Modular humanoid robot and method of assembly thereof

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of humanoid robots, specifically relating to a modular humanoid robot and its assembly method. The modular humanoid robot includes a torso module, a lower limb module, and a hip module. The hip module includes a drive unit and a connecting unit: the drive unit includes two opposing vertical mounting plates and a horizontal mounting plate connected to one end of the two vertical mounting plates; the other end of the two vertical mounting plates is used to fix to the lower end of the torso module; a hip motor mounting cavity is formed between the two vertical mounting plates, and a hip motor is fixedly mounted within the hip motor mounting cavity; the horizontal mounting plate has mounting operation holes; the connecting unit includes a mounting plate fixed to the output shaft end of the hip motor, the mounting plate having several assembly holes, and the upper end of the lower limb module having assembly mating holes corresponding to the positions of these assembly holes. This invention achieves reliable and precise assembly and modular connection at the compact hip joint.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of humanoid robots, specifically relating to a modular humanoid robot and its assembly method. Background Technology

[0002] In the design and assembly of existing modular humanoid robots, especially in highly integrated areas such as the hip joint, a prominent contradiction arises: to meet motion performance requirements, the drive motors and connecting structures must be designed to be extremely compact, which often leads to extreme compression of the radial and axial operating space around the connecting components. Traditional "top-down" or "bottom-up" assembly methods require tools and operators to work directly from the side or above and below the connecting plate, which is difficult to achieve in compact joints. This often forces an increase in structural clearance to gain assembly space, thus sacrificing the compactness and rigidity of the structure. At the same time, the precise alignment of multiple connecting holes relies on manual fine-tuning or complex tooling, which is inefficient, difficult to guarantee accuracy, and not conducive to the rapid disassembly and replacement of modules. This significantly diminishes the advantages of convenient maintenance and upgrades advocated by modular design in practice. Taking existing published patent applications (such as CN121157069A - A Full-Size Integrated Humanoid Robot) as an example, it provides a full-size integrated humanoid robot solution using a curved metal shell. Although it improves in terms of lightweighting and appearance integration, its assembly and disassembly methods essentially still follow the traditional fixed sequence of "from bottom to top" or "from top to bottom". This structure encapsulates the hip drive module between the inverted U-shaped base and the shell, resulting in highly integrated joints and a closed operating space. When a part of the robot (such as the hip joint motor or lower limb module) malfunctions or needs to be upgraded, its maintenance and replacement process is extremely cumbersome: it often requires the sequential disassembly of a large number of related components or even the entire shell, which is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also very easy to damage the original alignment and structural precision during disassembly and assembly, making it difficult to realize the convenience advantage of "modular" design in actual maintenance. In addition, this structure lacks a dedicated internal operating channel in a compact space, and the assembly process relies on manual external alignment, making it difficult to guarantee both accuracy and efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an innovative structural design and assembly method to solve a series of interrelated technical challenges, such as reliable assembly, high-precision alignment, and convenient maintenance in a compact space. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a modular humanoid robot and its assembly method. By placing the hip motor in the hip motor mounting cavity and using the hip motor mounting cavity as an operating channel, tools can pass through the operating holes on the transverse mounting plate for fastening. At the same time, by controlling the rotation of the motor to achieve precise alignment of the connecting plate, reliable and precise assembly and modular connection are achieved at the compact hip joint.

[0005] This invention provides a modular humanoid robot, comprising a torso module, a lower limb module, and a hip module;

[0006] The hip module includes a drive unit and a connecting unit:

[0007] The drive unit includes two vertically mounted plates arranged opposite each other and a horizontally mounted plate connected to one end of the two vertically mounted plates. The other end of the two vertically mounted plates is used to fix the lower end of the torso module or the upper end of the lower limb module. A hip motor mounting cavity is formed between the two vertically mounted plates. A hip motor is fixedly installed in the hip motor mounting cavity. The output shaft of the hip motor passes through the horizontally mounted plate. At least one mounting operation hole is provided on the horizontally mounted plate.

[0008] The connecting part includes a mounting plate fixed to the output shaft end of the hip motor. The mounting plate is provided with a plurality of assembly holes. The upper end of the lower limb module or the lower end of the torso module is provided with assembly mating holes corresponding to the positions of the plurality of assembly holes.

[0009] When fastening the assembly holes and assembly mating holes with fasteners, adjust the output angle of the hip motor and the relative angle of the torso module and the lower limb module so that the mounting operation holes are aligned sequentially or synchronously with the axes of the corresponding assembly holes and assembly mating holes. The tool passes through the hip motor mounting cavity and through the mounting operation holes to complete the fastener assembly, thereby realizing the torso module and the lower limb module through the rotational connection of the hip module.

[0010] Furthermore, the assembly hole is a through hole, the assembly mating hole is a threaded hole, and the fastener is a bolt.

[0011] Furthermore, the hip motor is fixed to the transverse mounting plate, and the mounting operation hole is located on the outside of the hip motor.

[0012] Furthermore, the tail end of the hip motor is spaced apart from the lower end of the torso module or the upper end of the lower limb module.

[0013] Furthermore, the other end of the two vertical mounting plates is provided with a folded edge, and the vertical mounting plates are fastened to the lower end of the torso module or the upper end of the lower limb module by fasteners through the folded edge.

[0014] Furthermore, the two vertical mounting plates are equipped with perforated holes.

[0015] Furthermore, both the torso module and the lower limb module include a frame structure formed by splicing panels;

[0016] The panels are assembled using mortise and tenon joints and fasteners.

[0017] Furthermore, the torso module includes an upper mounting plate, a lower mounting plate, a left mounting plate, and a right mounting plate;

[0018] The upper mounting plate, lower mounting plate, left mounting plate and right mounting plate together form a rectangular frame;

[0019] It also includes two left mounting plates located on the front and rear sides of the left mounting plate and two right mounting plates located on the front and rear sides of the right mounting plate;

[0020] The upper mounting plate and the lower mounting plate are joined together by two sets of tenons and fasteners on the left and right mounting plates.

[0021] The left and right mounting plates are joined together with the two sets of left and right mounting uprights using tenon and fastener combinations, and / or the left and right mounting plates are joined together with the upper and lower mounting plates using tenon and fastener combinations.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes a head module connected to the upper mounting plate, and an arm module connected to the left and right mounting plates;

[0023] A control computer is installed on the outside of the left and right mounting plates, and a battery is installed inside the rectangular frame.

[0024] The present invention also provides a method for assembling the above-mentioned modular humanoid robot, comprising the following steps:

[0025] The two vertical mounting plates of the drive unit are fixed to the lower end of the torso module or the upper end of the lower limb module.

[0026] Adjust the output angle of the hip motor and the relative angle between the torso module and the lower limb module so that the mounting operation holes on the transverse mounting plate are aligned sequentially or simultaneously with the axes of the corresponding assembly holes and assembly mating holes.

[0027] By operating a tool inside the hip motor mounting cavity, the tool passes through the mounting operation hole, and the fastener is assembled into the corresponding assembly hole and the assembly mating hole;

[0028] Once the fastening is completed, the torso module and the lower limb module are rotatably connected through the hip module.

[0029] The modular humanoid robot provided by this invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0030] 1. By setting the tool's installation path within the hip motor mounting cavity and utilizing at least one installation hole as a channel, the problem of insufficient direct operating space between the transverse mounting plate and the mounting disc is cleverly avoided, enabling a reliable fastening connection in the extremely compact hip joint area.

[0031] 2. By controlling the rotation of the output shaft of the hip motor, the angle and position of each set of assembly holes on the mounting plate can be precisely and automatically adjusted, aligning them sequentially with the mounting operation holes and the assembly mating holes on the opposite side. This replaces the traditional method of repeated manual fine-tuning, significantly improving assembly accuracy, consistency, and operational efficiency.

[0032] 3. This structure allows the torso module, lower limb module, and hip module to be designed, manufactured, and replaced as independent units. Utilizing the assembly method described above, rapid assembly and disassembly of the modules can be achieved, greatly improving the robot's maintainability, reconfigurability, and ease of subsequent upgrades and iterations. Compared to conventional top-down or bottom-up assembly methods, which are difficult to assemble and disassemble and easily disrupt alignment, this invention makes the module disassembly and installation process completely standardized and reversible. Any module (such as the lower limb module) can be quickly and independently assembled and disassembled by controlling the motor to rotate to a predetermined angle and using tools along the same internal path. This completely solves the pain point of modular robots being "easy to assemble but difficult to disassemble and maintain," making independent testing, replacement, upgrades, and on-site repair of modules extremely convenient, truly realizing the core value of modular design.

[0033] 4. The drive unit's frame structure integrates the functions of hip motor installation, protection, and assembly channel, resulting in a compact and robust overall structure. This eliminates complex additional assembly and adjustment mechanisms, reduces the number of parts, lowers assembly complexity and potential failure points, thereby improving the overall reliability and stability of the joint connection.

[0034] In summary, this invention, through its designed hip module, enables the assembly path to shift inward and utilizes the hip motor to achieve dynamic alignment. This not only solves the problem of assembly feasibility in compact spaces but also, through its unique reversible assembly method, enables truly rapid maintenance and reconfiguration of modular robots. This represents a fundamental advancement compared to conventional assembly methods. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is the front view of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0037] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0038] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point C;

[0039] Figure 5This is a partial schematic diagram of the hip module in this invention;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a partial first explosion diagram of the torso module, lower limb module, and hip module in this invention;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a partial second explosion diagram of the torso module, lower limb module and hip module in this invention.

[0042] In the diagram, 1-Tortoise module; 11-Upper mounting plate; 12-Lower mounting plate; 13-Left mounting plate; 14-Right mounting plate; 15-Left mounting plate; 16-Right mounting plate; 2-Lower limb module; 3-Hip module; 31-Drive unit; 311-Vertical mounting plate; 3111-Folded edge; 3112-Hollow hole; 312-Horizontal mounting plate; 313-Hip motor mounting cavity; 314-Hip motor; 315-Mounting operation hole; 32-Connecting part; 321-Mounting plate; 322-Assembly hole; 323-Assembly mating hole; 4-Head module; 5-Arm module; 6-Control computer; 7-Battery. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0045] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0046] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a physical connection, or a wireless communication connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0047] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0048] like Figures 1-7 As shown, the present invention provides a modular humanoid robot, including a torso module 1, a lower limb module 2, and a hip module 3;

[0049] The hip module 3 includes a drive unit 31 and a connecting unit 32:

[0050] The drive unit 31 includes two vertically mounted plates 311 arranged opposite each other and a horizontally mounted plate 312 connected to one end of the two vertically mounted plates 311. The other end of the two vertically mounted plates 311 is used to fix to the lower end of the torso module 1 or the upper end of the lower limb module 2. Figures 1-7 The diagram shows a vertical mounting plate 311 fixed to the lower end of the torso module 1. A hip motor mounting cavity 313 is formed between the two vertical mounting plates 311. A hip motor 314 is fixedly installed in the hip motor mounting cavity 313. The output shaft of the hip motor 314 passes through the horizontal mounting plate 312. At least one mounting operation hole 315 is provided on the horizontal mounting plate 312.

[0051] The connecting part 32 includes a mounting plate 321 fixed to the end of the output shaft of the hip motor 314. The mounting plate 321 is provided with a plurality of assembly holes 322. The upper end of the lower limb module 2 or the lower end of the torso module 1 is provided with assembly mating holes 323 corresponding to the positions of the plurality of assembly holes 322. Figures 1-7 The lower limb module 2 is shown to have an assembly mating hole 323 on its upper end.

[0052] When fastening the assembly holes 322 and assembly mating holes 323 with fasteners, the output angle of the hip motor 314 and the relative angle between the torso module 1 and the lower limb module 2 are adjusted so that the mounting operation hole 315 is aligned sequentially or synchronously with the axis of each group of corresponding assembly holes 322 and assembly mating holes 323. The tool passes through the hip motor mounting cavity 313 and through the mounting operation hole 315 to complete the fastener assembly, so that the torso module 1 and the lower limb module 2 are rotatably connected through the hip module 3.

[0053] The modular humanoid robot provided by this invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0054] 1. By setting the tool installation operation path within the hip motor mounting cavity 313 and using at least one installation operation hole 315 as a channel, the problem of lack of direct operating space between the transverse mounting plate 312 and the mounting disc 321 is cleverly avoided, enabling a reliable fastening connection in the extremely compact hip joint area.

[0055] 2. By controlling the rotation of the output shaft of the hip motor 314, the angular position of each set of assembly holes 322 on the mounting plate 321 can be precisely and automatically adjusted, so that they are aligned sequentially with the mounting operation hole 315 and the assembly mating hole 323 on the opposite side. This replaces the traditional method of repeated manual fine-tuning of alignment, significantly improving assembly accuracy, consistency and operational efficiency.

[0056] 3. This structure allows the torso module 1, lower limb module 2, and hip module 3 to be designed, manufactured, and replaced as independent units. Using the above assembly method, rapid assembly and disassembly of the modules can be achieved, greatly improving the robot's maintainability, reconfigurability, and ease of subsequent upgrades and iterations. Compared to conventional top-down or bottom-up assembly methods, which are difficult to assemble and disassemble and easily disrupt alignment, this invention makes the module disassembly and installation process completely standardized and reversible. Any module (such as lower limb module 2) can be quickly and independently assembled and disassembled by controlling the motor to rotate to a predetermined angle and using tools via the same internal path. This completely solves the pain point of modular robots being "easy to assemble but difficult to disassemble and maintain," making independent testing, replacement, upgrades, and on-site repair of modules extremely convenient, truly realizing the core value of modular design.

[0057] 4. The frame structure of the drive unit 31 integrates the functions of mounting, protection, and assembly channel for the hip motor 314, resulting in a compact and stable overall structure. This eliminates the need for complex additional assembly and adjustment mechanisms, reduces the number of parts, lowers assembly complexity and potential failure points, thereby improving the overall reliability and stability of the joint connection.

[0058] In summary, by designing the hip module 3, which shifts the assembly path inward and utilizes the hip motor 314 to achieve dynamic alignment, this not only solves the assembly feasibility problem in a compact space, but also enables truly rapid maintenance and reconfiguration of modular robots through its unique reversible assembly method. This represents a fundamental advancement compared to conventional assembly methods.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, the mounting operation holes 315 on the transverse mounting plate 312 are at least three arranged in a ring along the circumferential direction. Their number may be equal to or fractionally equal to the total number of assembly holes 322 on the mounting plate 321.

[0060] When the total number is equal, the number M of installation operation holes 315 is equal to the number N of assembly holes 322, and the circumferential positions correspond one-to-one.

[0061] At this point, adjusting the hip motor 314 to a specific angle allows all N sets of connection hole assembly holes 322 and assembly mating holes 323 to simultaneously align with N installation operation holes 315. This supports simultaneous multi-tool operation or rapid sequential single-tool operation without requiring the motor to rotate and index again during assembly. This achieves single-time alignment and complete tightening, resulting in the fastest assembly speed, suitable for automated production lines with extremely high assembly cycle requirements.

[0062] When configuring the fraction, the number M of mounting operation holes 315 is a divisor of the number N of assembly holes 322, for example, M=N / 2 or M=N / 3. In this case, the M mounting operation holes 315 are evenly distributed on the circumference.

[0063] At this point, first adjust the motor angle so that the M mounting operation holes 315 are aligned with the corresponding M sets of connection holes, completing this batch of tightening. Then control the hip motor 314 to precisely rotate by a preset angle, such as 180° / M or 120° / M, so that the remaining sets of connection holes are aligned with the mounting operation holes 315, and proceed to the next batch of tightening, until all are completed.

[0064] At this point, compared to the single-hole solution (M=1), the number of motor indexing adjustments is significantly reduced (only 1 or 2 times are needed), improving assembly efficiency. Compared to the all-hole solution, the accuracy requirements for the 312 openings in the horizontal mounting plate are lowered.

[0065] In this embodiment, the optimal M value can be selected based on the actual tool size and spatial layout. Even if some mounting operation holes 315 cannot be used due to manufacturing or interference issues, the entire assembly can still be completed using other holes by adjusting the motor angle, resulting in greater robustness.

[0066] In one embodiment, the assembly hole 322 is a through hole, the assembly mating hole 323 is a threaded hole, and the fastener is a bolt.

[0067] In this embodiment, compared to conventional double-sided operation (requiring simultaneous access to both bolt and nut) or the use of double through holes with nuts, this embodiment achieves superior pure single-sided linear assembly. Specifically, the operator only needs to pass the bolt sequentially through the mounting operation hole 315 on the transverse mounting plate 312, the through hole (assembly hole 322) on the mounting plate 321, and finally screw it directly into the threaded hole (assembly mating hole 323) of the target module (torso module 1 or lower limb module 2) to complete the fastening. This eliminates the difficult steps of placing and fixing the nut in the narrow space inside the structure, simplifying the assembly action into a single "insertion-tightening" linear operation, greatly reducing the difficulty of operation in confined spaces. In addition, the threaded hole is directly machined on the module body, resulting in high connection strength and avoiding the risk of failure due to nut loosening or falling off. The bolt preload acts directly on the module body, making force transmission more direct and reliable. During disassembly, the module can be separated simply by loosening the bolts. The threaded holes are not easily damaged, and the module is highly reusable, perfectly meeting the fast and reliable maintenance requirements of modular design. In this embodiment, the assembly hole 322 is preferably a countersunk hole with a portion for receiving the bolt head, which can prevent the bolt end from protruding from the mounting plate 321.

[0068] In other embodiments, both the assembly hole 322 and the assembly mating hole 323 are through holes. Fasteners include bolts and nuts. During assembly, the bolt is inserted from one side of the mounting operation hole 315, passes through the aligned assembly hole 322 and assembly mating hole 323, and is tightened with a nut on the other side. The nut can be pre-placed in a countersunk hole or slot on the module side, or a self-locking nut or flange nut can be used to enhance anti-loosening.

[0069] In other embodiments, the assembly hole 322 and the assembly mating hole 323 are precisely aligned through holes. The fastener is a resilient cylindrical pin, cotter pin, or spring-loaded locking pin, etc. During assembly, a special tool is used to push the pin into the aligned hole group from one side of the mounting operation hole 315, and it is locked by the pin's own elasticity or mechanical structure.

[0070] In one embodiment, the hip motor 314 is fixed to the transverse mounting plate 312, and the mounting operation hole 315 is located outside the hip motor 314.

[0071] In this embodiment, the hip motor 314 is directly fixed to the rigid transverse mounting plate 312, which is equivalent to rigidly connecting its body to the core frame of the drive unit 31. This greatly enhances the mounting rigidity of the hip motor 314 itself, effectively suppressing the vibration or slight sway that may occur when it outputs high torque, thereby ensuring the motion accuracy of the output shaft end mounting plate 321 and improving the smoothness and reliability of the entire hip joint transmission.

[0072] By placing the mounting access hole 315 in the annular area on the outer side of the motor, functional zoning is achieved. The central area is used for high-rigidity motor fixation, while the outer annular area is dedicated to assembly operations. This layout allows tools to completely avoid the hip motor 314 body when passing through the mounting access hole 315, resulting in a smoother and unobstructed operating path. Simultaneously, this allows for the design of larger spaces or guide structures for the mounting access hole 315 itself and its surrounding area, further reducing the difficulty of tool access to the hole and making it easier to operate even with larger tools.

[0073] In one embodiment, the tail end of the hip motor 314 is spaced from the lower end of the torso module 1 or the upper end of the lower limb module 2.

[0074] In this embodiment, when the two vertical mounting plates 311 of the drive unit 31 are fitted onto the torso module 1 or the lower limb module 2, the gap between the tail end of the hip motor 314 and the module body ensures that there is no physical contact between them before final fixation. This completely avoids the risk of the motor housing being scratched, squeezed, or worn by the edges of adjacent modules due to relative displacement of the modules or careless operation during the tightening of the connecting bolts of the vertical mounting plates 311, thus protecting the integrity and appearance of the motor structure in the initial assembly stage.

[0075] Furthermore, this gap creates an airflow channel between the tail end of the hip motor 314 and the adjacent module. The heat generated by the motor's operation can be dissipated not only through conduction via its housing and mounting structure, but also through effective air convection via this channel, preventing heat buildup within the enclosed cavity. This helps reduce the motor's operating temperature, preventing torque reduction or damage due to overheating, thereby improving the continuous working capacity and reliability of the robot joint.

[0076] In one embodiment, the other end of the two vertical mounting plates 311 is provided with a folded edge 3111, and the vertical mounting plates 311 are fastened to the lower end of the torso module 1 or the upper end of the lower limb module 2 by fasteners through the folded edge 3111.

[0077] In this embodiment, the folded edge 3111 structure transforms the connection between the vertical mounting plate 311 and the torso module 1 or lower limb module 2 from a possible "line contact" or "small area contact" to a stable "surface contact." This significantly increases the contact area and moment of inertia of the connection. It effectively suppresses micro-movements or deformations at the connection point when the joint is subjected to complex loads, ensuring efficient and smooth force transmission between the drive unit 31 as a whole and the main module.

[0078] In one embodiment, two vertical mounting plates 311 are provided with perforated holes 3112.

[0079] In this embodiment, the perforated hole 3112 design directly reduces the material usage of the vertical mounting plate 311, effectively reducing the overall weight of the hip module 3 and the robot joint. In addition, the perforated hole 3112 forms a ventilation channel on the vertical mounting plate 311, which, together with the hip motor mounting cavity 313 and other possible interval spaces, constitutes an optimized airflow path.

[0080] In one embodiment, both the torso module 1 and the lower limb module 2 include a frame structure formed by splicing panels;

[0081] The panels are assembled using mortise and tenon joints and fasteners.

[0082] In this embodiment, the complex torso module 1 and lower limb module 2 are decomposed into a series of standardized flat or simply bent plates. These plates can be mass-produced using efficient and high-precision processes such as laser cutting and stamping, significantly reducing mold costs and the manufacturing difficulty of individual parts. During assembly, the mortise and tenon structure provides natural initial positioning and shear resistance, allowing each plate to be pre-aligned quickly and accurately. Final fixation can then be completed simply by tightening the fasteners. This eliminates the reliance on large welding fixtures or complex jigs, making module assembly as simple and quick as building a precision model, making it particularly suitable for automated assembly or distributed production.

[0083] The combination of mortise and tenon joints and fasteners forms a composite connection mechanism with mechanical interlocking and pre-tightening locking. This mechanism not only ensures the high rigidity and stability of the spliced ​​nodes under dynamic loads and effectively prevents loosening of the connection, but also improves the load-bearing capacity and fatigue life of the entire frame by dispersing stress, enabling the lightweight plate frame to achieve or even surpass the performance of traditional welded or cast structures.

[0084] This embodies the ultimate in modular design. If a part of the frame is damaged in a collision or requires a design upgrade, there's no need to replace the entire module or perform complex cutting and welding operations. Simply loosen the local fasteners and separate the tenons to replace a single piece or part of the board. This significantly reduces the robot's maintenance costs and allows designers to quickly iterate on different board shapes (such as stiffener layouts and sensor mounting positions) to optimize performance, enabling agile hardware design development.

[0085] The plate structure naturally facilitates topology optimization and targeted hollowing out, achieving extreme lightweighting while ensuring strength and rigidity. At the same time, the flat or regular-shaped plates provide ideal and flexible mounting surfaces for auxiliary equipment such as sensors, controllers, and cable clamps, facilitating functional integration and making the robot's internal layout more organized and maintenance more intuitive.

[0086] In one embodiment, the torso module 1 includes an upper mounting plate 11, a lower mounting plate 12, a left mounting plate 13, and a right mounting plate 14;

[0087] The upper mounting plate 11, lower mounting plate 12, left mounting plate 13 and right mounting plate 14 enclose and form a rectangular frame;

[0088] It also includes two left mounting plates 15 disposed on the front and rear sides of the left mounting plate 13 and two right mounting plates 16 disposed on the front and rear sides of the right mounting plate 14;

[0089] The upper mounting plate 11 and the lower mounting plate 12 are joined together by two sets of tenons and fasteners on the left mounting plate 15 and the right mounting plate 16.

[0090] The left mounting plate 13 and the right mounting plate 14 are joined with the two sets of left mounting upright plates 15 and right mounting upright plates 16 using tenon and fastener combinations, and / or the left mounting plate 13 and the right mounting plate 14 are joined with the upper mounting plate 11 and the lower mounting plate 12 using tenon and fastener combinations.

[0091] In this embodiment, the multiple interlocking tenon and mortise connections formed by the upper mounting plate 11, lower mounting plate 12, left mounting plate 13, right mounting plate 14, left mounting upright plate 15, and right mounting upright plate 16 constitute a highly interconnected three-dimensional truss structure. This structure can effectively resist the complex bending moments and torsional loads generated during robot movement, preventing the frame from deforming. This provides a stable and reliable mounting foundation for high-precision drive units such as the hip module 3, ensuring the accuracy of overall motion control.

[0092] During assembly, each mortise and tenon joint naturally becomes a precise positioning reference. For example, the tenon on the left mounting plate 15 simultaneously positions the upper mounting plate 11, the lower mounting plate 12, and the left mounting plate 13. This distributed, mutually verifying positioning system can minimize the manufacturing tolerances of individual parts, ensuring that the final assembled frame has a high degree of consistency and accuracy in key dimensions, flatness, and perpendicularity, laying a solid foundation for the rapid and accurate docking of subsequent modules.

[0093] Furthermore, the frame, separated and reinforced by the left mounting plate 15 and the right mounting plate 16, naturally forms a well-organized, compartmentalized space. This not only makes the layout and management of internal cables (such as zoning, bundling, and fixing) exceptionally clear and convenient, but more importantly, it provides standardized installation locations (such as mounting on the inner side of the mounting plate or the vertical plate) for the modular installation and upgrade of various functional modules (such as local controllers, sensor clusters, power management units, etc.). The internal component layout of the robot can therefore be as flexible and orderly as assembling building blocks.

[0094] In one embodiment, it also includes a head module 4 connected to the upper mounting plate 11, and an arm module 5 connected to the left mounting plate 13 and the right mounting plate 14;

[0095] A control computer 6 is provided on the outside of the left mounting plate 13 and the right mounting plate 14, and a battery 7 is provided inside the rectangular frame.

[0096] In this embodiment, by designing standardized mechanical and electrical interfaces on the upper mounting plate 11, left mounting plate 13, and right mounting plate 14, the head module 4 and arm module 5 can be quickly connected to the core framework of the torso module 1 as plug-and-play functional units. This allows the robot to flexibly configure its senses (head camera, microphone) and execution terminals (arms with different functions) according to task requirements (such as inspection, interaction, and operation), realizing "hot-swappable" hardware functions, greatly expanding the robot's application scenarios, and supporting parallel development and rapid prototyping verification.

[0097] The control computer 6 is mounted on the outside of the left mounting plate 13 and the right mounting plate 14, making full use of the lateral space of the frame and avoiding heat accumulation inside the crowded frame. This creates a natural airflow cooling layout, and at the same time, it allows the computer to be maintained, upgraded, or replaced without disassembling the core frame, making the maintenance interface extremely user-friendly.

[0098] Placing the heaviest component, battery 7, in the central area protected by a high-rigidity frame directly optimizes the overall center of gravity, reduces the robot's moment of inertia when standing and moving, and significantly improves static stability and dynamic motion performance. The frame structure provides physical protection for battery 7, and its internal space also facilitates the arrangement of the management system wiring harness for battery 7.

[0099] The present invention also provides a method for assembling the above-mentioned modular humanoid robot, comprising the following steps:

[0100] The two vertical mounting plates 311 of the drive unit 31 are fixed to the lower end of the torso module 1 or the upper end of the lower limb module 2;

[0101] Adjust the output angle of the hip motor 314 and the relative angle between the torso module 1 and the lower limb module 2 so that the mounting operation holes 315 on the transverse mounting plate 312 are aligned with the axes of the corresponding assembly holes 322 and assembly mating holes 323 in sequence or simultaneously.

[0102] By operating a tool within the hip motor mounting cavity 313, the tool passes through the mounting operation hole 315, and the fastener is assembled into the corresponding assembly hole 322 and the assembly mating hole 323.

[0103] After fastening, the torso module 1 and the lower limb module 2 are rotatably connected through the hip module 3.

[0104] The above description is merely an embodiment and does not constitute any limitation on the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible variations, modifications, or alterations to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the present invention, should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular humanoid robot, characterized in that, It includes a trunk module (1), a lower limb module (2), and a hip module (3); The hip module (3) includes a drive unit (31) and a connecting unit (32): The drive unit (31) includes two vertical mounting plates (311) arranged opposite each other and a horizontal mounting plate (312) connected to one end of the two vertical mounting plates (311). The other end of the two vertical mounting plates (311) is used to fix it to the lower end of the torso module (1) or the upper end of the lower limb module (2). A hip motor mounting cavity (313) is formed between the two vertical mounting plates (311). A hip motor (314) is fixedly installed in the hip motor mounting cavity (313). The output shaft of the hip motor (314) passes through the horizontal mounting plate (312). At least one mounting operation hole (315) is provided on the horizontal mounting plate (312). The connecting part (32) includes a mounting plate (321) fixed to the end of the output shaft of the hip motor (314). The mounting plate (321) is provided with a plurality of assembly holes (322). The upper end of the lower limb module (2) or the lower end of the torso module (1) is provided with assembly mating holes (323) corresponding to the positions of the plurality of assembly holes (322). The hip motor (314) is fixed on the transverse mounting plate (312), and the mounting operation hole (315) is located outside the hip motor (314); When fastening the assembly hole (322) and assembly mating hole (323) with fasteners, adjust the output angle of the hip motor (314) and the relative angle of the torso module (1) and the lower limb module (2) so that the mounting operation hole (315) is aligned with the axis of the corresponding assembly hole (322) and assembly mating hole (323) in sequence or synchronously. The tool passes through the hip motor mounting cavity (313) and through the mounting operation hole (315) to complete the fastener assembly, so that the torso module (1) and the lower limb module (2) are rotatably connected through the hip module (3).

2. The modular humanoid robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The assembly hole (322) is a through hole, the assembly mating hole (323) is a threaded hole, and the fastener is a bolt.

3. The modular humanoid robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The tail end of the hip motor (314) is spaced from the lower end of the torso module (1) or the upper end of the lower limb module (2).

4. The modular humanoid robot as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Two vertical mounting plates (311) have a folded edge (3111) at the other end. The vertical mounting plates (311) are fastened to the lower end of the torso module (1) or the upper end of the lower limb module (2) by fasteners through the folded edge (3111).

5. The modular humanoid robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The two vertical mounting plates (311) are provided with perforated holes (3112).

6. The modular humanoid robot as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Both the torso module (1) and the lower limb module (2) include a frame structure formed by splicing plates; The panels are assembled using mortise and tenon joints and fasteners.

7. The modular humanoid robot as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The torso module (1) includes an upper mounting plate (11), a lower mounting plate (12), a left mounting plate (13), and a right mounting plate (14). The upper mounting plate (11), lower mounting plate (12), left mounting plate (13) and right mounting plate (14) enclose and form a rectangular frame; It also includes two left mounting plates (15) set on the front and rear sides of the left mounting plate (13) and two right mounting plates (16) set on the front and rear sides of the right mounting plate (14). The upper mounting plate (11) and the lower mounting plate (12) are joined together by two sets of tenon and fasteners on the left mounting plate (15) and the right mounting plate (16); The left mounting plate (13) and the right mounting plate (14) are joined together with the two sets of left mounting upright plates (15) and right mounting upright plates (16) using tenon and fastener combinations, and / or the left mounting plate (13) and the right mounting plate (14) are joined together with the upper mounting plate (11) and the lower mounting plate (12) using tenon and fastener combinations.

8. The modular humanoid robot as described in claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a head module (4) connected to the upper mounting plate (11), and an arm module (5) connected to the left mounting plate (13) and the right mounting plate (14). A control computer (6) is provided on the outside of the left mounting plate (13) and the right mounting plate (14), and a battery (7) is provided inside the rectangular frame.

9. A method for assembling a modular humanoid robot as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The two vertical mounting plates (311) of the drive unit (31) are fixed to the lower end of the torso module (1) or the upper end of the lower limb module (2); Adjust the output angle of the hip motor (314) and the relative angle between the torso module (1) and the lower limb module (2) so that the mounting operation hole (315) on the transverse mounting plate (312) is aligned with the axis of the corresponding assembly hole (322) and assembly mating hole (323) in sequence or simultaneously. By operating a tool within the hip motor mounting cavity (313), the tool passes through the mounting operation hole (315) to assemble the fastener into the corresponding assembly hole (322) and the assembly mating hole (323); After fastening, the torso module (1) and the lower limb module (2) are rotatably connected through the hip module (3).

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