Charging control method, flexible charging robot, electronic equipment and medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention is suitable for the technical field of robot control, and provides a charging control method, a flexible charging robot, electronic equipment and a medium, and after a charging gun head on a charging execution mechanism is aligned with a charging seat, the charging gun head can be driven to stretch out and draw back through a second fluid actuator; and the third fluid actuator is controlled to do asynchronous and / or synchronous telescopic motion relative to the second fluid actuator, so that the tightness state of the charging wire in the flexible mechanical arm is adjusted. According to the embodiment of the invention, the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm can be adjusted by adjusting the tightness state of the charging wire in the flexible mechanical arm, and due to the fact that the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm can be adjusted, the flexible mechanical arm can provide different rigidity and flexibility in different charging steps; therefore, accurate abutting and smooth plugging of the charging gun head and the charging seat are realized, and plugging failure due to clamping is avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of robot control, and particularly relates to a charging control method, a flexible charging robot, an electronic device and a medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of new energy technology, the application of new energy vehicles such as electric vehicles is also becoming more and more popular. When users use new energy vehicles, when the energy supply module of the new energy vehicle, i.e. the vehicle-mounted battery, is low in power, the user needs to travel to a charging station and use an idle charging pile to charge the vehicle-mounted battery. At present, when the user charges the electric vehicle, the user generally takes the charging gun from the charging pile and inserts it into the charging port of the electric vehicle to charge the vehicle-mounted battery, that is, the entire charging process is manually operated and cannot be automatically charged.

[0003] With the development of robot technology, a charging robot cooperating with the charging pile appears, which completes the action of taking the charging gun and inserting it into the charging port of the electric vehicle when the user parks the electric vehicle in front of the charging pile, thereby realizing automatic charging.

[0004] The existing charging robot is generally a flexible charging robot. The flexible charging robot uses a flexible mechanical arm for automatic charging. Although the flexible mechanical arm has a bendable property, the current charging robot cannot adjust the stiffness and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm, and there is a problem that the charging gun head and the charging seat cannot be precisely butted and smoothly inserted and pulled due to the unsuitable stiffness and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm, thereby causing the charging gun head to be stuck and fail to be inserted and pulled. SUMMARY

[0005] Therefore, the embodiments of the present application provide a charging control method, a flexible charging robot, an electronic device and a medium to solve the problem that the charging gun head and the charging seat cannot be precisely butted and smoothly inserted and pulled due to the fact that the existing flexible charging robot cannot adjust the stiffness and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm, thereby causing the charging gun head to be stuck and fail to be inserted and pulled.

[0006] A first aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a charging control method. The method is applied to a flexible charging robot. The flexible charging robot includes a flexible mechanical arm, a charging execution mechanism arranged at the end of the flexible mechanical arm and independently extendable and retractable, a charging wire driving mechanism arranged at the root of the flexible mechanical arm and cooperating with the charging execution mechanism, and a charging wire arranged in the flexible mechanical arm and connecting the charging execution mechanism and the charging wire driving mechanism. The flexible mechanical arm is driven to move by a first fluid actuator. The charging execution mechanism is driven to extend and retract by a second fluid actuator. The charging wire driving mechanism is driven to move by a third fluid actuator. The method includes the following steps.

[0007] receiving a charging instruction command;

[0008] driving the flexible mechanical arm to drive the charging execution mechanism to approach a charging seat of a vehicle body based on the charging instruction command through the first fluid actuator;

[0009] after the charging gun head on the charging execution mechanism is aligned with the charging seat, driving the charging gun head to extend and retract through the second fluid actuator, and adjusting the tightness of the charging wire by controlling the third fluid actuator to extend and retract asynchronously and / or synchronously relative to the second fluid actuator, so as to adjust the rigidity of the flexible mechanical arm, thereby realizing accurate abutment and smooth plugging of the charging gun head and the charging seat, and avoiding plugging failure;

[0010] A second aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a flexible charging robot, which comprises a flexible mechanical arm, a charging execution mechanism arranged at the end of the flexible mechanical arm and capable of independent extension and retraction, a charging wire driving mechanism arranged at the root of the flexible mechanical arm and used in cooperation with the charging execution mechanism, and a charging wire arranged in the flexible mechanical arm and connecting the charging execution mechanism and the charging wire driving mechanism; the flexible mechanical arm is driven to move by a first fluid actuator, the charging execution mechanism is driven to extend and retract by a second fluid actuator, and the charging wire driving mechanism is driven to move by a third fluid actuator.

[0011] A third aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, which comprises a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, and the processor implements the method of the first aspect when executing the computer program.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the method of the first aspect.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which, when running on an electronic device, causes the electronic device to execute the method of the first aspect.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages:

[0015] In this embodiment, after the charging gun head on the charging actuator is aligned with the charging base, the charging gun head can be driven to extend and retract by a second fluid actuator. The tension of the charging cable within the flexible robotic arm can be adjusted by controlling the asynchronous and / or synchronous extension and retraction of a third fluid actuator relative to the second fluid actuator. Since the tension of the charging cable within the flexible robotic arm is adjustable, the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible robotic arm can be adjusted by regulating the tension of the charging cable. Furthermore, because the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible robotic arm are adjustable, different levels of rigidity and flexibility can be provided in different charging steps. For example, after the charging gun head is aligned with the charging base, the charging cable is adjusted to a taut state to increase the rigidity of the flexible robotic arm, thereby ensuring precise contact between the charging gun head and the charging base while the flexible robotic arm has rigidity. During the insertion and removal process of the charging gun head and the charging base, the charging cable is adjusted to a slack state to give the charging gun head passive compliance, thereby improving the smoothness of the insertion and removal process. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the flexible charging robot provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the flexible charging robot provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a single soft muscle provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a charging control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a charging control device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth such as particular architectures, technologies, techniques, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present application with unnecessary detail.

[0024] The technical solutions of the present application are described below through specific embodiments.

[0025] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a flexible charging machine provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure. The flexible charging machine can be arranged in a charging station, a ground parking lot, an underground parking lot, or the like, to charge a device to be charged such as an electric vehicle or the like. Although the device to be charged is described as an electric vehicle in the embodiments of the present application, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the device to be charged is not limited to an electric vehicle, but can also be other types of devices to be charged. The charging control method in the present application is not limited to charging an electric vehicle.

[0026] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The flexible charging robot includes a charging gun head 1, a charging execution mechanism 2 arranged at the root of the charging gun head 1 and independently extendable, a flexible mechanical arm 3 arranged at the root of the charging execution mechanism 2, a charging wire driving mechanism 5 arranged at the root of the flexible mechanical arm 3 and used in cooperation with the charging execution mechanism 2, and a charging wire 4 arranged in the flexible mechanical arm 3 and connected between the charging execution mechanism 2 and the charging wire driving mechanism 5.

[0027] The flexible mechanical arm 3 is driven to move by a first fluid actuator (not shown in the figure), the charging execution mechanism 2 is driven to extend and retract by a second fluid actuator 210, and the charging wire driving mechanism 5 is driven to move by a third fluid actuator 510. In some embodiments, the second fluid actuator 210 includes a first soft muscle 211 and a second soft muscle 212, the fixed ends 213 of the first soft muscle 211 and the second soft muscle 212 are arranged back to back, and the driving ends 214 of the first soft muscle 211 and the second soft muscle 212 are separably clamped to the charging wire 4. The third fluid actuator 510 includes a third soft muscle 511 and a fourth soft muscle 512, the fixed ends 513 of the third soft muscle 511 and the fourth soft muscle 512 are arranged back to back, and the driving ends 514 of the third soft muscle 511 and the fourth soft muscle 512 are separably clamped to the charging wire 4.

[0028] In the fluid actuator provided by the embodiment, the structure of a single soft muscle is as shown in Figure 3 The first fluid actuator is composed of a plurality of soft muscles stacked in series and / or in parallel, and the second fluid actuator 210 and the third fluid actuator 510 are each composed of two or more soft muscles.

[0029] Before the flexible charging robot is about to start charging the electric vehicle, the flexible arm 3 drives the charging execution mechanism 2 to approach the charging seat 6 of the vehicle body through the first fluid actuator, and then controls the charging gun head 1 on the charging execution mechanism 2 to be aligned with the charging seat. Then, according to the rigidity of the flexible arm 3 required by the current plug-in gun procedure, the rigidity of the flexible arm 3 is dynamically adjusted. Specifically, the charging gun head 1 is driven to extend and retract through the second fluid actuator 210, and the third fluid actuator 510 is controlled to perform asynchronous and / or synchronous extension and retraction relative to the second fluid actuator 210 to adjust the tension state of the charging wire 4, so as to adjust the rigidity of the flexible arm 3. For example, after the charging gun head 1 is aligned with the charging seat, the charging wire 4 is adjusted to a tension state to increase the rigidity of the flexible arm 3, so that the charging gun head 40 precisely abuts against the charging seat when the flexible arm 3 has rigidity. During the plugging and unplugging process of the charging gun head 10 and the charging seat, the charging wire 4 is adjusted to a relaxed state, so that the charging gun head 1 has passive compliance, thereby improving the smoothness of the plugging and unplugging process of the charging gun head 1.

[0030] The technical solutions of the present application will be described below through specific embodiments.

[0031] Referring to Figure 4 , a step flow diagram of a charging control method provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown, which can specifically include the following steps:

[0032] S110, receiving a charging instruction command.

[0033] In the embodiment, the charging instruction command can be a command received by the flexible charging robot to charge the electric vehicle.

[0034] For example, after the electric vehicle completes parking in a specified position close to the flexible charging robot, the flexible charging robot can generate a charging instruction command based on visual detection technology to identify the electric vehicle. After the controller of the flexible charging robot detects that the charging instruction command has been received, subsequent charging control is started. Of course, only one common method of generating a charging instruction command is described in the above example, and in specific implementation, the flexible charging robot can also receive a charging instruction command sent by other devices or terminals to start the entire charging control process.

[0035] S120, driving the flexible mechanical arm to drive the charging execution mechanism to approach the charging seat of the vehicle body based on the charging instruction command through the first fluid actuator.

[0036] In the embodiment, the flexible mechanical arm is driven to move by the first fluid actuator, and when the flexible charging robot receives the charging instruction command, the first fluid actuator is used to drive the flexible mechanical arm to move, so as to drive the charging execution mechanism arranged at the end of the flexible mechanical arm to approach the charging seat of the vehicle body.

[0037] When the charging execution mechanism approaches the charging seat of the vehicle body, the alignment operation of the charging gun head on the charging execution mechanism and the charging seat is performed, specifically, the accurate pose of the charging seat can be obtained through the visual sensor on the flexible charging robot, and then the charging gun head is aligned with the charging seat through the accurate pose of the charging seat.

[0038] S130, after the charging gun head on the charging execution mechanism is aligned with the charging seat, the charging gun head is driven to stretch and retract through the second fluid actuator, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to stretch and retract asynchronously and / or synchronously relative to the second fluid actuator, so as to adjust the tension state of the charging line, thereby adjusting the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm, and then realizing accurate abutment and smooth plugging of the charging gun head and the charging seat, and avoiding plugging failure.

[0039] Among them, the tension state includes: tension state, relaxation state and natural state.

[0040] In the embodiment, after the charging gun head on the charging execution mechanism is aligned with the charging seat, the charging gun head is driven to stretch and retract through the second fluid actuator to perform the plugging operation of the charging gun head, and at the same time, the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm is adjusted to the rigidity and flexibility required in the current charging step.

[0041] Specifically, the flexible charging robot provided in the embodiment needs to control the flexible mechanical arm to be in different rigidity and flexibility in different charging steps, and the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm in the application is adjusted by controlling the third fluid actuator to stretch and retract asynchronously and / or synchronously relative to the second fluid actuator, so that the flexible charging robot in the embodiment needs to dynamically adjust the third fluid actuator to stretch and retract asynchronously and / or synchronously relative to the second fluid actuator during the execution of the charging action, so as to adjust the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm to the rigidity and flexibility required at present.

[0042] The charging robot is provided with different flexible mechanical arm rigidity adjustment strategies for the gun extension and gun retraction stages. In this embodiment, when the charging wire is in a tension state, the rigidity of the flexible mechanical arm is rigid; when the charging wire is in a slack state, the rigidity of the flexible mechanical arm is flexible; and when the charging wire is in a natural state, the flexible mechanical arm maintains the original rigidity.

[0043] The rigidity adjustment strategy of the flexible mechanical arm during the process of the charging gun head extension is described in detail as follows:

[0044] The method for switching the rigidity of the flexible mechanical arm to rigid during the process of the charging gun head extension is described first, which is adjusted through steps a and / or step b, wherein:

[0045] Step a, the second fluid actuator is driven to extend by positive pressure to push the charging gun head to extend, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to contract by negative pressure in the extension direction of the second fluid actuator to push the charging wire to move along with the charging gun head, so that the driving end of the charging wire at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging wire at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging wire.

[0046] It should be noted that positive pressure refers to a state in which the pressure inside the system is higher than the external environment (atmospheric pressure) relative to the surrounding environment. Negative pressure refers to a state in which the pressure inside the system is lower than the external environment (atmospheric pressure) relative to the surrounding environment. Positive pressure and negative pressure are obviously asymmetric in physics. This asymmetry is specifically manifested in that, compared with air pressure (one standard atmosphere), the negative pressure can be reduced to as low as one standard atmosphere, i.e., zero pressure (vacuum). Moreover, a vacuum environment is relatively difficult to achieve. In contrast, the positive pressure has much more room for change. This leads to a large pressure difference under the same pressure area.

[0047] The asymmetry of pressure under the same force area caused by the physical asymmetry of pressure will also cause the asymmetry of the soft muscle extension amount, i.e., the asymmetry of the driving unit (fluid actuator). Although the soft muscle is nonlinear in the whole, we can simply understand that the muscle is elongated under positive pressure and is contracted under negative pressure, and the greater the pressure difference from the atmospheric pressure, the greater the elongation (contraction) amount. Since negative pressure is more difficult to achieve, the contraction amount and the contraction speed are not in the same order of magnitude as positive pressure. Therefore, the movement of the entire structure will be affected.

[0048] From the above description, under the same conditions, the soft muscle driven by positive pressure can generate much greater force and speed than the soft muscle driven by negative pressure. Therefore, in unit time, the displacement of the fluid actuator using positive pressure extension is greater than the displacement of the fluid actuator using negative pressure contraction.

[0049] Specifically, referring to Figure 2 When the second fluid actuator 210 pushes the charging gun head 1 out by positive pressure extension, and the third fluid actuator 510 is controlled to push the charging cable away from the charging gun head 1 by negative pressure contraction, although both the second fluid actuator 210 and the third fluid actuator 510 are driven to the left (the specific driving direction needs to be determined in combination with the relative positions of the second fluid actuator 210 and the third fluid actuator 510 in the flexible charging robot, and in this embodiment, the second fluid actuator 210 is arranged to the left of the third fluid actuator 510 for illustration, although both the second fluid actuator 210 and the third fluid actuator 510 are driven to the left in this embodiment), because the second fluid actuator 210 is driven by positive pressure and the third fluid actuator 510 is driven by negative pressure, in unit time, the displacement of the second fluid actuator 210 by positive pressure extension is greater than the displacement of the third fluid actuator 510 by negative pressure contraction, the fixed end of the second fluid actuator 210 and the fixed end of the third fluid actuator 510 are away from each other, so as to adjust the charging cable 4 to be in a tension state. Figure 2

[0050] Step b, driving the second fluid actuator to push the charging gun head out by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, and controlling the third fluid actuator to push the charging cable away from the charging gun head by extension / contraction in a direction away from the extension / contraction direction of the second fluid actuator, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging cable at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging cable.

[0051] Specifically, also referring to Figure 2 The second fluid actuator 210 can be driven to push the charging gun head 1 out to the left by positive pressure extension or negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator 510 can be controlled to push the charging cable away from the charging gun head 1 to the right by positive pressure extension or negative pressure contraction. At this time, because the second fluid actuator 210 and the third fluid actuator 510 move away from each other, the driving end 214 of the second fluid actuator and the driving end 514 of the third fluid actuator 510 are away from each other, and the fixed end 213 of the second fluid actuator and the fixed end 513 of the third fluid actuator 510 are also away from each other, so as to adjust the charging cable 4 to be in a tension state and increase the rigidity of the flexible mechanical arm 3.

[0052] ​The following describes the method for the process of the charging gun head extension and the need to switch the stiffness of the flexible mechanical arm to flexibility, specifically through step c for adjustment, wherein:

[0053] Step c, drive the second fluid actuator to contract by negative pressure to push the charging gun head to extend, and control the third fluid actuator to expand by positive pressure in the direction of the contraction of the second fluid actuator to push the charging wire to move along with the charging gun head, so that the driving end of the charging wire at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging wire at the third fluid actuator are close to each other, thereby relaxing the charging wire; wherein the displacement amount of the second fluid actuator by negative pressure contraction in unit time is less than the displacement amount of the third fluid actuator by positive pressure expansion in unit time.

[0054] Specifically, also referring to Figure 2 , drive the second fluid actuator 210 to drive to the left by negative pressure contraction to push the charging gun head to extend, and at the same time, drive the third fluid actuator 510 to also drive to the left by positive pressure to push the charging wire 1 to move along with the charging gun head.

[0055] At this time, since the displacement amount by positive pressure driving in unit time is greater than the displacement amount by negative pressure driving, the displacement amount of the second fluid actuator 210 by negative pressure contraction in unit time is less than the displacement amount of the third fluid actuator 510 by positive pressure expansion in unit time. At this time, the driving end 214 of the charging wire 1 at the second fluid actuator 210 and the driving end 514 of the charging wire 1 at the third fluid actuator 510 are close to each other, and the fixed end 213 at the second fluid actuator 210 and the fixed end 513 at the third fluid actuator 510 are also close to each other, thereby relaxing the charging wire 1 and increasing the flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm 3.

[0056] The following describes the method for the process of the charging gun head extension and the need to maintain the original stiffness of the flexible mechanical arm, specifically through step d and / or step e for adjustment, wherein:

[0057] Step d, drive the second fluid actuator to expand by positive pressure / contract by negative pressure to push the charging gun head to extend, and control the third fluid actuator to synchronously extend / contract relative to the second fluid actuator in the same direction to maintain the natural state of the charging wire.

[0058] Specifically, during the process of the second fluid actuator driving the charging gun head to extend, the third fluid actuator is driven by the same air pressure as the second fluid actuator, and the third fluid actuator and the second fluid actuator are driven to the left by the same distance. The tension of the charging wire in the flexible mechanical arm does not change, and the natural state is maintained.

[0059] For example, also referring to Figure 2, drive the second fluid actuator 210 to push the charging gun head out to the left by positive pressure extension, and drive the third fluid actuator 510 to drive the charging wire to the left by positive pressure extension, the second fluid actuator 210 and the third fluid actuator 510 drive the charging wire 4 to the left by the same distance, so that the tension of the charging wire 4 does not change, and the natural state is maintained.

[0060] Step e, drive the second fluid actuator to push the charging gun head out by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, disconnect the third fluid actuator from the charging wire, and maintain the natural state of the charging wire.

[0061] Specifically, the second fluid actuator is driven to push the charging gun head out by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator is disconnected from the charging wire. Since the third fluid actuator is disconnected from the charging wire, the third fluid actuator cannot drive the charging wire, and at this time, only the second fluid actuator drives the charging wire, and the charging wire at the end of the third fluid actuator is also driven by the second fluid actuator, so that the tension of the charging wire in the flexible manipulator is not changed, and the natural state is maintained.

[0062] The process of retracting the charging gun head and the adjustment method of switching the rigidity of the flexible manipulator to rigid when the flexible manipulator is described below.

[0063] First, the process of retracting the charging gun head and the method of adjusting the charging wire to a tension state are described, which is adjusted by step f, wherein:

[0064] Step f, drive the second fluid actuator to retract the charging gun head by negative pressure contraction, and control the third fluid actuator to push the charging wire to move with the charging gun head by positive pressure extension in the contraction direction of the second fluid actuator, so that the driving end of the charging wire at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging wire at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging wire; wherein the negative pressure contraction displacement amount of the second fluid actuator in unit time is less than the positive pressure extension displacement amount of the third fluid actuator.

[0065] Specifically, when the flexible charging robot retracts the charging gun head by driving the second fluid actuator to contract under negative pressure, if the charging cable needs to be tensioned and the stiffness of the flexible robot arm needs to be increased, the third fluid actuator needs to be controlled to drive the charging cable to move along with the charging gun head by extending under positive pressure in the direction in which the second fluid actuator contracts, because the second fluid actuator is driven under negative pressure and the third fluid actuator is driven under positive pressure, the displacement of the second fluid actuator under negative pressure is less than the displacement of the third fluid actuator under positive pressure, at this time, the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging cable at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, the charging cable is pulled tighter, and the tension of the charging cable is increased.

[0066] For example, also refer to Figure 2 When the flexible charging robot retracts the charging gun, the second fluid actuator 210 drives to the right under negative pressure, so that the charging gun head 1 is retracted, at the same time, the third fluid actuator 510 also drives to the right under positive pressure, because the distance that the third fluid actuator 510 drives to the right is longer than the distance that the second fluid actuator 210 drives to the right, the distance between the two fluid actuators increases, and the charging cable 4 is tensioned.

[0067] Next, the process of retracting the charging gun head and the method of switching the stiffness and flexibility of the flexible robot arm to flexibility are described, which is adjusted through step g, wherein:

[0068] Step g, drive the second fluid actuator to retract the charging gun head by extending under positive pressure, and control the third fluid actuator to drive the charging cable to move along with the charging gun head by contracting under negative pressure in the direction in which the second fluid actuator extends, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging cable at the third fluid actuator are close to each other, and the charging cable is relaxed; wherein, in unit time, the displacement of the second fluid actuator under positive pressure is greater than the displacement of the third fluid actuator under negative pressure.

[0069] In this embodiment, when the flexible charging robot retracts the charging gun head by driving the second fluid actuator to extend under positive pressure, if the charging cable needs to be relaxed and the flexibility of the flexible robot arm needs to be increased, the third fluid actuator needs to be controlled to drive the charging cable to move along with the charging gun head by contracting under negative pressure in the direction in which the second fluid actuator extends, because the second fluid actuator is driven under positive pressure and the third fluid actuator is driven under negative pressure in the same direction as the second fluid actuator, the displacement of the second fluid actuator under positive pressure is less than the displacement of the third fluid actuator under negative pressure, at this time, the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging cable at the third fluid actuator are close to each other, the charging cable is relaxed, the flexibility of the charging cable is increased, and the flexibility of the flexible robot arm is increased.

[0070] For example, also referring to Figure 2 When the charging gun is retracted, the second fluid actuator 210 drives to the right by positive pressure, so that the charging gun head 1 is retracted, at the same time, the third fluid actuator 510 also drives to the right by negative pressure, so as to drive the charging wire 4 to move with the charging gun head. Since the distance that the second fluid actuator 210 drives to the right is longer than the distance that the third fluid actuator 510 drives to the right, the distance between the two fluid actuators is reduced, so that the charging wire 4 in the flexible mechanical arm 3 is relaxed.

[0071] Next, the method for retracting the charging gun head while maintaining the original rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm is described, which is adjusted through step h, wherein:

[0072] Step h, drive the second fluid actuator to retract the charging gun head by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, and control the third fluid actuator to synchronously extend / contract relative to the second fluid actuator in the same direction, so as to maintain the natural state of the charging wire.

[0073] Specifically, the second fluid actuator is driven to retract the charging gun head by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to synchronously extend / contract relative to the second fluid actuator in the same direction, that is, when the second fluid actuator is driven to retract the charging gun head by positive pressure extension, the third fluid actuator is also driven to extend in the same direction as the second fluid actuator by positive pressure; when the second fluid actuator is driven to retract the charging gun head by negative pressure contraction, the third fluid actuator is also driven to contract in the same direction as the second fluid actuator by negative pressure. It can be seen that the distance and direction of the charging wire driven by the second fluid actuator and the third fluid actuator are the same, and the distance between the driving end of the charging wire at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging wire at the third fluid actuator is unchanged, so as to maintain the natural state of the charging wire.

[0074] In some embodiments, the flexible charging robot provided by the present application can also obtain a charging wire adjustment instruction; then determine a target extension / contraction driving rule corresponding to the charging wire adjustment instruction; and drive the second fluid actuator and the third fluid actuator according to the target extension / contraction driving rule, so as to adjust the charging wire to a state corresponding to the charging wire adjustment instruction.

[0075] The charging wire adjustment instruction includes a charging wire straightening instruction, a charging wire complete unwinding instruction, a charging wire lengthening instruction, or a charging wire wrapping instruction.

[0076] When the charging line adjustment instruction is a charging line straightening instruction, the flexible charging robot will determine a target telescopic driving rule corresponding to the charging line straightening instruction in response to the charging line straightening instruction, the target telescopic driving rule being provided with driving actions required by the second fluid actuator and the third fluid actuator to straighten the charging line, and then the flexible charging robot straightens the charging line by driving the second fluid actuator and the third fluid actuator.

[0077] Similarly, when the charging line adjustment instruction is a charging line fully paying out instruction, a charging line lengthening instruction, or a charging line wrapping instruction, the flexible charging robot also drives the charging line to a state corresponding to the instruction by driving the second fluid actuator and the third fluid actuator.

[0078] The above charging line state can trigger a corresponding instruction for corresponding setting according to requirements. For example, if the flexible charging robot is idle for a long time, the charging line wrapping instruction can be triggered to protect the charging line.

[0079] In summary, after the charging gun head on the charging execution mechanism is aligned with the charging seat, the second fluid actuator is driven to drive the charging gun head to telescope, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to move asynchronously and / or synchronously relative to the second fluid actuator, so as to adjust the tension state of the charging line. Since the charging line is arranged in the flexible mechanical arm, the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm can be adjusted by adjusting the tension state of the charging line in the flexible mechanical arm. Since the flexible charging robot in the application can adjust the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm, the flexible mechanical arm can provide different rigidity and flexibility in different charging steps. For example, after the charging gun head is aligned with the charging seat, the charging line is adjusted to a tension state to increase the rigidity of the flexible mechanical arm, so that the charging gun head precisely abuts against the charging seat when the flexible mechanical arm has rigidity. During the plugging and unplugging of the charging gun head and the charging seat, the charging line is adjusted to a slack state, so that the charging gun head has passive flexibility, thereby improving the smoothness of the plugging and unplugging process of the charging gun head.

[0080] It should be noted that the size of the serial number of each step in the above embodiments does not mean the execution order, and the execution order of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the application.

[0081] Reference Figure 5, shows a schematic diagram of a charging control device provided by an embodiment of the application. The charging control device 700 is arranged in a flexible charging robot. The flexible charging robot includes a flexible mechanical arm, a charging execution mechanism arranged at the end of the flexible mechanical arm and independently extendable, a charging wire driving mechanism arranged at the root of the flexible mechanical arm and used in cooperation with the charging execution mechanism, and a charging wire arranged in the flexible mechanical arm and connecting the charging execution mechanism and the charging wire driving mechanism. The flexible mechanical arm is driven to move by a first fluid actuator, the charging execution mechanism is driven to extend and retract by a second fluid actuator, and the charging wire driving mechanism is driven to move by a third fluid actuator. Specifically, the charging control device 700 can include a transceiving unit 701 and a processing unit 702, wherein:

[0082] The transceiving unit 701 is configured to receive a charging instruction command.

[0083] The processing unit 702 is configured to drive the flexible mechanical arm to move the charging execution mechanism close to a charging seat of a vehicle body based on the charging instruction command through the first fluid actuator. After the charging gun head on the charging execution mechanism is aligned with the charging seat, the charging gun head is driven to extend and retract by the second fluid actuator, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to perform asynchronous and / or synchronous extension and retraction relative to the second fluid actuator to adjust the tension state of the charging wire, so as to adjust the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm, thereby realizing accurate abutment and smooth plugging and unplugging of the charging gun head and the charging seat, and avoiding plugging failure. The tension state includes a tension state, a relaxation state, and a natural state.

[0084] In some embodiments, when the charging wire is in the tension state, the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm is rigid; when the charging wire is in the relaxation state, the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm is flexible; and when the charging wire is in the natural state, the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm is maintained.

[0085] In some embodiments, during the process of driving the charging gun head to extend by the second fluid actuator, and when the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible mechanical arm needs to be switched to rigid, the processing unit 702, when performing the step of adjusting the charging wire to be in the tension state by controlling the third fluid actuator to perform asynchronous extension and retraction relative to the second fluid actuator, is specifically configured to:

[0086] drive the second fluid actuator to extend the charging gun head by positive pressure, and control the third fluid actuator to move the charging cable away from the charging gun head by synchronous extension and / or synchronous contraction relative to the second fluid actuator, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging cable at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging cable.

[0087] and / or,

[0088] drive the second fluid actuator to extend the charging gun head by positive pressure, and control the third fluid actuator to move the charging cable away from the charging gun head by synchronous extension and / or synchronous contraction relative to the second fluid actuator, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging cable at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging cable.

[0089] In some embodiments, during the process of driving the charging gun head to extend by the second fluid actuator, and when the stiffness of the flexible mechanical arm needs to be switched to flexibility, the processing unit 702, when performing the step of adjusting the charging cable to be in a relaxed state by controlling the third fluid actuator to move asynchronously relative to the second fluid actuator, is specifically used for:

[0090] drive the second fluid actuator to extend the charging gun head by positive pressure, and control the third fluid actuator to move the charging cable away from the charging gun head by synchronous extension and / or synchronous contraction relative to the second fluid actuator, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging cable at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging cable.

[0091] In some embodiments, during the process of driving the charging gun head to extend by the second fluid actuator, and when the stiffness of the flexible mechanical arm needs to be switched to flexibility, the processing unit 702, when performing the step of adjusting the charging cable to be in a relaxed state by controlling the third fluid actuator to move asynchronously relative to the second fluid actuator, is specifically used for:

[0092] drive the second fluid actuator to extend the charging gun head by positive pressure, and control the third fluid actuator to move the charging cable away from the charging gun head by synchronous extension and / or synchronous contraction relative to the second fluid actuator, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging cable at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging cable.

[0093] and / or,

[0094] drive the second fluid actuator to extend the charging gun head by positive pressure, and disconnect the third fluid actuator from the charging wire to maintain the natural state of the charging wire.

[0095] In some embodiments, during the process of driving the charging gun head to retract by the second fluid actuator, and when it is required to switch the stiffness of the flexible mechanical arm to rigid, the processing unit 702, when performing the step of adjusting the charging wire to be in a tension state by controlling the third fluid actuator to be asynchronously extended and retracted relative to the second fluid actuator, is specifically used for:

[0096] drive the second fluid actuator to retract the charging gun head by negative pressure, and control the third fluid actuator to extend the charging wire along the retraction direction of the second fluid actuator by positive pressure, so that the driving end of the charging wire at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging wire at the third fluid actuator are away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging wire; wherein, in unit time, the negative pressure retraction displacement amount of the second fluid actuator is less than the positive pressure extension displacement amount of the third fluid actuator.

[0097] In some embodiments, during the process of driving the charging gun head to retract by the second fluid actuator, and when it is required to switch the stiffness of the flexible mechanical arm to flexible, the processing unit 702, when performing the step of adjusting the charging wire to be in a slack state by controlling the third fluid actuator to be asynchronously extended and retracted relative to the second fluid actuator, is specifically used for:

[0098] drive the second fluid actuator to retract the charging gun head by positive pressure, and control the third fluid actuator to retract the charging wire along the extension direction of the second fluid actuator by negative pressure, so that the driving end of the charging wire at the second fluid actuator and the driving end of the charging wire at the third fluid actuator are close to each other, thereby relaxing the charging wire; wherein, in unit time, the positive pressure extension displacement amount of the second fluid actuator is greater than the negative pressure retraction displacement amount of the third fluid actuator.

[0099] In some embodiments, during the process of driving the charging gun head to retract by the second fluid actuator, and when it is required to maintain the original stiffness of the flexible mechanical arm, the processing unit 702, when performing the step of adjusting the charging wire to be in a natural state by controlling the third fluid actuator to be synchronously extended and retracted relative to the second fluid actuator, is specifically used for:

[0100] The second fluid actuator is driven to push the charging gun head to retract by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to synchronously extend and contract relative to the second fluid actuator in the same direction to maintain the natural state of the charging wire.

[0101] In some embodiments, the second fluid actuator comprises: a first soft muscle and a second soft muscle, fixed ends of the first soft muscle and the second soft muscle are arranged back to back, and driving ends of the first soft muscle and the second soft muscle are detachably clamped on the charging wire; the third fluid actuator comprises: a third soft muscle and a fourth soft muscle; fixed ends of the third soft muscle and the fourth soft muscle are arranged back to back, and driving ends of the third soft muscle and the fourth soft muscle are detachably clamped on the charging wire.

[0102] For the device embodiment, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, it is described more simply, and the relevant part refers to the description in the method embodiment part.

[0103] Figure 6 The structural schematic diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in the figure, the electronic device 8 of the embodiment comprises at least one processor 80 (only one processor is shown in the figure), a memory 81, and a computer program 82 stored in the memory 81 and executable on the at least one processor 80, wherein the processor 80 implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executing the computer program 82. Figure 6 Figure 6 The electronic device 8 can be a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a palm computer, a cloud electronic device, and the like. The electronic device can comprise, but is not limited to, the processor 80, the memory 81. Those skilled in the art can understand that the electronic device 8 can further comprise other components, for example, an input / output device, a network access device, and the like.

[0104] The electronic device 8 shown in the figure is only an example of the electronic device 8, and does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device 8, and can comprise more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or different components, for example, can further comprise an input / output device, a network access device, and the like. Figure 6

[0105] ​​The processor 80 can be a central processing unit (CPU), and can also be other general-purpose processors, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor.

[0106] The memory 81 can be an internal storage component of the electronic device 8 in some embodiments, such as a hard disk or a memory of the electronic device 8. The memory 81 can also be an external storage device of the electronic device 8 in other embodiments, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash card, etc. Further, the memory 81 can include both an internal storage component and an external storage device of the electronic device 8. The memory 81 is used to store an operating system, an application program, a boot loader, data, and other programs, such as program codes of the computer program, etc. The memory 81 can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0107] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. The computer program is executed by a processor to implement the steps in the above-mentioned various method embodiments.

[0108] The embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on an electronic device, the electronic device is caused to perform the steps in the above-mentioned various method embodiments.

[0109] The above-mentioned embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that: they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacements to some technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A charging control method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a flexible charging robot, which includes: a flexible robotic arm; a charging actuator located at the end of the flexible robotic arm and capable of independent extension and retraction; a charging cable drive mechanism located at the root of the flexible robotic arm and used in conjunction with the charging actuator; and a charging cable located within the flexible robotic arm and connecting the charging actuator and the charging cable drive mechanism; the flexible robotic arm is driven to move by a first fluid actuator, the charging actuator is driven to extend and retract by a second fluid actuator, and the charging cable drive mechanism is driven to move by a third fluid actuator; the method includes: Receive charging instruction command; Based on the charging instruction command, the flexible robotic arm is driven by the first fluid actuator to move the charging actuator closer to the charging seat on the vehicle body; After the charging gun head on the charging actuator is aligned with the charging base, the charging gun head is driven to extend and retract by the second fluid actuator. The tension of the charging cable is adjusted by controlling the asynchronous and / or synchronous extension and retraction of the third fluid actuator relative to the second fluid actuator, thereby adjusting the rigidity and flexibility of the flexible robotic arm. This achieves precise contact and smooth insertion and removal between the charging gun head and the charging base, avoiding jamming and insertion / removal failures. The tension states include: a taut state, a relaxed state, and a natural state.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the charging cable is taut, the flexible robotic arm has a rigidity; when the charging cable is slack, the flexible robotic arm has a flexibleity; and when the charging cable is in its natural state, the flexible robotic arm maintains its original rigidity.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, During the process of the second fluid actuator driving the charging gun head to extend, and when it is necessary to switch the rigidity of the flexible robotic arm to rigidity, the step of adjusting the charging cable to a tensioned state by controlling the asynchronous extension and retraction of the third fluid actuator relative to the second fluid actuator includes: The second fluid actuator is driven to extend the charging gun head through positive pressure, while the third fluid actuator is controlled to contract with negative pressure along the extension direction of the second fluid actuator, pushing the charging cable to move with the charging gun head. This causes the driving ends of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving ends at the third fluid actuator to move away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging cable. Specifically, within a unit time, the positive pressure extension displacement of the second fluid actuator is greater than the negative pressure contraction displacement of the third fluid actuator. And / or, The second fluid actuator is driven to extend the charging gun head by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to extend and retract away from the extension / compression direction of the second fluid actuator to move the charging cable away from the charging gun head, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end at the third fluid actuator are moved away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging cable.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, During the process of the second fluid actuator driving the charging gun head to extend, and when it is necessary to switch the rigidity of the flexible robotic arm to flexibility, the step of adjusting the charging cable to a slack state by controlling the asynchronous extension and retraction of the third fluid actuator relative to the second fluid actuator includes: The second fluid actuator is driven to extend the charging gun head by negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to extend in the direction of positive pressure along the contraction of the second fluid actuator, pushing the charging cable to move with the charging gun head, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end at the third fluid actuator move closer to each other, thereby relaxing the charging cable; wherein, in a unit time, the displacement of the second fluid actuator under negative pressure contraction is less than the displacement of the third fluid actuator under positive pressure extension.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, During the process of the second fluid actuator driving the charging gun head to extend, and while maintaining the original rigidity and flexibility of the flexible robotic arm, the step of adjusting the charging cable to its natural state by controlling the synchronous and / or asynchronous extension and retraction of the third fluid actuator relative to the second fluid actuator includes: The second fluid actuator is driven to extend the charging gun head by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to extend and retract synchronously in the same direction relative to the second fluid actuator to maintain the natural state of the charging cable. And / or, The second fluid actuator is driven to extend the charging gun head by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, disconnecting the third fluid actuator from the charging cable to maintain the natural state of the charging cable.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, During the process of the second fluid actuator driving the charging gun head to retract, and when it is necessary to switch the rigidity of the flexible robotic arm to rigidity, the step of adjusting the charging cable to a tensioned state by controlling the asynchronous extension and retraction of the third fluid actuator relative to the second fluid actuator includes: The second fluid actuator is driven to retract the charging gun head by negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to extend in the direction of positive pressure along the contraction of the second fluid actuator, pushing the charging cable to move with the charging gun head, so that the driving end of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving end at the third fluid actuator move away from each other, thereby tensioning the charging cable; wherein, in a unit time, the displacement of the second fluid actuator under negative pressure contraction is less than the displacement of the third fluid actuator under positive pressure extension.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, During the process of the second fluid actuator driving the charging gun head to retract, and when it is necessary to switch the rigidity of the flexible robotic arm to flexibility, the step of adjusting the charging cable to a slack state by controlling the asynchronous extension and retraction of the third fluid actuator relative to the second fluid actuator includes: The second fluid actuator is driven to extend under positive pressure, pushing the charging gun head back, while the third fluid actuator is controlled to contract under negative pressure along the extension direction of the second fluid actuator, pushing the charging cable to move with the charging gun head. This causes the driving ends of the charging cable at the second fluid actuator and the driving ends at the third fluid actuator to move closer to each other, thereby relaxing the charging cable. In this way, within a unit time, the displacement of the second fluid actuator under positive pressure extension is greater than the displacement of the third fluid actuator under negative pressure contraction.

8. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, During the process of the second fluid actuator driving the charging gun head to retract, and while maintaining the original rigidity and flexibility of the flexible robotic arm, the step of adjusting the charging cable to its natural state by controlling the synchronous extension and retraction of the third fluid actuator relative to the second fluid actuator includes: The second fluid actuator is driven to retract the charging gun head by positive pressure extension / negative pressure contraction, and the third fluid actuator is controlled to extend and retract synchronously in the same direction relative to the second fluid actuator to maintain the natural state of the charging cable.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The second fluid actuator includes: a first soft muscle and a second soft muscle, with the fixed ends of the first soft muscle and the second soft muscle arranged back to back, and the driving ends of the first soft muscle and the second soft muscle detachably clamping the charging cable. The third fluid actuator includes a third soft muscle and a fourth soft muscle; the fixed ends of the third soft muscle and the fourth soft muscle are arranged back to back, and the driving ends of the third soft muscle and the fourth soft muscle can detachably clamp the charging cable.

10. A flexible charging robot, characterized in that, The flexible charging robot includes: a flexible robotic arm; a charging actuator located at the end of the flexible robotic arm and capable of independent extension and retraction; a charging cable drive mechanism located at the root of the flexible robotic arm and used in conjunction with the charging actuator; and a charging cable located inside the flexible robotic arm and connecting the charging actuator and the charging cable drive mechanism. The flexible robotic arm is driven to move by a first fluid actuator, the charging actuator is driven to extend and retract by a second fluid actuator, and the charging cable drive mechanism is driven to move by a third fluid actuator. The flexible charging robot performs charging control by the method described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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