Yaw driving method for eyeballs of bionic robot

Abstract

The invention provides a yaw driving method for eyeballs of a bionic robot, which belongs to the technical field of bionic robots and comprises the following steps: driving a yaw motor to enable a yaw rocker arm connected with the output end of the yaw motor to rotate; the rotary motion of the yawing rocker arm is transmitted to a transmission assembly through a first yawing connecting rod movably connected with the yawing rocker arm; and the transmission assembly transmits the movement to the eyeball supporting seat to drive the eyeball supporting seat to swing left and right, so that the eyeball arranged on the eyeball supporting seat in a left-right rotating manner moves between a left limit position and a right limit position. The problems that in the prior art, the motion fidelity is insufficient, the mechanism is bloated and prone to interference, and the design is free of quantization rules are solved, physiological eyeball yaw motion, compact interference-free layout and quantization design are achieved, and the robot affinity, the motion naturalness, the head integration miniaturization level, the design efficiency and consistency and the operation reliability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bionic robot technology, and in particular to a yaw drive method for the eyeball of a bionic robot. Background Technology

[0002] Bionic robots, especially those with humanoid facial features, are now widely used in various fields such as entertainment, service reception, scientific research, and human-computer interaction. Eye movements, as the core nonverbal signals for conveying attention, emotion, and intention, directly affect the effectiveness of communication between robots and humans, thus becoming a key aspect of anthropomorphic design. Currently, the mainstream technical solution for realizing eye movements in bionic robots generally employs two independent servo motors or linear actuators, each independently driving the eyeball to complete horizontal (yaw) and vertical (pitch) rotations. Through the cooperation of these dual drive units, multi-degree-of-freedom eye movement functions are initially achieved.

[0003] As the application scenarios of bionic robots continue to expand, the market's demands for their human-likeness are constantly increasing. The naturalness, flexibility, and reliability of eye movements have become core indicators for measuring a robot's expressiveness and approachability. On the one hand, users urgently require robot eye movements to conform to the physiological characteristics of human eyes, presenting a natural and seamless rotation effect. On the other hand, the internal space of a robot's head is extremely limited, and it needs to accommodate multiple expression mechanisms such as eyeball actuation, eyelid actuation, and eyebrow actuation. Therefore, the compactness and integration of the actuation mechanism have become important design requirements. In addition, to adapt to the needs of mass production, the industry is also gradually pursuing clear quantitative design rules to improve the predictability of product performance and the level of design standardization, shorten the R&D cycle, and ensure product consistency.

[0004] Although existing dual-drive unit solutions have achieved basic eye movement functions, they have revealed significant technical defects in practical applications, making it difficult to meet the aforementioned development trends: First, there is a contradiction between motion realism and mechanical design. Existing solutions prioritize the realization of motion functions, lacking targeted design and effective constraints on the physiological angle range of human eyes, which easily leads to distortion of eye rotation angles, producing stiff and strange visual effects, failing to meet the requirements of natural biomimicry. Second, there is a conflict between spatial compactness and motion interference. The simple stacking of the horizontal and pitch drive units results in a bulky mechanism, and the trajectory envelopes of moving parts (such as rocker arms and linkages) intersect, not only increasing the head size but also easily causing mechanical collisions or motion coupling, affecting operational reliability. Third, there is insufficient performance predictability and design standardization. Existing designs rely heavily on engineers' experience and repeated trial and error, lacking clear quantitative design rules (such as the length ratio of key linkages, the initial phase angle of the rocker arm, and spatial layout optimization criteria), resulting in long R&D cycles, poor product consistency, and difficulty in simultaneously optimizing the motion performance of two degrees of freedom within a compact space. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a yaw drive method for the eyeball of a bionic robot, which solves the problems of insufficient motion realism, bulky and easily interfered mechanisms, and lack of quantitative rules in the design of existing technologies. It realizes physiological eyeball yaw motion, compact and interference-free layout and quantitative design, and improves robot affinity and motion naturalness, head integration miniaturization level, design efficiency and consistency and operational reliability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: A method for yaw actuation of a biomimetic robot eyeball includes the following steps: S1. Drive the yaw motor to rotate the yaw rocker arm connected to the output end of the yaw motor. S2. The rotational motion of the yaw rocker arm is transmitted to a transmission component through a first yaw link that is movably connected to the yaw rocker arm. S3. The transmission component transmits motion to the eyeball support, causing the eyeball support to swing left and right, thereby enabling the eyeball, which can be rotated left and right on the eyeball support, to move between the left extreme position and the right extreme position. Wherein, when the eyeball is in any extreme position, its horizontal deflection angle relative to the forward-looking direction is... Satisfy: 0° < ≤30°.

[0007] Preferably, the transmission assembly includes a second yaw link and a third yaw link, and the motion transmission step specifically involves: the motion of the first yaw link is transmitted to the second yaw link movably connected thereto, and the motion of the second yaw link is transmitted to the third yaw link movably connected to the eyeball support, thereby causing the eyeball support to swing left and right.

[0008] Preferably, the second yaw linkage is an integrally formed bent rod, and the bending angle of the bent rod is an obtuse angle.

[0009] Preferably, the bent rod has a first short portion and a first long portion integrally formed and set at an obtuse angle; during the process of the eyeball moving from the right extreme position to the left extreme position, the angle between the first short portion and the third yaw link is... The change range is greater than the angle between the first long portion and the first yaw link. The range of change.

[0010] Preferably, the preset rotation angle range of the yaw arm is: And satisfy: 50°≤ ≤130°.

[0011] Preferably, when the eyeball moves from the right extreme position to the left extreme position, the projected area on a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the yaw arm is the area swept by any point on the first yaw link during the movement. Smaller than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support on the corresponding plane 60%.

[0012] Preferably, when the eyeball is in the right extreme position, the angle between the yaw rocker arm and the first yaw link is... The angle is 0°; when the eyeball is in the left extreme position, the angle between the yaw rocker arm and the first yaw link is 0°. Satisfy: 20°≤ ≤70°.

[0013] Preferably, when the eyeball moves from the right extreme position to the left extreme position, the projected area of ​​the yaw rocker arm as a spatial envelope formed by rigid body motion on a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the yaw rocker arm is... Smaller than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support on the corresponding plane 15%.

[0014] Preferably, the projected area With projected area The ratio satisfies: 0.1 ≤ ≤0.3.

[0015] Preferably, the projected area With the projected area The sum of these is less than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support on the corresponding plane. 50%.

[0016] According to specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the present invention discloses the following technical effects: (1) The present invention sets the horizontal deflection angle at the limit position of the eyeball. Satisfy: 0° < With a range of ≤30°, which is common in human physiology, this technology solves the problems of stiff and strange expressions such as "staring" and "cross-eyedness" caused by the distortion of eye movement angle in existing technologies. It achieves yaw motion that conforms to the physiological characteristics of human eyes, greatly improving the anthropomorphism and affinity of the bionic robot's eye movement.

[0017] (2) By adopting an integrally formed obtuse angle bending link, and by constraining the motion envelope projection area and projection area ratio of the yaw rocker arm and the first yaw link, the present invention solves the problem of the traditional drive mechanism being bulky and prone to motion interference with other facial expression mechanisms of the head, realizes the compact layout of the drive mechanism, and improves the miniaturization and integration adaptability of the robot head.

[0018] (3) By clarifying the quantitative design parameters such as the yaw rocker arm rotation angle and key included angle, and combining the torque transmission optimization of the "dead point" structure and bending link, this invention solves the problems of existing designs relying on experience trial and error, poor product consistency, and insufficient operational reliability. It realizes the functions of standardized quantitative design, self-locking positioning, energy saving and shock resistance, improves design efficiency, system response speed and operational reliability, and achieves the optimal balance between motor torque and motion performance. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the bionic robot eye yaw drive structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a structural reference diagram showing the positions of the first support column and the second support column in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4The diagram shows the positional structure of the third and fourth support columns provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Eyeball; 2. Yaw motor; 3. Yaw rocker arm; 4. First yaw link; 5. Second yaw link; 6. First long section; 7. Second short section; 8. Third yaw link. Detailed Implementation

[0022] 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 some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball, including the following steps: S1. Drive the yaw motor to rotate the yaw rocker arm connected to the output end of the yaw motor.

[0025] S2. The rotational motion of the yaw rocker arm is transmitted to a transmission component through a first yaw linkage that is movably connected to the yaw rocker arm.

[0026] S3. The transmission component transmits motion to the eyeball support, causing the eyeball support to swing left and right, thereby enabling the eyeball, which is rotatably mounted on the eyeball support, to move between the left and right extreme positions.

[0027] In this embodiment, a yaw motor 2 is provided as the power source. The yaw rocker arm 3 is fixedly installed to the output end of the yaw motor 2 via a key connection or set screws, ensuring that both rotate synchronously with the motor's output shaft. After the yaw motor 2 is started, the speed and direction of the motor are precisely controlled by the control system, driving the yaw rocker arm 3 within a preset working angle range. Inner reciprocating rotation, in which Satisfying 50°≤ The angle should be ≤130°, but specific values ​​such as 50°, 60°, 90°, 120°, or 130° can be selected according to actual design requirements. The design of this angle range is mainly to avoid the movement path of the eyeball pitch mechanism and other fixed structures of the head, while ensuring that the eyeball can reach the preset horizontal deflection angle.

[0028] During the rotation of the yaw arm 3, its spatial envelope, formed by rigid body motion, has a projected area on a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the yaw arm 3 (i.e., the center line of the output shaft of the yaw motor 2). It must be smaller than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support on the corresponding plane. The 15% limit ensures that the yaw arm 3 occupies minimal space, leaving ample room for other facial expression mechanisms in the head, while also accommodating motor models with shorter output shafts, further compressing the axial dimensions and contributing to the miniaturization of the robot's head design.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, one end of the first yaw link 4 is hinged to the end of the yaw rocker arm 3 away from the yaw motor 2 via a pin. A rolling bearing is fitted at the hinge to reduce transmission friction and ensure that the rotational motion of the yaw rocker arm 3 can be smoothly transmitted to the first yaw link 4. The transmission assembly includes a second yaw link 5 and a third yaw link 8. The other end of the first yaw link 4 is hinged to one end of the second yaw link 5 via a ball joint or pin to achieve continuous transmission of motion.

[0030] The second yaw linkage 5 is a one-piece bent rod with an obtuse angle. Specifically, it includes a one-piece first long part 6 and a first short part 7, both set at an obtuse angle. This obtuse angle bending design allows the second yaw linkage 5 to function like a "space crank," cleverly bypassing components such as the back of the eyeball 1 and the pitch drive mechanism within the limited depth and lateral space of the head. This avoids the extra swing space required by using multiple straight connecting rods, greatly reducing the space occupied by the drive mechanism in non-motion directions.

[0031] Simultaneously, when eyeball 1 moves from the right extreme position to the left extreme position, the projected area on a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of yaw arm 3 is the area swept by any point on the first yaw link 4 during the movement. It must be smaller than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support. 60%; and the projected area and The ratio must meet the condition 0.1 ≤ ≤0.3. Smaller The ratio means that the yaw rocker arm 3 (input lever arm) is shorter and the first yaw linkage 4 (transmission arm) is longer. This structure is conducive to obtaining a larger lever arm ratio at the yaw motor 2 end, thereby driving the load with a smaller motor torque or achieving more precise displacement control, ensuring that the force calibration of the transmission system is in the high-efficiency range.

[0032] Furthermore, the end of the first short portion 7 of the second yaw link 5, away from the first long portion 6, is hinged to one end of the third yaw link 8 via a pin. The end of the third yaw link 8, away from the second yaw link 5, is movably connected to the eyeball support via a hinge structure. The eyeball 1 forms a rotational engagement with the eyeball support via a rotating shaft, which is set in the vertical direction to ensure that the eyeball 1 can rotate flexibly left and right around the rotating shaft. Figure 3 As shown, the first and second support columns of the eyeball support are symmetrically distributed on the left side of the eyeball 1, and are detachably connected to the head frame by bolts to ensure balanced force distribution on the left side of the support; Figure 4 As shown, the third and fourth support columns are symmetrically arranged on the right side of the eyeball 1, and are also fixed to the head frame with bolts, which further ensures the overall structural stability of the support base and prevents interference with other parts of the head.

[0033] When the first yaw link 4 drives the second yaw link 5, the motion is transmitted to the eyeball support through the hinged transmission between the second yaw link 5 and the third yaw link 8. This causes the eyeball support to swing left and right around the preset axis of the head frame, thereby driving the eyeball 1 to yaw between the left and right extreme positions. Specifically, when the eyeball 1 is in any extreme position, its horizontal deflection angle relative to the forward-looking direction is... Satisfying 0°< ≤30°, this range conforms to the physiological characteristics of human eye saccades horizontally, fundamentally avoiding unnatural visual effects such as "staring" and "cross-eyedness", and significantly improving the friendliness and realism of the robot's eyes.

[0034] During the movement, when eyeball 1 is at its right extreme position, the angle between yaw arm 3 and first yaw link 4 is... At 0°, the two hinge points are collinear, allowing the mechanism to enter the "dead point" region, achieving three advantages: first, self-locking, where the eyeball position is firmly locked by friction at the hinge or the characteristics of the center point when the motor is powered off, preventing drift; second, energy saving and consumption reduction, as the motor torque required to maintain this position is minimal; and third, impact protection, effectively resisting external impacts from the direction of the eyeball and protecting the internal motor and hinge structure. When the eyeball 1 is in the left extreme position, the angle between the yaw rocker arm 3 and the first yaw link 4 is... Satisfying 20°≤ ≤70°, this range keeps the transmission angle at the hinge in the efficient range, ensuring sufficient driving force output while preventing the mechanism from jamming.

[0035] Furthermore, during the movement of eyeball 1 from the right extreme position to the left extreme position, the hinge angle between the first short part 7 and the third yaw link 8... The range of change is greater than the hinge angle between the first long part 6 and the first yaw link 4. The design allows for a relatively gentle, small-range angle change at the input end (to the side of the first yaw link 4), which, through the transmission of the second yaw link 5, produces a more significant and larger-range angle change at the output end (to the side of the third yaw link 8), achieving the effect of obtaining a larger output stroke with a compact input stroke. At the same time, by utilizing the lever principle, the first long part 6 has a longer lever arm, requiring less effort, while the first short part 7 has a shorter lever arm, resulting in a larger output displacement change, thus achieving the best balance between motor selection and motion performance.

[0036] Meanwhile, the projected area of ​​yaw arm 3 Projected area of ​​the first yaw link 4 The sum of these values ​​must be less than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support. With 50% of the head's surface area covered, this design further ensures the compactness of the eye area within the head, meeting market demands for small robot designs.

[0037] Therefore, the above-mentioned yaw drive method for the bionic robot eyeball solves the problems of insufficient realism of eyeball movement, bulky mechanism that is prone to motion interference, and unpredictable performance due to reliance on experience in design in existing solutions. It realizes the compact integration of yaw movement and drive mechanism of bionic robot eyeball that conforms to human physiological characteristics, improves the anthropomorphic realism of eyeball movement, the level of integration and miniaturization of robot head, design efficiency and product consistency, system operation reliability, response speed and torque balance performance.

[0038] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A yaw drive method for a biomimetic robot eyeball, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Drive the yaw motor to rotate the yaw rocker arm connected to the output end of the yaw motor. S2. The rotational motion of the yaw rocker arm is transmitted to a transmission component through a first yaw link that is movably connected to the yaw rocker arm. S3. The transmission component transmits motion to the eyeball support, causing the eyeball support to swing left and right, thereby enabling the eyeball, which can be rotated left and right on the eyeball support, to move between the left extreme position and the right extreme position. Wherein, when the eyeball is in any extreme position, its horizontal deflection angle relative to the forward-looking direction is... Satisfy: 0° < ≤30°.

2. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission assembly includes a second yaw link and a third yaw link. The motion transmission steps are as follows: the motion of the first yaw link is transmitted to the second yaw link that is movably connected to it, and the motion of the second yaw link is transmitted to the third yaw link that is movably connected to the eyeball support, thereby causing the eyeball support to swing left and right.

3. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second yaw linkage is an integrally formed bent rod, and the bending angle of the bent rod is an obtuse angle.

4. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bent rod has an integrally formed first short portion and a first long portion set at an obtuse angle; during the process of the eyeball moving from the right extreme position to the left extreme position, the angle between the first short portion and the third yaw link is... The change range is greater than the angle between the first long portion and the first yaw link. The range of change.

5. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset rotation angle range of the yaw arm is: And satisfy: 50°≤ ≤130°.

6. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the eyeball moves from the right extreme position to the left extreme position, the projected area on a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the yaw arm is the area swept by any point on the first yaw link during the movement. Smaller than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support on the corresponding plane 60%.

7. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the eyeball is in the right extreme position, the angle between the yaw rocker arm and the first yaw link is... The angle is 0°; when the eyeball is in the left extreme position, the angle between the yaw rocker arm and the first yaw link is 0°. Satisfy: 20°≤ ≤70°.

8. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the eyeball moves from the right extreme position to the left extreme position, the projected area of ​​the yaw arm as a spatial envelope formed by rigid body motion on a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the yaw arm is... Smaller than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support on the corresponding plane 15%.

9. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 8, characterized in that, The projected area With projected area The ratio satisfies: 0.1 ≤ ≤0.

3.

10. The yaw drive method for a bionic robot eyeball according to claim 9, characterized in that, The projected area With the projected area The sum of these is less than the projected area of ​​the eyeball support on the corresponding plane. 50%.

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