Bionic robot face lip movement device

Abstract

The bionic robot face lip movement device comprises upper and lower bases, two corner movement driving units and three upper and lower lip movement driving units; the upper and lower bases are fixedly connected with the eye part and chin frame of the robot respectively; each upper lip movement driving unit is installed on the upper base and serves as a power source for driving the left, middle and right control points of the upper lip to move in the up-down direction; each upper lip control point also has a passive freedom degree in the left-right and front-back directions caused by the wire driving; each corner movement driving unit is installed on the upper base and serves as a power source for driving the left and right corner control points to move in the respective planes; and each lower lip movement driving unit is installed on the lower base and serves as a power source for driving the left, middle and right control points of the lower lip to move in the up-down direction; each lower lip control point also has a limited freedom degree in the left-right and front-back directions caused by the spherical hinge. The bionic lip multi-dimensional composite movement is realized under the premise of meeting the miniaturization requirement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bionic robot technology, specifically to a bionic robot facial lip movement device. Background Technology

[0002] The rapid development of bionic robotics technology has placed higher demands on anthropomorphic facial expressions, with lip movement being a key element in simulating language communication and facial expressions. Human lips can perform multi-degree-of-freedom movements of opening and closing, and can express emotions such as smiling through the movement of the corners of the mouth. Their dynamic range and coordination directly affect the naturalness and richness of expressions. Existing bionic lip actuators mostly use two points on each side for linkage, which can achieve simple lifting, but the degree of freedom of the lips is still insufficient, resulting in relatively unnatural movements. Current bionic lip actuators use a rigid connection to the drive linkage, limiting movement to a plane and further reducing the naturalness of movements.

[0003] Traditional designs typically employ rigid linkages, which suffer from drawbacks such as large space requirements, placing significant demands on the internal space of the bionic face mechanism. This also results in a bulky and heavy device, making it difficult to integrate within the limited space of a robot's face. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] To address this, the present invention provides a bionic robot facial lip movement device that achieves multi-dimensional composite movement of the bionic lips while meeting the requirements of miniaturization, reproduces the complex movements of human lips, enhances the subtlety of the robot's emotional expression, and has high reliability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] The present invention provides a bionic robot facial lip movement device, comprising an upper base, a lower base, three upper lip movement drive units, two corner mouth movement drive units, and three lower lip movement drive units;

[0008] The upper base is independently disposed above the lower base and is fixedly connected to the robot's eye frame;

[0009] The lower base is fixedly connected to the robot's chin frame;

[0010] The three upper lip motion drive units are independently mounted on the upper base and serve as the power source for driving the left, middle and right control points of the upper lip to move in the up and down direction, respectively. Each upper lip control point also has passive degrees of freedom in the left and right and front and back directions, respectively, brought about by line drive.

[0011] The two mouth corner movement drive units are independently mounted on the upper base, and serve as the power source for driving the left and right mouth corner control points to move in their respective planes.

[0012] The three lower lip motion drive units are independent of each other and are respectively installed on the lower base. They serve as the power source for driving the left, middle and right control points of the lower lip to move in the up and down direction. Each lower lip control point also has restricted degrees of freedom in the left and right and front and back directions, respectively, due to the ball joint.

[0013] In some embodiments, each upper lip motion drive unit includes an upper lip drive motor and an upper lip transmission mechanism, and the three upper lip drive motors are respectively located at the left, middle and right positions of the middle region of the upper surface of the upper base.

[0014] Each upper lip transmission mechanism includes a drive line and a guide assembly. The guide assembly includes a drive disc, a guide wheel, and a bracket. Each drive disc is mounted on the output shaft of a corresponding upper lip drive motor via a motor flange. The drive disc and the motor flange are in clearance fit. The drive disc has a rope hole for fixing one end of the drive line and a groove for winding the drive line. Each bracket is fixed to the front middle area of ​​the upper base and is used to install a corresponding guide wheel. The guide wheel is used to change the direction of the drive line from horizontal to vertical. The other end of each drive line passes through the drive disc and the guide wheel in sequence and is connected to a corresponding upper lip control point.

[0015] In some embodiments, the upper base includes an upper base body and a plurality of mounting components fixed thereon. The upper base body is a flat plate. The planes on the left and right sides where the drive disks are located are perpendicular to the planes on the upper base body. The drive lines driving the left and right upper lip control points are arranged in a crisscross pattern. The plane on the middle drive disk is parallel to the plane on the upper base body. A guide post is provided in front of the middle drive disk to keep the drive lines led out from the middle drive disk at the same height as the middle guide wheel.

[0016] In some embodiments, two mouth corner motion drive units are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the upper base. Each mouth corner motion drive unit includes two mouth corner drive motors and a mouth corner transmission mechanism connected between the output shafts of the two mouth corner drive motors. The mouth corner transmission mechanism is a five-bar linkage. A mouth corner execution component connected to a mouth corner control point on one side is provided at the front end of the five-bar linkage. The mouth corner control point moves in the plane where the mouth corner control point is located under the driving action of the two mouth corner drive motors.

[0017] In some embodiments, two mouth corner drive motors within the same mouth corner movement drive unit are respectively fixed to the upper and lower sides of the upper base;

[0018] The five-bar linkage includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, and two first cloverleaf couplings with cranks. One end of the first connecting rod and one end of the second connecting rod are rotatably connected to the cranks on the first cloverleaf couplings, respectively. Each first cloverleaf coupling is fixedly connected to the output shaft of a corresponding corner drive motor. The other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the middle of the second connecting rod. The corner actuation component is fixedly provided at the front end of the second connecting rod.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first link is a straight link and the second link is an irregularly shaped link composed of straight segments and arc segments, the irregularly shaped link making the range of motion of the corner of the mouth actuator more closely fit the surface of the face.

[0020] In some embodiments, each of the three lower lip motion drive units includes a lower lip drive motor and a lower lip transmission mechanism. The two side lower lip drive motors are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides below the lower base, and the middle lower lip drive motor is located on one side above the lower base. Each lower lip transmission mechanism is arranged on the left, middle, and right sides below the lower base, and each adopts a transmission method that combines ball joints and parallel connecting rods to convert the rotation of the corresponding lower lip drive motor into up-down translation. At the same time, it can passively rotate in the forward-backward and left-right directions, which are limited by the range of motion of the ball joint. The end of each lower lip transmission mechanism away from the lower lip drive motor is connected to a corresponding lower lip control point.

[0021] In some embodiments, the lower base includes a lower base body and a plurality of mounting members fixed thereon. The lower base body is a U-shaped flat plate, the middle of which is through which a lower lip transmission mechanism passes.

[0022] In some embodiments, the side lower lip transmission mechanism includes a first parallel link, a third link, and a second quincunx coupling with a crank, which are rotatably connected in sequence via ball joints. The second quincunx coupling is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the side lower lip drive motor. The front end of the first parallel link is rotatably connected to the side lower lip actuator via a ball joint. The side lower lip actuator is fixedly connected to a corresponding side lower lip control point. The rear end of the first parallel link is also rotatably connected to a fourth mounting member fixed on the lower base via a short rod.

[0023] In some embodiments, the intermediate lower lip transmission mechanism includes a second parallel connecting rod, a fourth connecting rod, and a third plum blossom-shaped coupling with a crank, which are rotatably connected in sequence via short rods. One end of the third plum blossom-shaped coupling is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the intermediate lower lip drive motor. The front end of the second parallel connecting rod is rotatably connected to the intermediate lower lip actuator via a ball joint. The intermediate lower lip actuator is fixedly connected to the intermediate lower lip control point. The second parallel connecting rod is also rotatably connected to the lower base via a T-shaped mounting member. The top end of the T-shaped mounting member is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the lower base. The middle and lower parts of the T-shaped mounting member are respectively fitted with the middle part of the second parallel connecting rod via a short rod.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following characteristics and beneficial effects:

[0025] To address the limitations of current bionic lip actuators in terms of limited degrees of freedom and unrealistic lip movement, this invention proposes a method using three points on each of the upper and lower lips to achieve multi-degree-of-freedom lip movement. This is combined with a five-bar planar motion mechanism at the corners of the mouth to achieve complex, composite movements.

[0026] To address the problem that current bionic lip drive devices all use rigid transmission methods, which occupy a large internal space and are inflexible, this invention proposes a rigid-flexible hybrid drive mechanism. The flexible transmission method and the semi-rigid transmission method do not affect the motion transmission and reduce the space requirements of the device.

[0027] To address the problem that current bionic lip actuators are rigidly fixed, this invention incorporates a certain degree of freedom in both the upper and lower lip actuators, allowing the lip actuators to move in small amplitudes forward, backward, and lateral movements in addition to longitudinal movements, thereby increasing the naturalness of facial expressions. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a bionic robot facial lip movement device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the upper base in the device shown;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the upper lip movement drive unit in the device shown;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the mouth corner movement drive unit in the device shown;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 1A schematic diagram of the structure of the lower base and the lower lip motion drive unit in the device shown;

[0033] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the lower base in the structure shown;

[0034] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the lower lip motion drive unit located on the left side of the structure shown;

[0035] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of part A in the middle;

[0036] Figure 9 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the lower lip motion drive unit located in the middle of the structure shown;

[0037] Figure 10 for Figure 5 Exploded view of the structure shown;

[0038] In the picture:

[0039] 100. Upper base; 110. Upper base body; 120. First mounting slot; 130. First mounting component; 141. Second mounting component; 142. Second mounting slot; 150. Third mounting slot.

[0040] 200. Upper lip motion drive unit; 210. Upper lip drive motor; 211. Motor flange; 220. Upper lip transmission mechanism; 221. Wire drive disk; 222. Guide wheel; 223. Bracket; 224. Guide column.

[0041] 300. Mouth corner motion drive unit; 310. Mouth corner drive motor; 320. Mouth corner transmission mechanism; 321. First plum blossom type coupling; 322. First connecting rod; 323. Second connecting rod; 324. Mouth corner actuating component.

[0042] 400. Lower base; 410. Lower base body; 420. Third mounting component; 430. Fourth mounting component; 431. First through hole; 440. Fourth mounting groove; 450. Fifth mounting groove.

[0043] 500. Lower lip motion drive unit; 510. Side lower lip drive motor; 520. Side lower lip transmission mechanism; 521. First parallel link; 521a. First link arm; 521b. Second link arm; 522. Third link; 523. Second plum blossom type coupling; 524. Side lower lip actuating component; 525. Fifth mounting component; 530. Middle lower lip drive motor; 540. Middle lower lip transmission mechanism; 541. Second parallel link; 541a. Third link arm; 54... 1b. Fourth link arm; 542. Fourth link; 543. Third plum blossom type coupling; 544. Middle lower lip actuator; 545. T-type mounting piece; 546. Sixth mounting piece; a1. Ball seat of the first ball joint; b1. Ball of the first ball joint; a2. Ball seat of the second ball joint; b2. Ball of the second ball joint; a3. Ball seat of the third ball joint; b3. Ball of the third ball joint; a4. Ball seat of the fourth ball joint; b4. Ball of the fourth ball joint; c1. First pin; c2. Second pin. Detailed Implementation

[0044] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0045] Conversely, this application covers any alternatives, modifications, equivalent methods, and schemes made within the spirit and scope of this application as defined by the claims. Furthermore, to provide the public with a better understanding of this application, certain specific details are described in detail below. However, this application can be fully understood by those skilled in the art even without these detailed descriptions.

[0046] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the foundation or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0047] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0048] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0049] See Figures 1-10 The present invention provides a bionic robot facial lip movement device, including an upper base 100, a lower base 400, three upper lip movement drive units 200, two corner mouth movement drive units 300 and three lower lip movement drive units 500.

[0050] The upper base 100 is set relatively independently above the lower base 400 and is fixedly connected to the robot's eye frame (which is not shown in the figure);

[0051] The lower base 400 is fixedly connected to the robot's chin frame (not shown in the figure);

[0052] Three upper lip motion drive units 200 are installed independently on the upper base 100, and serve as the power source for driving the left, middle and right control points of the upper lip to move in the up and down direction, respectively. Each upper lip control point also has passive degrees of freedom in the left and right and front and back directions, respectively, brought by line drive.

[0053] Two mouth corner movement drive units 300 are installed independently and symmetrically on the upper base 100, and serve as the power source to drive the left and right mouth corner control points to move in their respective planes.

[0054] Three lower lip motion drive units 500 are independently mounted on the lower base 400 and serve as the power source for driving the left, middle, and right control points of the lower lip to move in the vertical direction. Each lower lip control point also has limited degrees of freedom in the left-right and front-back directions due to the ball joint. These limited degrees of freedom refer to the restriction of the ball joint during movement by the ball joint mounting point and its own ball seat. The lower lip motion drive unit, which is fixed to the ball joint, can achieve limited rotation around the ball in the ball joint when the ball seat of the ball joint does not interfere with other parts.

[0055] It should be noted that the directions up, down, left, right, front, and back in this application are as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 5 The orientation diagram shows the front side of the device closest to the robot's face and the rear side away from the robot's face.

[0056] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 The upper base 100 includes an upper base body 110 and several mounting components fixed to the upper base body 110. The upper base body 110 is a flat plate, and the front contour of the flat plate is an arc surface adapted to the contour of the upper lip. The rear region of the upper base body 110 is adjacent to the robot's eye frame (the eye frame is located in...). Figure 2 (Not shown in the image) Fixed connection. Mounting components are distributed on the front and middle regions of the upper base body 110, which are fixedly connected to each upper lip movement drive unit 200 and corner of the mouth movement drive unit 300, respectively, as will be described in detail below.

[0057] In some embodiments, see Figure 3Each upper lip motion drive unit 200 includes an upper lip drive motor 210 and an upper lip transmission mechanism 220. The three upper lip drive motors 210 are positioned on the left, center, and right sides of the central region of the upper base body 110, with the middle upper lip drive motor 210 located at the center of the central region of the upper base body 110. The housings of the left and right upper lip drive motors 210 are respectively fixed to the left and right first mounting parts 130 inside the upper base body 110 by screws, and the installation methods of the left and right upper lip drive motors 210 are symmetrical. The housing of the middle upper lip drive motor 210 is installed in the third mounting groove 150 in the center of the upper base body 110 by screws. Each upper lip transmission mechanism 220 includes a drive line (not shown in the figure) and a guide assembly, which includes a drive disc 221, a guide wheel 222, and a bracket 223. The output shafts of the three upper lip drive motors 210 are respectively fixedly connected to a motor flange 211. Each motor flange 211 is connected to a corresponding wire drive disk 221 by screws, and the wire drive disk 221 and the corresponding motor flange 211 adopt a clearance fit. The diameter of the wire drive disk 221 determines the transmission efficiency between the upper lip drive motor 210 and the upper lip transmission mechanism 220 connected to it. Each bracket 223 is an L-shaped frame, with a mounting plate at the bottom that is fixed to the first mounting groove 120 on the front side of the upper base body 110 by screws, and a mounting hole at the top that is fixed to the guide wheel 222 by screws. The drive plate 221 has 1mm diameter holes for ropes. One end of the drive cable (fishing line can be used) is fixed through the holes on the drive plate 221. The drive cable is wound several times in the groove on the outer circumference of the drive plate 221. The drive cables in the left and right upper lip transmission mechanisms 220 are distributed in a crisscross pattern. Specifically, the drive cable on the right rear drive plate 221 is connected to the left front guide wheel 222, and the drive cable on the left rear drive plate 221 is connected to the right front guide wheel 222. This ensures that one drive plate 221 and one guide wheel 222 are in the same plane, which is perpendicular to the plane of the upper base body 110. This reduces friction on the drive line and facilitates wiring. The plane of the drive disk 221 in the upper lip transmission mechanism 220 is parallel to the plane of the upper base body 110. A guide post 224 fixed to the upper base body 110 is provided on the front side of the drive disk. After the drive line in the middle winds around the drive disk 221, the height of the drive line in the middle is changed by the guide post 224 located on the front side of the drive disk 221. This allows the drive line in the middle to connect to the guide wheel 222 in the middle front side in a direction parallel to the plane of the upper base body 110 after passing through the guide post 224, and then to go around the guide wheel 222 in the middle front side.Thus, through the various guide components, the direction of each drive line led out from the corresponding drive plate 221 is changed from horizontal (referring to the direction parallel to the plane of the upper base body) to vertical (i.e., up and down). The ends of each drive line are connected to the corresponding control points of the upper lip in the silicone skin of the bionic robot's face via magnets. Each upper lip drive motor 210 drives the motor flange 211 and the corresponding drive plate 221 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise through a plum blossom-shaped coupling. The drive line retracts or releases, and through the guide wheel 222, it drives the corresponding control points of the upper lip to rise or fall, achieving the effect of opening or closing the upper lip. At the same time, the drive line through the guide wheel 222 can move relatively freely in space, that is, it can rotate in space with the guide wheel 222 as the center, ensuring the naturalness of the movement.

[0058] In some embodiments, see Figure 4 The two mouth corner movement drive units 300 have identical structures and are symmetrically arranged in the left and right areas on the front side of the upper base body 110. The left mouth corner movement drive unit 300 will be described as an example. The left mouth corner movement drive unit 300 includes two mouth corner drive motors 310 and a mouth corner transmission mechanism 320 connected between the output shafts of the two mouth corner drive motors 310. The two mouth corner drive motors 310 are respectively fixed to the second mounting grooves 142 on the upper and lower surfaces of the left front side of the upper base body 110 via corresponding second mounting parts 141. The mouth corner transmission mechanism 320 is a five-bar linkage, including a fixed connecting rod (which is a virtual rod) connected between the output shafts of the two mouth corner drive motors 310 and four movable connecting rods. The four movable rods are a first connecting rod 322, a second connecting rod 323, and two first quincunx-shaped rods with cranks. The coupling 321, one end of the first connecting rod 322 and one end of the second connecting rod 323 are respectively rotatably connected to the crank on the first plum blossom type coupling 321. Each first plum blossom type coupling 321 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of a corresponding mouth corner drive motor 310. The other end of the first connecting rod 322 is rotatably connected to the middle of the second connecting rod 323. A mouth corner actuation component 324 is fixedly provided at the end of the second connecting rod 323 facing the robot's face (i.e., the front end of the second connecting rod). The mouth corner actuation component 324 is connected to the mouth corner control point on the left side. The mouth corner control point can move in the plane under the driving action of the two mouth corner drive motors 310.

[0059] More specifically, the housing of the corner-of-the-mouth drive motor 310 and its matching second mounting component (specifically, the columns located on both sides of the corner-of-the-mouth drive motor 310) 141 and second mounting groove 142 are both fixedly connected by screws. Each adjacent movable link in the five-bar linkage is rotatably connected by screws. The first link 322 is a straight rod, and the second link 323 is an irregularly shaped rod composed of straight and curved segments. This irregularly shaped rod ensures that the movement range of the corner-of-the-mouth actuator 324 better conforms to the facial surface, making the movement more natural. The length of the first quincunx coupling 321 determines the movement range of the first link 322 and the second link 323 in a single lateral (e.g., to the left) and a single longitudinal (e.g., upward) direction. When the upper corner-of-the-mouth drive motor 310 drives the first link 322 through the first quincunx coupling 321, the corner-of-the-mouth actuator 324 moves up and down in the plane of its location along with the second link 323, driven by the first link 322. When the lower corner-of-the-mouth drive motor 310 drives the second connecting rod 323 through the first plum blossom-shaped coupling 321, the corner-of-the-mouth actuator 324 moves left and right within its plane under the drive of the second connecting rod 323. In actual operation, all corner-of-the-mouth drive motors 310 can move together, realizing flexible movement of the corner-of-the-mouth actuator 324 within the plane. In this embodiment, through two corner-of-the-mouth drive motors 310 and a five-bar linkage connected between their output shafts, the corner-of-the-mouth actuator 324 can perform two degrees of freedom planar motion within its plane, ensuring that the corner-of-the-mouth actuator 324 has a large range of motion and strong mobility within its plane.

[0060] See Figures 5-10 This is a structural diagram of the lower base 400 and the three lower lip motion drive units 500 mounted on it.

[0061] In some embodiments, see Figure 6 The lower base 400 includes a lower base body 410 and several mounting components fixed to the lower base body 410. The lower base body 410 is a U-shaped flat plate. A chin frame for the robot is provided on both sides of the lower base body 410 (the chin frame is located on...). Figure 6 (Not shown in the image) A fifth mounting slot 450 is fixedly connected. Multiple mounting components that connect to the corresponding lower lip motion drive unit 500 are distributed near the inner circumferential surface of the lower base body 410, as will be described in detail below.

[0062] In some embodiments, see Figure 5 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 10 Of the three lower lip motion drive units 500, two are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the lower base body 410, and the remaining one is arranged in the middle of the lower base body 410.

[0063] The two lower lip motion drive units 500 on the left and right sides have identical structures. The following description will focus on the lower lip motion drive unit 500 located on the left side. The left lower lip motion drive unit 500 includes a side lower lip drive motor 510 and a side lower lip transmission mechanism 520. The housing of the side lower lip drive motor 510 is fixed to the lower side of the lower base body 410 by a third mounting member 420 located in the rear region of the lower base body 410. The output shaft of the side lower lip drive motor 510 is positioned facing the center of the lower base body 410. The side lower lip transmission mechanism 520 includes a first parallel connecting rod 521, a third connecting rod 522, and a second plum blossom-shaped coupling 523 with a crank, which are rotatably connected in sequence via ball joints. The second plum blossom-shaped coupling 523 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the side lower lip drive motor 510. The front end of the first parallel connecting rod 521 is rotatably connected to the side lower lip actuator 524 via a ball joint. The side lower lip actuator 524 is fixedly connected to the corresponding lower lip control point. The rear end of the first parallel connecting rod 521 is also rotatably connected to the fourth mounting member 430 fixed on the lower base body 410 via a short rod.

[0064] More specifically, the side lower lip drive motor 510 is fastened to the third mounting piece 420 by screws and mounted on the upper surface of the lower base body 410, and one end of the second plum blossom type coupling 523 is fastened to the output shaft of the side lower lip drive motor 510 by screws. The front end of the crank on the second plum blossom type coupling 523 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the third connecting rod 522 through a first ball joint. The ball seat a1 and ball b1 of the first ball joint are respectively fixed to the front end of the crank on the second plum blossom type coupling 523 and the rear end of the third connecting rod 522. The ball b1 of the first ball joint is fixed to the end of the first pin c1. The front end of the third connecting rod 522 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the first parallel connecting rod 521 through a second ball joint. The first parallel connecting rod 521 is composed of a first connecting rod arm 521a and a second connecting rod arm 521b distributed vertically. The ball seat a2 and ball b2 of the second ball joint are respectively fixed to the front end of the third connecting rod 522 and the rear end of the second connecting rod arm 521b. Specifically, the ball b2 of the second ball joint is fixed to the end of the second pin c2. A third through hole with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the second pin c2 is provided at the rear end of the second connecting rod arm 521b, which can be interference-fitted and fastened with the second pin c2. The rear ends of the first link arm 521a and the second link arm 521b are respectively connected by a first short rod (the first short rod is in...) Figure 10(Not shown in the diagram) is rotatably connected to the fourth mounting component 430. The rear ends of the first connecting arm 521a and the second connecting arm 521b, as well as the fourth mounting component 430, are each provided with a first through hole 431 that mates with the first short rod. The third connecting rod 522 with ball seat a2 mates with the ball b2 at the rear end of the second connecting arm 521b to form a second ball joint, ensuring that the third connecting rod 522 and the first parallel connecting rod 521 have a certain degree of freedom in the installation space, thereby improving the space utilization of the lower lip. Simultaneously, lubrication effectively reduces frictional resistance. The front ends of the two connecting arms in the first parallel connecting rod 521 are connected to a second short rod (this second short rod is in...) via the third ball joint. Figure 10 (Not shown in the diagram) It is rotatably connected to the side lower lip actuator 524. The ball seat a3 and ball b3 of the third ball joint are respectively fixed to the side lower lip actuator 524 and the fifth mounting member 525. The fifth mounting member 525 and the front end of the first connecting arm 521a and the second connecting arm 521b are respectively provided with a second through hole with a diameter slightly larger than the second short rod, which is clearance-fitted with the second short rod. The parallel linkage structure can convert the rotational motion transmitted by the side lower lip drive motor 510 into vertical motion in an approximately vertical plane. The first parallel linkages 521 on both sides of the lower lip are connected to the fourth mounting member 430 and the fifth mounting member 525 on both sides of the lower lip with the short rod as the pivot. There is only a limited relative rotation between the fifth mounting member 525, the third ball joint and the side lower lip actuator 524 caused by the third ball joint. This limited relative rotation reduces the requirements for the mutual matching between structural dimensions, increases the allowable degree of installation error, and makes the movement more natural. When the output shaft of the side lower lip drive motor 510 rotates, its power is transmitted and amplified sequentially through the second plum blossom coupling 523, the third connecting rod 522, the first parallel connecting rod 521, and the fifth mounting piece 525, driving the side lower lip actuator 524 to move in the up-down direction. The upper end of the side lower lip actuator 524 is connected to the corresponding control point of the lower lip of the silicone face, realizing the lifting and pulling movement of the lower lip side, and can also passively rotate in the forward and backward and left and right directions, which are limited by the range of motion of the ball joint.

[0065] In some embodiments, see Figure 9 , Figure 10The middle lower lip motion drive unit 500 includes a middle lower lip drive motor 530 and a middle lower lip transmission mechanism 540. The middle part of the U-shaped lower base body 410 is for the middle lower lip transmission mechanism 540 to pass through, so as to avoid interference with its movement. The housing of the middle lower lip drive motor 530 is fixed to the upper surface of one side of the lower base body 410 by a third mounting member 420 located in the rear region of the lower base body 410. The output shaft of the middle lower lip drive motor 530 is set towards the middle of the lower base body 410. The intermediate lower lip transmission mechanism 540 includes a second parallel connecting rod 541, a fourth connecting rod 542, and a third plum blossom-shaped coupling 543 with a crank, which are rotatably connected in sequence. One end of the third plum blossom-shaped coupling is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the intermediate lower lip drive motor 530. The front end of the second parallel connecting rod 541 is rotatably connected to the intermediate lower lip actuator 544 through a fourth ball joint. The intermediate lower lip actuator 544 is fixedly connected to the intermediate lower lip control point. The second parallel connecting rod 541 is also rotatably connected to the lower base body 410 through a T-shaped mounting piece 545. Specifically, the top end of the T-shaped mounting piece 545 is fixedly connected to the fourth mounting groove 440 on the lower surface of the lower base body 410 by screws. The lower middle part of the T-shaped mounting piece 545 is connected by a short rod (the short rod is in...). Figure 10 (Not shown in the diagram) and the middle clearance fit between the T-shaped part 545 and the third short rod and the second parallel connecting rod 541, so that the T-shaped part 545, the third short rod and the second parallel connecting rod 541 can be rotatably connected.

[0066] More specifically, the housing of the lower lip drive motor 530 is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the lower base body 410 by screws. One end of the third plum blossom coupling 543 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the lower lip drive motor 530. The rear end of the fourth connecting rod 542 and one end of the crank on the third plum blossom coupling 543, the rear end of the second parallel connecting rod 541 and the front end of the fourth connecting rod 542, the middle part of the second parallel connecting rod 541 and the T-shaped mounting piece 545, and the front end of the second parallel connecting rod 541 and the sixth mounting piece 546 are respectively rotatably connected by corresponding short rods. Specifically, the second parallel connecting rod 541, the fourth connecting rod 542, and the T-shaped mounting piece 545 are all provided with through holes with a diameter slightly larger than the short rods, and are clearance-fitted with the short rods. The second parallel link 541 consists of a third link arm 541a and a fourth link arm 541b arranged vertically. The third link arm 541a is an H-shaped component, and the fourth link arm 541b is an L-shaped component. The front ends of the third link arm 541a and the fourth link arm 541b are rotatably connected to a sixth mounting member 546 via short rods. A fourth ball joint connects the sixth mounting member 546 and the intermediate lower lip actuator 544. The ball seat a4 and the ball b4 of the fourth ball joint are respectively fixed to the intermediate lower lip actuator 544 and the side of the sixth mounting member 546 facing the robot's face. Similar to the side lower lip actuator, the only limited relative rotation between the sixth mounting member 546, the fourth ball joint, and the intermediate lower lip actuator 544 is caused by the fourth ball joint. During movement, the middle lower lip drive motor 530 drives the fourth link 542 through the third plum blossom type coupling 543. The fourth link 542 and the second parallel link 541 form a four-bar linkage. The middle lower lip actuator 544 moves in the vertical plane through the sixth mounting part 546 and the fourth ball joint. The top of the middle lower lip actuator 544 is connected to the corresponding middle control point of the lower lip of the silicone face, realizing the lifting and pulling movement of the middle of the lower lip. At the same time, it can passively rotate in the forward and backward and left and right directions, which are limited by the range of motion of the ball joint.

[0067] In some embodiments, the aforementioned short rods are all made of male and female expansion bolts. The male and female expansion bolts can serve as pivots, allowing the two components to move around the pivot through clearance-fitted through holes; at the same time, they can serve as fasteners, ensuring that the two components do not move relative to each other in the direction perpendicular to the pivot.

[0068] In summary, the bionic robot facial lip motion device provided by this invention has an independent upper and lower base that serves as a load-bearing and fixing unit. Each motion drive unit is equipped with a 180° drive motor for power. The actuators at the left and right corners of the mouth move in coordination with four motors via a five-bar linkage, achieving two degrees of freedom motion of the corners of the mouth within the plane of the actuators. The upper lip achieves flexible drive within the plane of the upper lip through a combination of a wire-driven disk and guide wheels; the lower lip converts the rotation of the drive motor into vertical translation in an approximately vertical plane through a combination of a third link with a ball joint, a ball hinge, and a parallel link. This motion device is divided into three parts: the upper lip, the lower lip, and the corners of the mouth. It can achieve vertical movement of the upper and lower lips and two degrees of freedom motion of the corners of the mouth within their respective planes. It is symmetrical from left to right, plus two control points at the middle upper and lower lips, for a total of 10 degrees of freedom. Its core feature is:

[0069] 1) Multi-degree-of-freedom cooperative motion, independent control of different regions: The facial lips of the bionic robot are divided into three independent motion regions: upper lip, lower lip and corner of mouth. Ten drive motors (two for the corner of mouth and three for each of the upper and lower lips) are used to achieve composite motion of two degrees of freedom in the vertical direction of the lips and in the plane of the corner of mouth, for a total of 10 degrees of freedom, which is close to the natural dynamic range of human lips.

[0070] 2) High degree of freedom design: The motion device is divided into three parts: upper lip, lower lip, and corners of the mouth. It can realize vertical movement of the upper and lower lips and 2 degrees of freedom movement of the corners of the mouth in their respective planes. It is symmetrical from left to right, plus two control points in the middle of the upper and lower lips, for a total of 10 degrees of freedom. It can perform more diverse movements and more realistic movements.

[0071] 3) Hybrid Rigid-Flexible Drive: Based on actual needs, the upper lip adopts a more flexible drive mode with higher degrees of freedom, completing the longitudinal movement of the upper lip through a combination of a wire-driven disk and guide wheels. The lower lip adopts a semi-rigid drive mode with better support performance, completing the longitudinal movement of the lower lip through the cooperation between various ball joints and parallel links. The corners of the mouth are driven by a five-bar linkage with higher degrees of freedom, making the overall movement more natural.

[0072] 4) Compact modular structure: The base adopts a flat bottom plate design, integrating multiple sets of adjustable mounting parts that cooperate with the corresponding upper and lower lip movement drive units and corner mouth movement drive units, supporting a symmetrical layout to adapt to different face sizes, while reducing redundant structures.

[0073] 5) Flexible transmission: In the longitudinal drive of the upper lip, a combination of a wire drive disk and guide wheels is used. The drive motor rotates, causing the wire drive disk to rotate, which tightens the flexible wire drive transmission mechanism, completing the up-and-down movement of the upper lip. This design reduces the space occupied by the upper lip, greatly improves the space utilization, and also increases the maintainability of the device.

[0074] 6) Ball-joint-parallel linkage hybrid drive: In the vertical drive of the lower lip, a transmission method combining ball joints and parallel linkages is used to convert the rotation of the drive motor into vertical translation. The restricted degree of freedom provided by the ball joint greatly improves space utilization while significantly increasing the tolerance for installation errors.

[0075] The bionic robot facial lip movement device provided in this invention has the following technical advantages:

[0076] 1) High biomimicry and richness of expression: Through multi-degree-of-freedom rigid-flexible composite motion (flexible drive of the upper lip, semi-rigid drive of the lower lip, and rigid drive of the corners of the mouth, totaling 10 degrees of freedom), it can reproduce the complex micro-expressions of the human mouth (such as surprise, anger, and sadness), enhancing the subtlety of the robot's emotional expression.

[0077] 2) Space efficiency and lightweight design: Modular layout and rigid-flexible composite mechanism reduce the device volume by more than 40%, adapting to the limited space on the robot's face; lightweight connecting rods significantly reduce the overall weight. In one specific embodiment of the invention, the device is approximately 100mm long and 130mm wide.

[0078] 3) Anti-interference and long life: The rigid-flexible hybrid drive reduces wear and extends service life by using the flexible contact of the ball joint and the line contact of the flexible wire drive while ensuring transmission accuracy (experimental verification shows that the service life exceeds 500,000 cycles).

[0079] 4) Dynamic performance optimization: The longitudinal drive of the lower lip adopts a ball joint and parallel linkage. The drive is amplified through a compound mechanism of multiple linkages, and the lateral travel of a single drive motor can reach ±20mm.

[0080] 5) Low cost and easy maintenance: The short rods used in the rotating bearings are standardized parts, resulting in low processing and replacement costs; the modular design supports partial maintenance without the need for overall disassembly.

[0081] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0082] Although embodiments of this disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A bionic robotic facial lip movement device, characterized in that, It includes an upper base, a lower base, three upper lip motion drive units, two corner mouth motion drive units, and three lower lip motion drive units; The upper base is independently disposed above the lower base and is fixedly connected to the robot's eye frame; The lower base is fixedly connected to the robot's chin frame; The three upper lip motion drive units are independently mounted on the upper base and serve as the power source for driving the left, middle and right control points of the upper lip to move in the up and down direction, respectively. Each upper lip control point also has passive degrees of freedom in the left and right and front and back directions, respectively, brought about by line drive. The two mouth corner movement drive units are independently mounted on the upper base, and serve as the power source for driving the left and right mouth corner control points to move in their respective planes. The three lower lip motion drive units are independently mounted on the lower base and serve as the power source for driving the left, middle and right control points of the lower lip to move in the up and down direction, respectively. Each lower lip control point also has restricted degrees of freedom in the left and right and front and back directions, respectively, due to the ball joint.

2. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each upper lip motion drive unit includes an upper lip drive motor and an upper lip transmission mechanism. The three upper lip drive motors are located at the left, center, and right positions in the middle region of the upper surface of the upper base. Each upper lip transmission mechanism includes a drive line and a guide assembly. The guide assembly includes a drive disc, a guide wheel, and a bracket. Each drive disc is mounted on the output shaft of a corresponding upper lip drive motor via a motor flange. The drive disc and the motor flange are in clearance fit. The drive disc has a rope hole for fixing one end of the drive line and a groove for winding the drive line. Each bracket is fixed to the front middle area of ​​the upper base and is used to install a corresponding guide wheel. The guide wheel is used to change the direction of the drive line from horizontal to vertical. The other end of each drive line passes through the drive disc and the guide wheel in sequence and is connected to a corresponding upper lip control point.

3. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper base includes an upper base body and several mounting components fixed thereon. The upper base body is a flat plate. The planes on the left and right sides where the drive disks are located are perpendicular to the planes on the upper base body. The drive lines driving the left and right upper lip control points are arranged in a crisscross pattern. The plane of the drive disk in the middle is parallel to the plane of the upper base body. A guide post is also provided in front of the middle drive disk to keep the drive lines leading out from the middle drive disk at the same height as the middle guide wheel.

4. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two mouth corner motion drive units are symmetrically distributed on the left and right sides of the upper base. Each mouth corner motion drive unit includes two mouth corner drive motors and a mouth corner transmission mechanism connected between the output shafts of the two mouth corner drive motors. The mouth corner transmission mechanism is a five-bar linkage. A mouth corner execution component connected to a mouth corner control point on one side is provided at the front end of the five-bar linkage. The mouth corner control point moves in the plane where the mouth corner control point is located under the driving action of the two mouth corner drive motors.

5. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 4, characterized in that, Two mouth corner drive motors within the same mouth corner movement drive unit are respectively fixed to the upper and lower sides of the upper base; The five-bar linkage includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, and two first cloverleaf couplings with cranks. One end of the first connecting rod and one end of the second connecting rod are rotatably connected to the cranks on the first cloverleaf couplings, respectively. Each first cloverleaf coupling is fixedly connected to the output shaft of a corresponding corner drive motor. The other end of the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the middle of the second connecting rod. The corner actuation component is fixedly provided at the front end of the second connecting rod.

6. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first link is a straight rod, and the second link is an irregularly shaped rod composed of straight segments and arc segments. The irregularly shaped rod makes the range of motion of the corner of the mouth actuator more closely fit the surface of the face.

7. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the three lower lip motion drive units includes a lower lip drive motor and a lower lip transmission mechanism. The two side lower lip drive motors are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides below the lower base, and the middle lower lip drive motor is located on one side above the lower base. Each lower lip transmission mechanism is arranged on the left, middle, and right sides below the lower base. Each mechanism adopts a transmission method that combines ball joints and parallel connecting rods to convert the rotation of the corresponding lower lip drive motor into up-down translation. At the same time, it can passively rotate in the forward-backward and left-right directions, which are limited by the range of motion of the ball joint. The end of each lower lip transmission mechanism away from the lower lip drive motor is connected to a corresponding lower lip control point.

8. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lower base includes a lower base body and several mounting components fixed thereon. The lower base body is a U-shaped flat plate, and the middle of the U-shaped flat plate is through which the lower lip transmission mechanism passes.

9. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The side lower lip transmission mechanism includes a first parallel connecting rod, a third connecting rod, and a second plum blossom-shaped coupling with a crank, which are rotatably connected in sequence via ball joints. The second plum blossom-shaped coupling is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the side lower lip drive motor. The front end of the first parallel connecting rod is rotatably connected to the side lower lip actuator via a ball joint. The side lower lip actuator is fixedly connected to the corresponding side lower lip control point. The rear end of the first parallel connecting rod is also rotatably connected to a fourth mounting component fixed on the lower base via a short rod.

10. The bionic robotic facial lip movement device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The middle lower lip transmission mechanism includes a second parallel connecting rod, a fourth connecting rod, and a third plum blossom-shaped coupling with a crank, which are rotatably connected in sequence via short rods. One end of the third plum blossom-shaped coupling is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the middle lower lip drive motor. The front end of the second parallel connecting rod is rotatably connected to the middle lower lip actuator via a ball joint. The middle lower lip actuator is fixedly connected to the middle lower lip control point. The second parallel connecting rod is also rotatably connected to the lower base via a T-shaped mounting piece. The top end of the T-shaped mounting piece is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the lower base. The middle and lower parts of the T-shaped mounting piece are respectively fitted with the middle part of the second parallel connecting rod via a short rod.

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