Foot fin type amphibious robot and mode conversion method
By designing a foot-finned amphibious robot and combining multi-legged mechanisms and modal conversion technology, the problem of insufficient adaptability of the robot in the water-land transition environment was solved, and efficient and stable amphibious movement and low-energy operation were achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511732086.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing robots are not adaptable enough to transitional water and land environments, especially on soft ground where they lack support and consume too much energy, resulting in low mobility.
The robot adopts a foot-fin amphibious robot design, including multiple foot fin mechanisms and a mode conversion mechanism. It uses a cross-drive gear set to link multiple drive shafts, combined with three-joint mechanical legs and fin folding mechanisms, to achieve amphibious movement. Dynamic and static seals ensure airtightness, and a center of gravity adjustment device controls pitch attitude.
It has achieved high mobility and efficient propulsion capabilities for robots in complex environments, reduced energy consumption, and improved endurance and mobility stability.
Smart Images
Figure CN121552845A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of amphibious robot technology, specifically to a foot-fin amphibious robot and a mode conversion method. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of robotics technology and breakthroughs in multiple disciplines such as theoretical mechanics, bionics, and materials science, the comprehensive operational capabilities of robots have been significantly enhanced. This has enabled them to play an increasingly important role in complex environments where tasks are difficult for humans to perform, such as environmental exploration, disaster relief, river and shallow water surveys, and amphibious battlefield reconnaissance. The working scenarios for robots have expanded dramatically from early industrial production lines to diverse extreme environments, placing higher demands on their environmental adaptability. Especially in multi-amphibious tasks requiring simultaneous handling of underwater, land, and transitional environments, traditional robot design faces severe challenges. Terrain composed of loose granular media, such as beaches and muddy areas, in transitional zones between land and water can easily cause robots to sink, posing new requirements for their movement mechanisms and propulsion systems.
[0003] Currently, widely used crawling robots suffer from the following shortcomings in practical applications: While wheeled robots are highly efficient on hard surfaces, their obstacle-crossing ability and adaptability in complex conditions such as obstacles, ruins, or soft ground are severely lacking; straight-legged robots, despite possessing good mobility and obstacle avoidance capabilities, often become stuck on soft ground due to insufficient support, significantly reducing their mobility; and hybrid amphibious robots generally employ two independent propulsion mechanisms, requiring manual switching of operating modes according to changes in the aquatic and terrestrial environment, resulting in low mobility and cumbersome operation. Furthermore, most underwater propulsion modes rely on active thrusters, failing to effectively utilize the potential energy of the water environment, leading to excessive energy consumption and insufficient robot endurance.
[0004] In response to increasingly diverse and complex mission requirements, there is a need for an amphibious robot that can adapt to different media environments, possess passive environmental adaptability, and effectively integrate land and underwater propulsion methods to achieve high mobility in complex environments. Summary of the Invention
[0005] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a foot-finned amphibious robot that solves the problem of insufficient adaptability of existing robots to complex aquatic and terrestrial environments.
[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:
[0007] A foot-finned amphibious robot includes multiple foot-fin mechanisms, a body, and a mode-changing mechanism. The multiple foot-fin mechanisms are respectively disposed on the body, and the mode-changing mechanism is disposed on the body. Each foot-fin mechanism includes a three-jointed mechanical leg and a fin-folding mechanism. One end of the three-jointed mechanical leg is connected to the body, and the fin-folding mechanism is disposed on the three-jointed mechanical leg. The mode-changing mechanism includes a first driver, a cross-drive gear set, a first drive shaft, a second drive shaft, a third drive shaft, a fourth drive shaft, a fifth drive shaft, a sixth drive shaft, and a seventh drive shaft. The first driver drives the cross-drive gear set to rotate, and the cross-drive gear set simultaneously drives the first drive shaft, the second drive shaft, the third drive shaft, the fourth drive shaft, the fifth drive shaft, the sixth drive shaft, and the seventh drive shaft to rotate, thereby driving the multiple foot-fin mechanisms to rotate. This allows for amphibious movement, flexible mode switching, and the foot-fin mechanisms are small in size, lightweight, and have low energy consumption.
[0008] Furthermore, the body includes an upper housing and a lower housing, which are combined internally to form a cavity for installing the mode conversion mechanism and the control system, thus providing a protective function.
[0009] Furthermore, the body also includes a dynamic seal and a static seal. The dynamic seal is disposed at the connection between the plurality of foot fin mechanisms and the body, and the static seal is disposed between the upper housing and the lower housing to prevent water from entering during water movement.
[0010] Furthermore, the three-jointed mechanical leg includes a first servo motor, a second servo motor, a third servo motor, a first segmental leg, a second segmental leg, and a toe. One end of the first servo motor is connected to the body, and the first servo motor and the second servo motor are connected in series. One end of the second servo motor is located on one end of the first segmental leg, and one end of the third servo motor is located on the other end of the first segmental leg. The other end of the third servo motor is connected to one end of the second segmental leg, and the toe is located on the other end of the second segmental leg for mimicking walking. It has a large ground clearance and strong land mobility.
[0011] Furthermore, the fin folding mechanism includes a power source, a first main rod, a second main rod, multiple third main rods, multiple connecting rods, and a fin membrane. One end of the first main rod, the second main rod, and the multiple third main rods are rotatably connected. The multiple third main rods are provided with sliding grooves along their length. One end of the multiple connecting rods is rotatably connected to the first main rod, the second main rod, and the multiple third main rods. The other end of each connecting rod is individually slidably connected to the sliding grooves of the multiple third main rods, forming an equal-angle folding structure. The fin membrane is disposed on the first main rod, the second main rod, and the multiple third main rods. The power source drives the first main rod, the second main rod, and the multiple third main rods to extend. The folding mechanism switches states to meet the requirements of water-driven operation. It is attached to the three-joint mechanical leg, occupies little space, and unfolds quickly.
[0012] Furthermore, the machine body is also equipped with a center of gravity adjustment device, which includes a water pump and multiple water tanks. The multiple water tanks are respectively located at the head of the machine body. The water pump is connected to the multiple water tanks and is used to control the water volume in the multiple water tanks to adjust the pitch state.
[0013] Furthermore, the ends of the second and third drive shafts are each provided with a first gear set, one end of the sixth drive shaft is provided with a first drive gear, and one end of the seventh drive shaft is provided with a second drive gear. A first synchronous gear and a second synchronous gear are provided between the first drive gear and the second drive gear. The second drive shaft is driven by the first gear set to rotate the sixth and seventh drive shafts synchronously in opposite directions, so as to achieve accurate control of the unified driving direction.
[0014] Furthermore, the cross-drive gear set includes a first gear, a second gear, a third gear, and a fourth gear. The first gear and the second gear are mounted on the first drive shaft. The first driver is driven by the first gear to rotate the first drive shaft. The third gear is connected to the second drive shaft, and the fourth gear is connected to the third drive shaft. Both the third gear and the fourth gear mesh with the second gear. The first drive shaft drives the second drive shaft and the third drive shaft to rotate, ensuring the front and rear dynamic balance when the robot propels itself in water, guaranteeing the stability of linear motion, and reducing the difficulty of operation.
[0015] Preferably, the angle between the axis of the fourth drive shaft and the axis of the fifth drive shaft is 90°-180°, which can effectively maintain heading stability.
[0016] The second objective of this invention is to provide a foot-finned amphibious robot that solves the problems of slow state switching and short battery life of existing amphibious robots.
[0017] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:
[0018] A mode conversion method for a foot-finned amphibious robot, implemented by the foot-finned amphibious robot, includes the following steps:
[0019] S1. When walking on land, the multiple foot fin mechanisms on the machine body extend and retract to support and walk;
[0020] S2. When the machine body comes into contact with the water surface and enters a floating state, the first driver drives the gear to rotate 90°, driving the first transmission shaft to rotate. The second and third transmission shafts are driven to rotate through the cross transmission gear set. The second and third transmission shafts drive the fourth and fifth transmission shafts, as well as the sixth and seventh transmission shafts, to rotate 90° synchronously in opposite directions or in opposite directions through the first gear set. Then, the three-joint mechanical legs unfold, and the fin folding mechanism unfolds to form a fin shape.
[0021] S3. The mode conversion mechanism is activated, which drives the multiple foot fin mechanisms to rotate around the axis after deployment, propelling the body forward.
[0022] S4. The front of the machine body absorbs or drains water to control the center of gravity shift of the machine body to control the forward pitch angle, and controls the direction of movement by controlling the number of contacts between the multiple foot fin mechanisms and water.
[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:
[0024] (1) The foot-fin amphibious robot uses a power transmission system that links multiple transmission shafts through a cross-drive gear set. All foot fin mechanisms can be driven to rotate synchronously by a single first driver. This structure avoids the complexity of traditional multi-motor independent drive and significantly reduces transmission loss and overall power consumption. When the robot switches from walking on land to swimming in water, the three-joint mechanical legs unfold and the fin folding mechanism extends to form a continuous fin surface. At this time, the mode conversion mechanism directly drives the foot fins to rotate for propulsion without the need to start an independent thruster. The mode switching speed is fast and the power transmission is timely.
[0025] (2) The amphibious robot is sealed with dynamic and static seals. The dynamic seals cover all the joints between the fin mechanism and the body to ensure that there is no water leakage when the joints move. The static seals strictly seal the joint surface between the upper and lower shells to form a closed cavity. The power and control components are set in the cavity. The servo motors of the three-joint mechanical legs are external to prevent external water from contacting the internal circuits. The rotating joints can be located above the water surface to ensure the stability of long-term water surface operation.
[0026] (3) When the amphibious robot walks on land, the servo drives the first leg and the second leg to hinge and move, supporting the body to cross obstacles; when swimming in water, the power source pushes multiple main rods to unfold, and the fin membrane is unfolded synchronously through the sliding linkage mechanism. In water, the direction is controlled by the center of gravity adjustment device to precisely regulate the water volume of the water tank. The zero turning radius is achieved by using the off-center load of the body head. This makes the robot have the terrain adaptability of a multi-legged robot and the efficient propulsion ability of a bionic fin. It makes full use of the power of the water itself to change direction and reduces energy consumption. Attached Figure Description
[0027] Figure 1 An isometric view of the foot-fin amphibious robot provided by this invention;
[0028] Figure 2 This is an internal structural diagram of the foot-fin amphibious robot provided by the present invention;
[0029] Figure 3 The modal conversion mechanism diagram provided by this invention;
[0030] Figure 4 The structural diagram of the cross-shaped transmission gear set provided by the present invention;
[0031] Figure 5 A diagram showing the transmission structure at both ends of the second transmission shaft provided by the present invention;
[0032] Figure 6 The power output direction diagram of the foot mode conversion mechanism provided by the present invention;
[0033] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the foot fin mechanism provided by the present invention;
[0034] Figure 8 An unfolded diagram of the foot fin mechanism provided by the present invention;
[0035] Figure 9 A structural diagram of the foot fin mechanism provided by the present invention;
[0036] Figure 10 A diagram showing the switching between amphibious and land walking states of the foot-finned amphibious robot provided by the present invention;
[0037] Figure 11 A diagram showing the waterborne state of the foot-finned amphibious robot provided by this invention.
[0038] Figure label:
[0039] 100. Body; 110. Lower housing; 120. Upper housing; 200. Mode conversion mechanism; 201. Power gear; 202. First gear; 203. Second gear; 204. Third gear; 205. Fourth gear; 206. First transmission gear; 207. First transmission gear; 208. First synchronization gear; 209. Second synchronization gear; 210. First driver; 220. Cross-drive gear set; 221. First drive shaft; 222. Second drive shaft; 223. Third drive shaft; 224. Fourth drive shaft; 225. Fifth drive shaft 226. Shaft; 227. Sixth drive shaft; 228. Seventh drive shaft; 229. First bearing; 230. First gear set; 300. Foot fin mechanism; 310. Three-jointed mechanical leg; 311. First servo motor; 312. Second servo motor; 313. Third servo motor; 314. Rotary seat; 315. Turntable seat; 316. First segmented leg; 317. Crossbeam; 318. Second segmented leg; 319. Foot tip; 320. Fin folding mechanism; 321. Power source; 322. First main rod; 323. Second main rod; 324. Third main rod; 400. Center of gravity adjustment device. Detailed Implementation
[0040] 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 them. Based on the embodiments in the application, 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.
[0041] Example 1
[0042] like Figures 1-11As shown, this embodiment discloses a foot-finned amphibious robot, including multiple foot-fin mechanisms 300, a body 100, and a mode conversion mechanism 200. The multiple foot-fin mechanisms 300 are respectively disposed on the body 100, extending circumferentially around the lower outer edge of the body 100 to provide stable support for the body 100. The mode conversion mechanism 200 is disposed within the body 100. Each foot-fin mechanism 300 includes a three-joint mechanical leg 310 and a fin folding mechanism 320. One end of the three-joint mechanical leg 310 is connected to the body. On the 100, a fin folding mechanism 320 is mounted on the three-joint mechanical leg 310. The fin folding mechanism 320 can switch between an extended state and a retracted state. In the retracted state, it is attached to the underside of the three-joint mechanical leg 310. In the extended state, the fin folding mechanism 320 unfolds to form fan-shaped fins. The mode conversion mechanism 200 includes a first driver 210, a cross gear set 220, a first drive shaft 221, a second drive shaft 222, a third drive shaft 223, a fourth drive shaft 224, and a fifth drive shaft 225. The sixth drive shaft 226 and the seventh drive shaft 227, the first driver 210 drive the cross gear set 220 to rotate, the cross gear set 220 simultaneously drives the first drive shaft 221, the second drive shaft 222, the third drive shaft 223, the fourth drive shaft 224, the fifth drive shaft 225, the sixth drive shaft 226 and the seventh drive shaft 227 to rotate, respectively driving the rotation of multiple foot fin mechanisms 300, the three-joint mechanical legs 310 bend and rotate around the joint center near the body 100, controlling the multiple three-joint mechanical legs 3 10. Separate actions: In land movement mode, by controlling the joints of multiple three-joint mechanical legs 310 to coordinate bending / extension, the body 100 can lift its legs, take steps, and possibly deflect at the root joint, supporting the body 100 to walk on land; In water movement mode, the mode conversion mechanism 200 drives multiple three-joint mechanical legs 310 and their unfolded fin folding mechanism 320 to rotate synchronously around their root joint axis, and cooperates with the unfolded fin fans to flap water, propelling the body 100 to move in the water, realizing amphibious movement.
[0043] Specifically, when six foot fin mechanisms 300 are set at the lower end of the body 100, they are divided into three pairs: front, middle and rear. When four foot fin mechanisms 300 are set at the lower end of the body 100, they are divided into two pairs: front and rear. This can provide stable support for the body 100. The first driver 210 is a stepper motor, which can accurately output displacement. The third transmission shaft 223 is supported by the first bearing 228.
[0044] Furthermore, the body 100 includes an upper housing 120 and a lower housing 110, which are combined to form an internal cavity. The cavity is used to install the mode conversion mechanism 200 and the control system. The cavity is divided into upper and lower layers to separate the control system from the mode conversion mechanism 200 and prevent them from affecting each other.
[0045] Preferably, the body 100 further includes a dynamic seal and a static seal. The dynamic seal is disposed at the connection between the multiple foot fin mechanisms 300 and the body 100 to prevent water from entering at the connection. The static seal is disposed between the upper housing 120 and the lower housing 110 to seal the body 100 and prevent water from entering when the water surface is active.
[0046] Furthermore, the three-jointed mechanical leg 310 includes a first servo motor 311, a second servo motor 312, a third servo motor 313, a first arthropod leg 316, a second arthropod leg 318, and a toe 319. One end of the first servo motor 311 is connected to the body 100, and the first servo motor 311 and the second servo motor 312 are connected in series. One end of the second servo motor 312 is located on one end of the first arthropod leg 316, and one end of the third servo motor 313 is located on the other end of the first arthropod leg 316. The other end of 313 is connected to one end of the second leg 318. The first servo motor 311 swings up and down to achieve the leg lifting action. The second servo motor 312 and the third servo motor 313 combine to complete the leg extension and retraction action to meet the needs of movement and change of direction. The other end of the second leg 318 is provided with a toe 319. The second leg 318 is formed by parallel double plates with a crossbeam 317. The thickness of the lower end of the second leg 318 is narrowed to prevent it from getting tangled when walking on land.
[0047] Preferably, the first servo motor 311 has two rotational degrees of freedom, which are achieved by rotating base 314 and turntable base 315 respectively rotatably connected to both ends of the first servo motor 311.
[0048] Furthermore, the fin folding mechanism 320 includes a power source 321, a first main rod 322, a second main rod 323, multiple third main rods 324, multiple connecting rods, and a fin membrane. One end of the first main rod 322, the second main rod 323, and the multiple third main rods 324 are rotatably connected to the same pivot, while the other end is a free end. After unfolding, all the main rods are arranged radially to form a fan-shaped frame. The multiple third main rods 324 are provided with grooves along their length. One end of the multiple connecting rods is rotatably connected to the first main rod 322, the second main rod 323, and the multiple third main rods 324, while the other ends of the multiple connecting rods are individually slidably connected to the grooves of the multiple third main rods 324, forming an equal-angle folding structure. The unfolding angles of each main rod are the same to achieve uniform support. Preferably, two connecting rods are provided between adjacent third main rods 324 to improve the stability of the fin folding mechanism 320 after unfolding. The fin membrane is set on the first main rod 322, the second main rod 323 and multiple third main rods 324. The fin membrane is made of waterproof material and can unfold with each main rod. After fully unfolding, it forms a fan-shaped fin for driving the robot body 100 in water. The power source 321 drives the first main rod 322, the second main rod 323 and multiple third main rods 324 to complete the extension action in coordination. It can unfold when moving in water and tighten when moving on land, reducing the overall volume and facilitating the robot's movement in complex environments.
[0049] Furthermore, the body 100 is also equipped with a center of gravity adjustment device 400, which includes a water pump and multiple water tanks. The multiple water tanks are respectively located at the head of the body 100. The water pump is connected to the multiple water tanks and is used to control the water volume in the multiple water tanks. By adjusting the water volume in the head water tank, the robot's center of gravity position can be changed to move forward or backward, thereby actively controlling the robot's pitch attitude in the water and assisting in steering.
[0050] See Figure 6 Furthermore, the ends of the second drive shaft 222 and the third drive shaft 223 are each provided with a first gear set 230. One end of the sixth drive shaft 226 is provided with a first drive gear 206, and one end of the seventh drive shaft 227 is provided with a second drive gear 207. A first synchronous gear 208 and a second synchronous gear 209 are provided between the first drive gear 206 and the second drive gear 207. The third drive shaft 223 is driven by the first gear set 230 to rotate the sixth drive shaft 226 and the seventh drive shaft 227 synchronously in opposite directions. Similarly, the second drive shaft 222 drives the fourth drive shaft 224 and the fifth drive shaft 225 to rotate synchronously in opposite directions. The third drive shaft 223, the sixth drive shaft 226, and the seventh drive shaft 227 are in the same plane to form a Y-shaped layout. The angle of the bifurcation is controlled by the shaft angle of the first synchronous gear 208 and the second synchronous gear 209, so that the robot can output the driving force when moving in water.
[0051] Furthermore, the cross-drive gear set 220 includes a first gear 202, a second gear 203, a third gear 204, and a fourth gear 205. The first gear 202 and the second gear 203 are mounted on the first drive shaft 221. The output end of the first driver 210 is connected to the power gear 201. The first driver 210 drives the first drive shaft 221 to rotate via the first gear 202. The third gear 204 is connected to the second drive shaft 222, and the fourth gear 205 is connected to the third drive shaft 223. Both the third gear 204 and the fourth gear 205 mesh with the second gear 203. The first drive shaft 221 drives the second drive shaft 222 and the third drive shaft 223 to rotate, which can evenly distribute the power to the front and rear foot fin mechanisms 300, allowing the robot to maintain stable directional movement and reducing the difficulty of operation.
[0052] More preferably, the gears of the mode conversion mechanism 200 have the same module, ensuring that the rotation speed of each foot fin mechanism 300 is the same, thus ensuring the stability of the driving force output.
[0053] Preferably, the angle between the axis of the fourth drive shaft 224 and the axis of the fifth drive shaft 225 is in the range of 90°-180°. Similarly, the angle between the axis of the sixth drive shaft 226 and the axis of the seventh drive shaft 227 is also in the range of 90°-180°, ensuring that the driving force output by the water-going vehicle can maintain the stability of the body 100 and can be reversing stably when going on land.
[0054] Example 2
[0055] This embodiment also discloses a mode conversion method for a foot-finned amphibious robot, implemented by the foot-finned amphibious robot, including the following steps:
[0056] S1. When walking on land, multiple foot fin mechanisms 300 on the body 100 extend and retract to support and walk;
[0057] S2. When the body 100 comes into contact with the water surface and enters a floating state, the first driver 210 drives the gear to rotate 90°, which drives the first transmission shaft 221 to rotate. Through the cross transmission gear set 220, the second transmission shaft 222 and the third transmission shaft 223 rotate. The second transmission shaft 222 and the third transmission shaft 223 respectively drive the fourth transmission shaft 224 and the fifth transmission shaft 225, as well as the sixth transmission shaft 226 and the seventh transmission shaft 227 to rotate 90° in opposite directions or in opposite directions through the first gear set 230. Then, the three-joint mechanical leg 310 unfolds, and then the fin folding mechanism 320 unfolds to form a fin shape.
[0058] S3, the mode conversion mechanism 200 is activated, which drives the multiple foot fin mechanisms 300 to rotate around the axis after deployment, propelling the body 100 forward;
[0059] S4. The front of the body 100 absorbs or drains water to control the center of gravity of the body 100 to control the pitch angle, and controls the movement direction by controlling the number of contacts between the multiple foot fin mechanisms 300 and the water.
[0060] More specifically, in land walking mode, the fin folding mechanism 320 remains retracted, closely attached to the underside of the three-joint mechanical leg 310. The control system coordinates and controls the three servos of the three-joint mechanical leg 310 in each foot fin mechanism 300 to execute a biomimetic gait, such as a six-legged spider gait. Specific movements include: the first servo 311 lifting the leg, and the second servo 312 and the third servo 313 cooperating to achieve leg extension and retraction, stepping, landing support, and propulsion, supporting the body 100 to walk and turn stably on land. Water entry detection and form transformation preparation: The robot detects that the body 100 is in contact with the water surface or enters a floating state through sensors such as contact sensors, humidity sensors, and water pressure sensors; The control system issues a command: All three-jointed mechanical legs 310 move to the preset unfolded posture; At the same time, the power source 321 of the fin folding mechanism 320 of each foot fin mechanism 300 is activated, driving the first main rod 322, the second main rod 323 and multiple third main rods 324 to unfold from the retracted state to the fully unfolded state, forming fan-shaped fins, and the fin membrane opens accordingly; Water propulsion mode: The control system activates the first driver 210 of the mode conversion mechanism 200. The first drive unit 210 synchronously drives all the foot fin mechanisms 300 to reciprocate around the rotation axis of the first servo motor 311 via the cross gear set 220, the first drive shaft 221, the second drive shaft 222, the third drive shaft 223, and each gear set. The unfolded fan-shaped fins, driven by the legs, work together to beat the water flow, generating a backward thrust that propels the body 100 forward in the water. Underwater attitude adjustment: pitch control is achieved by controlling the water pump of the center of gravity adjustment device 400 to inject water into the water tank at the head of the body 100, increasing the weight of the head and shifting the center of gravity forward, which can generate a head-down torque; water is pumped out from the head water tank to reduce the weight of the head and shift the center of gravity backward, which can generate a head-up torque; the direction is controlled by controlling the degree and position of contact between each foot fin mechanism 300 and the water, such as increasing or decreasing the contact between one foot fin mechanism 300 and the water, to provide steering force.
[0061] Based on the disclosure and teachings of the foregoing specification, those skilled in the art can make changes and modifications to the above embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and described above, and any modifications and changes to the present invention should also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. Furthermore, although some specific terms are used in this specification, these terms are only for convenience of explanation and do not constitute any limitation on the present invention.
Claims
1. A foot-finned amphibious robot, comprising multiple foot-fin mechanisms (300), a body (100), and a mode conversion mechanism (200), wherein the multiple foot-fin mechanisms (300) are respectively disposed on the body (100), and the mode conversion mechanism (200) is disposed within the body (100), characterized in that: The foot fin mechanism (300) includes a three-joint mechanical leg (310) and a fin folding mechanism (320). One end of the three-joint mechanical leg (310) is connected to the body (100), and the fin folding mechanism (320) is disposed on the three-joint mechanical leg (310). The mode conversion mechanism (200) includes a first driver (210), a cross gear set (220), a first drive shaft (221), a second drive shaft (222), a third drive shaft (223), a fourth drive shaft (224), and a fifth drive shaft (225). 225), the sixth drive shaft (226) and the seventh drive shaft (227), the first driver (210) drives the cross drive gear set (220) to rotate, the cross drive gear set (220) simultaneously drives the first drive shaft (221), the second drive shaft (222), the third drive shaft (223), the fourth drive shaft (224), the fifth drive shaft (225), the sixth drive shaft (226) and the seventh drive shaft (227) to rotate, respectively driving the multiple foot fin mechanisms (300) to rotate.
2. The foot-fin amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The body (100) includes an upper housing (120) and a lower housing (110), which are combined internally to form a cavity.
3. The foot-fin amphibious robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The body (100) also includes a dynamic seal and a static seal. The dynamic seal is disposed at the connection between the plurality of foot fin mechanisms (300) and the body (100), and the static seal is disposed between the upper housing (120) and the lower housing (110).
4. The foot-fin amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The three-joint mechanical leg (310) includes a first servo motor (311), a second servo motor (312), a third servo motor (313), a first articulated leg (316), a second articulated leg (318), and a toe (319). One end of the first servo motor (311) is connected to the body (100). The first servo motor (311) and the second servo motor (312) are connected in series. One end of the second servo motor (312) is located on one end of the first articulated leg (316). One end of the third servo motor (313) is located on the other end of the first articulated leg (316). The other end of the third servo motor (313) is connected to one end of the second articulated leg (318). The toe (319) is located on the other end of the second articulated leg (318).
5. The foot-fin amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fin folding mechanism (320) includes a power source (321), a first main rod (322), a second main rod (323), multiple third main rods (324), multiple connecting rods, and a fin membrane. One end of the first main rod (322), the second main rod (323), and the multiple third main rods (324) are rotatably connected. The multiple third main rods (324) are provided with grooves along their length. One end of the multiple connecting rods is rotatably connected to the first main rod (322), the second main rod (323), and the fin membrane. The first main rod (322), the second main rod (323), and the multiple third main rods (324) are connected to each other individually in the grooves of the multiple third main rods (324) to form an equal-angle folding structure. The fin membrane is disposed on the first main rod (322), the second main rod (323), and the multiple third main rods (324). The power source (321) pushes the first main rod (322), the second main rod (323), and the multiple third main rods (324) to extend.
6. The foot-fin amphibious robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The body (100) is also provided with a center of gravity adjustment device (400), which includes a water pump and multiple water tanks. The multiple water tanks are respectively located at the head of the body (100). The water pump is connected to the multiple water tanks and is used to control the amount of water in the multiple water tanks.
7. The foot-fin amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second drive shaft (222) and the third drive shaft (223) are each provided with a first gear set (230) at their ends. The sixth drive shaft (226) is provided with a first drive gear (206) at one end, and the seventh drive shaft (227) is provided with a second drive gear (207) at one end. A first synchronous gear (208) and a second synchronous gear (209) are provided between the first drive gear (206) and the second drive gear (207). The third drive shaft (223) is driven by the first gear set (230) to drive the sixth drive shaft (226) and the seventh drive shaft (227) to rotate synchronously in opposite directions or in opposite directions.
8. The foot-fin amphibious robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cross-drive gear set (220) includes a first gear (202), a second gear (203), a third gear (204), and a fourth gear (205). The first gear (202) and the second gear (203) are mounted on the first drive shaft (221). The first driver (210) is driven by the first gear (202) to rotate the first drive shaft (221). The third gear (204) is connected to the second drive shaft (222), and the fourth gear (205) is connected to the third drive shaft (223). Both the third gear (204) and the fourth gear (205) mesh with the second gear (203). The first drive shaft (221) drives the second drive shaft (222) and the third drive shaft (223) to rotate.
9. The foot-fin amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between the axis of the fourth transmission shaft (224) and the axis of the fifth transmission shaft (225) is in the range of 90°-180°.
10. A mode conversion method for a foot-finned amphibious robot, characterized in that: The amphibious robot with foot flippers as described in any one of claims 1-9 is implemented by comprising the following steps: S1. When walking on land, the multiple foot fin mechanisms (300) on the body (100) extend and retract to support and walk; S2. When the body (100) comes into contact with the water surface and enters a floating state, the first driver (210) drives the gear to rotate 90°, which drives the first transmission shaft (221) to rotate. The cross transmission gear set (220) drives the second transmission shaft (222) and the third transmission shaft (223) to rotate. The second transmission shaft (222) and the third transmission shaft (223) respectively drive the fourth transmission shaft (224) and the fifth transmission shaft (225) and the sixth transmission shaft (226) and the seventh transmission shaft (227) to rotate 90° in opposite directions or in opposite directions through the first gear set (230). Then, the three-joint mechanical leg (310) unfolds, and then the fin folding mechanism (320) unfolds to form a fin shape. S3. The mode conversion mechanism (200) is activated, which drives the multiple foot fin mechanisms (300) to rotate around the axis after being deployed, thus propelling the body (100) forward; S4. The front part of the body (100) absorbs or drains water to control the center of gravity shift of the body (100) to control the forward pitch angle, and controls the movement direction by controlling the number of contacts between the multiple foot fin mechanisms (300) and water.