Self-adaptive mobile battery replacement robot platform and battery replacement method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of intelligent robots, and discloses a self-adaptive mobile battery replacing robot platform and a battery replacing method. The platform comprises a base, a walking assembly, a lifting assembly, a sliding assembly, a grabbing assembly and a control assembly; the control assembly is connected with a size sensor used for obtaining target three-dimensional information and a position sensor used for obtaining the pose of the platform. A self-adaptive adjusting module is arranged in the control assembly and can automatically control the lifting assembly to adjust the grabbing assembly to the vertical height matched with the battery replacing bin according to the width of a target battery and the height information of the battery replacing bin obtained by the size sensor in real time. And a gripper of the gripping assembly is synchronously controlled to be adjusted to a gripping distance matched with the width of the battery. According to the invention, environment perception is combined with closed-loop adaptive adjustment of a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical structure, so that the platform can be adaptive to batteries of different specifications and diversified battery replacement scenes, and the platform has high flexibility, intelligent level and environmental adaptability.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent robots, in particular to a self-adaptive mobile battery replacement robot platform and a battery replacement method. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the popularization of new energy vehicles and various service robots, the battery endurance has become a key bottleneck restricting their use efficiency. In order to solve the problem of downtime caused by long charging, the battery fast replacement (referred to as battery replacement) technology emerges as the times require, which replaces the long charging process by directly replacing the exhausted battery pack, greatly improving the efficiency of energy supplement.

[0003] In the current battery replacement technology practice, the mainstream solution is to build large and centralized fixed battery replacement stations. Such battery replacement stations usually use highly automated gantry cranes or multi-joint mechanical arms to operate on standardized vehicle chassis or battery compartments according to pre-set precise procedures. In order to ensure the success of battery replacement, both the parking position of the vehicle and the physical size and interface specifications of the battery pack must strictly comply with unified standards.

[0004] However, this extreme dependence on standardization also brings significant technical defects. In real-world scenarios, the battery packs used by different brands and models of electric devices differ greatly in size, weight, and interface form. Once the structure of the fixed battery replacement station is built, the movement trajectory of the mechanical arm and the size of the grabbing device are difficult to change, resulting in the inability to accommodate non-standard batteries, a very limited service range, and a closed service mode of one station for one vehicle or one station for one type of vehicle. In addition, when the battery replacement compartment is slightly deformed due to ground subsidence, vehicle parking errors, or long-term use, the battery replacement device based on fixed trajectory operation may have positioning errors, resulting in battery replacement failure or equipment damage. Therefore, the existing technology generally lacks the ability to perceive and adapt to changes in operating targets and environments, and its rigid working mode makes it difficult to meet the diversified and dynamic real-world battery replacement needs. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present application provides a self-adaptive mobile battery replacement robot platform and a battery replacement method, which solves the problem that the existing battery replacement device cannot automatically match battery packs of different sizes and battery replacement compartment heights due to fixed structure and poor adaptability.

[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present application realizes the following technical scheme: a self-adaptive mobile battery replacement robot platform and a battery replacement method.

[0007] The first aspect of the present application provides a self-adaptive mobile battery replacing robot platform, comprising a base, the platform further comprises: a lifting assembly arranged at the center of the upper surface of the base, the output end of the lifting assembly is provided with a horizontal plate; a sliding assembly arranged on the upper surface of the horizontal plate, the output end of the sliding assembly is fixedly connected with a sliding platform; a grabbing assembly arranged on the upper surface of the sliding platform; a walking assembly arranged on the lower surface of the base; and a control assembly electrically connected with the lifting assembly, the sliding assembly, the grabbing assembly and the walking assembly.

[0008] In one specific embodiment, the grabbing assembly comprises a gas cylinder, the gas cylinder is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the sliding platform, the output end of the gas cylinder is fixedly connected with a connecting rod one, two connecting rod twos are arranged above the connecting rod one, a sliding groove is formed in the inside of the connecting rod two, the sliding groove penetrates the connecting rod two, the two connecting rod twos are hinged at the two ends of the connecting rod one, the hinge point of the connecting rod two and the connecting rod one is located at the sliding groove, the upper surface of the sliding platform is fixedly connected with two curved grooves, a roller is slidably connected in the inside of the curved groove, a gripper is rotatably connected to the upper side of one end of the connecting rod two, the lower side of one end of the connecting rod two is rotatably connected with the roller, and an air spring is hinged to the side surface of the connecting rod two.

[0009] Preferably, the lifting assembly comprises a rotating groove and two vertical plates, the rotating groove is formed at the center of the upper surface of the base, the vertical plates are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base, the upper surface of the base is fixedly connected with a motor one, the output end of the motor one is rotatably connected with a double-sided cam, the double-sided cam is rotatably connected in the inside of the rotating groove, convex ring grooves are formed on the both sides of the outer surface of the double-sided cam, an elliptical gear one and an elliptical gear two are rotatably connected to the side surface of the vertical plate, the elliptical gear one and the elliptical gear two are meshed with each other, a connecting rod three is installed in the inside of the convex ring groove, the double-sided cam is connected with the elliptical gear one through the connecting rod three, the outer surface of the elliptical gear two is provided with a connecting rod four, the upper surface of the vertical plate is slidably connected with a support seat, and the elliptical gear two is rotatably connected with the support seat through the connecting rod four.

[0010] Preferably, the sliding assembly comprises a plurality of limiting seats, the limiting seats are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the horizontal plate at four corners, guide shafts are fixedly connected between the limiting seats, the sliding platform is slidably connected to the outer surface of the guide shaft, a motor two is fixedly connected to the horizontal plate, the output end of the motor two is fixedly connected with a driving wheel, a chain and a driven wheel are rotatably connected to the lower surface of the sliding platform, the driving wheel, the chain and the driven wheel are meshed with each other, a connecting block is fixedly connected to the outer surface of the chain, and the connecting block is slidably connected to the outer surface of the guide shaft.

[0011] Preferably, the walking assembly comprises a plurality of steering motors fixedly connected to the lower surface of the base, the output end of each steering motor is fixedly connected with a steering frame, the inside of the steering frame is rotatably connected with a hub motor, and the outside of the hub motor is fixedly connected with a wheel.

[0012] Preferably, a plurality of guide columns are fixedly connected between the base and the transverse plate, and the upper and lower ends of the guide columns are located at the four corners of the base and the transverse plate.

[0013] In a specific embodiment, the control assembly comprises: a position sensor mounted on the upper surface of the base and the transverse plate, for acquiring height position information of the lifting assembly and longitudinal position information of the sliding assembly; a size sensor mounted on the upper surface of the sliding platform, for acquiring size information of the battery to be replaced and opening size information of the battery replacement compartment; an obstacle avoidance sensor mounted on the side surface of the base, for acquiring obstacle information of the environment around the platform; a controller mounted on the upper surface of the base, for receiving and processing information collected by the position sensor, the size sensor and the obstacle avoidance sensor, and issuing control instructions.

[0014] Further, the control assembly further comprises a pressure sensor for acquiring gripping force information of the gripping assembly when gripping the battery and transmitting the information to the controller; and the controller is further configured to control the gripping assembly to adjust the pre-tightening force of the gripper according to the gripping force information acquired by the pressure sensor.

[0015] In a specific embodiment, the controller internally integrates an adaptive adjustment module and a motion control module.

[0016] The innovative principle of the adaptive adjustment module is that it performs real-time calculation according to sensor information to realize adaptive adjustment of the mechanical structure. The module calculates the required height adjustment amount and gripping distance adjustment amount according to the height position information acquired by the position sensor and the size information acquired by the size sensor. The calculation formula is specifically: wherein, is the height position information of the target battery replacement compartment acquired by the position sensor, is the current height position information of the sliding platform acquired by the position sensor.

[0017] wherein, ​​​The size information of the battery to be replaced is obtained by the size sensor. The current spacing information of the gripper is fed back via an encoder or sensor. The adaptive adjustment module is based on the calculated... and Control commands are generated to drive the lifting component and the gripping component to perform adjustment actions, respectively.

[0018] The innovative principle of the motion control module lies in its path planning based on environmental perception information. This module constructs or updates an environmental map based on obstacle information acquired by the obstacle avoidance sensors. And plan from the current position To the target location Collision-free movement path The path planning process can be represented as a function: ; in, The current coordinates of the platform. The coordinates of the target area This is an environmental map containing obstacle location and size information. The motion control module will plan the path. This is converted into specific motion control commands for each steering motor and hub motor in the walking assembly.

[0019] Furthermore, the controller also integrates a power management module and an autonomous charging module. The power management module is used to monitor the remaining power of the platform in real time; the autonomous charging module is used to control the walking component to automatically navigate to a preset charging station location for docking and charging when the power management module detects that the remaining power is below a preset threshold.

[0020] A second aspect of this invention provides an adaptive mobile battery swapping method, applied to the aforementioned adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform, comprising the following steps: a) The position sensor, size sensor and obstacle avoidance sensor of the control component are used to obtain the height position information of the target battery swapping compartment, the size information of the battery to be swapped and the information of the surrounding environmental obstacles. b) The control component plans the platform's movement path based on the acquired obstacle information and controls the walking component to move the platform to the target battery swapping area; c) The control component calculates and issues control commands based on the acquired target height position information and the size information of the battery to be replaced, controlling the lifting component to adjust the height of the sliding platform and controlling the gripping component to adjust the spacing of the grippers; d) the control component controls the sliding component to extend the sliding platform and drive the gripper to grab the target battery, and controls the sliding component to take the target battery out of the battery swap bay; e) the control component controls the walking component to move the platform to a new battery storage area or a vehicle to be swapped, and repeats steps c) and d) to place the new battery into the battery swap bay or the vehicle battery slot.

[0021] The present application provides a self-adaptive mobile battery swap robot platform and a battery swap method. The present application has the following advantages: 1. The present application can actively and in real time obtain non-standard information such as the width of the target battery and the height of the battery swap bay by setting the size sensor and the self-adaptive adjustment module. Based on this information, the platform can automatically control the lifting component and the grabbing component to perform accurate pose and size matching, thereby breaking through the limitation of traditional battery swap devices that can only serve specific vehicle models or standard batteries, without the need for expensive standardization modification of the working environment, and being compatible with batteries of different specifications and diversified battery swap stations.

[0022] 2. The present application integrates the walking component with obstacle avoidance sensors and the motion control module, so that the platform has the ability of autonomous navigation, positioning and dynamic obstacle avoidance in complex environments. The entire battery swap process, from receiving instructions, moving to the target position, to the final grabbing and transferring of the battery, is automatically completed by the control component without human intervention, greatly reducing labor costs and operation time, achieving 7x24 hours of uninterrupted operation, and having high overall operating efficiency.

[0023] 3. The present application controls the height of the lifting component through the position sensor in a closed loop, ensuring accurate docking of the grabbing component and the battery swap bay. The pressure sensor is used to monitor and feedback the clamping force of the grabbing component in real time, realizing flexible grabbing of the battery and effectively avoiding the risk of damaging the battery due to excessive clamping force or causing the battery to slip due to insufficient clamping force. This multiple closed-loop control strategy ensures the accuracy, stability and safety of the entire battery swap operation process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the battery swap platform of the present application; Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the lifting component of the present application; Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the grabbing component of the present application; Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the sliding component of the present application; Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the walking component of the present application; Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the battery swap method of the present application.

[0025] Wherein, 1, base; 2, lifting assembly; 3, cross plate; 4, sliding assembly; 5, sliding platform; 6, grabbing assembly; 7, walking assembly; 8, control assembly; 601, air cylinder; 602, connecting rod one; 603, connecting rod two; 604, sliding groove; 605, curved groove; 606, roller; 607, grab hand; 608, gas spring; 201, rotating groove; 202, vertical plate; 203, motor one; 204, double-sided cam; 205, convex ring groove; 206, elliptical gear one; 207, elliptical gear two; 208, connecting rod three; 209, connecting rod four; 210, support seat; 401, limiting seat; 402, guide shaft; 403, motor two; 404, driving wheel; 405, chain; 406, driven wheel; 407, connecting block; 701, steering motor; 702, bogie; 703, wheel hub motor; 704, wheel; 9, telescopic rod; 801, position sensor; 802, size sensor; 803, obstacle avoidance sensor; 804, controller; 805, pressure sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0027] Referring to the drawings Figure 1 The present application provides a self-adaptive mobile battery replacement robot platform, which can include a base 1 as a bearing base.

[0028] The walking assembly 7 of the platform is arranged on the lower surface of the base 1, and is used to drive the movement of the whole platform.

[0029] The lifting assembly 2 is arranged at the center of the upper surface of the base 1. The output end of the lifting assembly 2 is connected with the cross plate 3, which is used to realize the position adjustment of the cross plate 3 in the vertical direction.

[0030] The upper surface of the cross plate 3 is provided with the sliding assembly 4. The output end of the sliding assembly 4 is fixedly connected with the sliding platform 5, which is used to drive the sliding platform 5 to reciprocate in the horizontal direction.

[0031] The upper surface of the sliding platform 5 is provided with the grabbing assembly 6, which is used to clamp and release the target object, such as the battery to be replaced.

[0032] The control assembly 8 of the platform is arranged outside or inside the base 1. The control assembly 8 is electrically connected with the lifting assembly 2, the sliding assembly 4, the grabbing assembly 6 and the walking assembly 7. Through the electrical connection, the control assembly 8 sends control instructions to each assembly and receives state information of each assembly to coordinate the actions of each assembly.

[0033] Referring to the drawings Figure 2 The lifting assembly 2 is used to convert the rotary motion of the motor 203 into the vertical linear lifting motion of the horizontal plate 3.

[0034] In a specific embodiment, the structure of the lifting assembly 2 is arranged with the base 1 as the installation reference. Two vertical plates 202 are fixed vertically on the upper surface of the base 1 and are arranged in parallel and at intervals, providing a stable structural frame and a guide reference for the lifting motion.

[0035] The motor 203 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the base 1 as a power source. The output shaft of the motor 203 is fixedly connected with the central shaft of the double-sided cam 204. The double-sided cam 204 is accommodated inside the rotating groove 201 opened in the center of the upper surface of the base 1 and rotates around the central axis thereof. The outer contour of the double-sided cam 204 is a non-circular curve, and the two side surfaces thereof are integrally formed or fixedly connected with the convex ring groove 205. The convex ring groove 205 is a closed groove that changes along the radial direction and the circumferential direction of the cam.

[0036] On the side surface of each vertical plate 202, an elliptical gear one 206 and an elliptical gear two 207 are rotatably connected through bearings. The elliptical gear one 206 and the elliptical gear two 207 are in mesh with each other. Since the pitch circle radii of the elliptical gears are variable, the transmission ratio changes periodically with the rotation angle when they are in mesh transmission.

[0037] The transmission connection is established through the connecting rod three 208 and the connecting rod four 209. One end of the connecting rod three 208 is installed inside the convex ring groove 205 through a pin shaft or a needle bearing, and the other end is rotatably connected to the disc surface of the elliptical gear one 206. When the motor 203 drives the double-sided cam 204 to rotate, the profile of the convex ring groove 205 forces the connecting rod three 208 to produce reciprocating swing, thereby driving the elliptical gear one 206 to reciprocate.

[0038] The reciprocating swing of the elliptical gear one 206 is transmitted to the elliptical gear two 207 through meshing, so that the elliptical gear two 207 also produces corresponding reciprocating swing. Due to the variable characteristics of the transmission ratio, the angular velocity and angular acceleration of the elliptical gear two 207 are not constant in the swing period, so that the speed control of the lifting process can be realized, for example, the speed is lower at the starting and ending positions and the speed is higher at the middle stroke.

[0039] One end of the connecting rod four 209 is rotatably connected to the outer surface of the elliptic gear two 207, and the other end is connected with the support seat 210. The upper surface of the support seat 210 is used to support the horizontal plate 3. The side surface of the support seat 210 is provided with a sliding block or a guide groove, which is slidably connected with the linear guide rail fixed on the inner side of the vertical plate 202, so as to ensure that the support seat 210 can only move in the vertical direction. The swing of the elliptic gear two 207 is converted into the vertical linear displacement of the support seat 210 through the connecting rod four 209, so as to drive the horizontal plate 3 to realize lifting.

[0040] The lifting assembly 2 is a symmetrical structure on both sides, and the double cam 204 drives the connecting rod and gear mechanism on both sides at the same time, so as to ensure that the two support seats 210 are lifted synchronously and stably, thereby providing stable vertical movement for the horizontal plate 3.

[0041] Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 4 The sliding assembly 4 is used to drive the sliding platform 5 to realize precise horizontal linear reciprocating motion on the horizontal plate 3.

[0042] In a specific embodiment, the fixed base of the sliding assembly 4 is the horizontal plate 3. A plurality of limiting seats 401 are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the horizontal plate 3 at four corners. Between the opposite limiting seats 401, two or more parallel guide shafts 402 are fixedly installed. The guide shaft 402 is a high-precision linear guide rail, which provides a reference and support for the movement of the sliding platform 5.

[0043] The power driving mechanism of the sliding assembly 4 is also installed on the horizontal plate 3. The motor two 403 is used as a driving source, and the body thereof is fixed to one end of the horizontal plate 3. The output shaft of the motor two 403 is fixedly connected with a driving wheel 404. On the other end of the horizontal plate 3, a driven wheel 406 is rotatably connected through a bearing. A closed loop chain 405 is engaged on the driving wheel 404 and the driven wheel 406, forming a tension transmission loop.

[0044] The lower surface of the sliding platform 5 is provided with a plurality of linear bearings or sliding blocks, which are slidably connected with the guide shaft 402, so that the sliding platform 5 can move linearly along the direction of the guide shaft 402 with low friction.

[0045] In order to transmit the movement of the chain 405 to the sliding platform 5, a connecting block 407 is fixed on the outer surface of the chain 405. The other end of the connecting block 407 is rigidly fixedly connected with the lower surface of the sliding platform 5.

[0046] The working process of the sliding assembly 4 is as follows: the control assembly 8 issues a command to drive the motor two 403 to rotate forward or reverse. The motor two 403 drives the driving wheel 404 to rotate through its output shaft, and in turn drives the chain 405 to circulate on the transmission loop. The connecting block 407 fixed on the chain 405 is thus subjected to linear displacement in the horizontal direction. Since the connecting block 407 is fixedly connected to the sliding table 5, the sliding table 5 is driven and accurately extends or retracts along the guide shaft 402 under the constraint of the linear bearing. By controlling the rotation angle and direction of the motor two 403, the motion speed, stroke and position of the sliding table 5 can be accurately controlled.

[0047] In order to further ensure the high-precision positioning of the sliding table 5 during extension and retraction, the motor two 403 is preferably a servo motor or a stepper motor with a high-resolution encoder to realize closed-loop or open-loop accurate control of displacement. In addition, a limit switch or a Hall sensor can also be installed at both ends of the cross plate 3 to calibrate the motion zero point and limit position of the sliding table 5, prevent overtravel and improve the repeatability of positioning.

[0048] In another alternative embodiment, the driving mode of the sliding assembly 4 can also adopt a ball screw structure. Specifically, the motor two 403 drives a ball screw to rotate through a shaft coupling, and a nut seat fixed to the lower surface of the sliding table 5 is sleeved on the ball screw. By controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the screw, the nut seat and the sliding table 5 can be driven to realize linear motion with higher precision and greater load capacity.

[0049] Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 3 The gripping assembly 6 is installed on the upper surface of the sliding table 5 to realize adaptive, synchronous clamping and releasing of batteries of different sizes.

[0050] In a specific embodiment, the power source of the gripping assembly 6 is a cylinder 601, the cylinder body of which is fixedly installed on the center line of the upper surface of the sliding table 5. The output piston rod of the cylinder 601 is fixedly connected with a connecting rod one 602, so that the connecting rod one 602 can perform horizontal reciprocating linear motion with the piston rod.

[0051] Two connecting rods two 603 are symmetrically hinged at both ends of the connecting rod one 602. The connecting rod two 603 is internally provided with a sliding groove 604, and the connecting rod one 602 passes through the sliding groove 604 and is slidably hinged with the connecting rod two 603 through a pin shaft. This structure allows a certain relative sliding within the length of the sliding groove while transmitting force, so as to compensate for the geometric position change during the movement of the mechanism.

[0052] On the upper surface of the sliding platform 5, two curve grooves 605 are symmetrically fixed. The trajectory of the curve groove 605 is a pre-designed nonlinear curve. On the lower side of one end of each connecting rod two 603, a roller 606 is rotatably connected through a bearing. The roller 606 is accommodated in the corresponding curve groove 605 and slides along the trajectory thereof.

[0053] On the upper side of one end of each connecting rod two 603, i.e. above the roller 606, a gripper 607 is rotatably connected. The inner side end of the gripper 607 is a clamping surface for contacting the surface of the battery.

[0054] The working process of the grabbing assembly 6 is as follows: when the battery needs to be clamped, the control assembly 8 controls the piston rod of the cylinder 601 to extend, pushing the connecting rod one 602 to move forward. The connecting rod one 602 pushes the two connecting rod two 603 through the hinge point. In this process, the roller 606 on the lower side of each connecting rod two 603 is constrained in the curve groove 605. The specific trajectory of the curve groove 605 forces the connecting rod two 603 to swing inwards around the hinge point while moving forward, thereby driving the two grippers 607 to move towards each other synchronously, realizing the clamping action. Conversely, when the piston rod of the cylinder 601 is retracted, the two grippers 607 are driven to move away from each other synchronously, realizing the releasing action.

[0055] The mechanism accurately converts the single linear motion output by the cylinder 601 into the complex and synchronous clamping and opening motion of the two grippers 607 through the cooperation of the roller 606 and the curve groove 605. The geometric shape of the curve groove 605 determines the variation curve of the grabbing speed and clamping force, which can realize the acceleration or deceleration control of the clamping process.

[0056] In addition, the gas spring 608 is hinged on the side surface of the connecting rod two 603, and the other end is hinged on the sliding platform 5. The gas spring 608 provides a certain pre-tightening force and flexibility for the gripper 607. When the gripper 607 contacts the surface of the battery, the elasticity of the gas spring 608 can buffer the impact and provide a continuous and non-rigid clamping force to adapt to the slight unevenness of the battery surface and prevent damage to the battery due to excessive clamping force.

[0057] To enhance the clamping stability and protection of the battery, a flexible material layer with high friction coefficient, such as polyurethane or silicone, can be covered on the clamping surface of the gripper 607. The material layer not only increases the static friction to prevent the battery from slipping during transfer, but also serves as a buffer to avoid damage to the battery shell caused by rigid contact.

[0058] The adaptive control of the gripping force can also be achieved in a more preferred way. The control component 8 receives the real-time pressure value from the pressure sensor 805 and compares it with a preset pressure threshold range. When the cylinder 601 drives the gripper 607 to hold the battery, as soon as the pressure value reaches the lower threshold, the control component 8 controls the cylinder to stop driving, realizing flexible contact. During the process of transferring the battery, the module continuously monitors the pressure value, and if the pressure is lower than the lower limit or higher than the upper limit due to bumps, the cylinder pressure is dynamically adjusted for compensation, realizing constant adaptive control of the holding force.

[0059] Referring to the drawings Figure 5 The walking component 7 is used to realize the movement, turning and precise positioning of the entire platform.

[0060] In a specific embodiment, the walking component 7 includes four independent steering drive units, which are symmetrically distributed at the four corners of the lower surface of the base 1, to ensure the stability and balance of the platform movement.

[0061] Each steering drive unit includes a steering motor 701. The body of the steering motor 701 is fixedly installed vertically upward on the lower surface of the base 1. The output shaft of the steering motor 701 is vertically downward, and its output end is fixedly connected with the upper end of a steering frame 702.

[0062] The steering frame 702 is a bearing structure used to connect the steering and driving parts. The steering motor 701 can drive the steering frame 702 to rotate 360 degrees around a vertical axis through the rotation of its output shaft, thereby realizing the adjustment of the direction of the wheel 704.

[0063] A hub motor 703 is fixedly installed inside or at the lower end of the steering frame 702. The stator of the hub motor 703 is fixedly connected with the steering frame 702, and its rotor, i.e. the output shaft, is fixedly connected with the hub of the wheel 704. The rotation axis of the hub motor 703 is a horizontal axis.

[0064] The wheel 704 is driven by the hub motor 703 to rotate around the horizontal axis, providing the driving force for the platform to move forward or backward.

[0065] The working principle of the walking component 7 is that the control component 8 can independently control the steering motor 701 and the hub motor 703 in each steering drive unit.

[0066] Specifically, the control component 8 sends independent angle control instructions to each steering motor 701 to adjust the four wheels 704 to specific target steering angles respectively. At the same time, the control component 8 sends independent speed and steering control instructions to each hub motor 703.

[0067] By coordinating the steering angles and driving speeds of the four steering and driving units, the platform can achieve omnidirectional movement. For example, when all the wheels 704 are steered in the same direction, the platform achieves linear translation; when all the wheels 704 are steered in different tangent directions pointing to the geometric center of the platform, the platform can achieve in-place rotation. Since the steering and driving of each wheel 704 are independently controllable, this walking assembly 7 enables the platform to perform high-precision positioning and attitude adjustment in a narrow space.

[0068] To improve the stability of the platform when driving on uneven ground and protect internal precision components, each steering and driving unit can also be integrated with an independent suspension damping mechanism. For example, at the connection between the bogie 702 and the base 1, a flexible connection can be achieved through a spring shock absorber or a rubber bushing to absorb the impact and vibration from the ground.

[0069] Further, the navigation mode of the motion control module is configurable. In addition to the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology based on laser radar, in an industrial environment with fixed paths, a guidance mode based on two-dimensional codes or magnetic navigation belts can also be used. At this time, a corresponding two-dimensional code reading camera or magnetic sensor is installed on the lower surface of the base 1 to achieve higher cost performance and more stable path tracking.

[0070] Referring to the accompanying Figure 1 To further improve the stability and guidance accuracy during lifting, the platform also includes multiple guide columns 9.

[0071] In a specific embodiment, four guide columns 9 are provided, which are fixedly connected vertically between the base 1 and the cross plate 3 and symmetrically distributed at the four corners. The lower end of the guide column 9 is fixed to the upper surface of the base 1, and the upper end is fixedly connected with the lower surface of the cross plate 3.

[0072] In this structure, the guide column 9 and the vertical plate 202 together form a rigid frame with multiple support points. When the lifting assembly 2 drives the cross plate 3 to lift along the guide rail of the vertical plate 202, the guide column 9 provides additional vertical motion guidance for the cross plate 3.

[0073] The main function of the guide column 9 is that it acts as a passive support and guidance structure, constraining any non-vertical displacement or attitude deflection of the cross plate 3 during lifting. This structure effectively resists the lateral force or moment generated by the movement or extension of the sliding assembly 4, ensuring that the cross plate 3 can maintain horizontal in different working conditions, thereby providing an accurate and stable reference plane for subsequent gripping operations.

[0074] The control assembly 8 is the computing and control core of the entire platform, responsible for receiving sensor information, executing algorithms, and sending control instructions to each actuator.

[0075] In one specific embodiment, the core of the control assembly 8 is a controller 804. The controller 804 can be an industrial personal computer (IPC), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or an embedded system based on a microprocessor (MCU / field programmable gate array, FPGA). Its physical entity is installed in the upper surface or inside of the base 1, and is electrically connected with various sensors and motor drivers on the platform through input / output (I / O) interfaces and industrial buses (such as CAN or EtherCAT).

[0076] The control assembly 8 includes a plurality of sensors for obtaining platform self-state and external environment information.

[0077] The position sensor 801 is used to accurately obtain the position of the motion assembly. In one embodiment, in order to obtain the height position information of the lifting assembly 2, a laser ranging sensor is installed on the upper surface of the base 1, and its light beam is vertically projected upward to the lower surface of the cross plate 3. The real-time height is calculated by measuring the flight time of the light beam. Alternatively, a rotary encoder is coaxially connected with the output shaft of the motor 203, and the vertical displacement of the cross plate 3 is calculated by recording the number of motor rotations. In order to obtain the longitudinal position information of the sliding assembly 4, a linear encoder (grating ruler) is installed on the cross plate 3, and its reading head moves with the sliding platform 5 to provide high-precision absolute or incremental position data.

[0078] The size sensor 802 is used to obtain the geometric size of the target object. In one embodiment, the size sensor 802 is a three-dimensional structured light camera installed on the upper surface of the sliding platform 5. The camera projects a specific pattern of structured light to the area of the battery to be replaced and the opening of the battery replacement compartment, and forms an image by collecting the reflected light to calculate the three-dimensional point cloud data of the target object. The controller 804 processes the point cloud data to extract the length, width, and height of the battery to be replaced and the accurate size of the opening of the battery replacement compartment.

[0079] The obstacle avoidance sensor 803 is used for environmental perception. In one embodiment, the obstacle avoidance sensor 803 is one or more laser radars (LiDAR) installed on the side surface of the base 1. The laser radar can perform 360-degree horizontal scanning to obtain a two-dimensional or three-dimensional point cloud map of the environment around the platform in real time, and accurately identify the position, contour, and distance of the obstacle.

[0080] Further, the control assembly 8 also includes a pressure sensor 805. In one embodiment, the pressure sensor 805 is an array of thin film pressure sensors integrated inside the clamping surface of the gripper 607. When the gripper 607 is in contact with the surface of the battery, the sensor array can detect the size and distribution of the clamping force in real time, and transmit the corresponding electrical signals to the controller 804 for closed-loop control of the gripping force.

[0081] To achieve autonomous and precise control of the entire platform, the internal solidification or operation of the controller 804 has multiple functional modules. These modules are responsible for parsing the data collected by the above-mentioned sensors, and generating precise control instructions for the actuators of the platform (lifting assembly, sliding assembly, grabbing assembly, walking assembly) according to the preset logic and algorithm. The specific functional modules will be described below.

[0082] The adaptive adjustment module is a functional module implemented in the controller 804, which receives data streams from the position sensor 801 and the size sensor 802, and is responsible for calculating and outputting precise adjustment instructions for the lifting assembly 2 and the grabbing assembly 6.

[0083] In a specific embodiment, when the platform reaches the target battery replacement area, the adaptive adjustment module performs height adaptive adjustment. The module parses the target height value from the height position information of the target battery replacement bin obtained by the size sensor 802 At the same time, the module obtains the current height position information of the sliding platform 5 from the position sensor 801 in real time .

[0084] The adaptive adjustment module calculates the required height adjustment amount according to the above two input information, and the calculation process can be represented by the following formula: ; Wherein, is the target height value, is the current height value.

[0085] After the calculation is completed, the adaptive adjustment module converts the adjustment amount into specific control instructions for motor one 203. The instructions can be a pulse sequence containing target rotation number and rotation speed parameters, sent to the driver of motor one 203. During the adjustment process, the adaptive adjustment module continuously monitors the feedback data from the position sensor 801 to form a closed loop control, until The value is equal to , at which point the adjustment process ends.

[0086] At the same time or successively, the adaptive adjustment module performs adaptive adjustment of the grabbing distance. The module parses the battery width value from the size information of the battery to be replaced obtained by the size sensor 802.

[0087] The adaptive adjustment module calculates the target opening distance of the gripper 607 according to the battery width value . In an embodiment, the target distance also includes a preset gap value to ensure that there is enough insertion space when grabbing. The calculation process can be represented by the following formula: ; Subsequently, the adaptive adjustment module sends an action instruction to the electromagnetic valve controlling the air cylinder 601, driving the piston rod of the air cylinder 601 to extend or retract, thereby adjusting the distance between the grippers 607.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, a linear displacement sensor is connected to the connecting rod 602 to feed back the real-time distance of the grippers 607. The adaptive adjustment module performs closed-loop control according to the feedback information until the value of the real-time distance equals .

[0089] Through the above process, the adaptive adjustment module converts the unstructured environment information perceived by the external sensor into precise and quantitative control instructions for the mechanical structure of the platform itself, realizing the autonomous adaptation capability of the platform to targets of different heights and sizes.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, the adaptive adjustment module also integrates fault-tolerant processing logic. For example, if the size sensor 802 fails to successfully analyze the profile or size of the target battery due to reflection, obstruction, or other reasons, the module will not directly report an error and stop, but will control the sliding stage 5 or the entire platform to make a small range of position fine adjustment, and trigger the size sensor 802 to re-measure. If it still fails after multiple attempts, the system will report an exception to the central dispatch system and request manual intervention. This mechanism significantly improves the autonomous operation success rate and stability of the equipment in complex field environments.

[0091] The motion control module is another functional module implemented inside the controller 804, which is responsible for processing environment data from the obstacle avoidance sensor 803, planning a collision-free movement path for the walking assembly 7, and outputting chassis motion control instructions.

[0092] In a specific embodiment, the working process of the motion control module includes three stages: environment mapping, path planning, and motion instruction generation.

[0093] In the environment mapping stage, the motion control module continuously receives raw point cloud data from the obstacle avoidance sensor 803 (such as a laser radar). The module performs filtering and clustering processing on the point cloud data to identify the precise positions and profiles of various obstacles in the environment. Subsequently, the module projects these obstacle information onto a two-dimensional grid map to generate or update the environment map. In the map, each grid is assigned a state value, such as free, occupied, or unknown.

[0094] In the path planning stage, when the platform receives a movement task, the motion control module obtains the current position coordinates coordinates of the target region . This module executes a path search algorithm, such as A* algorithm, on the constructed environment map to calculate an optimal and collision-free moving path from the current position of the platform to the target region. This path planning process can be represented by the following function: ; where, is the executed path search algorithm.

[0095] In the motion instruction generation stage, the motion control module converts the calculated path into specific control instructions for the four steering drive units in the walking assembly 7. Based on the current platform pose and the next coordinate point in the path, this module calculates the linear and angular velocities that the platform needs to achieve in real time. Subsequently, this module decomposes the overall velocity of the platform into the independent steering angle and driving speed of each wheel 704 through inverse kinematics calculation. Finally, this module sends a target angle instruction to the driver of each steering motor 701 and a target rotating speed instruction to the driver of each in-wheel motor 703, thereby accurately controlling the platform to move along the planned path. During the movement, this module continuously acquires new sensor data to update the map and dynamically re-plans the path to avoid newly added or moving obstacles.

[0096] To further enhance the autonomous operation capability of the platform, the controller 804 can also integrate a power management module and an autonomous charging module.

[0097] The power management module is a continuously running functional module that communicates with the battery management system (BMS) or power meter installed in the platform power system through the internal bus. This module collects the voltage, current and temperature data of the platform's internal battery pack in real time. Based on these input data, the power management module calculates the current remaining charge state (State of Charge, SoC) of the battery through the Coulomb counting method or open circuit voltage method. This module continuously compares the calculated SoC value with a preset low power threshold (e.g. 20%).

[0098] The autonomous charging module is responsible for executing the autonomous charging process of the platform. When the power management module detects that the SoC value of the battery is lower than the preset low power threshold, it generates a trigger signal and sends it to the autonomous charging module.

[0099] After receiving the trigger signal, the autonomous charging module is activated. This module first reads the pre-set charging station location coordinates from its internal memory. Subsequently, this module takes this coordinate as the target position ​​​​, call the function of the motion control module, plan and execute the moving path from the current position of the platform to the charging pile position.

[0100] When the walking assembly 7 moves the platform to the area near the charging pile, the autonomous charging module can enable the short-range, high-precision sensors (such as infrared sensors or visual marker recognition cameras) installed on the platform to perform end guidance. According to the feedback information of the short-range sensors, the walking assembly 7 is finely adjusted in position and attitude to ensure that the charging interface on the platform accurately physically connects with the interface of the charging pile. After confirming the successful connection, the platform enters the charging state. After the charging is completed, the module controls the platform to detach from the charging pile and restore to the standby state Referring to the accompanying Figure 1 to the accompanying Figure 6 , the battery replacement method performed by the adaptive mobile battery replacement robot platform provided by the present application is described in detail.

[0101] In a specific embodiment, the method first starts from step S101. The control assembly 8 receives the battery replacement task instruction from the upper layer scheduling system through its built-in wireless communication module. The instruction contains the unique identifier of the target battery replacement station or vehicle and its geographic spatial coordinates.

[0102] Step S102, the motion control module is activated and sets the received target coordinates as the path endpoint, and obtains the current coordinates of the platform as the path starting point. At the same time, the obstacle avoidance sensor 803 starts to work and scans the surrounding environment to obtain real-time point cloud data. The motion control module generates or updates the environment grid map based on the point cloud data, and executes the path planning algorithm on the map to calculate a collision-free path from the path starting point to the path endpoint.

[0103] Step S103, the motion control module generates independent control instructions for the four steering drive units in the walking assembly 7 according to the planned path through inverse kinematics solving. These instructions are sent to the drivers of the steering motors 701 and the hub motors 703 to drive the platform to move along the planned path to the target position. In the moving process, steps S102 and S103 are executed cyclically to realize dynamic obstacle avoidance and real-time re-planning of the path.

[0104] Step S104, when the platform moves to the predetermined range of the target position, the platform stops moving. The size sensor 802, such as a three-dimensional structured light camera, is activated and aimed at the target battery to be grabbed and the battery replacement compartment where it is located. The sensor collects three-dimensional point cloud data of the target area and sends the data stream to the controller 804.

[0105] Step S105, the adaptive adjustment module processes and analyzes the received three-dimensional point cloud data. This module accurately extracts two key parameters: the width value of the target battery and the bottom height value of the battery swap bay where it is located.

[0106] Step S106, the adaptive adjustment module compares the height of the current horizontal plate 3 with the target height, calculates the adjustment amount, and generates control instructions to drive the lifting assembly 2 to adjust the height until the difference between the height of the current horizontal plate 3 and the target height is less than a preset threshold. Secondly, the module calculates the target opening distance of the gripper 607 according to the battery width, and drives the grabbing assembly 6 to adjust the distance.

[0107] Step S107, the sliding assembly 4 is driven to extend the sliding platform 5 and the grabbing assembly 6 on it towards the target battery. When reaching the predetermined position, the cylinder 601 of the grabbing assembly 6 acts to drive the gripper 607 to close to hold the battery. In this process, the pressure sensor 805 monitors the clamping force in real time to realize closed-loop control of the force, preventing the clamping force from being too large or too small. After the battery is successfully clamped, the sliding assembly 4 moves in reverse to take the battery out of the battery swap bay and back to the center of the platform.

[0108] Subsequently, the platform can transport the removed battery to a designated recycling point, and by repeating the steps S104 to S107, a fully charged new battery is taken out from the charging bay, transported to the empty battery swap bay of the vehicle, and the opposite placement operation (extension, release, retraction) is performed, finally completing the entire battery swap process.

Claims

1. An adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform, comprising a base (1), characterized in that, A lifting assembly (2) is provided at the center of the upper surface of the base (1). A horizontal plate (3) is provided at the output end of the lifting assembly (2). A sliding assembly (4) is provided on the upper surface of the horizontal plate (3). A sliding platform (5) is fixedly connected to the output end of the sliding assembly (4). A gripping assembly (6) is provided on the upper surface of the sliding platform (5). A walking assembly (7) is provided on the lower surface of the base (1). A control assembly (8) is provided on the outside of the base (1). The control assembly (8) is electrically connected to the lifting assembly (2), the sliding assembly (4), the gripping assembly (6), and the walking assembly (7). The gripping component (6) includes a cylinder (601), which is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the sliding platform (5). The output end of the cylinder (601) is fixedly connected to a connecting rod (602). Two connecting rods (603) are arranged above the connecting rod (602). A sliding groove (604) is opened inside the connecting rod (603), and the sliding groove (604) passes through the connecting rod (603). The two connecting rods (603) are hinged to the two ends of the connecting rod (602). The hinge point between the second connecting rod (603) and the first connecting rod (602) is located at the slide groove (604). The upper surface of the sliding platform (5) is fixedly connected to two curved grooves (605). A roller (606) is slidably connected inside the curved groove (605). A gripper (607) is rotatably connected to the upper side of one end of the second connecting rod (603). The lower side of one end of the second connecting rod (603) is rotatably connected to the roller (606). A gas spring (608) is hinged to the side surface of the second connecting rod (603).

2. The adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting assembly (2) includes a rotating groove (201) and two upright plates (202). The rotating groove (201) is located at the center of the upper surface of the base (1). The upright plates (202) are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base (1). A motor (203) is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the base (1). A double-sided cam (204) is rotatably connected to the output end of the motor (203). The double-sided cam (204) is rotatably connected inside the rotating groove (201). The outer surfaces of the double-sided cam (204) are provided with convex ring grooves (205) on both sides. An elliptical gear (206) and an elliptical tooth are rotatably connected to the side surface of the upright plate (202). Wheel 2 (207), the first elliptical gear (206) and the second elliptical gear (207) mesh with each other, the inner part of the convex ring groove (205) is equipped with a connecting rod 3 (208), the double-sided cam (204) is connected to the first elliptical gear (206) through the connecting rod 3 (208), the outer surface of the second elliptical gear (207) is provided with a connecting rod 4 (209), the upper surface of the upright plate (202) is slidably connected with a support seat (210), the second elliptical gear (207) is connected to the support seat (210) through the connecting rod 4 (209), and one end of the connecting rod 4 (209) is slidably connected to the outer surface of the support seat (210).

3. The adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sliding assembly (4) includes multiple limiting seats (401), which are fixedly connected to the four corners of the upper surface of the horizontal plate (3). A guide shaft (402) is fixedly connected between two of the limiting seats (401). The sliding platform (5) is slidably connected to the outer surface of the guide shaft (402). A second motor (403) is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the sliding platform (5). A drive wheel (404) is fixedly connected to the output end of the second motor (403). A chain (405) and a driven wheel (406) are rotatably connected to the lower surface of the sliding platform (5). The drive wheel (404), the chain (405), and the driven wheel (406) mesh with each other. A connecting block (407) is fixedly connected to the outer surface of the chain (405). The connecting block (407) is slidably connected to the outer surface of the guide shaft (402).

4. The adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The walking assembly (7) includes multiple steering motors (701), which are fixedly connected to the lower surface of the base (1). The output end of each steering motor (701) is fixedly connected to a bogie (702). A hub motor (703) is rotatably connected inside the bogie (702), and a wheel (704) is fixedly connected to the outside of the hub motor (703).

5. The adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple telescopic rods (9) are fixedly connected between the base (1) and the horizontal plate (3), with the upper and lower ends of the multiple telescopic rods (9) located at the four corners of the base (1) and the horizontal plate (3).

6. The adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control component (8) includes: A position sensor (801) is installed on the upper surface of the base (1) and the horizontal plate (3) to obtain the height position information of the lifting component (2) and the longitudinal position information of the sliding component (4); A size sensor (802) is installed on the upper surface of the sliding platform (5) to obtain the size information of the battery to be replaced and the opening size information of the battery swapping compartment; An obstacle avoidance sensor (803) is installed on the side surface of the base (1) to obtain obstacle information of the environment around the platform; The controller (804) is mounted on the upper surface of the base (1), receives and processes the information collected by the position sensor (801), the size sensor (802) and the obstacle avoidance sensor (803), and issues control commands.

7. The adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform according to claim 6, characterized in that, The control component (8) also includes a pressure sensor (805) installed on the outer surface of the gripper (607) for acquiring gripping force information of the gripping component (6) when gripping the battery and transmitting it to the controller (804). The control component (8) is also used to control the gripping component (6) to adjust the preload of the gripper (607) based on the gripping force information obtained by the pressure sensor (805).

8. The adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller (804) integrates the following: An adaptive adjustment module is used to calculate and output control commands based on the height position information obtained by the position sensor (801) and the size information obtained by the size sensor (802) to complete the adjustment of the height of the lifting component (2) and the spacing of the gripping component (6); The motion control module is used to plan the movement path and obstacle avoidance path of the walking component (7) based on the obstacle information obtained by the obstacle avoidance sensor (803), and output motion control commands.

9. An adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller (804) also integrates: The power management module is used to monitor the remaining power of the platform's power supply in real time. The autonomous charging module is used to control the walking component (7) to automatically navigate to the preset charging pile location for docking and charging when the power management module detects that the remaining power is lower than a preset threshold.

10. An adaptive mobile battery swapping method, applied to an adaptive mobile battery swapping robot platform as described in claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: a) Obtain the height information of the target battery swapping compartment, the size information of the battery to be swapped, and the information of surrounding obstacles through the control component (8); b) The control component (8) plans the platform's movement path based on the acquired obstacle information and controls the walking component (7) to move the platform to the target battery swapping area; c) The control component (8) calculates and issues control commands based on the target height information and the size information of the battery to be replaced, controls the lifting component (2) to adjust the height of the sliding platform (5), and controls the gripping component (6) to adjust the spacing of the grippers (607); d) The control component (8) controls the sliding component (4) to extend the sliding platform (5) and drive the gripper (607) to grab the target battery, and controls the sliding component (4) to remove the target battery from the battery swapping compartment; e) The control component (8) controls the walking component (7) to move the platform to the new battery storage area or the vehicle to be replaced, and repeats steps c) and d) to place the new battery into the battery swapping compartment or the vehicle battery slot.

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