Humanoid robot motion test platform

Abstract

The invention provides a humanoid robot motion test platform, which comprises a base, a belt-type motion mechanism, a height adjusting device and a control system, and is characterized in that the height adjusting device comprises a linear driving mechanism of which the bottom is hinged to the base; the first sliding mechanism is connected with the output end of the linear driving mechanism; the second sliding mechanism is in sliding fit with the first sliding mechanism and is connected with the test platform; and the brake mechanism is used for limiting relative movement of the two. During slope changing, the two sliding mechanisms slide relatively to automatically compensate the space horizontal displacement difference, and lateral stress interference is eliminated; the high-frequency large-load stepping impact of the robot can be effectively resisted, the step loss of the system is prevented, and the unification of smooth slope change and high-rigidity and high-precision testing is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robot testing technology, and more specifically to a humanoid robot motion testing platform. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the research and evaluation system of humanoid robots, motion performance testing is particularly crucial. This requires robots to adapt to different speeds, accelerations, and complex slope environments, and to operate stably continuously. Compared to traditional wheeled or small quadruped robots, humanoid robots generally possess physical characteristics such as massive weight, drastic dynamic changes in their center of gravity, and extremely strong impact forces upon landing. However, there are currently few products available for robot motion testing platforms, and their functions are relatively limited. In the early stages of robot development, ordinary treadmills or self-developed simple equipment were typically used for testing. Such equipment usually has a small running platform size, cannot accommodate various types of robots, and adjustment parameters are often very limited; for example, the slope can usually only be adjusted in one direction, and the adjustable angle is small.

[0003] Existing robot testing equipment typically uses pushrod motors or cylinders as the lifting drive source at the bottom when dealing with complex slope simulations. For example, patent application CN216967835U discloses a legged robot motion testing device, which mainly uses a pushrod motor at the bottom to drive the support components for vertical adjustment; another example is patent application CN106625778A, which discloses a legged bionic robot motion control testing platform and testing method, whose slope simulation platform also relies on several cylinders at the bottom for lifting support to change the slope of the drive belt. However, the above-mentioned conventional solutions that use pushrods or cylinders for direct vertical lifting have the following technical problems: 1. Severe kinematic interference and lateral force problems exist. The lifting motion of the treadmill frame is essentially a circular arc rotation with one end as the hinge center. As the slope angle increases, the horizontal relative axial distance between the lifting force point and the frame hinge center inevitably decreases dynamically. However, existing push rods or cylinders generally use a conventional connection method with both ends fixed. This causes the lead screw of the push rod or the piston rod of the cylinder to inevitably bear extremely large lateral shear and bending stresses during the extension and lifting process. This stress can easily cause mechanical jamming, instability and bending of the stressed components, or even structural fracture, thus making the equipment unable to meet the requirements of smooth slope switching over large spans and high frequencies.

[0004] 2. The support stiffness and locking mechanism cannot withstand high-frequency, high-force impacts. The test platform requires extremely high structural rigidity when dealing with the high-frequency, high-load impacts unique to humanoid robots. For existing solutions using cylinder supports, due to the inherent compressibility of gas in pneumatic transmission, the cylinders are prone to elastic yielding and repeated forced bouncing under intense dynamic stomping from the robot's feet. This lack of support stiffness causes severe vibrations and slight displacement slippage during platform operation and testing. This not only causes the actual test slope to deviate significantly from the set value, compromising the signal-to-noise ratio and accuracy of the test data, but also accelerates the fatigue wear of core precision moving parts. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a humanoid robot motion testing platform to solve the problems in the prior art where humanoid robot testing platforms are prone to mechanical interference during slope adjustment and are prone to vibration and displacement when facing high-frequency impact loads.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a height adjustment device for a humanoid robot motion testing platform, adjusting the slope of the testing platform. The device includes: a linear drive mechanism, the bottom of which is connected to a base via a hinge; a first sliding mechanism connected to the power output end of the linear drive mechanism; a second sliding mechanism cooperating with the first sliding mechanism to ensure parallel movement of the two, and the second sliding mechanism being connected to the testing platform; and a braking mechanism for limiting the relative movement of the first and second sliding mechanisms.

[0007] By utilizing the free swing of the bottom hinge design to eliminate bending moment during the motion adjustment phase, and coordinating the relative sliding of the first and second sliding mechanisms to compensate for the reduction in axial distance caused by the platform's lifting arc motion, lateral interference is eliminated. At the same time, the braking mechanism rigidly locks the platform after reaching the specified slope, transforming the sliding connection into a high-strength rigid support, thereby maintaining the platform's stability when the robot runs and jumps violently.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to solve the problems of poor installation adaptability and uneven distribution of braking force of the braking mechanism, the braking mechanism provided in this application is installed on at least one of the first sliding mechanism and the second sliding mechanism. The installation position of the braking mechanism can be flexibly selected according to the equipment structure space and load distribution to ensure that the braking force is applied evenly and the locking effect is stable and reliable.

[0009] Furthermore, due to the problems of reverse clearance, insufficient locking rigidity, and weak impact resistance when the sliding pair is locked, the braking mechanism provided in this application applies pressure to the first sliding mechanism and the second sliding mechanism in a direction perpendicular to the relative motion, thereby braking the relative motion. The static friction force generated by the positive pressure achieves clearance-free rigid locking, with fast locking response, and can withstand large load vertical and horizontal impacts without slippage displacement.

[0010] Preferably, the braking mechanism uses a guide rail clamp, which can quickly respond to locking and releasing commands and is suitable for high-frequency slope adjustment.

[0011] Because existing cylinder lifting mechanisms suffer from gas compressibility, they lack support stiffness and are prone to forced bouncing. Ordinary push rod motors have low precision and weak load-bearing capacity. Preferably, the linear drive mechanism provided in this application is selected from one of the following: trapezoidal screw lifting machine, ball screw lifting machine, linear stepper motor, and motor-driven gear rack mechanism. The selection can be flexibly made according to the weight of the test robot, the test precision requirements, and the cost budget to ensure the load-bearing capacity and control precision of the lifting drive.

[0012] Preferably, the power output component of the linear drive mechanism is a lead screw; Furthermore, the linear drive mechanism employs a motor-driven worm gear transmission pair to drive the lead screw in axial linear movement. The bottom end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the base, and the upper section of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the first sliding mechanism. The worm gear has a built-in reverse self-locking function, improving static support stiffness; the double-hinged structure can adaptively adjust the angle of the slope, eliminating lateral shear and bending stress on the lead screw and preventing structural damage.

[0013] Preferably, the active drive component of the linear drive mechanism is a servo motor, which can realize closed-loop accurate control of the lifting stroke, support stepless smooth adjustment of the slope, ensure that the actual slope is highly consistent with the set value, and adapt to complex test conditions.

[0014] This invention also provides a humanoid robot motion testing platform. Employing the aforementioned height adjustment device, the testing platform further includes: several height adjustment devices supporting a belt-type motion mechanism; a second sliding mechanism of each height adjustment device is connected to the frame of the belt-type motion mechanism; the belt-type motion mechanism drives the annular belt through a drive mechanism; and several height adjustment devices are at least located at the front and rear ends of the belt-type motion mechanism. This testing platform solves the problems of existing testing platforms that can only adjust the slope in one direction, have a small adjustment range, and cannot simulate complex road surfaces. By using multiple sets of height adjustment devices in the testing platform provided in this application to independently raise and lower, it achieves slope adjustment in multiple directions (front / back, left / right), expanding the slope adjustment range and simulating various complex road surfaces such as uphill, downhill, and side slopes, thus adapting to the testing needs of different types of humanoid robots.

[0015] Furthermore, the testing platform also includes a control system, which is electrically connected to the linear drive mechanism, the drive mechanism, and the braking mechanism to achieve coordinated control of slope adjustment, belt operation, and brake locking, thereby improving testing efficiency.

[0016] The technical advantages of this application are as follows: 1. To address the significant impact force on the feet during humanoid robot testing, a braking mechanism is introduced. After the slope is adjusted to the correct position, the braking mechanism laterally locks the sliding gap, converting flexible sliding into rigid support, effectively reducing platform vibration and elastic slippage caused by the robot under high-frequency, high-load footing.

[0017] 2. The horizontal displacement difference generated during platform elevation changes is compensated by the cooperation of the bottom hinge of the linear drive mechanism and the first and second sliding mechanisms at the top. This structure effectively releases the lateral shear and bending stresses borne by the drive rods during extension and retraction, reduces the risk of mechanical jamming, and extends the service life of the equipment.

[0018] 3. The linear drive mechanism preferably uses a servo motor as the active drive component. By utilizing the closed-loop position feedback and short-time overload characteristics of the servo system, it can effectively avoid the "step loss" phenomenon that is prone to occur in open-loop drives when dealing with drastic changes in the robot's center of gravity and transient heavy load impacts during testing, thus ensuring the consistency between the actual slope and the set slope.

[0019] 4. By combining the constant torque speed regulation of the servo mechanism with the rigid transmission of the mechanical transmission pair, mechanical jerking during slope changes is reduced, minimizing external interference to the robot's lower limb algorithm under testing. Simultaneously, the self-locking characteristics of the mechanical transmission pair and the power-off retention function of the braking mechanism enhance the platform's fall protection safety during sudden power outages. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the humanoid robot motion testing platform provided by the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the test platform according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This invention provides Figure 2 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure at point A in the middle.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the height adjustment device provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the main view structure of the test platform provided by the present invention after slope adjustment.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the test platform provided by the present invention after slope adjustment.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100. Base; 101. Mounting support; 110. Linear drive mechanism; 111. Servo motor; 112. Worm gear transmission pair; 113. Lead screw; 120. First sliding mechanism; 121. Mounting base; 130. Second sliding mechanism; 140. Braking mechanism; 200. Test platform; 210. Belt motion mechanism; 220. Drive mechanism; 230. Tension adjustment mechanism; 300. Control system; 310. Data acquisition components. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following will be combined with the appendix Figures 1-6 The embodiments of the technical solution of this application are described in detail below. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, and are therefore merely examples and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application. See also... Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment is a complete implementation of the humanoid robot motion testing platform 200, including a rectangular steel welded base 100, four sets of height adjustment devices, a belt motion mechanism 210, and a control system 300.

[0028] The base 100 is an integral rectangular welded frame. Fixed feet with mounting holes are welded to the bottom of the four corners of the frame. Mounting supports 101 with hinge holes are welded to the four corners of the upper surface of the frame for mounting four sets of height adjustment devices. A buffer is fixedly installed on the side of each mounting support 101 to limit the extreme swing stroke of the height adjustment device and avoid hard contact impact.

[0029] The height adjustment device includes a linear drive mechanism 110, a first sliding mechanism 120, a second sliding mechanism 130, and a braking mechanism 140, with the specific installation and connection relationships as follows: The linear drive mechanism 110 employs a servo motor 111 to drive a worm gear transmission pair 112, which in turn drives a lead screw 113 to cause axial movement of the belt motion mechanism 210. Specifically, the servo motor 111 is the active drive component. The housing of the worm gear transmission pair 112 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the mounting base 121 of the first sliding mechanism 120. The servo motor 111 is fixedly mounted on the side of the housing by bolts. The output shaft of the servo motor 111 is coaxially fixedly connected to the worm of the worm gear transmission pair 112 via a coupling. The worm wheel of the worm gear transmission pair 112 is limited and mounted in the internal cavity of the housing by a double-row angular contact bearing, and can only rotate around its own axis, unable to produce axial relative displacement with the housing. A center opening is formed on the worm wheel. The trapezoidal lead screw has a trapezoidal internal thread hole that is adapted to the trapezoidal lead screw. The trapezoidal lead screw is vertically inserted into the internal thread hole and forms a threaded transmission engagement with the worm gear. The trapezoidal lead screw also adaptably passes vertically through the corresponding through hole of the guide rail mounting seat. The bottom end of the trapezoidal lead screw is machined with a connecting shaft section. The connecting shaft section is interference-fitted with the inner ring of the fisheye bearing. The outer ring of the fisheye bearing is interference-fitted into the hinge hole of the mounting support 101 at the corresponding position of the base 100. The trapezoidal lead screw can only swing omnidirectionally around the bottom hinge point and cannot move as a whole along the axial direction. Since the worm gear, worm, and servo motor 111 are all integrated and installed in the same rigid housing, when the lead screw 113 swings, the mounting seat 121 and the belt motion mechanism 210 drive the housing to tilt synchronously, so that the axis of the worm gear is always coaxial with the axis of the lead screw.

[0030] To meet the testing requirements of humanoid robots under conditions such as normal walking, large-span slope switching, and violent running and jumping, the bottom of the linear drive mechanism 110 is connected to the mounting support 101 of the base 100 through hinges, so as to allow it to swing in all directions with the tilt angle of the platform, thereby eliminating the bending moment and lateral stress caused by the fixed connection. The linear drive mechanism can be a transmission structure of servo motor driving worm gear and ball screw, or a gear rack structure of servo motor and planetary gearbox, or a linear stepper motor direct drive push rod structure.

[0031] Furthermore, considering the extreme stress conditions experienced by the humanoid robot while operating on this test platform 200, the linear drive mechanism 110 in this embodiment preferably employs a servo motor 111 as the active drive component. This is not a simple replacement of the power source, but rather utilizes the highly closed-loop and dynamic response characteristics of the servo system to collaboratively address the following technical issues in humanoid robot testing: In complex uphill and downhill simulations, the dynamic shift of the robot's center of gravity can lead to extremely uneven stress distribution across the platform's support points. The servo system utilizes its high-precision encoder for closed-loop control, frequently verifying the platform's physical position in real time. If localized overload causes a slight tendency for the mechanical structure to yield, the servo system can immediately adjust the current to correct this, preventing step loss under complex stress conditions and ensuring consistency between the actual simulated slope and the system's set slope, thus significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the test data.

[0032] Meanwhile, the servo motor 111 has high-resolution control capabilities. When carrying a humanoid robot with a large self-weight and making large-span slope changes, the height adjustment device can still smoothly and uniformly complete the lifting and lowering according to the planned speed curve, avoiding the mechanical jerks and acceleration abrupt changes that occur when the conventional motor 111 adjusts its speed, thereby preventing external interference caused by equipment vibration to the robot's lower limb balance control algorithm.

[0033] See attached document Figure 3 and 4 The first sliding mechanism 120 and the second sliding mechanism 130 adopt a linear guide slider pair, and the linear drive mechanism 110 is equipped with a suitable protective shell. The first sliding mechanism 120 and the second sliding mechanism 130 are also equipped with dustproof protective shells to prevent dust and debris from entering the moving and transmission pairs during the testing process, causing jamming and wear, and ensuring the operating accuracy and service life of the equipment. The specific installation and connection relationship is as follows: Two sliders are symmetrically fixedly mounted on the side mounting beam surface of the frame of the belt motion mechanism 210. These sliders are ball bearing sliders adapted to the linear guide rail, forming the first sliding mechanism 120. The second sliding mechanism 130 is a linear guide rail that is adapted to the two sliders. The guide rail is fixed to the upper surface of the mounting base 121 by hexagonal bolts. The extension direction of the guide rail is completely parallel to the running direction of the belt of the belt motion mechanism 210, i.e., the front-to-back direction. Both sliders are engaged on the linear guide rail and can slide freely synchronously along the extension direction of the guide rail. Buffers are fixedly installed at both ends of the guide rail to limit the extreme sliding stroke of the slider and absorb the impact load during the sliding start and stop process.

[0034] To compensate for the reduction in horizontal axial distance caused by the platform's lifting and circular motion, the first sliding mechanism 120 and the second sliding mechanism 130 can also adopt T-shaped slide rail pairs or roller guide rail pairs, so that regardless of the driving and sliding configuration, each module can work together to eliminate lateral motion interference during the adjustment process within its specific installation space.

[0035] See attached document Figure 3The braking mechanism 140 adopts a normally open type electric control rail clamp, specifically: the rail clamp is fixed in the middle of the two sliders by internal hex bolts, and the two clamping blocks of the clamp jaws are respectively engaged with the upper and lower guide surfaces of the linear guide rail. The control cable of the clamp is connected to the relay output terminal of the control system 300. When the power is on, the jaws are loosened and the slider can slide freely along the guide rail. When the power is off, the built-in spring pushes the jaws to close, and the relative movement between the slider and the guide rail is locked by the clamping force perpendicular to the guide rail.

[0036] The braking mechanism 140 can also be a normally closed pneumatic brake mechanism, with the brake seat fixed on both sides of the sliding seat and corresponding to the side of the slide rail; or a normally closed hydraulic guide rail clamp, which is fixed at both ends of the roller guide rail and the clamping mouth corresponds to the front and rear end faces of the roller mounting seat.

[0037] The belt motion mechanism 210 adopts a rectangular steel welded frame, the size of which corresponds to the size of the base 100. The specific installation and connection relationship is as follows: the front and rear ends of the frame are respectively rotatably mounted with drive rollers and driven rollers via bearing seats. The annular running belt is tensioned and sleeved on the outside of the drive rollers and driven rollers. The roller shaft of the drive roller extends to the left. The drive mechanism housing is fixed to the left front end of the frame. The drive mechanism 220 is installed in the drive mechanism housing. The drive mechanism 220 can be a servo geared motor. The output shaft of the servo geared motor is coaxially fixedly connected to the roller shaft of the drive roller via a diaphragm coupling. Between the left and right inner side walls of the frame, roller mounting seats are welded at equal intervals along the front and rear direction. The two ends of each roller are rotatably mounted on the corresponding roller mounting seats on the left and right sides via deep groove ball bearings. The upper surface of all rollers is in contact with the inner side of the upper belt layer of the running belt to support the running belt and resist the impact of the robot stepping on it.

[0038] The specific installation and connection relationships of the control system 300 are as follows: A Siemens PLC is used as the main controller, which is installed inside the electrical control cabinet fixed on the right side of the base 100. The industrial touch screen is installed on the outside of the cabinet door. The servo motor drivers of the four height adjustment devices, the control relays of the braking mechanism 140, and the servo geared motor drivers of the belt motion mechanism 210 are all installed on the internal mounting plate of the electrical control cabinet and electrically connected to the corresponding IO ports and pulse output ports of the main controller through shielded cables. The control system 300 has a built-in slope calculation module and a safety interlock module. The logic of the safety interlock module is: the servo motor 111 of the height adjustment device is allowed to start running only when all guide rail clamps are in the energized and released state. The control system 300 is also equipped with emergency stop buttons, which are installed on the cabinet door of the electrical control cabinet. All emergency stop buttons are connected in series to the hardware emergency stop circuit.

[0039] Furthermore, the test platform is also equipped with a data acquisition component 310. The specific installation and connection relationship of the data acquisition component 310 is as follows: the dual-axis tilt sensor is fixed above the height adjustment device by bolts. The two detection axes of the sensor correspond to the front-back and left-right directions of the frame, respectively, and are used to detect the actual slope of the platform in real time; the three-axis acceleration sensor (not shown in the figure) is installed on the front right side of the frame by bolts and is used to collect the vibration data of the platform. The signal output terminals of all acquisition components are electrically connected to the analog input port of the main controller through shielded cables.

[0040] See attached document Figure 5 and 6 The working process of this embodiment is as follows: Before the test, the operator inputs the required slope parameters and running belt parameters through the touch screen. The control system 300 automatically calculates the target stroke of the lifting shell of the four sets of height adjustment devices. The control system 300 first controls all guide rail clamps to be energized and released, and then controls the four sets of servo motors 111 to synchronously or independently drive the worm gear and worm wheel to rotate, driving the shell and belt motion mechanism 210 to perform linear lifting and lowering movements along the trapezoidal screw. During the lifting and lowering process, the slider slides adaptively along the guide rail to compensate for the horizontal displacement difference when the running platform is raised. At the same time, the trapezoidal screw swings adaptively around the bottom hinge point to eliminate lateral stress. When the shell reaches the target stroke, the control system 300 controls the guide rail clamps to be de-energized and locked to achieve rigid support of the platform. After that, the control system 300 controls the servo reduction motor 111 to drive the running belt to run according to the set parameters, and the test can begin. During the test, the data acquisition component 310 collects data in real time, monitors the status in real time, and immediately stops and locks when an abnormality is triggered.

[0041] The beneficial technical effect of this embodiment is that, through the coordinated work of four height adjustment devices equipped with servo motors 111, the multi-directional slope adjustment of the belt motion mechanism 210 can be realized, and the slope can reach ±15°, ensuring the smooth lifting of the frame, reducing drive jamming and platform vibration displacement, and ensuring the basic accuracy of test data; at the same time, the linkage of each component can realize the automation of the test process, improve test efficiency, and its stable and low-noise operation characteristics can be adapted to high-precision test environments, which can meet the basic requirements of multi-directional motion testing of humanoid robots.

[0042] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A height adjustment device for a humanoid robot motion testing platform, for adjusting the slope of the testing platform (200), characterized in that, The device includes: A linear drive mechanism (110) is connected to a base (100) by a hinge at its bottom; The first sliding mechanism (120) is connected to the power output end of the linear drive mechanism (110); The second sliding mechanism (130) cooperates with the first sliding mechanism (120) to ensure that the two move in parallel, and the second sliding mechanism (130) is connected to the test platform (200); Braking mechanism (140) is used to limit the relative movement of the first sliding mechanism (120) and the second sliding mechanism (130).

2. The height adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The braking mechanism (140) is mounted on at least one of the first sliding mechanism (120) and the second sliding mechanism (130).

3. The height adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The braking mechanism (140) applies pressure to the first sliding mechanism (120) and the second sliding mechanism (130) in a direction perpendicular to the relative motion, thereby braking the relative motion.

4. The height adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The braking mechanism (140) is a guide rail clamp.

5. The height adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linear drive mechanism (110) is selected from one of the following: trapezoidal screw elevator, ball screw elevator, linear stepper motor, and motor-driven gear rack mechanism.

6. The height adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power output component of the linear drive mechanism (110) is a lead screw (113).

7. The height adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linear drive mechanism (110) uses a motor to drive the worm gear transmission pair (112) to move the lead screw (113) in an axial linear motion; wherein, the bottom end of the lead screw (113) is rotatably connected to the base (100), and the upper section of the lead screw (113) is rotatably connected to the first sliding mechanism (120).

8. The height adjustment device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, The active drive component of the linear drive mechanism is a servo motor (111).

9. A humanoid robot motion testing platform, characterized in that, The test platform further comprises: (The height adjustment device described in any one of claims 1 to 8) A plurality of height adjustment devices support a belt motion mechanism (210), and the second sliding mechanism (130) of the height adjustment device is connected to the frame of the belt motion mechanism (210). The belt motion mechanism (210) drives the annular belt to operate through a drive mechanism (220). Several of the height adjustment devices are provided at least at the front and rear ends of the belt motion mechanism (210).

10. The humanoid robot motion testing platform according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a control system (300), which is electrically connected to the linear drive mechanism (110), the drive mechanism (220), and the braking mechanism (140).

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