation signal transmitted by the data acquisition card to the expected size. In the present application, the control module 600 first processes the pre-input control program, then sends the program to the data acquisition card to convert it into an excitation signal, and then amplifies it through the power amplifier to obtain the output signal.

[0054] The specific control process is as follows: first, input the written control program into the control module 600, the control program can control the data acquisition card to output an analog pulse signal. In the specific working process, the camera obtains the image information of the object to be gripped, and sends the image information to the control module 600. The control program can be activated and generate a specific voltage pulse signal according to the object information. The pulse signal is converted into an analog signal by the data acquisition card, and then the amplified signal is input into the magnetic field generating module 330 through the power amplifier, and then a driving magnetic field is generated to complete the gripping.

[0055] Through magnetic field driving control, the gripping of multiple magnetic flexible grippers 340 can be quickly responded (the response time is about 0.5s, and the hydraulic driving is usually 3s and the pneumatic driving is 2s) in the operation process, which shows high efficiency in complex seabed terrain. Through magnetic field driving control, the gripper assembly 300 can use the magnetic field for precise positioning and control. The non-contact feature of the magnetic field also enables the gripper assembly 300 to more accurately grip the target, avoiding collision and misoperation problems that may occur during mechanical gripping.

[0056] When the electric push rod 320 works, the push rod of the electric push rod 320 extends or retracts, and then can drive multiple magnetic field generating modules 330 to simultaneously perform pitching actions, so that the installation angle a of each magnetic field generating module 330 changes, and the magnetic field received by the corresponding magnetic flexible gripper 340 changes.

[0057] When the installation angle a of each magnetic field generating module 330 is constant, according to the image information (specifically, shape and size information) of the underwater object to be grabbed, the control module 600 can control each current generator 500 to generate currents of different sizes or different types (reverse current when the magnetic flexible gripper 340 is opened, forward current when the magnetic flexible gripper 340 is closed), and then multiple magnetic field generators generate magnetic fields of different sizes or different types (reverse current corresponds to reverse magnetic field, forward current corresponds to forward magnetic field), so that the magnetic field can be adjusted for different underwater objects to be grabbed to achieve the best grabbing force, and the flexibility and accuracy of the grabbing operation are improved.

[0058] When each current generator 500 passes through the same size of current, through the action of the electric push rod 320, the magnetic field received by the magnetic flexible gripper 340 corresponding to each magnetic field generator also changes.

[0059] Therefore, the fast flexible underwater robot in some embodiments of the present application, under the joint action of multiple magnetic field generating modules 330 and electric push rods 320, the magnetic field received by the magnetic flexible gripper 340 changes more flexibly, multiple magnetic fields can be coupled into a complex and variable total magnetic field, which significantly improves the flexibility and accuracy of the grabbing operation, and also can realize customized grabbing of irregular objects.

[0060] For example, when grabbing a regular underwater object with a small radial size and a similar radial size along the circumference, multiple magnetic field generating modules 330 are at the same installation angle a1, multiple current generators 500 pass through equal small currents, so that each magnetic flexible gripper 340 generates the same or similar amplitude of small angle opening; when grabbing an irregular underwater object with a large radial size and a large difference in radial size along the circumference, multiple magnetic field generating modules 330 are at the same installation angle a2 (a2

[0061] In some embodiments, the axis of the circumference where the multiple magnetic flexible grippers 340 are located, the axis of the circumference where the multiple magnetic field generating modules 330 are located, and the axis of the electric push rod 320 (specifically, the axis of the push rod) are collinear, such as Figure 3As shown, the collinear axis b is represented after rotation; the size specifications and performance parameters of the plurality of magnetic field generating modules 330 are completely identical, and they are rotationally symmetrical, that is, any one of the magnetic field generating modules 330 can be completely overlapped with another magnetic field generating module 330 after rotating a certain angle around the axis b, and any one of the magnetic flexible grippers 340 can be completely overlapped with another magnetic flexible gripper 340 after rotating a certain angle around the axis b, so that the gripping action of the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340 is easier to control, the control logic is simple, the operation is smooth, and it is easy to implement.

[0062] In order to avoid the magnetic field generating module 330 interfering with the opening and closing gripping of the magnetic flexible gripper 340, the magnetic field generating module 330 is arranged above the outer side of the magnetic flexible gripper 340 and is spaced apart from the magnetic flexible gripper 340 in the radial direction. In order to enable the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating module 330 to effectively act on the magnetic flexible gripper 340 under such positional relationship, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the magnetic field generating module 330 is installed obliquely, with its bottom surface facing the magnetic flexible gripper 340, so that it is as close as possible to the magnetic flexible gripper 340 without interfering with the opening and closing of the magnetic flexible gripper 340, which is conducive to improving the response speed of the magnetic flexible gripper 340 to the magnetic field driving.

[0063] In some embodiments, the included angle between the axis L of the magnetic field generating module 330 and the axis of the electric push rod 320 (specifically the axis of the push rod) is also the installation angle α of the magnetic field generating module 330, which is preferably in the range of 15-45°, as shown in Figure 3 .

[0064] In some embodiments, one magnetic field generating module 330 is arranged between every two adjacent magnetic flexible grippers 340, that is, one magnetic field generating module 330 corresponds to two magnetic flexible grippers 340 and is located outside the region between the two magnetic flexible grippers 340, so that the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating module 330 can act on the corresponding magnetic flexible gripper 340, thereby reducing the cost and reasonably utilizing the space. Taking the example of arranging 6 magnetic flexible grippers 340 in a circle, the number of magnetic field generating modules 330 is 3.

[0065] In some embodiments, the plurality of magnetic field generating modules 330 are arranged along the circumference, and the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340 are arranged along the circumference.

[0066] As shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, for each magnetic field generating module 330, specifically, it comprises a cylindrical and high-pressure resistant sealed shell, an electromagnetic coil 332 arranged in the sealed shell and coaxially arranged with the sealed shell, an annular cooling cavity 333 formed between the electromagnetic coil 332 and the sealed shell, and the cooling cavity 333 is filled with cooling liquid for effective heat dissipation; a waterproof threading bolt 334 is arranged on the sealed shell, and the lead wire of the electromagnetic coil 332 is led out through the waterproof threading bolt 334 to be connected with the corresponding current generator 500.

[0067] The sealed shell further comprises a shell body 331 which is only opened at one end and an end cover 335 for sealing the opened end of the shell body 331, the waterproof threading bolt 334 is arranged on the end cover 335, and two upper and lower rotary grooves 336 are arranged on the circumferential outer wall of the end cover 335 for arranging the sealing ring for sealing. The waterproof threading bolt 334 is a conventional waterproof threading bolt 334 which is provided with a sealing ring and can be sealed by pre-tightening the bolt nut, and the lead wire of the electromagnetic coil 332 is led out through the waterproof threading bolt 334 and sealed by using sealing glue to seal the center hole of the waterproof threading bolt 334.

[0068] Therefore, the magnetic field generating module 330 in some embodiments of the present application has good sealing and heat dissipation performance and is suitable for submarine operation.

[0069] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 to 4 , the shell body 331 of the magnetic field generating module 330 is sleeved with an upper pipe clamp 370 at the upper part and a lower pipe clamp 380 at the lower part, the upper pipe clamp 370 and the lower pipe clamp 380 are fixed on the shell body 331 by bolts and nuts, pin hole parts are arranged on the upper pipe clamp 370, the lower pipe clamp 380, the first connecting rod 350, the second connecting rod 360, the push rod output end 321 and the gripper connecting part 312, the pin hole part of the upper pipe clamp 370 is hinged with the pin hole part of one end of the first connecting rod 350 through a locking screw nut, the pin hole part of the other end of the first connecting rod 350 is hinged with the pin hole part of the push rod output end 321, the pin hole part of the lower pipe clamp 380 is hinged with the pin hole part of one end of the second connecting rod 360 through a locking screw nut, and the pin hole part of the other end of the second connecting rod 360 is hinged with the pin hole part of the gripper connecting part 312 through a locking screw nut.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the connecting frame 310 comprises a bottom plate, a middle plate 314 and a top plate 313, which are parallel and spaced vertically, and are connected by a plurality of circumferentially arranged double-pass threaded studs 315 between adjacent plates. The electric push rod 320 is located at the center of the connecting frame 310, and the bottom end of the electric push rod 320 is fixed to the top plate 313 of the connecting frame 310 by a bolt and nut. The mechanical arm connecting part 311 is a connecting flange fixed on the top surface of the top plate 313 of the connecting frame 310; and the gripper connecting part 312 is the bottom plate of the connecting frame 310, which is provided with a plurality of stepped holes 316 arranged in a ring array. The magnetic flexible gripper is T-shaped and is inserted into each stepped hole 316. The head of the T-shaped magnetic flexible gripper 340 is embedded in the stepped hole 316. A gripper fixing plate 317 is fastened on the top surface of the bottom plate of the connecting frame 310 by screws to press and fix the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340.

[0071] With the above structure, on the one hand, the magnetic flexible gripper 340 can be detachably installed, which is convenient and efficient. On the other hand, the stepped hole 316 supports and limits the top end of the magnetic flexible gripper 340, and the combination of the fixing of the gripper fixing plate 317 makes the connection of the magnetic flexible gripper 340 and the bottom plate of the connecting frame 310 more reliable and stable.

[0072] For the magnetic flexible gripper, it is usually made of a deformable rigid material, which can more accurately simulate the natural movement mode of marine organisms and improve the grabbing accuracy. However, the magnetic flexible gripper made of a deformable rigid material still has a certain rigidity, and there is still a risk of damaging the underwater object to be grabbed during grabbing. It is not suitable for grabbing some important underwater objects to be grabbed such as polymetallic nodule ores.

[0073] To solve the above technical problems, in some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 The magnetic flexible gripper 340 comprises a full-flexible gripper body 341 with magnetism, a support skeleton embedded in the full-flexible gripper body 341, and a plurality of flexible microneedles 343 formed on one side surface of the full-flexible gripper body 341. One end of the full-flexible gripper body 341 is a connecting end 3411 fixedly connected with the gripper connecting part 312, and the other end is a grabbing end 3412. The plurality of flexible microneedles 343 protrude into the interior of the circumference surrounded by the plurality of magnetic flexible grippers 340, and are arranged on the full-flexible gripper body 341 in the region close to the grabbing end 3412 thereof.

[0074] The full-flexible gripper body 341 has no rigidity itself, and can avoid damage to the underwater object to be gripped. The support framework is used to provide rigidity and torsional resistance, which makes up for the defects of structural instability and failure of gripping caused by low rigidity and insufficient torsional resistance of the full-flexible gripper body 341. During the gripping process, the full-flexible gripper body 341 bends, driving the flexible microneedles 343 to contract and bend, which can increase the contact area between the gripper and the underwater object to be gripped, increase the friction, and thus improve the gripping force. The flexible microneedles 343, in combination with the softness of the full-flexible gripper body 341, also ensure that damage to the underwater object to be gripped is avoided.

[0075] In some embodiments, the full-flexible gripper body 341 is in the shape of a T-shaped or rectangular sheet with a size of 50 mm x 10 mm x 2.5 mm, which is simple in structure and has a wide range of gripping. The full-flexible gripper body 341 can be obtained by mixing platinum silicone glue (Ecoflex 0020 silicone glue) and neodymium iron boron magnetic powder and then curing, wherein the mass fraction of the neodymium iron boron magnetic powder is 60%.

[0076] Ecoflex 0020 silicone glue is widely used in various industrial fields, and is particularly suitable for various applications requiring high flexibility. Therefore, it is an excellent material for flexible grippers.

[0077] The physical properties of Ecoflex 0020 silicone glue are as follows: the hardness is about 20 Shore A, i.e. very soft, which is suitable for applications requiring softness and flexibility; the tensile strength is about 3.1 MPa, which can withstand repeated stretching in actual applications; the elongation can reach more than 500%, indicating that the material can be stretched to 5 times the original length without easy breaking, which is very suitable for use as a component requiring great deformation; the tear resistance is relatively strong, about 14 kN / m, which can withstand certain pulling and external forces, and has good durability; the elastic recovery (resilience) ability is very high, and once stretched or compressed, the material can quickly recover its original shape without permanent deformation; and after mixing with the magnetic powder, the Ecoflex 0020 silicone glue itself can still maintain its original properties.

[0078] In some embodiments, a plurality of flexible microneedles 343 are arranged in a rectangular array on the full-flexible gripper body 341 in the area close to the gripping end 3412, and are also obtained by curing platinum silicone glue; the flexible microneedles 343 are in the shape of a conical tooth structure with a height of 0.5 mm, a bottom diameter of 0.5 mm, and a distribution interval of 0.8 mm.

[0079] In some embodiments, the support framework includes a plurality of support pieces 342 arranged obliquely, and the plurality of support pieces 342 are sequentially connected and arranged in a broken line along the length direction of the full-flexible gripper body 341. Specifically, the support piece 342 can be made of nylon film with a thickness of 0.3 mm. The material is tough and soft, which can ensure rigidity and will not affect the flexible gripping of the magnetic flexible gripper 340; the support piece 342 is an elongated rectangle with a size of 10 mm x 2 mm, and 2-6 support pieces 342 can be provided according to the specific length of the full-flexible gripper body 341. The angle between each support piece 342 and the length direction of the full-flexible gripper body 341 is 30°, and the angle between adjacent support pieces 342 is 120°. The plurality of support pieces 342 are arranged in a W shape to provide support and are distributed in the inner middle region of the full-flexible gripper body 341.

[0080] In some embodiments, each magnetic flexible gripper 340 can include a plurality of full-flexible gripper bodies 341 with the same structure, each full-flexible gripper body 341 is internally provided with a support framework, and the surface is provided with a plurality of flexible microneedles 343. The first and second ends of the full-flexible gripper body 341 are provided with a hinge connection structure, and the plurality of full-flexible gripper bodies 341 of each magnetic flexible gripper 340 are sequentially hinged to realize length size expansion to adapt to more gripping conditions.

[0081] In some embodiments, taking the T-shaped magnetic flexible gripper 340 (the full-flexible gripper body 341 corresponds to a T shape) as an example, the preparation thereof includes the following steps:

[0082] Preparation of the mold: including a first mold and a second mold, the first mold is used for forming the flexible microneedle 343 and the gripping part of the T-shaped full-flexible gripper body 341 of the T-shaped magnetic flexible gripper 340 (i.e. the part between the connecting end 3411 and the gripping end 3412), the mold cavity of the first mold includes a plurality of microneedle cavities on the inner bottom surface and a full-flexible gripper body gripping part cavity above the inner bottom surface; the second mold is used for forming the connecting end 3411 of the full-flexible gripper body 341 based on the full-flexible gripper body gripping part which has been formed with the flexible microneedle 343, and the mold cavity of the second mold is adapted to the shape of the magnetic flexible gripper 340;

[0083] Manufacture of the flexible microneedle 343: platinum silicone slurry is first prepared, and after being stirred uniformly, it is injected into the first mold to fill the microneedle cavities with the slurry. Then the first mold is placed in a vacuum box to extract vacuum at 0.09 MPa for 3 minutes, and then the mold is taken out and the excess silicone on the surface is scraped off;

[0084] Manufacture of the support piece 342: the nylon film is cut into an elongated rectangle with a size of 10 mm x 2 mm according to the designed shape for standby;

[0085] Making the full-flexible gripper body 341 with a support skeleton and magnetism: platinum silicone glue (Ecoflex 0020) and NdFeB magnetic powder are mixed and stirred uniformly according to a proportion, a slurry is prepared, the mass fraction of the NdFeB magnetic powder is 60%, then the slurry is injected into a first mold in which the flexible microneedle 343 has been formed, the slurry fills half the thickness of the full-flexible gripper body 341 of the first mold, then the first mold is placed in a vacuum box to extract vacuum 0.09 MPa and maintain for 3 minutes, and after taking out, it is left for 30 minutes; then the prepared support sheet 342 is placed in a W shape, the platinum silicone glue and NdFeB magnetic powder mixed slurry is injected again until the first mold is completely filled, then vacuum and heating curing are performed to obtain a preliminary sample;

[0086] Making the connecting end 3411 of the full-flexible gripper body 341: the preliminary sample is placed in a second mold, the sample with the flexible microneedle 343 is upward, then platinum silicone glue slurry is injected into the second mold, then it is placed in a vacuum box for vacuum heating and curing for 3 hours to obtain a complete magnetic flexible gripper 340 sample;

[0087] Testing magnetism and magnetization: the magnet is used to test whether the magnetic flexible gripper 340 sample has magnetism, if the sample can be attracted by the magnet, it means that it has magnetism; the sample is placed horizontally in the magnetization machine, and the magnetization is completed after power on.

[0088] Finally, it should be noted that: the above examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and not to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing examples, those skilled in the art should understand that: it can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing examples, or make equivalent replacement for part of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A fast and flexible grasping underwater robot, characterized in that: include: Control module; A robot body, wherein the robot body is provided with a camera and a plurality of current generators, wherein the camera and the current generators are respectively communicatively connected to the control module; a robotic arm connected to the robot body; A gripper assembly, the gripper assembly is connected to the end of the robotic arm, and includes a connecting frame, an electric push rod, multiple magnetic field generating modules and multiple magnetic soft grippers; the connecting frame includes a robotic arm connecting part located at its upper end and a gripper connecting part located at its lower end, the robotic arm connecting part is connected to the end of the robotic arm, and multiple magnetic soft grippers are arranged along the circumference and connected to the gripper connecting part; the electric push rod is invertedly installed on the connecting frame, and the push rod output end is located above the gripper connecting part and the magnetic soft gripper, and the electric push rod is communicatively connected to the control module; multiple magnetic field generating modules are circumferentially arranged on the periphery of multiple magnetic soft grippers, and are connected to multiple The current generators are connected in a one-to-one correspondence; the upper end of the magnetic field generating module is hinged to the push rod output end through a first connecting rod, and the lower end of the magnetic field generating module is hinged to the gripper connecting part through a second connecting rod; the magnetic soft gripper includes a fully flexible gripper body with magnetism, a supporting skeleton buried inside the fully flexible gripper body, and a plurality of flexible microneedles formed on one side of the fully flexible gripper body, one end of the fully flexible gripper body is a connecting end fixedly connected to the gripper connecting part, and the other end is a gripping end, a plurality of the flexible microneedles protrude toward the inside of the circle surrounded by the plurality of the magnetic soft grippers, and are arranged on the fully flexible gripper body in an area close to its gripping end; The camera obtains image information of the underwater object to be grasped and sends the image information to the control module. The control module controls each current generator to supply power to the corresponding magnetic field generating module according to the image information, driving the multiple magnetic flexible grippers to perform the grasping action; During grasping, when the current generator passes a reverse current to the corresponding magnetic field generating module, the magnetic field generating module generates a reverse magnetic field. The magnetic flexible gripper has magnetism and a certain degree of softness. Under the action of the reverse magnetic field, the free section of the magnetic flexible gripper is moved and deformed toward the direction close to the magnetic field generating module by the reverse torque of the magnetic field generating module, so that the multiple magnetic flexible grippers are in an open state as a whole, surrounding the underwater object to be grasped; then, the direction of the current when the current generator is energized is changed, and a positive current is passed to the magnetic field generating module. The magnetic field generating module generates a positive magnetic field to drive the free section of the magnetic flexible gripper to move in the direction away from the magnetic field generating module by the positive torque, so that the multiple magnetic flexible grippers are in a closed state as a whole, applying a grasping force to the underwater object to be grasped; when the underwater object to be grasped needs to be released, the current generator is powered off, the magnetic flexible gripper is no longer controlled by the external magnetic field driving torque, and automatically releases the underwater object to be grasped.

2. The fast flexible grasping underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axes of the circles where the multiple magnetic flexible grippers are located, the axes of the circles where the multiple magnetic field generating modules are located, and the axis of the electric push rod are collinear.

3. The fast flexible grasping underwater robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The magnetic field generating module is tilted, with its bottom surface facing the magnetic soft gripper.

4. The fast flexible grasping underwater robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The angle between the axis of the magnetic field generating module and the axis of the electric push rod ranges from 15° to 45°.

5. The fast flexible grasping underwater robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: A magnetic field generating module is arranged between every two adjacent magnetic flexible grippers.

6. The fast flexible grasping underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnetic field generating module includes a cylindrical, high-pressure-resistant sealed housing, an electromagnetic coil arranged in the sealed housing and coaxial with the sealed housing, an annular cooling cavity is formed between the electromagnetic coil and the sealed housing, and the cooling cavity is filled with coolant; a waterproof threading bolt is provided on the sealed housing, and the lead of the electromagnetic coil is led out through the waterproof threading bolt to be connected to the current generator.

7. The fast flexible grasping underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fully flexible gripper body is in the form of a T-shaped sheet, and the multiple flexible microneedles are distributed in a rectangular array. The flexible microneedles are in a conical tooth structure with a height of 0.5 mm, a bottom diameter of 0.5 mm, and a distribution spacing of 0.8 mm.

8. The fast flexible grasping underwater robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support frame includes a plurality of support pieces arranged obliquely, and the plurality of support pieces are sequentially connected and arranged in a broken line along the length direction of the fully flexible gripper body.

9. The fast flexible grasping underwater robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The fully flexible gripper body is made of platinum silicone mixed with neodymium iron boron magnetic powder, wherein the mass fraction of neodymium iron boron magnetic powder is 60%. The flexible microneedles are made of platinum silicone, and the support sheet is made of nylon film.

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