Vertebral body structure suitable for multi-legged robot and multi-legged robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a vertebral body structure suitable for a multi-legged robot and the multi-legged robot, and belongs to the technical field of robotics.The vertebral body structure comprises a lumbar vertebra body composed of a plurality of vertebral body sections and flexible shaft assemblies on the two sides of the vertebral body sections, the vertebral body sections can be flexibly connected in series to form a string, and the vertebral body sections and the flexible shaft assemblies on the two sides are arranged in parallel; the robot comprises a head, a tail and lumbar vertebra main bodies, the head is connected with the front-end vertebra main body and one end of a flexible shaft assembly through an adjusting unit, the tail is connected with the rear-end vertebra main body and the other end of the flexible shaft assembly through a retracting and releasing unit, and the adjusting unit and the retracting and releasing unit drive the angle change of the adjacent vertebra main bodies through the flexible shaft assembly to simulate lumbar vertebra deformation. The structure is small, exquisite and compact, and multi-section controllable bending and free bending in two directions are achieved through the control system; meanwhile, processing is convenient, and manufacturing cost is low; load bearing is improved by means of the multiple vertebral bodies, flexible connection of the flexible shaft assemblies and the vertebral bodies has extremely high elastic recovery performance, and adaptability of the robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of robot technology, and is particularly applicable to legged robots. Specifically, the present invention relates to a vertebral structure applicable to a multi-legged robot and a multi-legged robot. Background Art

[0002] Mobile robots can be categorized by their locomotion: wheeled robots, tracked robots, legged robots, and hybrid robots. Wheeled robots are the most widely used, offering advantages such as simple structure, high speed, high efficiency, and ease of control. However, wheeled and tracked robots primarily operate on flat surfaces. Legged walking robots are specialized robots that mimic the locomotion of multi-legged animals and are a type of legged locomotion mechanism. There are several types of legged walking robots:

[0003] Bipedal bionic robots generally have a wider sole contact area. When one foot is lifted to move, the faster leg flexion speed of the single foot, coordinated with the support of the other foot, and the main swing of the upper lumbar spine (with the head and arms) solve the center of gravity problem during the movement.

[0004] Quadruped robots typically achieve displacement by angular changes through the flexion and extension of a single arm with two joints. Compared to bipedal robots, quadrupeds are more stable. During their movement, quadruped robots rely on coordinated gaits to perform actions such as walking, jumping, squatting, and running. The single leg structure of existing quadruped robots is relatively simple and mature, generally containing three joints. Two of these joints are responsible for generating vertical angles, causing horizontal displacement by changing the X-axis angle of contact with the ground. The third joint is responsible for horizontal rotation of the leg, controlling the leg's Y-axis contact angle, which facilitates weight bearing. This Y-axis rotation transmits angle changes that are coordinated with X-axis angle changes in the other joints of the leg to produce movements such as turning and rolling.

[0005] Robots with more than four legs are called multi-legged robots, such as hexapod robots and octapod robots. As typical multi-legged walking robots, multi-legged robots have rich movement forms, redundant limb structures, good flexibility and stability, can adapt to walking on rough terrain, and are particularly suitable for tasks that require high autonomy and reliability. In short, compared with wheeled and tracked robots, legged robots have the characteristics of strong all-terrain adaptability, heavy load under the same power parameter motor load, and complex multi-joint coordination control.

[0006] Obviously, the Y-angle change of the leg structure of the current quadruped robot replaces the horizontal rotation function of the animal's lumbar spine (for example, the mechanical dogs on the market do not have lumbar vertebrae); as a result of the lack of bionic structure, it will inevitably lead to the lack of specific functions of the animal itself (such as the horse's load-bearing running, the cheetah's galloping, the cat's shrinking, etc.).

[0007] Current bionic legged robots are not fully emulated by humans, dogs, cats, horses, cheetahs, and other animals. The current state of bionic robots has not yet fully achieved the biomimetic nature of various animals that have evolved in nature. The skeletal movement and control of animals is the result of long-term evolution, training, and growth. Their muscles, tendons, and joints are difficult to fully simulate using existing methods such as electricity, magnetism, and fluid pressure.

[0008] Currently, many existing bionic lumbar vertebrae designs utilize springs, wires, hinges, and large and small directional sockets, or a combination of these to achieve angle variation and control. These drawbacks include: some lack sufficient segments, resulting in insufficient lumbar angle variation; some are difficult to control, resulting in difficulty recovering from lumbar deformation; some are not practical and have poor durability; and some utilize a combination of parallel and serial structures, resulting in bulky and difficult manufacturing. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot and a multi-legged robot.

[0010] To achieve the above object, the technical solutions adopted by the present invention are as follows:

[0011] A vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot, the vertebral structure comprising a lumbar vertebral body arranged between a head and a tail, the lumbar vertebral body comprising a plurality of segmental vertebral bodies and flexible shaft assemblies on both sides thereof, the flexible shaft assemblies being in the shape of long strips, the plurality of segmental vertebral bodies being able to be flexibly connected in series and arranged in parallel with the flexible shaft assemblies on both sides; the head being connected to the vertebral body at the front end and one end of the flexible shaft assembly via an adjustment unit, the tail being connected to the vertebral body at the rear end and the other end of the flexible shaft assembly via a retraction unit, the adjustment unit and the retraction unit driving the relative angles of adjacent vertebral bodies to change via the flexible shaft assembly, thereby simulating deformation of the lumbar vertebra.

[0012] Furthermore, the vertebral body includes a main frame, a front rotating body, a rear rotating body and two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms. The main core shaft of the adjustment unit sequentially passes through the front rotating body, the main frame, the rear rotating body of several vertebral bodies and is connected to the rear fixing plate. The rear fixing plate is connected to the retractable unit through a connecting assembly. A first spring is sleeved on the main core shaft outside the front rotating body and the rear rotating body; the main core shaft is made of elastic material.

[0013] The front rotating body and the rear rotating body are both U-shaped structures, and the openings of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body are opposite to each other and the open ends are cross-intersected and engaged with each other; the main skeleton includes a main frame and two L-shaped wheel axles, and the main frame is cross-shaped and is arranged in the cavity formed by the front rotating body and the rear rotating body, forming a double-hinge structure of the universal joint; the two adjacent ends of the main frame are respectively rotatably matched with one open end of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body, and the ends of the long sides of the two wheel axles respectively pass through the other open ends of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body and are connected to the other two ends of the main frame, and the short sides of the wheel axles are arranged on the outside of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body; the input ends of the two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms are respectively connected to the flexible shaft assemblies on both sides, and the output ends are respectively connected to the short sides of the two wheel axles; the middle part of the main frame is provided with an axial hole that cooperates with the main core shaft.

[0014] Furthermore, the angle adjustment mechanism includes gear I, gear II, a transmission gear and a drive gear, the gear I and the transmission gear are coaxially fixed on the axle, the transmission gear is arranged on the outside of gear I, and the drive gear is arranged at the end of the short side of the axle, the transmission gear and the drive gear are externally meshed bevel gears, and the adjustment rod of the flexible shaft assembly passes through the wheel disc of the drive gear; the gear II of the two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms are respectively fixed to the outer walls of the open ends of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body, and the gear I is externally meshed with gear II to achieve the angle change between the front rotating body or the rear rotating body and the main frame.

[0015] Furthermore, a weight-reducing hole is provided on the wheel disc outside the shaft hole of the driving gear, and the weight-reducing hole is semicircular. Two or more through holes are axially provided on the solid part of the wheel disc for cooperating with the adjusting rod.

[0016] Furthermore, the flexible shaft assembly includes multiple flexible adjustment rods, and the adjustment rods of the flexible shaft assemblies on both sides respectively penetrate the solid parts of the driving gears on both sides; the front end of the adjustment rod is connected to the adjustment unit through the front fixing plate, and the rear end of the adjustment rod is connected to the connecting assembly through the rear fixing plate.

[0017] Furthermore, the adjustment rod is a split structure, including multiple flexible rods, adjacent rods are connected by universal joints, and the universal joints are arranged between the driving gears of two adjacent vertebral bodies; the rod is made of soft alloy.

[0018] Furthermore, the rear fixed plate is a split structure, including three-petal segments, and two adjacent segments are rotatably connected by hinge rings, and the edges of the segments are provided with sliding holes for the hinge rings to pass through; the end of the main core shaft is hingedly connected to the middle of the middle segment, and the ends of the adjustment rods of the two groups of flexible shaft assemblies pass through the two side segments and are respectively connected to the connecting assemblies, and the middle of the two side segments are provided with circular through holes for the connecting assemblies to pass through.

[0019] Furthermore, the connecting assembly includes a guide sleeve, a second spring and an end plate, one side of the end plate is connected to the end of the adjustment rod, and the other side is connected to the second spring and the guide rod, one end of the guide sleeve is connected to the rear side of the rear fixing plate, and the guide sleeve is sleeved on the outside of the guide rod; the second spring is set through the circular through hole of the rear fixing plate;

[0020] The retractable unit includes a retractable motor, a connecting plate and a traction rope. The output end of the retractable motor is connected to the connecting plate. The traction rope is set through the guide rod. One end of the traction rope is fixed in the guide rod near the rear fixing plate, and the other end is connected to the output end of the retractable unit.

[0021] Furthermore, the adjustment unit includes an X-axis adjustment motor, a Y-axis adjustment motor and a main core shaft. The output ends of the X-axis adjustment motor and the Y-axis adjustment motor respectively pass through the front fixed plate and are connected to the front ends of the two sets of flexible shaft assemblies. One end of the main core shaft is fixed to the front fixed plate, and the other end passes through the main skeleton of several vertebral bodies in sequence and is connected to the rear fixed plate.

[0022] The present invention further provides a multi-legged robot, comprising a head, a tail, and the above-mentioned vertebral structure, wherein a shell is provided on the outside of the vertebral structure, and the deformation of the vertebral structure is controlled by a control system;

[0023] The control system includes a vertebral body angle potentiometer, an overall angle potentiometer, a segmented angle potentiometer, a motor torque detector, a traction rope strength detector, a traction tension detector and a level detector. The vertebral body angle potentiometer is arranged in the vertebral body for detecting the angle change of the vertebral body; there are several overall angle potentiometers, which are arranged at intervals along the length of the lumbar vertebral body for detecting the angle change of the lumbar vertebral body; the segmented angle potentiometer is arranged on the moving rod of the bionic entity connected to the vertebral body for detecting the angle change between adjacent moving rods; there are multiple motor torque detectors, which are respectively arranged in the X-direction adjustment motor, the Y-direction adjustment motor and the discharge and reception motor; the traction rope strength detector and the traction tension detector are respectively arranged at the ends of the traction rope, and the level detector is respectively arranged at the head and tail; the vertebral body angle potentiometer, the overall angle potentiometer, the segmented angle potentiometer, the motor torque detector, the traction rope strength detector, the traction tension detector and the level detectors at both ends are all connected to the controller.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical advances:

[0025] The present invention simulates lumbar deformation by installing a lumbar vertebrae body between the head and tail. The flexible shaft assembly drives several vertebrae bodies to produce angle changes through an adjustment unit, achieving angle adjustment of adjacent vertebrae bodies, thereby achieving bending deformation of the lumbar vertebrae body. At the same time, the load-bearing capacity is increased by using several vertebrae bodies. The flexible connection between the flexible shaft assembly and the vertebrae bodies has extremely strong elastic recovery performance, which is particularly suitable for the explosive force caused by the instantaneous expansion of the lumbar vertebrae under bending, which is beneficial to the load-bearing, fast running, and uneven ground adaptation of the legged robot. The multi-legged robot can achieve multi-segment controllable bending and free bending in two directions through a control system, and has rapid recovery capabilities, thereby improving the adaptability of the robot. The present invention has a simple and compact structure, a small size, is easy to process and manufacture, and reduces production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings are used to provide further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. They are used to explain the present invention together with the embodiments of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0027] In the attached figure:

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a vertebral structure applied to a multi-legged robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the vertebral body in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the main skeleton in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of multiple groups of robots in an embodiment of the present invention (after removing the outer shell of the lumbar vertebrae body);

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0033] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the connection between the main core shaft and two adjacent vertebral bodies in an embodiment of the present invention

[0034] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the end of the main core shaft in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the connection between the connecting assembly and the retractable unit in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] In the picture:

[0037] 1-head; 2-tail; 3-vertebral body, 31-main skeleton, 311-main frame, 312-axle; 32-front rotating body, 33-rear rotating body; 4-flexible shaft assembly, 41-adjusting rod, 410-rod body, 411-universal joint; 5-main core shaft, 50-annular groove, 51-axis groove; 6-first spring; 7-through hole; 8-gear I; 9-gear II; 10-transmission gear; 11-drive gear, 110-through hole, 111-weight reduction hole; 12-front fixing plate; 13-rear fixing plate; 14-hinge ring; 15-guide sleeve; 16-second spring; 17-end plate; 18-guide rod; 19-receiving and discharging motor; 20-connecting plate; 21-traction rope; 22-X-axis adjustment motor; 23-Y-axis adjustment motor; 24-ball head; 25-housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described in detail in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot, wherein the vertebral structure includes a lumbar vertebral body arranged between a head 1 and a tail 2, the lumbar vertebral body including a plurality of vertebral bodies 3 and flexible shaft assemblies 4 on both sides thereof, the flexible shaft assemblies 4 are in the shape of long strips, and the plurality of vertebral bodies 3 can be flexibly connected in series and arranged in parallel with the flexible shaft assemblies 4 on both sides; the head 1 is connected to the front end vertebral body 3 and one end of the flexible shaft assembly 4 through an adjustment unit, and the tail 2 is connected to the rear end vertebral body 3 and the other end of the flexible shaft assembly 4 through a retractable unit, and the adjustment unit and the retractable unit drive the relative angles of adjacent vertebral bodies 3 to change through the flexible shaft assembly 4, so as to simulate the bending deformation of the lumbar spine.

[0040] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 、 3 As shown in Figure 5, the vertebral body 3 includes a main skeleton 31, a front rotating body 32, a rear rotating body 33 and two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms. The main core shaft 5 of the adjustment unit sequentially passes through the front rotating body 32, the main skeleton 31, and the rear rotating body 33 of several vertebral bodies 3 and is connected to the rear fixing plate 13. The rear fixing plate 13 is connected to the retracting unit through a connecting component. The main core shaft 5 outside the front rotating body 32 and the rear rotating body 33 is sleeved with a first spring 6. With the help of the first spring, it can play a buffering role when the angles of adjacent vertebral bodies change; the main core shaft 5 is made of elastic material and can be made of spring steel. It is deformable and recoverable. Figure 2As shown, the front rotating body 32 and the rear rotating body 33 are both U-shaped structures, and the openings of the front rotating body 32 and the rear rotating body 33 are opposite to each other and the open ends cross and engage with each other. Figure 3 As shown, the main skeleton 31 includes a main frame body 311 and two L-shaped wheel axles 312. The main frame body 311 is cross-shaped and is arranged in a cavity formed by the front rotating body 32 and the rear rotating body 33, forming a double hinge structure of the universal joint; the two adjacent ends of the main frame body 311 are rotatably matched with one open end of the front rotating body 32 and the rear rotating body 33 respectively, and the ends of the long sides of the two wheel axles 312 respectively pass through the other open ends of the front rotating body 32 and the rear rotating body 33 and are connected to the other two ends of the main frame body 311; the input ends of the two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms are respectively connected to the flexible shaft assemblies 4 on both sides, and the output ends are respectively connected to the short sides of the two wheel axles 312; the middle part of the main frame body 311 is provided with an axial hole 7 that cooperates with the main core shaft 5, and at the same time, the open ends of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body are respectively provided with axial holes 7 that rotatably cooperate with the main frame body 311 and the long sides.

[0041] When designing specifically, Figure 2 As shown, the angle adjustment mechanism includes gear I8, gear II9, a transmission gear 10 and a drive gear 11. The gear I8 and the transmission gear 10 are coaxially fixed on the axle 312, the transmission gear 10 is arranged on the outside of the gear I8, and the drive gear 11 is arranged at the end of the short side of the axle 312. The transmission gear 10 and the drive gear 11 are externally meshed bevel gears, and the adjustment rod 41 of the flexible shaft assembly 4 passes through the wheel disc of the drive gear 11; the gears II9 of the two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms are respectively fixed to the outer walls of the open ends of the front rotating body 32 and the rear rotating body 33, and the gear I8 is externally meshed with the gear II9 to realize the angle change between the front rotating body 32 or the rear rotating body 33 and the main frame 31. During operation, the adjustment unit drives the flexible shaft assembly 4 and the drive wheel 11, which in turn drives gear I8 and the transmission gear 10. This causes the transmission gear 10 to rotate about the central axis of gear II9, thereby adjusting the angles of the front and rear rotating bodies 32 and 33 relative to the main frame 31. Drive gears with different numbers of teeth achieve different angles. The two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms are arranged at 90 degrees, ensuring no interference between them when operating independently.

[0042] As a preferred structure, Figure 2 、 5As shown, the outer wheel disc of the shaft hole of the driving gear 11 is provided with a weight-reducing hole 111. The weight-reducing hole 111 is semicircular, and the solid portion of the wheel disc is axially provided with two or more through-holes 110 for mating with the adjustment rod 41. The driving gear of this structure can reduce its overall weight by utilizing the weight-reducing holes, meeting the lightweight design requirements. The flexible rod installed on the semicircular wheel disc drives the gear to rotate within a semicircular range, preventing the flexible adjustment rod from interfering with the wheel axle 312 while driving the vertebral body to adjust its angle within a certain range.

[0043] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 As shown, the main core shaft 5 is provided with a plurality of shaft grooves 51 at intervals along its length direction, which are used to cooperate with the shaft holes of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body. The shaft groove design can reduce the rigidity of the main core shaft and increase its elasticity, making it easier for the main core shaft to bend as the angle between the vertebral bodies changes; the main core shaft and the front rotating body and the rear rotating body are adapted to different adjustment angle settings by adopting fixed connection or rotational cooperation. At the same time, the main core shaft and the main frame body are matched with a plurality of annular grooves 50 arranged at intervals or welded to ensure the stability of the main core shaft during the rotation process relative to the vertebral body. The use of this structure allows the main core shaft to bend as the angle between the vertebral bodies changes.

[0044] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 、 5 As shown, the flexible shaft assembly 4 includes multiple flexible adjustment rods 41. The adjustment rods 41 of the flexible shaft assemblies 4 on both sides respectively penetrate the solid parts 112 of the drive gears 11 on both sides. The front end of the adjustment rod 41 is connected to the adjustment unit via the front fixing plate 12, and the rear end of the adjustment rod 41 is connected to the connecting assembly via the rear fixing plate 13. The adjustment rod 41 is a split structure, including multiple flexible rod bodies 410. Adjacent rod bodies 410 are connected by universal joints 411. The universal joints 411 on adjacent adjustment rods 41 are staggered to prevent interference between adjacent universal joints 411. The rod bodies 410 are made of soft alloy and have strong deformation recovery capabilities. The position of the universal joint on the adjustment rod is determined by the bending angle set by the lumbar vertebra body and is set in the gap between adjacent vertebral bodies.

[0045] Further optimize the above structure, such as Figure 1 、 7As shown, the rear fixing plate 13 is a split structure, including three segments. Two adjacent segments are rotatably connected by hinge rings 14. The edges of the segments are provided with corresponding sliding holes for the hinge rings 14 to pass through. The end of the main core shaft 5 rotates with the spherical concave surface in the middle of the middle segment through a ball head 24, forming a ball joint structure. The ends of the adjustment rods 41 of the two sets of flexible shaft assemblies 4 pass through the two side segments and are respectively connected to the connecting assemblies. The middle of each side segment is provided with a circular through-hole for the connecting assemblies to pass through. This structure not only facilitates the free rotation of the main core shaft, but also facilitates the traction rope of the retractable unit to pull and retract the two sets of flexible shaft assemblies.

[0046] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 、 8 As shown, the connecting assembly includes a guide sleeve 15, a second spring 16, and an end plate 17. One side of the end plate 17 is connected to the end of the adjustment rod 41, and the other side is connected to the second spring 16 and the guide rod 18. One end of the guide sleeve 15 is connected to the rear side of the rear fixing plate 13, and the guide sleeve 15 is sleeved on the outside of the guide rod 18. The second spring 16 is installed through a circular through-hole in the rear fixing plate 13. The retractable unit includes a retractable motor 19, a connecting plate 20, and a traction rope 21. The output end of the retractable motor 19 is connected to the connecting plate 20. The traction rope 21 is installed through the guide rod 18. One end of the traction rope 21 is fixed to the guide rod 18 near the rear fixing plate 13, and the other end is connected to the output end of the retractable unit. The second spring 16 is divided into two parts, the front second spring 16 is installed at the front end of the guide rod 18, and the rear second spring 16 is installed at the rear end of the guide rod 18, which can act as a buffer during the retraction and extension of the traction rope 21. By retracting and releasing the traction rope of the electric motor, it can be ensured that the front main core shaft will not shrink, and it can drive the gear to rotate when rotating; at the same time, it can ensure the approximate expansion and contraction of the lumbar vertebrae body, and can also achieve instantaneous release of the lumbar vertebrae body, providing the lumbar vertebrae body with power to move forward in a winding manner.

[0047] In the specific design, the adjustment unit includes an X-axis adjustment motor 22, a Y-axis adjustment motor 23 and a main core shaft 5. The output ends of the X-axis adjustment motor 22 and the Y-axis adjustment motor 23 respectively pass through the front fixed plate 12 and are connected to the front ends of the two sets of flexible shaft assemblies 4. One end of the main core shaft 5 is fixed to the front fixed plate 12, and the other end passes through the main skeleton 31 of several vertebral bodies 3 in sequence and is connected to the rear fixed plate 13. The two sets of flexible shaft assemblies 4 are driven to rotate by the X-axis adjustment motor 22 and the Y-axis adjustment motor 23 respectively, so that the angles in two directions can be controlled. The flexible shaft assembly 4 drives the gear I8 and the transmission gear 10 to rotate by driving the wheel 11. The transmission gear 10 rotates around the central axis of the gear II 9, thereby changing the angle between the front rotating body 32 and the rear rotating body 33 and the main skeleton 31, and finally achieving the bending of the lumbar vertebral body.

[0048] The present invention also provides a multi-legged robot, such as Figure 4 As shown, the multi-legged robot includes a head 1, a tail 2 and the above-mentioned vertebral structure, a shell 25 is provided on the outside of the vertebral structure, and the deformation of the vertebral structure is controlled by a control system (not shown in the figure); the control system includes a vertebral body angle potentiometer, an overall angle potentiometer, a segmented angle potentiometer, a motor torque detector, a traction rope strength detector, a traction tension detector and a level detector, the vertebral body angle potentiometer is arranged in the vertebral body for detecting the angle change of the vertebral body; the overall angle potentiometer is a plurality of and is arranged at intervals along the length of the lumbar vertebral body for detecting the angle change of the lumbar vertebral body; the segmented angle potentiometer is arranged at a position corresponding to the vertebral body. The motor torque detector is placed on the moving rod of the connected bionic entity, which is used to detect the angle change between adjacent moving rods. It is placed on its waist or leg connecting parts and on the rod fixed to the vertebral body, and is placed according to the required waist degree; there are multiple motor torque detectors, which are respectively arranged in the X-axis adjustment motor, the Y-axis adjustment motor and the discharge and receivable motor. The traction rope strength detector and the traction tension detector are respectively arranged at the ends of the traction rope, and the level detectors are respectively arranged at the head and tail; the vertebral body angle potentiometer, the overall angle potentiometer, the segmented angle potentiometer, the motor torque detector, the traction rope strength detector, the traction tension detector, and the level detectors at both ends are all connected to the controller.

[0049] The lumbar vertebrae's angle is controlled in two ways: first, by adjusting the number of teeth on the drive gear to achieve angle adjustment, and by adjusting the position of the universal joint on the adjustment lever to define the angle of the lumbar vertebrae. Second, a controller controls the X- and Y-axis adjustment motors, the reciprocating motor, and the precision of the control, along with feedback on the length and force of the traction rope and various angles, to achieve lumbar vertebrae bending angle control. These two methods work together to simulate lumbar vertebrae curvature, achieving a high degree of biomimetic control.

[0050] In summary, the present invention has the advantages of simple and compact structure, small size, convenient processing and low production cost. The multi-legged robot can realize multi-section controllable bending and free bending in two directions through the control system. The two sets of flexible shaft assemblies are conveniently driven to rotate by the X-axis adjustment motor and the Y-axis adjustment motor, respectively driving the driving gears on both sides and the vertebral bodies connected thereto to change the angle, realizing that one motor controls the adjustment angle of multiple vertebral bodies in one direction, thereby realizing the bending deformation of the lumbar vertebral body. At the same time, with the help of several vertebral bodies to increase the load-bearing capacity, the flexible connection between the flexible shaft assembly and the vertebral body has extremely strong elastic recovery performance, which is particularly suitable for the explosive force caused by the instantaneous opening under the bending of the lumbar spine. It has the ability to quickly recover, which is beneficial to the load-bearing, fast running and uneven ground adaptation of the foot-type robot, thereby improving the adaptability of the robot.

[0051] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art will be able to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments or substitute equivalents for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot, characterized in that: The vertebral structure includes a lumbar vertebral body arranged between the head and the tail, and the lumbar vertebral body includes several vertebral bodies and flexible shaft assemblies on both sides thereof. The flexible shaft assemblies are in the shape of long strips, and the several vertebral bodies can be flexibly connected in series and arranged in parallel with the flexible shaft assemblies on both sides; the head is connected to the front end vertebral body and one end of the flexible shaft assembly through an adjustment unit, and the tail is connected to the rear end vertebral body and the other end of the flexible shaft assembly through a retraction unit. The adjustment unit and the retraction unit drive the relative angles of adjacent vertebral bodies to change through the flexible shaft assembly, which is used to simulate the deformation of the lumbar spine.

2. A vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertebral body includes a main frame, a front rotating body, a rear rotating body and two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms. The main core shaft of the adjustment unit sequentially passes through the front rotating body, the main frame, the rear rotating body of several vertebral bodies and is connected to the rear fixing plate. The rear fixing plate is connected to the retractable unit through a connecting assembly. A first spring is sleeved on the main core shaft outside the front rotating body and the rear rotating body; the main core shaft is made of elastic material; The front rotating body and the rear rotating body are both U-shaped structures, and the openings of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body are opposite to each other and the open ends are cross-intersected and engaged with each other; the main skeleton includes a main frame and two L-shaped wheel axles, and the main frame is cross-shaped and is arranged in the cavity formed by the front rotating body and the rear rotating body, forming a double-hinge structure of the universal joint; the two adjacent ends of the main frame are respectively rotatably matched with one open end of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body, and the ends of the long sides of the two wheel axles respectively pass through the other open ends of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body and are connected to the other two ends of the main frame, and the short sides of the wheel axles are arranged on the outside of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body; the input ends of the two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms are respectively connected to the flexible shaft assemblies on both sides, and the output ends are respectively connected to the short sides of the two wheel axles; the middle part of the main frame is provided with an axial hole that cooperates with the main core shaft.

3. The vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The angle adjustment mechanism includes gear I, gear II, a transmission gear and a drive gear. Gear I and the transmission gear are coaxially fixed on the axle. The transmission gear is arranged on the outside of gear I, and the drive gear is arranged at the end of the short side of the axle. The transmission gear and the drive gear are externally meshed bevel gears, and the adjustment rod of the flexible shaft assembly passes through the wheel disc of the drive gear; the gear II of the two sets of angle adjustment mechanisms are respectively fixed to the outer walls of the open ends of the front rotating body and the rear rotating body, and the gear I is externally meshed with gear II to realize the angle change between the front rotating body or the rear rotating body and the main frame.

4. The vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: A weight-reducing hole is provided on the wheel disc outside the shaft hole of the driving gear. The weight-reducing hole is semicircular. Two or more through holes are axially provided on the solid part of the wheel disc for cooperating with the adjusting rod.

5. The vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The flexible shaft assembly includes multiple flexible adjustment rods, and the adjustment rods of the flexible shaft assemblies on both sides respectively penetrate the solid parts of the driving gears on both sides; the front end of the adjustment rod is connected to the adjustment unit through the front fixing plate, and the rear end of the adjustment rod is connected to the connecting assembly through the rear fixing plate.

6. The vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The adjusting rod is a split structure, comprising a plurality of flexible rod bodies, adjacent rod bodies are connected via universal joints, and the universal joints on adjacent adjusting rods are staggered; the rod body is made of soft alloy.

7. The vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rear fixed plate is a split structure, including three petals, and two adjacent petals are rotatably connected by hinge rings. The edges of the petals are provided with sliding holes for the hinge rings to pass through; the end of the main core shaft is hingedly connected to the middle of the middle petal, and the ends of the adjustment rods of the two sets of flexible shaft assemblies pass through the petals on both sides and are respectively connected to the connecting assemblies. The middle of the petals on both sides is provided with a circular through hole for the connecting assembly to pass through.

8. The vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting assembly includes a guide sleeve, a second spring, and an end plate. One side of the end plate is connected to the end of the adjustment rod, and the other side is connected to the second spring and the guide rod. One end of the guide sleeve is connected to the rear side of the rear fixing plate, and the guide sleeve is sleeved on the outside of the guide rod. The second spring is arranged to pass through the circular through hole of the rear fixing plate. The retractable unit includes a retractable motor, a connecting plate and a traction rope. The output end of the retractable motor is connected to the connecting plate. The traction rope is set through the guide rod. One end of the traction rope is fixed in the guide rod near the rear fixing plate, and the other end is connected to the output end of the retractable unit.

9. The vertebral structure suitable for a multi-legged robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The adjustment unit includes an X-axis adjustment motor, a Y-axis adjustment motor and a main core shaft. The output ends of the X-axis adjustment motor and the Y-axis adjustment motor respectively pass through the front fixed plate and are connected to the front ends of the two sets of flexible shaft assemblies. One end of the main core shaft is fixed to the front fixed plate, and the other end passes through the main skeleton of several vertebral bodies in sequence and is connected to the rear fixed plate.

10. A multi-legged robot, characterized in that: The multi-legged robot comprises a head, a tail and a vertebral structure according to claim 9, wherein a shell is provided on the outside of the vertebral structure, and the deformation of the vertebral structure is controlled by a control system; The control system includes a vertebral body angle potentiometer, an overall angle potentiometer, a segmented angle potentiometer, a motor torque detector, a traction rope strength detector, a traction tension detector and a level detector. The vertebral body angle potentiometer is arranged in the vertebral body for detecting the angle change of the vertebral body; there are several overall angle potentiometers, which are arranged at intervals along the length of the lumbar vertebral body for detecting the angle change of the lumbar vertebral body; the segmented angle potentiometer is arranged on the moving rod of the bionic entity connected to the vertebral body for detecting the angle change between adjacent moving rods; there are multiple motor torque detectors, which are respectively arranged in the X-direction adjustment motor, the Y-direction adjustment motor and the discharge and reception motor; the traction rope strength detector and the traction tension detector are respectively arranged at the ends of the traction rope, and the level detector is respectively arranged at the head and tail; the vertebral body angle potentiometer, the overall angle potentiometer, the segmented angle potentiometer, the motor torque detector, the traction rope strength detector, the traction tension detector and the level detectors at both ends are all connected to the controller.

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