A robot spacecraft adapted to stably climb a variety of materials on a satellite surface

Abstract

This invention relates to a robotic spacecraft capable of stably climbing various materials on a satellite surface. The robotic spacecraft includes: a fuselage, serving as its load-bearing and control center; multiple leg mechanisms configured for climbing the satellite surface, with each leg mechanism positioned in pairs opposite each other beneath the fuselage to form a frog-like biomimetic structure; and foot mechanisms configured for attaching to and detaching from the satellite surface to achieve stable climbing. The tail end of each leg serves as a foothold and connects to the foot mechanisms. This invention employs four leg mechanisms, all located beneath the fuselage, to achieve large strides forward through an attachment-detachment cycle. Detachment is achieved by adjusting the gait of the leg mechanisms, using a specific angle of lifting to gradually detach the adhered base from the side, thereby significantly reducing the vertical force required for detachment and ensuring stable adhesion of the robotic spacecraft to the target spacecraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of spacecraft technology, and to a robotic spacecraft capable of stably climbing various materials on the surface of satellites. Background Technology

[0002] Current space robots face numerous limitations in climbing satellite surfaces: CN201711434588 proposes a frog-like swimming robot driven by an articulated pneumatic soft actuator. This robot uses a pneumatic soft actuator to control its hind limbs, which feature a large-area webbed design to ensure sufficient water-pushing surface. It propels itself forward by pushing water backward, but this relies partially on pneumatic soft actuators and is prone to breakage in the vacuum of space. CN201710067849 proposes a quadrupedal bionic robot, which requires at least one leg to adhere to the target spacecraft to prevent detachment. This jumping robot is not suitable for mechanisms based on surface adhesion and cannot be applied in the microgravity environment of space. CN202011061468 proposes an adhesive robot with a high degree of freedom single-leg structure and large load capacity. However, its legs use a series motor configuration, which is detrimental to protection against space radiation and alternating hot and cold environments. Furthermore, the feet have only a single adhesive method; if this method fails, the robot loses its attachment capability, failing to meet the requirements. CN201310182682 proposes an adhesive aerosol adsorption parasitic mechanism and a method for using it to parasitize on-orbit spacecraft. This mechanism cannot be repeatedly adhered, and once adhered to the target spacecraft, it cannot move and lacks climbing capabilities. 202311183173 proposes an adhesive robot capable of stable and compliant landing. It utilizes three-degree-of-freedom legs to reduce the impact force during landing, but its mobility is limited. When climbing after attaching to the target spacecraft, the leg linkage assembly driven by the drive component lifts and places the foot on the target point. Due to the limited space for foot movement, the range of motion is too small, which is not conducive to flexible climbing. During the detachment process, vertical detachment is achieved only through the up-and-down movement of the leg mechanism. At this time, the force required for vertical detachment is large. In the microgravity environment of space, the large vertical force can easily cause the robot to detach from the target spacecraft as a whole. CN201710432436 proposes a biomimetic dry adhesion system for capturing non-cooperative targets in orbit. It proposes an in-orbit dry adhesion device, which mainly uses a rope mechanism to drive the adhesive feet to provide tangential force to achieve adhesion. However, it lacks a detachment design and cannot achieve movement and climbing on the surface of non-cooperative targets. CN201810191285 proposes a biomimetic wall-climbing robot adapted to the complex and confined space of the microgravity environment of the space station. The proposed robot can only operate inside the space station. The space station is filled with gas, has a suitable temperature, and can be manually controlled. The passive degree of freedom ball joints used will be cold welded in the vacuum environment, resulting in the inability to rotate, so it cannot be directly applied in space. In addition, it uses a pulley structure in the legs, which has a disadvantage in space. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a robotic spacecraft capable of stable climbing on various materials on satellite surfaces. Through a composite attachment method combining needle-piercing and adhesive attachment, it can simultaneously adapt to both soft (thermally controlled multi-layered materials on the satellite surface) and hard surfaces. Furthermore, the five-bar linkage of the leg mechanism enables gait adjustment and lateral deattachment, significantly reducing vertical deattachment forces and preventing overall imbalance under microgravity, thus achieving large strides. Combined with the flexible angle control of three-degree-of-freedom actuators, it can adapt to uneven surfaces on the satellite surface (such as bulges or depressions caused by the installation of individual components like star sensors, magnetic torquers, and payloads on the satellite shell). It can climb stably without relying on flat surfaces. In addition, the invention integrates five major subsystems, allowing it to operate independently in orbit without external support, meeting the needs of unmanned satellite surface services and overcoming the limitations of existing wall-climbing robotic spacecraft that cannot operate independently and reliably attach to satellite surfaces.

[0004] This invention provides a robotic spacecraft capable of stably climbing various materials on satellite surfaces. The robotic spacecraft includes:

[0005] The fuselage serves as the load-bearing and control center for robotic spacecraft, enabling them to flexibly adhere and move.

[0006] Multiple leg mechanisms configured for star-surface climbing are arranged in pairs opposite each other below the fuselage to form a frog-like biomimetic structure; the leg mechanisms include:

[0007] The leg body, providing the hardware foundation for the robotic spacecraft to achieve flexible climbing, is a five-bar linkage structure. Gait changes are achieved through transmission between the links. This five-bar linkage structure facilitates flexible gait movement in the space environment while ensuring the space protection of the motion actuators.

[0008] A foot mechanism is configured to perform star surface attachment and star surface detachment (contact with or separation from the star surface) to achieve stable star surface climbing. The tail end of the leg body serves as a foothold and is connected to the foot mechanism. The star surface attachment includes adhesive attachment and / or needle-piercing attachment, and the star surface detachment includes adhesive detachment and / or needle-piercing detachment.

[0009] Furthermore, the fuselage includes:

[0010] A control unit configured to control the operational state of a robotic spacecraft, the control unit including a controller;

[0011] An energy unit, configured to autonomously acquire or store energy in orbit to power a robotic spacecraft, includes solar cells and batteries.

[0012] The communication unit is configured to communicate with a relay communication satellite or a ground telemetry and control station to realize data transmission and command reception, and to ensure information interaction between the robot spacecraft and the ground. The communication unit includes a communication antenna (the communication antenna is used to communicate with the ground telemetry and control station or the relay satellite).

[0013] A thermal control unit configured to maintain the operating temperature of the entire unit, the thermal control unit including a resistance temperature detector (RTD) element and a heat sink, wherein the RTD element is a distributed RTD element and the heat sink is a bulk heat sink; and

[0014] The sensing unit is configured for on-orbit operation and climbing path planning, and the sensing unit includes, but is not limited to, a depth camera and a visible light binocular camera.

[0015] Furthermore, the fuselage also includes:

[0016] The control unit, energy unit, communication unit, thermal control unit, and sensing unit are arranged on the fuselage body;

[0017] Multiple propulsion components are configured to adjust the attitude of the robotic spacecraft or to make short-distance movements in space. The propulsion components are arranged on both sides of the fuselage to ensure its position control near the star surface.

[0018] An external fuselage structural plate, configured to provide a mounting carrier for fuselage components, is disposed on the fuselage body; the solar cells are disposed on the external fuselage structural plate, and the solar cells are bulk-mounted solar cells; and

[0019] Star-sensitive cameras are configured to determine the attitude and position of robotic spacecraft in space, providing crucial information for their navigation and orientation.

[0020] Furthermore, the propulsion components mainly refer to thrusters such as cold gas propulsion, which are commonly used attitude and orbit control methods for satellites in space. They can adjust attitude or position by expelling air outwards and are mainly composed of a tank and a nozzle.

[0021] Furthermore, the fuselage body has a cavity, and the fuselage also includes internal fuselage components disposed within the cavity. The internal fuselage components include:

[0022] An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is configured to measure motion parameters such as acceleration and angular velocity of a robotic spacecraft, providing data support for its attitude control and motion planning; the IMU includes an IMU sensor; and

[0023] A control circuit board, configured to process various sensor data and generate control commands, is electrically connected to the IMU sensor.

[0024] Furthermore, the storage battery is disposed within the cavity.

[0025] Furthermore, the leg mechanism also includes:

[0026] The actuators are configured to power the movement of the leg body when the robotic spacecraft attaches to the surface of a target satellite, enabling it to move in multiple directions. The leg mechanism draws inspiration from bionics, employing a five-bar linkage design. This design allows the actuators to be concentrated at the base of the leg mechanism, facilitating space protection design. Furthermore, the leg structure enables adhesion and detachment gait, maximizing the adhesion effect of the foot mechanism and utilizing gait adjustments to achieve adhesion-detachment of the robotic spacecraft.

[0027] Furthermore, the actuator is a three-degree-of-freedom actuator.

[0028] Further, the leg body includes a first link, a second link, a third link, and a fourth link connected in sequence. The first link includes a first link body and end points one and two at both ends of the first link body. The second link includes a second link body and end points three and four at both ends of the second link body. The third link includes a third link body and end points five and six at both ends of the third link body. The fourth link includes a fourth link body and end points seven and eight at both ends of the fourth link body. A second link extension section extends along the axial direction of the second link to form the five-link structure. The second link extension section includes a second link extension section body and end points nine and ten at both ends of the second link extension section.

[0029] Furthermore, multiple holes are provided on the five links in the five-bar linkage structure to achieve weight reduction.

[0030] Furthermore, the second and third ends are connected by a swing joint, the fourth and fifth ends are connected by a swing joint, the sixth and seventh ends are connected by a rotary joint, and the first and eighth ends are connected to the actuator so that when the actuator drives the fourth link to rotate, the second link is driven to swing through the third link, thereby extending or retracting the leg body and thus realizing star table climbing.

[0031] Furthermore, the foot mechanism includes:

[0032] A drive motor is configured to power the star surface attachment and detachment of the foot mechanism;

[0033] A transmission gear is configured to transmit the power of the drive motor, thereby amplifying and reversing the force to enable the attachment and detachment of the foot mechanism. The transmission gear includes a first transmission gear and a second transmission gear that mesh with each other, and the second transmission gear is electrically connected to the drive motor.

[0034] A needle-attachment unit is configured to perform needle-attachment or needle-deattachment. The needle-attachment unit includes a connector disposed opposite to each other and a plurality of pins disposed at the ends of the connector. The connector is respectively connected to the edges of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear, so that when the drive motor moves forward or backward, the transmission gear drives the connector to move downward or upward, and further causes the pins to penetrate into or be pulled out of the star table, thereby completing the needle-attachment or needle-deattachment.

[0035] A plantar adhesive attachment unit, configured to achieve the adhesion or detachment of the foot, includes a plantar adhesive attachment body and an adhesive layer disposed on the surface of the plantar adhesive attachment body. The plantar adhesive attachment body is connected to the leg body, allowing the plantar adhesive attachment unit to move up and down towards or away from the star surface via linkages on the leg body.

[0036] An auxiliary desorption body is configured to assist in adhesive desorption or needle-punch desorption. The auxiliary desorption body is connected to the second transmission gear so that when the drive motor moves in the reverse direction, the transmission gear drives the auxiliary desorption body to move downward, so that the auxiliary desorption body comes into contact with the satellite surface. When the auxiliary desorption body comes into contact with the satellite surface, the adhesive layer or the pin separates from the satellite surface, thereby realizing adhesive desorption or needle-punch desorption.

[0037] Furthermore, the drive motor is configured to provide power for the needle attachment or needle desorption, and the drive motor controls the needle attachment unit to cause the pin to penetrate into or be pulled out of the star table, thereby completing the needle attachment or needle desorption.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit is electrically connected to the drive motor.

[0039] Furthermore, the adhesive layer comprises the following sequentially pasted components:

[0040] A base plate layer that provides support for adhesion is disposed at the bottom of the foot adhesive attachment;

[0041] An adhesive layer body, used for adhesion to the star surface; and

[0042] An adhesive layer that secures the adhesive layer body and the base plate layer together.

[0043] Furthermore, the base plate layer is formed from a hard or soft material to form a hard base plate or a soft base plate.

[0044] Furthermore, the adhesive layer body is formed of an adhesive material, such as dry adhesive or wet adhesive, which can be adhered to the surface of a spacecraft. Common adhesive materials include silicon-based micron-scale array adhesive materials and nano-scale porous array adhesive materials. Common materials of the surface to be adhered to include glass, aluminum alloy, and thermally controlled multilayer materials.

[0045] Furthermore, when the surface of the satellite is a rigid surface (such as solar panels, aluminum alloy plates of the satellite, etc.), adhesion or detachment is achieved through the foot-mounted adhesion unit: the leg mechanism applies pre-pressure at the landing point, causing the adhesive layer to contact the satellite surface. Stable adhesion is generated using the physical adhesion properties of the adhesive layer material (such as van der Waals forces), achieving adhesion (the pre-pressure increases the contact force between the adhesive layer and the satellite surface, thereby increasing the vertical adhesion force and stabilizing it on the target spacecraft surface); the leg body drives the foot mechanism (adhesive layer body) to lift in the front-back direction, separating the adhesive layer from the satellite surface, completing the adhesion and detachment; and / or

[0046] When the star surface is a soft surface (composed of thermally controlled multilayer materials), the attachment is achieved through the needle-punching attachment unit: when the drive motor moves forward or backward, the transmission gear drives the connecting body to move downward or upward, further causing the pin to pierce into or be pulled out of the star surface, thus completing the needle-punching attachment or needle-punching deattachment.

[0047] Furthermore, the angle at which the material is lifted in the front-to-back direction is 10~30°. The adhesive material has the characteristic of reducing adhesive force when lifted from the side. By driving the foot structure to lift at a specific angle (10~30°) through the actuator, the adhesive force of the bottom adhesive material is gradually reduced, thereby achieving detachment with less force. This avoids the large elastic force generated when lifting the foot structure vertically for detachment, which would cause the entire space robot spacecraft to detach from the target spacecraft. As a result, it can achieve various gait climbing and walking on the target spacecraft, and can flexibly climb on uneven and obstacle-filled surfaces of spacecraft such as satellites, improving on-orbit service performance.

[0048] This invention enables robotic spacecraft to climb by adjusting the movement of the leg body and foot mechanism, utilizing an adhesion and detachment cycle:

[0049] Adhesion stage: When the foot mechanism approaches the star surface, the actuator controls the fourth link to rotate, and pushes the second link to swing downward through the third link, so that the foot mechanism contacts the star surface; at the same time, the leg body applies pre-pressure at the landing point to increase the contact force between the adhesive layer and the star surface, or drives the pin to penetrate the star surface to complete the adhesive or pin-piercing adhesion.

[0050] Desorption phase: When movement is required, the actuator drives the fourth link to rotate in the opposite direction, causing the second link to be lifted laterally at an angle of 10~30° (instead of being lifted vertically). Utilizing the characteristic of "reduced adhesion force when the adhesive layer body separates laterally", in conjunction with the auxiliary desorption body, desorption is completed with minimal vertical force, preventing the entire robotic spacecraft from detaching from the target spacecraft.

[0051] Multiple leg mechanisms work together: The robotic spacecraft uses four leg mechanisms. The control system coordinates the adhesion-detachment sequence of each leg (such as "diagonal legs move synchronously while the other two legs remain attached") to ensure that at least two feet are always stably attached to the star surface during climbing, which avoids imbalance and enables continuous and flexible movement (such as crossing protrusions and bypassing obstacles).

[0052] This invention enhances the adaptability of star surface materials through a composite attachment method combining needle-piercing and adhesive attachment. Without this composite attachment method, the climbable range of star surface is approximately 50%, while with the composite attachment method, the climbable range can reach over 90%. Adhesive attachment is only suitable for hard star surface materials, and adding pins increases the complexity of foot control and makes detachment difficult. This invention expands the applicability of star surface materials by designing a foot structure. Each foot mechanism uses only a single motor to achieve the insertion of pins on both sides, and controllable detachment is more easily achieved through the leg body.

[0053] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: 1) The present invention employs four leg mechanisms, all located below the fuselage. Through a composite attachment of needle-piercing and adhesive attachment, it can simultaneously adapt to both soft (surface surface thermal control multilayer material) and hard surfaces, enabling large-stride forward walking. The detachment of the present invention utilizes gait adjustment of the leg mechanisms, employing a specific angle of lifting to gradually detach the adhesive bottom from the side, thereby significantly reducing the vertical force required for detachment and ensuring stable adhesion of the robotic spacecraft to the target spacecraft; 2) The present invention employs a five-bar linkage structure for gait adjustment of the leg mechanisms. The multi-link transmission of the leg body enables large-step movements. Combined with the flexible angle control of the three-degree-of-freedom actuators, it can adapt to the uneven surfaces of spacecraft (such as the protrusions and depressions of a satellite's outer shell), allowing for stable climbing without relying on flat surfaces. More importantly, in this invention, the actuators are concentrated at the root of the leg mechanism. Traditional structures typically use a series motor structure, where the motors are distributed throughout the entire leg. This necessitates designing power supply, thermal control, and radiation resistance at each joint motor in the space environment, resulting in a bulky design that increases overall weight and power consumption, which is detrimental to the long-term on-orbit operation of spacecraft. However, this invention employs a five-bar linkage structure and places the actuator at the root of the leg mechanism, facilitating unified design of thermal control, energy, and radiation resistance, thereby reducing redundancy and benefiting long-term operation; 3) This invention achieves high adhesion force by applying pre-pressure through the leg mechanism and achieves detachment by lateral lifting, thus enabling repeated attachment and climbing. Furthermore, the all-motor drive structure used in this invention is more stable in space, utilizing the leg mechanism to achieve adhesion-detachment; 4) This invention utilizes a rigid motor to drive leg movement. During movement, the foot structure contacts the bottom surface downwards to ensure forward and backward movement, rather than backward movement, forming a good... 5) The invention avoids the difficulties and susceptibility to explosion of inflatable components used in space; 6) The invention integrates five major subsystems and can operate independently in orbit without external support, meeting the needs of unmanned space surface services and breaking through the limitations of existing wall-climbing robot spacecraft as non-independent equipment (dependent on space station power supply); 7) The invention enhances the adaptability of space surface materials through a composite attachment of needle-punching attachment and adhesive attachment. Without the composite attachment method, the climbable range of the space surface is about 50%, while with the composite attachment method, the climbable range of the space surface can reach more than 90%. Attached Figure Description

[0054] To further illustrate the above and other advantages and features of the various embodiments of the present invention, a more specific description of the embodiments of the invention will be presented with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not intended to limit its scope. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts will be indicated by identical or similar reference numerals for clarity.

[0055] Figure 1A top view of a robotic spacecraft in some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0056] Figure 2 A front view of a robotic spacecraft in some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0057] Figure 3 A side view of a robotic spacecraft in some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0058] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the external structure of the robot spacecraft fuselage in some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0059] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the robotic spacecraft fuselage in some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0060] Figure 6 The diagram shows a structural schematic of the robot spacecraft leg mechanism in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 7 The diagram shows a structural schematic of the robot spacecraft leg mechanism in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 8 The kinematic model of the five-bar linkage structure in some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0063] Figure 9 The diagram shows a schematic representation of the robotic spacecraft foot mechanism in some embodiments of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 10 A front view of the robotic spacecraft foot mechanism in some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0065] Figure 11 A side view of a robotic spacecraft foot mechanism is shown in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0066] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the composition of the adhesive layer on the foot of a robotic spacecraft is shown in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the robot spacecraft foot attachment in some embodiments of the present invention is shown (when on a hard surface of a star).

[0068] Figure 14 This invention illustrates a schematic diagram of the detachment of the robot spacecraft's foot from a hard surface on a star surface, as shown in some embodiments of the invention.

[0069] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the attachment of the robotic spacecraft foot in some embodiments of the present invention is shown (when the surface of a star is soft).

[0070] Figure 16 The diagram illustrates the detachment of the robotic spacecraft's feet from some embodiments of the present invention (on a soft surface of a star).

[0071] Figure label:

[0072] 1-Fuse, 101-Propulsion Component, 102-Star-Agile Camera, 103-Solar Cell, 104-Fuse External Structural Plate, 105-Communication Antenna, 106-Heat Dissipation Plate, 107-IMU Sensor, 108-Control Circuit Board, 109-Depth Camera, 1010-Battery, 1011-Visible Light Binocular Camera, 2-Leg Mechanism, 201-Leg Body, 2011-First Link, 2011-1-First Link Body, 2011-2-End Unit 1, 2011-3-End Unit 2, 2012-Second Link, 2012-1-Second Link Body, 2012-2-End Unit 3, 2012-3-End Unit 4, 2013-Third Link, 2013-1-Third Link Body, 2013-2-End Unit 5, 201 3-3-End 6, 2014-Fourth Link, 2014-1-Fourth Link Body, 2014-2-End 7, 2014-3-End 8, 2015-Second Link Extension, 2015-1-Second Link Extension Body, 2015-2-End 10, 202-Actuator, 3-Foot Mechanism, 301-Drive Motor, 302-Transmission Gear, 3021-First Transmission Gear, 3022-Second Transmission Gear, 303-Needle Attachment Unit, 3031-Connector, 3032-Ejector Pin, 304-Auxiliary Deattachment Body, 305-Foot Adhesive Attachment Unit, 3051-Foot Adhesive Attachment Body, 3052-Adhesive Layer, 3052-1-Base Plate Layer, 3052-2-Adhesive Layer Body, 3052-3-Adhesive Layer;

[0073] A - Rotary joint, B - Rotary joint, C - Oscillating joint, D - Oscillating joint, E - Hard surface of the star surface, F - Soft surface of the star surface. Detailed Implementation

[0074] It should be noted that the components in the accompanying drawings may be shown exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may not be to scale.

[0075] In this invention, the various embodiments are merely intended to illustrate the solutions of the invention and should not be construed as limiting.

[0076] In this invention, unless otherwise specified, the quantifiers “a” and “one” do not exclude scenarios involving multiple elements.

[0077] It should also be noted that, in the embodiments of the present invention, only a portion of the parts or components may be shown for clarity and simplicity. However, those skilled in the art will understand that, under the teachings of the present invention, the required parts or components can be added as needed for specific scenarios.

[0078] It should also be noted that within the scope of this invention, the terms "same", "equal", and "equal to" do not mean that the two values ​​are absolutely equal, but allow for a certain reasonable error. In other words, the terms also cover "substantially the same", "substantially equal", and "substantially equal to".

[0079] It should also be noted that in the description of this invention, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not explicitly or implicitly suggest that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0080] It should also be pointed out that, conventionally, robots work on the ground, powered by ground equipment, and the ground environment has suitable temperature and other conditions. However, in space, conventional robots cannot survive alone and must have independent energy, thermal control, attitude and orbit control capabilities. The robot needs to be designed strictly according to spacecraft standards. Therefore, this robot is called a "robot spacecraft," which highlights that the robot is a spacecraft that can operate independently in space without relying on the support of other spacecraft such as space stations.

[0081] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention describe the process steps in a specific order. However, this is only for the convenience of distinguishing each step, and is not a limitation on the order of each step. In different embodiments of the present invention, the order of each step can be adjusted according to the process.

[0082] The following embodiments provide a robotic spacecraft capable of stably climbing various materials on satellite surfaces. Figure 1 A top view of the robotic spacecraft is shown. Figure 2 The front view of the robot is shown. Figure 3 A side view of the robotic spacecraft is shown. The robotic spacecraft includes:

[0083] The fuselage 1 serves as the load-bearing and control center for the robotic spacecraft, enabling it to flexibly adhere and move.

[0084] Multiple leg mechanisms 2, configured for star surface climbing, are arranged in pairs opposite each other below the fuselage 1 to form a frog-like biomimetic structure; and

[0085] The foot mechanism 3 is configured to attach to and detach from the star surface (contact with or separate from the star surface) to achieve stable climbing on the star surface. The tail end of the leg body 201 serves as the footing point and is connected to the foot mechanism 3.

[0086] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the external structure of the robot spacecraft fuselage 1 is shown. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the robotic spacecraft fuselage 1 is shown; fuselage 1 includes:

[0087] A control unit, configured to control the operational state of a robotic spacecraft, includes a controller;

[0088] An energy unit, configured to autonomously acquire or store energy in orbit to power a robotic spacecraft, includes solar cells 103 and a battery 1010.

[0089] The communication unit is configured to communicate with relay communication satellites or ground telemetry and control stations to realize data transmission and command reception, and to ensure information interaction between the robot spacecraft and the ground. The communication unit includes a communication antenna 105.

[0090] A thermal control unit is configured to maintain the operating temperature of the whole machine. The thermal control unit includes a thermal resistance element and a heat sink 106. The thermal resistance element is a distributed thermal resistance element, and the heat sink 106 is a body heat sink 106.

[0091] The sensing unit is configured for on-orbit operation and climbing path planning. The sensing unit includes a depth camera 109 and a visible light binocular camera 1011.

[0092] The fuselage body, control unit, energy unit, communication unit, thermal control unit, and sensing unit are arranged on the fuselage body; the fuselage body has a cavity, and the fuselage 1 also includes internal components, and the internal components and battery 1010 are located in the cavity. The internal components include: an inertial measurement unit, which is configured to measure motion parameters such as acceleration and angular velocity of the robot spacecraft to provide data support for its attitude control and motion planning; the inertial measurement unit includes an IMU sensor 107; and a control circuit board 108, which is configured to process various sensor data and generate control commands, and the control circuit board 108 is electrically connected to the IMU sensor 107.

[0093] Multiple propulsion components 101 are configured to adjust the attitude of the robotic spacecraft or make short-distance movements in space. The propulsion components 101 are arranged on both sides of the fuselage to ensure its position control near the star surface.

[0094] The fuselage outer structural plate 104 is configured to provide an installation carrier for the fuselage components. The fuselage outer structural plate 104 is disposed on the fuselage body, and the solar cell 103 is disposed on the fuselage outer structural plate 104. The solar cell 103 is a body-mounted solar cell 103.

[0095] Star-sensor camera 102 is configured to determine the attitude and position of robotic spacecraft in space, providing crucial information for their navigation and orientation; and

[0096] Communication antenna 105 is configured to communicate with ground control stations or relay satellites.

[0097] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the robot spacecraft's leg mechanism 2 is shown. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the robot spacecraft's leg mechanism 2 is shown; the leg mechanism 2 includes:

[0098] The leg body 201 provides the hardware foundation for the robotic spacecraft to achieve flexible climbing. The leg body 201 has a five-bar linkage structure, using transmission between the links to achieve gait changes. This five-bar linkage structure facilitates flexible gait movement in the space environment while ensuring the space protection of the motion actuator 202; and

[0099] Actuator 202, configured to provide power for the movement of the leg body 201, is a three-degree-of-freedom actuator, enabling it to move in multiple directions. The leg mechanism 2, drawing inspiration from bionics, employs a five-bar linkage design. This allows the actuator 202 to be concentrated at the base of the leg mechanism 2, facilitating space protection design. Furthermore, the leg mechanism enables adhesion and detachment gait, maximizing the adhesion effect of the foot mechanism 3 and utilizing gait adjustments to achieve adhesion-detachment of the robotic spacecraft. The leg body 201 includes a first connecting rod 2011, a second connecting rod 2012, a third connecting rod, and a fourth connecting rod connected in sequence. The first connecting rod 2011 includes a first connecting rod body 2011-1, and end 2011-2 and end 2011-3 located at both ends of the first connecting rod body 2011-1. The second connecting rod 2012 includes a second connecting rod body 2012-1, and end 2011-2 and end 2011-3 located at both ends of the second connecting rod body 2012-1. The third connecting rod 2013 includes a third connecting rod body 2013-1, and end 2011-2 and end 2011-3 located at both ends of the second connecting rod body 2011-1. The three-link 2013-1 includes end five 2013-2 and end six 2013-3 at both ends of the main body; the fourth link 2014 includes the fourth link body 2014-1, end seven 2014-2 and end eight 2014-3 at both ends of the fourth link body 2014-1; a second link extension section 2015 extends axially along the second link 2012 to form a five-link structure, the second link extension section 2015 includes the second link extension section body 2015-1, end nine and end ten 2015-2 at both ends of the second link extension section 2015; Figure 8 The motion model of the five-bar linkage is shown. Figure 8 In the design, the frame is the first link, the rocker arm is the second link, the connecting rod is the third link, and the crank is the fourth link. End 2011-3 and end 3012-2 are connected by a swing joint, end 4012-3 and end 5013-2 are connected by a swing joint, end 6013-3 and end 7014-2 are connected by a rotary joint, and end 1011-2 and end 8014-3 are connected to actuator 202 so that when actuator 202 drives the fourth link 2014 to rotate, the third link 2013 drives the second link 2012 to swing, thereby extending or retracting the leg body 201, and thus achieving star table climbing.

[0100] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of the robot spacecraft's foot mechanism 3 is shown. Figure 10 The front view of the robotic spacecraft's foot mechanism 3 is shown. Figure 11 A side view of the robotic spacecraft foot mechanism 3 is shown; the star surface attachment includes adhesive attachment and / or needle-piercing attachment, and the star surface detachment includes adhesive detachment and / or needle-piercing detachment; the foot mechanism 3 includes:

[0101] Drive motor 301 is configured to provide power control unit for needle penetration adhesion or needle penetration desorption and is electrically connected to drive motor 301;

[0102] The transmission gear 302 is configured to transmit the power of the drive motor 301 to amplify the force and change its direction in order to complete the attachment and detachment of the foot mechanism 3. The transmission gear 302 includes a first transmission gear 3021 and a second transmission gear 3022 that mesh with each other. The second transmission gear 3022 is electrically connected to the drive motor 301.

[0103] The needle attachment unit 303 is configured to perform needle attachment or needle detachment. The needle attachment unit 303 includes a connector 3031 disposed opposite to each other and a plurality of pins 3032 disposed at the end of the connector 3031. The connector 3031 is respectively connected to the edges of the first transmission gear 3021 and the second transmission gear 3022, so that when the drive motor 301 moves forward or backward, the transmission gear 302 drives the connector 3031 to move downward or upward, and further causes the pins 3032 to penetrate into or be pulled out of the star table, thus completing the needle attachment or needle detachment.

[0104] A foot adhesion unit 305 is configured to perform adhesion and detachment. The foot adhesion unit 305 includes a foot adhesion body 3051 and an adhesive layer 3052 disposed on the surface of the foot adhesion body 3051. The foot adhesion body 3051 is connected to the leg body 201, allowing the foot adhesion unit to move up and down towards or away from the star surface via linkages on the leg body.

[0105] The auxiliary desorption body 304 is configured to assist in adhesive desorption or needle-punch desorption. The auxiliary desorption body 304 is connected to the second transmission gear 3022 so that when the drive motor 301 moves in the reverse direction, the transmission gear 302 drives the auxiliary desorption body 304 to move downward, so that the auxiliary desorption body 304 comes into contact with the satellite surface. When the auxiliary desorption body 304 comes into contact with the satellite surface, the adhesive layer 3052 or the ejector pin 3032 separates from the satellite surface, thereby realizing adhesive desorption or needle-punch desorption.

[0106] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the composition of the adhesive layer 3052 on the sole of the robot spacecraft is shown; the adhesive layer 3052 includes the following components that are sequentially pasted on:

[0107] The base plate layer 3052-1 provides support for adhesion and is located at the bottom of the foot adhesion attachment 3051; the base plate layer 3052-1 is formed of hard or soft material to form a hard base plate or a soft base plate.

[0108] The adhesion layer body 3052-2 is used for adhesion to the surface of the spacecraft. The adhesion layer body 3052-2 is formed of an adhesive material, such as dry adhesive or wet adhesive materials, which can be adhered to the spacecraft surface. Common adhesive materials include silicon-based micron-scale array adhesive materials and nano-scale porous array adhesive materials. Common materials for the adhered surface include glass, aluminum alloy, and thermally controlled multilayer materials.

[0109] The adhesive layer 3052-3 binds the adhesive layer body 3052-2 and the base plate layer 3052-1 together.

[0110] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the robot spacecraft's foot attachment is shown (on a hard surface of a star). Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the robot spacecraft's foot detachment is shown (when the surface of the spacecraft is hard). When the surface of the spacecraft is hard (such as solar panels, aluminum alloy plates of the spacecraft, etc.), adhesion or detachment is achieved through the foot adhesion unit 305: The leg mechanism 2 applies pre-pressure at the footing point, so that the adhesive layer body 3052-2 contacts the surface of the spacecraft. The physical adhesion properties of the adhesive layer body 3052-2 material (such as van der Waals forces) generate a stable adhesion force, thus achieving adhesion (the pre-pressure increases the contact force between the adhesive layer body 3052-2 and the surface of the spacecraft, thereby increasing the vertical adhesion force, which can stabilize it on the surface of the target spacecraft); the leg body 201 drives the adhesive layer body 3052-2 of the foot mechanism 3 to lift in the front-back direction (the lifting angle is 10~30°), so that the adhesive layer body 3052-2 separates from the surface of the spacecraft, completing the adhesion and detachment. Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the robot spacecraft's foot attachment is shown (on a soft surface of a star). Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the detachment of the robot spacecraft foot is shown (when the star surface is soft). When the star surface is a soft surface (composed of thermally controlled multilayer materials), attachment is achieved through the needle attachment unit 303: when the drive motor 301 moves forward or backward, the transmission gear 302 drives the connector 3031 to move downward or upward, further causing the pin 3032 to pierce into or be pulled out of the star surface, thus completing the needle attachment or needle detachment.

[0111] While some embodiments of the present invention have been described in this application, those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative. Numerous variations, alternatives, and improvements will arise in those skilled in the art under the teachings of this invention without departing from its scope. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of the invention and thereby cover methods and structures within the scope of the claims themselves and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A robotic spacecraft capable of stably climbing various materials on satellite surfaces, characterized in that, The spacecraft robot comprises: a body, which is a bearing and control center of the robot spacecraft; a plurality of leg mechanisms configured to perform star table climbing, the plurality of leg mechanisms being arranged below the body in pairs to form a frog-like bionic structure; the leg mechanisms comprise: a leg body, which provides a hardware basis for flexible climbing of the robot spacecraft, the leg body being a five-link structure to realize gait change through transmission between links; and a foot mechanism configured to perform star table attachment and star table detachment to realize star table climbing, a tail end of the leg body being a foot point and being connected with the foot mechanism; the star table attachment comprises adhesive attachment and / or needle attachment, and the star table detachment comprises adhesive detachment and / or needle detachment; the foot mechanism comprises: a driving motor configured to provide power for star table attachment and star table detachment of the foot mechanism; a transmission gear configured to transmit power of the driving motor to realize force amplification and direction conversion to complete attachment and detachment of the foot mechanism, the transmission gear comprising a first transmission gear and a second transmission gear meshing with each other, the second transmission gear being electrically connected with the driving motor; a needle attachment unit configured to perform the needle attachment or needle detachment, the needle attachment unit being connected with the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear to make the transmission gear drive the needle attachment unit to move downward or upward when the driving motor moves forward or reversely to complete needle attachment or needle detachment; an adhesive attachment unit configured to realize the adhesive attachment or adhesive detachment; and an auxiliary detachment body configured to assist in adhesive detachment or needle detachment, the auxiliary detachment body being connected with the second transmission gear to make the transmission gear drive the auxiliary detachment body to move downward when the driving motor moves reversely, so that the auxiliary detachment body abuts against the star table, and the adhesive layer or the needle separates from the star table to realize adhesive detachment or needle detachment.

2. The robotic spacecraft that is adapted to stably climb a variety of materials on a satellite surface according to claim 1, wherein, The body comprises: a control unit configured to control a running state of the robot spacecraft, the control unit comprising a controller; an energy unit configured to autonomously acquire or store energy in orbit to provide energy for the robot spacecraft, the energy unit comprising a solar cell and a storage battery; a communication unit configured to communicate with a relay communication satellite or a ground tracking station, the communication unit comprising a communication antenna; a thermal control unit configured to maintain a working temperature of the whole machine, the thermal control unit comprising a thermal resistance sheet and a heat sink; and a perception unit configured to operate in orbit and plan a climbing path, the perception unit comprising a depth camera and a visible light binocular camera.

3. The robotic spacecraft that is adapted to stably climb a variety of materials on a satellite surface according to claim 2, wherein, The body further comprises: a body body, the control unit, the energy unit, the communication unit, the thermal control unit and the perception unit being arranged on the body body; a plurality of propulsion assemblies configured to adjust a posture of the robot spacecraft or perform short-distance movement in space, the propulsion assemblies being arranged on both sides of the body body. An outer structure plate of the fuselage body is configured to provide a mounting carrier for the fuselage assembly, and the solar cell is arranged on the outer structure plate of the fuselage body. A star-sensitive camera is configured to determine the attitude and position of the robot spacecraft in space.

4. The robotic spacecraft that is adapted to stably climb a variety of materials on a satellite surface according to claim 3, wherein, The fuselage body has a cavity, and the fuselage further comprises a fuselage internal assembly arranged in the cavity, the fuselage internal assembly comprising: An inertial measurement unit configured to measure motion parameters such as acceleration and angular velocity of the robot spacecraft, the inertial measurement unit comprising an IMU sensor; and A control circuit board configured to process various sensor data and generate control instructions, the control circuit board being electrically connected to the IMU sensor.

5. The robotic spacecraft that accommodates stable climbing on a variety of materials of a satellite surface according to claim 1, characterized by, The leg mechanism further comprises: An actuator configured to provide power for the leg body movement.

6. The robotic spacecraft that accommodates stable climbing on a variety of materials of a satellite surface according to claim 5, characterized by, The leg body comprises a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod and a fourth connecting rod connected in sequence, the first connecting rod comprising a first connecting rod body, an end part one and an end part two arranged at both ends of the first connecting rod body; the second connecting rod comprising a second connecting rod body, an end part three and an end part four arranged at both ends of the second connecting rod body; the third connecting rod comprising a third connecting rod body, an end part five and an end part six arranged at both ends of the third connecting rod body; the fourth connecting rod comprising a fourth connecting rod body, an end part seven and an end part eight arranged at both ends of the fourth connecting rod body; a second connecting rod extension segment extends axially along the second connecting rod to form the five connecting rod structure, the second connecting rod extension segment comprising a second connecting rod extension segment body, an end part nine and an end part ten arranged at both ends of the second connecting rod extension segment.

7. The robotic spacecraft that accommodates stable climbing on a variety of materials of a satellite surface according to claim 6, characterized by, The end part two and the end part three are connected through a swing pair, the end part four and the end part five are connected through a swing pair, the end part six and the end part seven are connected through a whole rotation pair, and the end part one and the end part eight are connected to the actuator, so that when the actuator drives the fourth connecting rod to rotate, the second connecting rod is swung through the third connecting rod, the leg body is stretched or contracted, and the star table climbing is realized.

8. The robotic spacecraft that accommodates stable climbing on a variety of materials of a satellite surface according to claim 1, characterized by, The needle puncture attachment unit comprises oppositely arranged connecting bodies and a plurality of needles arranged at the ends of the connecting bodies, and the edges of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear are respectively connected to the oppositely arranged connecting bodies, so that when the driving motor moves forward or reversely, the transmission gears drive the connecting bodies to move downward or upward, further driving the needles to pierce into or pull out of the star table, completing the needle puncture attachment or detachment; the foot bottom adhesion attachment unit comprises a foot bottom adhesion attachment body and an adhesion layer arranged on the surface of the foot bottom adhesion attachment body, and the foot bottom adhesion attachment body is connected to the leg body.

9. The robotic spacecraft that accommodates stable climbing on a variety of materials of a satellite surface according to claim 1, characterized by, The adhesion layer comprises a bottom plate layer, an adhesion layer body and a pasting layer, which are sequentially pasted. The bottom plate layer is arranged at the bottom of the foot bottom adhesion attachment body to provide support for adhesion; The adhesion layer body is used for adhesion with the star table; and The pasting layer fixes the adhesion layer body and the bottom plate layer. ​ 10. The robotic spacecraft that accommodates stable climbing on a variety of materials of a satellite surface according to claim 1, characterized by, When the star surface is a hard surface, the adhesion or detachment is achieved by the foot bottom adhesion and detachment unit: the leg mechanism applies a pre-pressure at the landing point to make the adhesion layer body contact with the star surface, and a stable adhesion force is generated by the physical adhesion characteristics of the adhesion layer body material to achieve adhesion; the leg body drives the foot mechanism to lift up and down to separate the adhesion layer body from the star surface to complete the adhesion detachment; and / or When the star surface is a soft surface, the adhesion is achieved by the needle adhesion unit: when the driving motor moves forward or reversely, the transmission gear drives the connecting body to move downward or upward, further makes the top needle penetrate into the star surface or pull out from the star surface, to complete the needle adhesion or needle detachment.

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