Self-driven robot with multiple motion modes

By selectively activating smart material fibers in the braided tube structure and designing anisotropic friction feet, multiple controllable deformations and motion modes of the braided tube robot are realized, solving the problems of single motion modes and reliance on external driving components in existing technologies, and improving the robot's environmental adaptability and structural simplicity.

CN121361079APending Publication Date: 2026-01-20TIANJIN UNIV
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511310915.7
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-09-15
Publication Date
2026-01-20

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing braided tube robots have a single motion mode, rely on external driving components, have complex structures, and are difficult to achieve various controllable deformations.

Method used

It uses pre-shaped smart material fibers (Sc fibers, Sb fibers) to weave into a braided tube structure. By selectively activating different fibers, it can achieve multiple deformation modes. Combined with anisotropic friction or adsorption to the foot, it can achieve multiple movement modes.

Benefits of technology

It enables a variety of controllable deformations without the need for external tendons or complex components, improving the robot's motion diversity and environmental adaptability while reducing structural complexity and weight.

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Abstract

The invention discloses a self-driven robot with multiple motion modes, a braided tube structure is used as a robot main body, the braided tube structure is formed by rotationally and symmetrically braiding and binding a plurality of material fibers with preset initial shapes, and the material fibers are wrapped with insulating materials. Respectively electrifying and activating the material fibers to enable the braided tube structure to generate controllable deformation; foot parts for providing anisotropic friction or adsorption are arranged at the two ends of the braided tube structure; by selectively activating different material fibers or material fiber combinations and cooperating with the feet, a plurality of exercise modes are achieved.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of self-driving robots, in particular to a self-driving robot with multiple motion modes; by designing the initial shape of the material fibers, weaving them into a tubular structure, and then selectively activating different fibers, a self-driving robot with multiple deformation modes and multiple motion modes is realized. BACKGROUND

[0002] Soft robots have played a significant role in various fields in today's society. Various work tasks require robots to have multiple motion modes to adapt to complex working environments. Woven tube structures are widely used in medical devices, actuators, grippers, mobile robots, etc. due to their good flexibility and large deformation capability. Currently, robots based on woven tubes have few motion modes, mainly relying on single peristaltic crawling, and lack of design for multiple motion modes. In addition, the current driving method for robots based on woven tubes is to arrange multiple tendons along the hoop and longitudinal directions of the woven tube, and activate different tendons to make the woven tube stretch or bend towards the longitudinal tendon contraction direction. This method requires additional driving elements in the woven tube, increasing the mass and complexity of the structure.

[0003] Analysis shows that the current robots based on woven tubes have single motion mode, do not fully utilize the rich deformation modes of woven tubes, and rely on external elements or systems for driving, which cannot achieve active multi-mode deformation and motion relying on the materials that make up the structure. To solve the above problems, the present application is born. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a self-driving robot with multiple motion modes. The robot utilizes the stimulus response characteristics of the intelligent material fibers that make up the woven tube to achieve driving deformation, without the need for additional external drivers, and has a relatively simple structure. It can achieve elongation, contraction, bending, coupled deformation of contraction and bending, and has a large deformation capability. It has multiple motion modes such as straight crawling, inchworm crawling, turning crawling, and lateral rolling, improving the environmental adaptability of the woven tube robot.

[0005] The purpose of the present application is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A self-driven robot with multiple motion modes, taking a braided tube structure as the robot body, the braided tube structure is formed by braiding and binding a plurality of material fibers with preset initial shapes in a rotationally symmetrical manner, the outside of the material fibers is wrapped with an insulating material, and the braided tube structure is subjected to controllable deformation by energizing the material fibers respectively; a foot for providing anisotropic friction or adsorption is arranged at both ends of the braided tube structure; and a plurality of motion modes are realized by selectively activating different material fibers or combinations of material fibers and cooperating with the foot.

[0007] Further, the material fibers constituting the braided tube structure are processed into at least two different initial states before braiding: one is a helix shape with a straight axis and a small pitch when activated, denoted as Sc fiber; the other is a helix shape with an axis bending and a large pitch when activated, denoted as Sb fiber.

[0008] Further, the material fibers include left-handed fibers and right-handed fibers, the left-handed fibers and the right-handed fibers are braided in an interleaved and superimposed manner to form the braided tube structure, and are fixed by a thin rope or a binding piece at the intersection nodes and the end point connections to limit the displacement but allow relative rotation, so as to ensure the expected overall shape response and force transmission path when the material fibers are activated.

[0009] Further, each of the material fibers is composed of a fiber filament, or is formed after being wound or braided by a plurality of fiber filaments, and the fiber filament is any one of a shape memory alloy, a shape memory polymer, a dielectric elastomer, and a liquid crystal elastomer.

[0010] Further, when part of the Sb fibers with the same initial bending direction are activated, the braided tube structure is deformed in bending towards the initial direction of the activated Sb fibers, denoted as bending mode A; when part of the Sb fibers with different initial bending directions are activated, the braided tube structure can be deformed in bending in several directions according to deformation superposition, denoted as bending mode B; when all the Sb fibers are activated at the same time, the braided tube structure remains in a straight state and is elongated in the axial direction; when all the Sc fibers are activated, the braided tube structure is contracted in the axial direction; when the Sc fibers and the Sb fibers with the same initial bending direction are activated together, the braided tube structure is deformed in coupling of axial contraction and bending mode A according to deformation superposition.

[0011] Further, by combining the activation sequence and timing of the Sc fibers and the Sb fibers, one or more of the following motion modes can be realized: straight crawling, inchworm-like crawling, turning crawling, and lateral rolling.

[0012] Further, the foot is a negative pressure adsorption foot, an electrostatic adsorption foot, or an anisotropic friction foot composed of a composite material with different directional friction coefficients.

[0013] Further, the wire and circuit port are arranged at the end of the braided tube structure, and a plurality of material fibers are connected at the head and tail or in pairs to be controlled by power supply individually or in groups.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme of the present application has the beneficial effects that:

[0015] 1. The pre-shaped smart material fibers (Sc fibers, Sb fibers) are used as the braiding units; the pre-shaped smart fibers will return to the "memory shape" or have controllable deformation (for example, the shape memory alloy generates controllable stretching / bending after phase change after heating, and the electroactive polymer generates deformation under the electric field) under external stimulation (such as electric heating and electric field). Different initial shapes (the Sc fibers with small pitch and straight axis after activation and the Sb fibers with large pitch and curved axis after activation) are mixed and braided, and the local deformation of the single material fiber is coupled and transmitted to the overall elongation, contraction or bending through the braided structure. The problems that the existing braided tube robot depends on the external tendon or external driving element, the structure is complex, the weight is large, the deformable mode is less, and it is difficult to realize multiple controllable deformations without increasing the device are solved.

[0016] Therefore, the self-driving robot of the present application can realize driving without additional tendon or complex active components, and has lighter and smaller structure; and multiple deformation modes can be obtained by selectively activating different fiber combinations, so as to increase the motion diversity; in addition, the robot size and load capacity can be customized as needed (by adjusting the number and diameter of the fibers).

[0017] 2. The left-handed and right-handed fibers are interlaced and braided, and are bound at the intersection nodes and the end point connection; the interlaced braided tube structure formed by the hoop and the longitudinal coupling enables the local deformation of the single material fiber to be constrained by the adjacent fibers and converted into controllable overall shape change; the binding limits the relative displacement while allowing necessary relative rotation, so as to ensure the consistency of the structure during deformation; and the problems that the relative displacement, twisting and uncontrolled local structure instability may occur during the deformation of the fiber, resulting in damage to the expected overall deformation are solved.

[0018] Therefore, the self-driving robot of the present application improves the deformation predictability and repeatability, enhances the structural durability and stability, and reduces the influence of the fatigue of the single fiber on the overall performance.

[0019] 3. Sc fiber activation generates axial contraction, Sb fiber symmetric activation generates axial elongation or partial Sb activation generates directional bending; Sc fiber with small pitch is more likely to generate axial contraction when activated (its winding mode shortens the whole when recovered); Sb fiber, due to large pitch and bending axis, contributes to axial elongation when symmetrically activated by canceling each other's bending deformation components; directional bending is generated when locally activated asymmetrically. By using the same structure to achieve multi-level (elongation, contraction, bending) and combinable deformation modes. By activating different fibers alone or in combination, elongation, shortening, bending in multiple directions, and coupled deformation of contraction and bending can be achieved, supporting various motion strategies such as straight-line crawling, turning, inchworm-like crawling, and lateral rolling.

[0020] 4. Anisotropic friction or adsorption feet are provided at both ends of the woven tube structure, and the anisotropic friction is designed to allow the feet to slide smoothly in one direction with low friction and to anchor in the opposite direction with high friction; in combination with the expansion and contraction rhythm of the woven tube, unidirectional forward movement, turning or inchworm-like motion can be achieved. The adsorption feet can enhance adhesion on special ground (smooth or vertical surface), expanding the use scenarios. The invention converts the deformation of the woven tube structure into controllable displacement through a simple and reliable motion conversion mechanism without the need for complex components such as wheels and rudders, making it suitable for complex and irregular ground, low cost and easy maintenance.

[0021] 5. By connecting Sc fibers end to end with terminal wires, grouping Sb fibers and connecting them with terminal wires; connecting several material fibers end to end or in pairs to form a circuit path, combined with external ports, a smaller number of leads can achieve group control; the outer insulation layer can avoid short circuits and local short circuits. Reliable, grouped and independent control of numerous material fibers can be achieved without adding a large number of complex circuits; and the wiring is simple, facilitating electrical control programming and hardware implementation, reducing system complexity and manufacturing cost.

[0022] 6. Scalability and modularity: the size of the robot can be flexibly enlarged or reduced by changing the number of fibers or turns, making it easy to customize according to tasks. To adapt to different working environments and load requirements.

[0023] 7. Lightweight structure and low maintenance: eliminating external tendons or motor drives, reducing overall weight and maintenance points; easy to carry, reducing failure rate.

[0024] 8. Multi-material compatibility: a variety of smart fiber materials (shape memory alloy, shape memory polymer, dielectric elastomer, liquid crystal elastomer, etc.) can be used to adapt to different power densities, response speeds and environmental conditions, enhancing practicality and industrial adaptability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1-1 A self-driven robot structure with multiple motion modes according to an embodiment of the present invention

[0026] Figure 1-2 Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the shape memory alloy fiber and the insulating layer of the embodiment one of the present application;

[0027] Figure 1-3 Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the initial shape and arrangement of the fiber of the embodiment one of the present application;

[0028] Figure 1-4 Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the axial elongation and contraction of the embodiment one of the present application;

[0029] Figure 1-5 Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the bending mode A of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application;

[0030] Figure 1-6 Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the bending mode B of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application;

[0031] Figure 1-7 Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the coupled deformation of the bending mode A and the contraction of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application;

[0032] Figure 1-8 Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the foot structure of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application;

[0033] Figure 1-9 Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the straight crawling motion of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application.

[0034] Figure 1-10 Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the left turning crawling motion of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application.

[0035] Figure 1-11 Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the right turning crawling motion of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application.

[0036] Figure 1-12 Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the inchworm-like crawling motion of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application.

[0037] Figure 1-13 Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the rolling motion of the robot of the embodiment one of the present application.

[0038] Figure 2-1 Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure of the self-driven robot with multiple motion modes of the embodiment two of the present application;

[0039] Figure 2-2 Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the shape memory alloy fiber and the insulating layer of the embodiment two of the present application;

[0040] Figure 2-3 Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the initial shape and arrangement of the fiber of the embodiment two of the present application;

[0041] Figure 2-4Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the axial elongation and contraction of the robot of embodiment two of the present application;

[0042] Figure 2-5 Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the robot bending mode A of embodiment two of the present application;

[0043] Figure 2-6 Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the robot bending mode B of embodiment two of the present application;

[0044] Figure 2-7 Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the coupled deformation of the robot bending mode A and contraction of embodiment two of the present application;

[0045] Figure 2-8 Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the foot structure of the robot of embodiment two of the present application;

[0046] Figure 2-9 Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the straight crawl motion of the robot of embodiment two of the present application.

[0047] Figure 2-10 Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the left turn crawl motion of the robot of embodiment two of the present application.

[0048] Figure 2-11 Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the right turn crawl motion of the robot of embodiment two of the present application.

[0049] Figure 2-12 Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the inchworm crawl motion of the robot of embodiment two of the present application.

[0050] Figure 2-13 Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of the rolling motion of the robot of embodiment two of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The present application will be further described with reference to the drawings and specific examples. It should be understood that the specific examples described herein are intended to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0052] Embodiment One

[0053] The present embodiment one provides a self-driven robot with multiple motion modes, such as Figure 1-1As shown, the braided tube structure including the robot body and the foot for standing and providing friction. The braided tube structure includes 3 left-handed Sc fibers P1-1, P1-2, P1-3, 6 Sb fibers P1-4, P1-5, P1-6, P1-7, P1-8, P1-9, terminal connection wire P1-10, external circuit port P1-11, and binding string P1-12. Among them, Sb fibers P1-5, P1-7, P1-9 are right-handed fibers, and Sb fibers P1-4, P1-6, P1-8 are left-handed fibers. The interlaced and stacked multiple fibers can make the braided structure stable and have good deformation characteristics. The foot P1-13 and the foot P1-14 are fixed at both ends of the braided tube by binding, which is used to provide anisotropic friction and convert the deformation of the braided tube into robot movement. The foot P1-13 is used for linear crawling and turning crawling, and the foot P1-14 is used for inchworm crawling. The two pairs of feet are arranged at a circumferential interval of 150°.

[0054] Each material fiber is composed of an internal shape memory alloy wire P2-1 and an external insulating layer P2-2. Different fibers are insulated from each other when braided, and can be independently powered on and off, as shown in Figure 1-2

[0055] The initial shape and arrangement of the shape memory alloy wire are as shown in Figure 1-3 ​The Sc-shaped memory alloy wire P3-1 of the Sc fiber has a smaller pitch and a larger spiral diameter, and its shape is obtained by fixing it on the corresponding metal mold P3-2 and then heat treating it in a heating furnace; the Sb-shaped memory alloy wire P3-3 of the Sb fiber has a larger pitch and a smaller spiral diameter, and its axis is curved, and its shape is obtained by fixing it on the corresponding metal mold P3-4 and then heat treating it in a heating furnace. The three Sc fibers are uniformly arranged at intervals of 120°. The Sb fiber P1-4 and the Sb fiber P1-5 have the same bending direction, the Sb fiber P1-6 and the Sb fiber P1-7 have the same bending direction, the Sb fiber P1-8 and the Sb fiber P1-9 have the same bending direction, and are uniformly arranged at intervals of 120°. After the three Sc fibers and the six Sb fibers are woven, a woven tube structure with multiple deformation capabilities is obtained. At the material fiber intersection nodes and the end point connections, the fibers with different rotation directions are bundled using the thin rope P1-12 to avoid mutual movement. The end connection lead P1-10 connects the three Sc fibers P1-1, P1-2 and P1-3 end to end to form an independent on-off circuit path. The end connection lead P1-10 connects the Sb fiber P1-4 and the Sb fiber P1-5, the Sb fiber P1-6 and the Sb fiber P1-7, and the Sb fiber P1-8 and the Sb fiber P1-9, respectively, to form three independent on-off circuit paths. After the woven tube structure is connected to the external power supply device through the circuit port P1-11, the material fibers constituting the woven tube can be operated by power-on heating and power-off cooling.

[0056] When all the Sb fibers are heated at the same time, due to the rotational symmetry arrangement of the Sb fibers, the woven tube will not bend, and due to the larger pitch of the Sb fibers, according to the deformation superposition, the woven tube will be axially elongated; when the three Sc fibers are heated, due to the smaller pitch of the Sc fiber, the woven tube produces axial contraction deformation, as shown in Figure 1-4 .

[0057] When two Sb fibers with the same initial bending direction are heated, the woven tube will bend towards the initial shape of the heated fiber, denoted as bending mode A. As shown in Figure 1-5 , the fibers P1-4 and P1-5 are powered on, the woven tube bends towards the y-axis direction; the fibers P1-6 and P1-7 are powered on, the woven tube bends towards the direction 120° to the y-axis; the fibers P1-8 and P1-9 are powered on, the woven tube bends towards the direction 240° to the y-axis.

[0058] When four Sb fibers are heated, the woven tube will bend towards the common initial shape of the heated fibers, denoted as bending mode B. As shown in Figure 1-6As shown, the fibers P1-6, P1-7, P1-8 and P1-9 are powered, and the braided tube bends towards the direction of 180° with the y-axis; the fibers P1-4, P1-5, P1-8 and P1-9 are powered, and the braided tube bends towards the direction of 300° with the y-axis; the fibers P1-4, P1-5, P1-6 and P1-7 are powered, and the braided tube bends towards the direction of 60° with the y-axis.

[0059] The two bending modes enable the braided tube to bend towards six different directions, and the six bending directions are spaced 60° apart.

[0060] When the two Sb fibers with the same initial bending direction and three Sc fibers are powered and heated at the same time, according to the deformation superposition, the braided tube bends towards the initial shape of the heated Sb fiber, while the axial contraction, and the braided tube reaches the coupled state of bending mode A and contraction after the shape memory alloy wire completely phase changes. As shown, Figure 1-7 As shown, the Sb fibers P1-4, P1-5 and the Sc fibers P1-1, P1-2, P1-3 are powered, and the braided tube will contract axially while bending towards the y-axis direction; the Sb fibers P1-6, P1-7 and the Sc fibers P1-1, P1-2, P1-3 are powered, and the braided tube will contract axially while bending towards the direction of 120° with the y-axis; the Sb fibers P1-8, P1-9 and the Sc fibers P1-1, P1-2, P1-3 are powered, and the braided tube will contract axially while bending towards the direction of 240° with the y-axis.

[0061] After the foot with anisotropic friction is fixed at both ends of the braided tube, the robot realizes multiple motion modes by combining different deformation modes. The robot foot is composed of a foot skeleton P8-1, sandpaper P8-2 and adhesive tape P8-3, as shown. Figure 1-8 As shown, when the foot has a forward moving trend, the back of the adhesive tape P8-3 of the foot is in contact with the ground, has a small friction force, and can easily slide forward; when the foot has a backward moving trend, the sandpaper P8-2 of the foot is in contact with the ground, has a large friction force, and can be stably anchored.

[0062] The foot P1-13 is fixed at both ends of the braided tube in the same direction, providing stable standing and anisotropic friction, and when the braided tube switches between elongation and shortening deformation, the friction force can be regulated by turning over the sandpaper P8-2 of the foot, and the elongation and shortening deformation is converted into directional straight crawling motion, as shown. Figure 1-9 As shown, when the braided tube is elongated, the back of the adhesive tape P8-2 of the front foot of the robot is in contact with the ground and slides, and the sandpaper P8-3 of the back foot is in contact with the ground and anchors; when the braided tube is contracted, the sandpaper P8-3 of the front foot of the robot is in contact with the ground and anchors, and the back of the adhesive tape P8-2 of the back foot is in contact with the ground and slides forward, realizing the straight crawling motion of the robot.

[0063] The in-plane bending deformation of the braided tube can change the robot's orientation, and combined with the contraction deformation of the braided tube, it can achieve steering motion. For example... Figure 1-10 As shown, energizing fibers P1-4 and P1-5 causes bending mode A to bend the robot to the left, changing the robot's head orientation; contraction deformation causes the robot's hind legs to slide forward and to the left, achieving a left turn. Similarly, energizing fibers P1-6, P1-7, P1-8, and P1-9 causes bending mode B to bend the robot to the right, changing the robot's head orientation; contraction deformation causes the robot's hind legs to slide forward and to the right, achieving a right turn. Figure 1-11 As shown.

[0064] The coupling deformation of bending mode A with contraction, combined with elongation deformation, allows for inchworm-like crawling with the assistance of foot P1-14, such as... Figure 1-12 As shown. When Sb fibers P1-4 and P1-5 and Sc fibers P1-1, P1-2 and P1-3 are energized together, the braided tube simultaneously undergoes bending mode A and contraction deformation. The middle part of the robot bulges, and the distance between the front and hind legs shortens. The front legs, which have anisotropic friction, are anchored, while the hind legs slide forward. When the braided tube elongates and deforms, the robot's hind legs are anchored, and the front legs slide forward, achieving inchworm-like crawling.

[0065] By sequentially achieving bending deformation in multiple directions, the robot's lateral rolling can be achieved using a center of gravity offset, such as... Figure 1-13 As shown. Bending mode A causes the robot to bend to the right in the plane; bending mode B causes the robot to bend to the upper right, creating a center of gravity offset, driving the robot to roll 60° to the right to reach the equilibrium position; when bending mode A and bending mode B are alternated, the robot will roll continuously to the right. Similarly, when the power-on sequence is reversed, the robot can achieve continuous rolling to the left.

[0066] It is evident that as long as the above-mentioned constraints are met, the robot can achieve the deformation and motion effects required by the present invention. The number and length of the fibers are not limited, as long as they can form a braided tube and deform uniformly; the material of the fibers is not limited, as long as it can satisfy the shaping and produce the driving effect; the structure of the feet is not limited, as long as it can stably anchor and slide.

[0067] Example 2

[0068] This embodiment two provides a self-driving robot with multiple motion modes, such as... Figure 2-1As shown, the woven tube structure including the robot body and the foot for standing and providing friction. The woven tube structure includes 4 left-handed Sc fibers Q1-1, Q1-2, Q1-3, Q1-4, 8 Sb fibers Q1-5, Q1-6, Q1-7, Q1-8, Q1-9, Q1-10, Q1-11, Q1-12, terminal connecting wire Q1-13, external circuit port Q1-14, and binding string Q1-15. Among them, Sb fibers Q1-6, Q1-8, Q1-10, Q1-12 are right-handed fibers, and Sb fibers Q1-5, Q1-7, Q1-9, Q1-11 are left-handed fibers. The interlaced and stacked multiple fibers can make the woven structure stable and have good deformation characteristics. The foot Q1-16 is fixed at both ends of the woven tube by binding, which is used to provide anisotropic friction and convert the deformation of the woven tube into robot movement.

[0069] Each material fiber is composed of an internal shape memory alloy wire Q2-1 and an external insulating layer Q2-2, and different fibers are insulated from each other when woven, which can be independently powered on and off, as shown in Figure 2-2

[0070] The initial shape and arrangement of the shape memory alloy wire are as shown in Figure 2-3 ​The Sc-shaped memory alloy wire Q3-1 of the Sc fiber has a smaller pitch and a larger spiral diameter, and its shape is obtained by fixing it on the corresponding metal mold Q3-2 and then heat treating it in a heating furnace. The Sb-shaped memory alloy wire Q3-3 of the Sb fiber has a larger pitch and a smaller spiral diameter, and its axis is curved, and its shape is obtained by fixing it on the corresponding metal mold Q3-4 and then heat treating it in a heating furnace. The four Sc fibers are uniformly arranged at an interval of 90°. The Sb fiber Q1-5 and the Sb fiber Q1-6 have the same bending direction, the Sb fiber Q1-7 and the Sb fiber Q1-8 have the same bending direction, the Sb fiber Q1-9 and the Sb fiber Q1-10 have the same bending direction, the Sb fiber Q1-11 and the Sb fiber Q1-12 have the same bending direction, and are uniformly arranged at an interval of 90°. After the four Sc fibers and the eight Sb fibers are woven, a woven tube structure with multiple deformation capabilities is obtained. At the material fiber intersection nodes and the end point connections, the fibers with different rotation directions are bundled using the thin rope Q1-15 to avoid mutual movement. The end connection lead Q1-13 connects the four Sc fibers Q1-1, Q1-2, Q1-3, and Q1-4 end to end to form an independent on-off circuit path. The end connection lead Q1-13 connects the Sb fiber Q1-5 and the Sb fiber Q1-6, the Sb fiber Q1-7 and the Sb fiber Q1-8, the Sb fiber Q1-9 and the Sb fiber Q1-10, and the Sb fiber Q1-11 and the Sb fiber Q1-12, respectively, to form four independent on-off circuit paths. After the woven tube structure is connected to the external power supply device through the circuit port Q1-14, the material fibers constituting the woven tube can be operated by power-on heating and power-off cooling.

[0071] When all the Sb fibers are heated at the same time, due to the rotational symmetry arrangement of the Sb fibers, the woven tube will not bend, and due to the larger pitch of the Sb fibers, according to the deformation superposition, the woven tube will be axially elongated; when the four Sc fibers are heated, due to the smaller pitch of the Sc fiber, the woven tube will produce axial contraction deformation, as shown in Figure 2-4 .

[0072] When two Sb fibers with the same initial bending direction are heated, the woven tube will bend towards the initial shape of the heated fiber, denoted as bending mode A. As shown in Figure 2-5 , the fibers Q1-5 and Q1-6 are powered on, the woven tube bends towards the y-axis direction; the fibers Q1-7 and Q1-8 are powered on, the woven tube bends towards the direction at 90° to the y-axis; the fibers Q1-9 and Q1-10 are powered on, the woven tube bends towards the direction at 180° to the y-axis; the fibers Q1-11 and Q1-12 are powered on, the woven tube bends towards the direction at 270° to the y-axis.

[0073] When four Sb fibers are electrically heated, the braided tube bends towards the common initial shape of the heated fibers, denoted as bending mode B. For example... Figure 2-6 As shown, when fibers Q1-5, Q1-6, Q1-7, and Q1-8 are energized, the braided tube bends at a 45° angle to the y-axis; when fibers Q1-7, Q1-8, Q1-9, and Q1-10 are energized, the braided tube bends at a 135° angle to the y-axis; when fibers Q1-9, Q1-10, Q1-11, and Q1-12 are energized, the braided tube bends at a 225° angle to the y-axis; and when fibers Q1-5, Q1-6, Q1-11, and Q1-12 are energized, the braided tube bends at a 315° angle to the y-axis.

[0074] Two bending modes allow the braided tube to bend in eight different directions, with the eight bending directions spaced 45° apart.

[0075] When two Sb fibers with the same initial bending direction are simultaneously heated along with four Sc fibers, the braided tube will bend towards the initial shape of the heated Sb fibers and simultaneously contract axially, according to the superposition of deformation. After the shape memory alloy wire undergoes a complete phase transformation, the braided tube reaches a coupled state of bending mode A and contraction. Figure 2-7 As shown, when Sb fibers Q1-5 and Q1-6 are energized together with Sc fibers Q1-1, Q1-2, Q1-3, and Q1-4, the braided tube will shrink axially and bend towards the y-axis. When Sb fibers Q1-7 and Q1-8 are energized together with Sc fibers Q1-1, Q1-2, Q1-3, and Q1-4, the braided tube will shrink axially and bend towards a direction 90° to the y-axis. When Sb fibers Q1-9 and Q1-10 are energized together with Sc fibers Q1-1, Q1-2, Q1-3, and Q1-4, the braided tube will shrink axially and bend towards a direction 180° to the y-axis. When Sb fibers Q1-11 and Q1-12 are energized together with Sc fibers Q1-1, Q1-2, Q1-3, and Q1-4, the braided tube will shrink axially and bend towards a direction 270° to the y-axis.

[0076] After fixing feet with anisotropic friction to both ends of the braided tube, the robot achieves multiple motion modes by combining different deformation patterns. The robot's feet consist of a foot skeleton Q8-1, sandpaper Q8-2, and tape Q8-3, as shown below. Figure 2-8 As shown. When the foot tends to move forward, the back of the adhesive tape Q8-3 on the foot contacts the ground, providing low friction and allowing it to slide forward easily; when the foot tends to move backward, the sandpaper Q8-2 on the foot contacts the ground, providing high friction and ensuring stable anchoring.

[0077] The foot Q1-16 is fixed at both ends of the braided tube, providing stable standing and anisotropic friction. When the braided tube is stretched and shrunk, the friction can be adjusted by turning the sandpaper Q8-2 of the foot, and the stretching and shrinking deformation can be converted into directional straight crawling motion, as shown in Figure 2-9 When the braided tube is stretched, the back of the tape Q8-2 of the front foot of the robot contacts the ground and slips, and the sandpaper Q8-3 of the back foot contacts the ground and anchors; when the braided tube is shrunk, the sandpaper Q8-3 of the front foot of the robot contacts the ground and anchors, and the back of the tape Q8-2 of the back foot contacts the ground and slips forward, realizing the straight crawling motion of the robot.

[0078] The in-plane bending deformation of the braided tube can change the direction of the robot, and the turning motion can be realized by cooperating with the shrinking deformation of the braided tube. As shown in Figure 2-10 The fibers Q1-9 and Q1-10 are energized, the bending mode A makes the robot bend to the left side, changing the direction of the head of the robot; the shrinking deformation makes the back foot of the robot slip to the left front, realizing the left turning motion; similarly, the fibers Q1-5 and Q1-6 are energized, the bending mode A can make the robot bend to the right side, changing the direction of the head of the robot; the shrinking deformation makes the back foot of the robot slip to the right front, realizing the right turning motion, as shown in Figure 2-11

[0079] The coupling deformation of the bending mode A and the shrinking cooperates with the stretching deformation to realize the inchworm-like crawling with the assistance of the foot Q1-14, as shown in Figure 2-12 When the fibers Q1-11, Q1-12, Q1-1, Q1-2, Q1-3, and Q1-4 are energized, the braided tube simultaneously occurs bending mode A and shrinking deformation, the middle part of the robot rises, and the distance between the front foot and the back foot becomes shorter, the front foot with anisotropic friction anchors, and the back foot slips forward; when the braided tube is stretched, the back foot of the robot anchors, and the front foot slips forward, realizing the inchworm-like crawling.

[0080] The realization of multi-directional bending deformation in turn can realize the lateral rolling of the robot by the center of gravity bias, as shown in Figure 2-13 The bending mode A makes the robot bend to the right in the plane; the bending mode B makes the robot bend to the right and up, generating a center of gravity bias, driving the robot to roll to the right side by 45°, reaching the balance position; when the bending mode A and the bending mode B are alternately performed, the robot will continuously roll to the right side. Similarly, when the energization sequence is reversed, the robot can realize continuous rolling to the left side.

[0081] ​As can be seen from the above examples, the self-driven robot with multiple motion modes used in the present application reduces the need for external drivers, realizes multiple deformation modes through energized heating and de-energized cooling of different initial shape fibers, and realizes multiple mode motion by using the feet to generate anchoring and sliding. Compared with the existing robots based on braided tubes, the robot uses the stimulation response characteristics of the smart material fibers that make up the braided tube to realize the self-driving of the structure, and the multiple motion modes increase its environmental adaptability, and is particularly suitable for application in the fields of environmental exploration, post-disaster search and rescue, etc.

[0082] The above specific embodiments further specifically describe the purposes, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application, and it should be understood that the above description is only for specific embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A self-propelled robot with multiple motion modes, characterized in that, The robot uses a braided tube structure as its main body. The braided tube structure is formed by weaving and binding several material fibers with a preset initial shape in a rotationally symmetrical manner. The material fibers are wrapped with an insulating material. The braided tube structure can be controlled to deform by energizing the material fibers. Foot parts are provided at both ends of the braided tube structure to provide anisotropic friction or adsorption. Several movement modes can be realized by selectively activating different material fibers or combinations of material fibers in conjunction with the foot parts.

2. The self-driving robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fibers that make up the braided tube structure are treated to at least two different initial states before braiding: one is a helical shape with a straight axis and a small pitch when activated, denoted as Sc fiber; the other is a helical shape with a curved axis and a large pitch when activated, denoted as Sb fiber.

3. The self-driving robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The material fibers include left-handed and right-handed fibers, which are interwoven to form the braided tube structure. The braided tube structure is fixed at the intersections and end points by thin ropes or bindings to limit misalignment but allow relative rotation, so that the material fibers can maintain the desired overall shape response and force transmission path when subjected to excited deformation.

4. The self-driving robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each of the material fibers consists of a single fiber filament, or is formed by winding or weaving several fiber filaments together. The fiber filament is any one of shape memory alloy, shape memory polymer, dielectric elastomer, or liquid crystal elastomer.

5. The self-driving robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, When some Sb fibers with the same initial bending direction are activated, the braided tube structure bends and deforms in the initial direction of the activated Sb fibers, which is denoted as bending mode A. When some Sb fibers with different initial bending directions are activated, the braided tube structure can bend and deform in several directions according to the superposition of deformations, which is denoted as bending mode B; when all Sb fibers are activated at the same time, the braided tube structure remains straight and undergoes axial elongation; when all Sc fibers are activated, the braided tube structure undergoes axial contraction; when Sc fibers and Sb fibers with the same initial bending direction are activated together, the braided tube structure undergoes axial contraction coupled with bending mode A according to the superposition of deformations.

6. The self-driving robot according to claim 2 or 5, characterized in that, By combining the activation sequence and timing of Sc and Sb fibers, one or more of the following motion modes can be achieved: linear crawling, inchworm-like crawling, turning crawling, and lateral rolling.

7. The self-driving robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The foot is a negative pressure adsorption foot, an electrostatic adsorption foot, or an anisotropic friction foot made of composite materials with different coefficients of friction in different orientations.

8. The self-driving robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, Wires and circuit ports are set at the ends of the braided tube structure, and several material fibers are connected end to end or in pairs so that they can be energized individually or in groups for control.

Citation Information

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