A leg structure of a humanoid robot and a manufacturing method

Abstract

The application discloses a foot structure of a humanoid robot and a manufacturing method thereof, and relates to the technical field of the foot structure of the humanoid robot. The foot structure of the humanoid robot comprises a bionic foot body, the bionic foot body comprises a big toe, the bionic foot body is provided with a first driving mechanism, and the first driving mechanism is connected to the big toe. The first driving mechanism comprises a seat body, the seat body is rotationally connected with a rotating rod, the rotating rod is connected with a driving rotating assembly, the rotating rod is threadedly connected with a first transmission assembly, the rotating rod is rotationally connected with a second transmission assembly, one end of the first transmission assembly, which is away from the rotating rod, is rotationally connected with one end of the second transmission assembly, which is away from the rotating rod, the big toe is connected to the second transmission assembly, and rotation of the rotating rod can drive the second transmission assembly to rotate relative to the rotating rod through the first transmission assembly, so that the big toe is driven to pitch. The application further discloses a manufacturing method applied to the foot structure of the humanoid robot. The application can improve the bionic adaptability of the foot of the humanoid robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of humanoid robot foot structure, and in particular to a humanoid robot foot structure and manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] Humanoid robots, as high-end equipment integrating artificial intelligence and precision mechanics, can simulate human limb movements to complete various tasks such as walking, standing, obstacle crossing, and working. They are widely manufactured in many scenarios such as industrial production, emergency rescue, home service, and scientific research. As the core load-bearing and motion execution component that directly contacts the ground, the foot's structural design directly determines the robot's standing stability, gait smoothness, terrain adaptability, and motion tolerance. It is a key core structure that ensures the dynamic balance and reliable operation of the humanoid robot as a whole.

[0003] Currently, most humanoid robot foot structures in existing technologies adopt a one-piece rigid foot, a simple split foot, or a toeless flat foot structure. Some improved structures only have fixed-shape bionic toes, and all toes are completely passive structures without independent active drive and adjustment capabilities. Conventional foot structures mainly rely on the rotation of the ankle joint in conjunction with the posture adjustment of the entire foot to achieve walking and standing movements. The sole of the foot mostly relies on an elastic pad for passive cushioning. The overall structure is highly homogenized and has poor bionic adaptability.

[0004] Designers hope that humanoid robots will have toes capable of actively pitching to improve biomimetic adaptability. Firstly, foot structures without actively adjustable toes have poor overall ground contact. In unstructured, complex terrain such as uneven surfaces, slopes, and gravel roads, they cannot adaptively adjust their local posture according to the terrain shape. Insufficient contact and uneven force distribution between the foot and the ground easily lead to problems such as center of gravity shift, foot slippage, and wobbling, significantly reducing the robot's static standing stability and dynamic walking smoothness, making it difficult to adapt to the needs of complex scenarios. Secondly, traditional toes are mostly fixed rigid structures or purely flexible passive structures. Because they lack independent active degrees of freedom such as pitch, they cannot simulate the force exertion, contact, and cushioning functions of human toes. This results in stiff gait, high energy consumption, poor smoothness in dynamic actions such as starting, stopping, and turning, low dynamic balance tolerance, and gait imbalance and tipping failures during high-speed walking and changing direction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To improve the biomimetic adaptability of humanoid robot feet, this application provides a foot structure and manufacturing method for a humanoid robot.

[0006] The foot structure of the humanoid robot provided in this application adopts the following technical solution: A foot structure for a humanoid robot includes a bionic script body, the bionic script body including a big toe, and a first drive mechanism installed on the bionic script body, the first drive mechanism being connected to the big toe; The first driving mechanism includes a frame connected to the bionic toe body. The frame is rotatably connected to a seat, and the seat is rotatably connected to a rotating rod. The rotating rod is connected to a drive assembly, and the rotating rod is threadedly connected to a first transmission assembly. The rotating rod is rotatably connected to a second transmission assembly. The end of the first transmission assembly away from the rotating rod is rotatably connected to the end of the second transmission assembly away from the rotating rod. The big toe is connected to the second transmission assembly. The rotation of the rotating rod can drive the second transmission assembly to rotate relative to the rotating rod through the first transmission assembly, thereby causing the big toe to pitch.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the first drive mechanism can independently drive the big toe to complete active pitching motion to achieve active control of the big toe's degree of freedom. The pitching design of the big toe can be combined with the adaptive fitting, auxiliary force generation and cushioning functions that simulate human toes, effectively improving the bionic adaptability of the foot, the ability to fit complex terrain and the smoothness of gait, and solving the defect that traditional passive toe bodies cannot actively adjust their posture.

[0008] Preferably, the first transmission assembly includes a first sleeve threadedly connected to the rotating rod, and the first sleeve is rotatably connected to a first connecting arm. The second transmission assembly includes a second sleeve rotatably connected to the rotating rod, and the second sleeve is rotatably connected to a second connecting arm. The end of the first connecting arm away from the first sleeve is rotatably connected to the end of the second connecting arm away from the second sleeve.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the rotating rod, the first connecting arm, and the second connecting arm cooperate to form a triangular stable transmission structure. The rotation of the rotating rod drives the first sleeve to move linearly along its axis. The first sleeve pushes and pulls the second connecting arm to rotate stably around the rotating rod, thereby driving the big toe to pitch. This triangular structure can significantly improve the structural stability, force uniformity, and motion rigidity during the transmission process, effectively avoiding swaying, wobble, slippage, and jamming during the transmission process. At the same time, the triangular transmission structure has strong impact resistance and uniform stress distribution, which can reduce local stress concentration and component wear, and extend the service life of the transmission mechanism. Moreover, the overall linkage transmission structure is compact and small, with high space utilization, and can be adapted to the limited installation space inside the bionic script body, facilitating overall integration and layout.

[0010] Preferably, the bionic script body has a hole, and the second connecting arm has a shaft in the middle, with the hole rotatably connected to the shaft.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the second connecting arm rotates with the hole of the bionic script body as the fulcrum, making the pitching motion trajectory of the big toe more in line with the bionic motion law of the human body, thus improving transmission stability and posture control accuracy.

[0012] Preferably, the drive assembly includes a drive member mounted on the base, and the base is rotatably connected to a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear that mesh with each other. The first bevel gear is fixedly connected to the drive member, and the second bevel gear is fixedly connected to the rotating rod.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the drive component achieves power reversal output through the meshing first bevel gear and second bevel gear, smoothly transmitting the rotational motion of the drive component to the rotating rod. The bevel gear transmission structure is compact, reliable in reversal, and has strong load-bearing capacity, making it suitable for the limited installation space inside the bionic script body.

[0014] Preferably, the driving component is one of a geared motor, a stepper motor, or a servo motor.

[0015] Preferably, the second connecting arm is connected to a guide post, and the bionic script body has an arc groove. The guide post is slidably connected to the arc groove, and the arc groove cooperates with the guide post to limit the rotation angle of the second connecting arm, thereby limiting the pitch angle of the big toe.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the guide post and the arc groove form a sliding limit to reliably limit the rotation angle range of the second connecting arm, thereby limiting the pitch angle of the big toe and avoiding excessive rotation of the big toe that could cause structural interference or damage. The controllable pitch angle of the big toe meets the requirements of bionics.

[0017] Preferably, the bionic script body includes an installation groove that extends to the external environment, the first drive mechanism is disposed in the installation groove, and a sealing cover is detachably connected to the installation groove.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the first drive mechanism is built into the mounting slot of the bionic script body, and a detachable cover is used to achieve sealing protection to prevent dust and impurities from entering and affecting the transmission accuracy. At the same time, it facilitates the assembly, debugging and subsequent maintenance of the first drive mechanism.

[0019] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a bionic foot body for use in the foot structure of a humanoid robot, comprising the following steps: S1. Biomimetic script body modeling: Establish a three-dimensional model of the biomimetic script body, carry out gradient layer planning along the height direction of the biomimetic script body, so that the biomimetic script body corresponds to the wear-resistant layer, elastic layer and rigid layer in sequence from the outside to the inside, and arrange the reinforcement layer in the heel, forefoot and joint stress area of ​​the biomimetic script body. S2. Biomimetic script body forming: Based on the three-dimensional model, a composite 3D printing process is used to form the overall preparation of the gradient structure biomimetic script body.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the bionic foot body is modeled in a gradient layer and reinforced layers are placed in key stress areas, so that the foot has a continuous gradient performance of wear resistance, elastic cushioning and rigid support from the outside to the inside, taking into account the wear resistance, cushioning and structural strength of the foot, and improving the load-bearing capacity, terrain adaptability and impact resistance.

[0021] Preferably, in step S2, a multi-nozzle fused deposition and selective laser sintering composite process is used to continuously gradient form the wear-resistant layer, elastic layer, rigid layer and reinforcing layer.

[0022] In summary, the present invention has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. The first drive mechanism can independently drive the big toe to complete active pitching motion to achieve active control of the big toe's degree of freedom. The pitching design of the big toe can be combined with the adaptive fit, auxiliary force generation and cushioning function of simulating human toes, effectively improving the bionic adaptability of the foot, the ability to fit complex terrain and the smoothness of gait, and solving the defect of traditional passive toe bodies that cannot actively adjust their posture. 2. The rotating rod, the first connecting arm, and the second connecting arm cooperate to form a triangular stable transmission structure. This triangular transmission structure can significantly improve the structural stability, force uniformity, and motion rigidity during the transmission process. At the same time, the triangular transmission structure has strong impact resistance and uniform stress distribution, which can reduce local stress concentration and component wear, and extend the service life of the transmission mechanism. Furthermore, the first drive mechanism as a whole can be adapted to the limited installation space inside the bionic script body, which is convenient for overall integration and layout. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the foot structure of a humanoid robot according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a structural diagram used to illustrate the mounting slot; Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram used to illustrate the first drive mechanism; Figure 4 This is a structural diagram used to illustrate the guide column.

[0024] The attached diagram is labeled as follows: 1. Bionic toe body; 11. Big toe; 12. Toe body; 13. Mounting groove; 2. First drive mechanism; 21. Seat; 22. Frame; 23. Rotating rod; 24. Drive assembly; 241. Drive component; 242. First bevel gear; 243. Second bevel gear; 25. First transmission assembly; 251. First sleeve; 252. First connecting arm; 26. Second transmission assembly; 261. Second sleeve; 262. Second connecting arm; 27. Hole; 28. Shaft; 29. ​​Guide post; 291. Arc groove; 3. Sealing cover. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. In the following description, specific details such as specific configurations and components are provided merely to help fully understand the embodiments of this application. Therefore, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. In addition, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of known functions and structures are omitted in the embodiments.

[0027] In this article, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, B exists alone, and A and B exist simultaneously. The term " / and" in this article describes another type of relationship between related objects, indicating that two relationships can exist. For example, A / and B can mean: A exists alone, and A and B exist alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the related objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship.

[0028] It should also be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. This application discloses a foot structure for a humanoid robot, designed to improve the biomimetic adaptability of the robot's feet.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2A humanoid robot's foot structure includes a bionic foot body 1, which comprises a big toe 11 and four toe bodies 12 arranged sequentially. The toe bodies 12 have small passive degrees of freedom, while the big toe 11 has active degrees of freedom, specifically the ability to pitch. The instep of the bionic foot body 1 has a mounting groove 13 extending upwards. A first drive mechanism 2 is housed within the mounting groove 13 and connected to the big toe 11, enabling the big toe 11 to pitch. To prevent dust and impurities from entering the mounting groove 13 and affecting the transmission accuracy of the first drive mechanism 2, a sealing cover 3 is screwed onto the mounting groove 13.

[0030] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first drive mechanism 2 includes a base 21, a frame 22 is provided at the bottom of the mounting groove 13, the base 21 is rotatably connected to the frame 22, the base 21 is rotatably connected to a rotating rod 23, the base 21 is also equipped with a drive assembly 24, the drive assembly 24 is connected to the rotating rod 23, the rotating rod 23 is threadedly connected to a first transmission assembly 25, the rotating rod 23 is rotatably connected to a second transmission assembly 26, the end of the first transmission assembly 25 away from the rotating rod 23 is rotatably connected to the end of the second transmission assembly 26 away from the rotating rod 23, the big toe 11 is connected to the second transmission assembly 26, the rotation of the rotating rod 23 can drive the second transmission assembly 26 to rotate relative to the rotating rod 23 through the first transmission assembly 25, thereby driving the big toe 11 to pitch.

[0031] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 Specifically, the drive assembly 24 includes a drive member 241 mounted on the base 21. The base 21 is rotatably connected to a first bevel gear 242 and a second bevel gear 243 that mesh with each other. The first bevel gear 242 is fixedly connected to the drive member 241, and the second bevel gear 243 is fixedly connected to the rotating rod 23. The drive member 241 is, for example, a micro geared motor, a micro stepper motor, or a micro servo motor. In this embodiment, the drive member 241 is preferably a micro servo motor.

[0032] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4Specifically, the first transmission assembly 25 includes a first sleeve 251 threadedly connected to the rotating rod 23, and a first connecting arm 252 rotatably connected to the first sleeve 251. The second transmission assembly 26 includes a second sleeve 261 rotatably connected to the rotating rod 23, located to the left of the first sleeve 251, and a second connecting arm 262 rotatably connected to the second sleeve 261. The end of the first connecting arm 252 away from the first sleeve 251 is rotatably connected to the end of the second connecting arm 262 away from the second sleeve 261. The rotation direction of the first connecting arm 252 is the same as that of the second connecting arm 262. The bionic script body 1 has a hole 27, and the second connecting arm 262 has a shaft 28 in the middle, with the hole 27 rotatably connected to the shaft 28.

[0033] The drive mechanism 241 rotates the first bevel gear 242 and the second bevel gear 243, which in turn rotates the rotating rod 23. The rotation of the rotating rod 23 causes the first sleeve 251 to move, which in turn drives the second connecting arm 262 to rotate along the circumference of the shaft 28 via the first connecting arm 252, thereby causing the big toe 11 to tilt. Specifically, when the first sleeve 251 moves to the left, the big toe 11 rotates clockwise to tilt down, and when the first sleeve 251 moves to the right, the big toe 11 rotates counterclockwise to tilt up.

[0034] The rotating rod 23, the first connecting arm 252, and the second connecting arm 262 cooperate to form a triangular stable transmission structure. Firstly, this triangular structure can significantly improve the structural stability, force uniformity, and motion rigidity during the transmission process, effectively avoiding swaying, wobbling, slippage, and jamming during the transmission process. Secondly, the triangular transmission structure has strong impact resistance and uniform stress distribution, which can reduce local stress concentration and component wear, and extend the service life of the transmission mechanism. Thirdly, the shape of the first drive mechanism 2 can be adapted to the limited installation space of the mounting slot 13, which is convenient for overall integration and arrangement.

[0035] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 To prevent the big toe 11 from moving too far, the second connecting arm 262 is connected to a guide post 29. The bionic script body 1 has an arc groove 291, which is distributed along the circumference of the shaft 28. The guide post 29 is slidably connected to the arc groove 291. The arc groove 291 and the guide post 29 cooperate to limit the rotation angle of the second connecting arm 262, thereby limiting the pitch angle of the big toe 11. The above design avoids excessive rotation of the big toe 11, which may cause structural interference or damage. The controllable pitch angle of the big toe 11 meets the requirements of bionics.

[0036] The implementation principle of the foot structure of a humanoid robot in this embodiment is as follows: the drive component 241 drives the first bevel gear 242 and the second bevel gear 243 to rotate, which in turn drives the rotating rod 23 to rotate. The rotation of the rotating rod 23 will drive the first sleeve 251 to move, thereby driving the second connecting arm 262 to rotate along the circumference of the shaft 28 through the first connecting arm 252, which in turn drives the big toe 11 to perform pitching motion.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application also discloses a method for manufacturing a bionic foot body for use in the foot structure of a humanoid robot, comprising the following steps: S1. Modeling of bionic script body 1: Establish a three-dimensional model of bionic script body 1, carry out gradient layer planning along the height direction of bionic script body 1, so that bionic script body 1 corresponds to the continuous gradient structure of wear-resistant layer, elastic layer and rigid layer from the outside to the inside, and lay reinforcement layers in the heel, forefoot and joint stress areas of bionic script body 1. The wear-resistant layer is made of thermoplastic polyurethane combined with nano-alumina particles; the elastic layer is made of glass fiber reinforced nylon to provide biomimetic energy feedback and passive degrees of freedom for the toe body 12; the rigid layer is made of chopped carbon fiber combined with polyetheretherketone; and the reinforcing layer is made of aluminum alloy, primarily consisting of a mesh structure. These material configurations ensure that the biomimetic toe body 1 possesses both passive degrees of freedom and structural strength, enabling the reliable installation of the first drive mechanism 2 and related structures.

[0038] S2. Forming of Bionic Script Body 1: Based on the 3D model, a composite 3D printing process is used to form the overall fabrication of the gradient structure bionic script body 1. Specifically, a multi-nozzle fused deposition modeling and selective laser sintering composite process is used to continuously form the wear-resistant layer, elastic layer, rigid layer, and reinforcing layer in a gradient manner. It should be noted that the thumb 11 is formed separately, and the subsequent installation and connection of the thumb 11 requires the use of skin-simulating materials such as silicone.

[0039] During the molding process, a multi-nozzle fused deposition and selective laser sintering composite process is used to automatically switch materials according to a set gradient in the same printing task, so as to achieve a seamless transition between different layers. The specific molding method is existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0040] The embodiments described herein are preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape, and principle of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foot structure for a humanoid robot, characterized in that: It includes a bionic script body (1), the bionic script body (1) includes a big toe (11), the bionic script body (1) is equipped with a first drive mechanism (2), the first drive mechanism (2) is connected to the big toe (11); The first drive mechanism (2) includes a frame (22) connected to the bionic script body (1). The frame (22) is rotatably connected to a seat (21). The seat (21) is rotatably connected to a rotating rod (23). The rotating rod (23) is connected to a drive assembly (24). The rotating rod (23) is threadedly connected to a first transmission assembly (25). The rotating rod (23) is rotatably connected to a second transmission assembly (26). The end of the first transmission assembly (25) away from the rotating rod (23) is rotatably connected to the end of the second transmission assembly (26) away from the rotating rod (23). The big toe (11) is connected to the second transmission assembly (26). The rotation of the rotating rod (23) can drive the second transmission assembly (26) to rotate relative to the rotating rod (23) through the first transmission assembly (25), thereby driving the big toe (11) to pitch.

2. The foot structure of a humanoid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first transmission assembly (25) includes a first sleeve (251) threaded to the rotating rod (23), and the first sleeve (251) is rotatably connected to a first connecting arm (252). The second transmission assembly (26) includes a second sleeve (261) rotatably connected to the rotating rod (23), and the second sleeve (261) is rotatably connected to a second connecting arm (262). The end of the first connecting arm (252) away from the first sleeve (251) is rotatably connected to the end of the second connecting arm (262) away from the second sleeve (261).

3. The foot structure of a humanoid robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bionic script body (1) has a hole (27), and the second connecting arm (262) has a shaft (28) in the middle, and the hole (27) is rotatably connected to the shaft (28).

4. The foot structure of a humanoid robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive assembly (24) includes a drive member (241) mounted on a base (21). The base (21) is rotatably connected to a first bevel gear (242) and a second bevel gear (243) that mesh with each other. The first bevel gear (242) is fixedly connected to the drive member (241), and the second bevel gear (243) is fixedly connected to the rotating rod (23).

5. The foot structure of a humanoid robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The drive component (241) is one of a geared motor, a stepper motor, or a servo motor.

6. The foot structure of a humanoid robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second connecting arm (262) is connected to a guide post (29). The bionic script body (1) has an arc groove (291). The guide post (29) is slidably connected to the arc groove (291). The arc groove (291) and the guide post (29) cooperate to limit the rotation angle of the second connecting arm (262) and thus limit the pitch angle of the big toe (11).

7. The foot structure of a humanoid robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bionic script body (1) includes an installation slot (13) that extends to the external environment. The first drive mechanism (2) is located in the installation slot (13). A detachable cover (3) is attached to the installation slot (13).

8. A method for manufacturing a biomimetic foot body applied to the foot structure of a humanoid robot according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. Modeling of bionic script body (1): Establish a three-dimensional model of bionic script body (1), carry out gradient layer planning along the height direction of bionic script body (1), so that the bionic script body (1) corresponds to the continuous gradient structure of wear-resistant layer, elastic layer and rigid layer from the outside to the inside, and lay reinforcement layers in the heel, forefoot and joint stress area of ​​bionic script body (1). S2. Forming of biomimetic script body (1): Based on the three-dimensional model, composite 3D printing process is used to form the overall preparation of gradient structure biomimetic script body (1).

9. The method for manufacturing the foot structure of the humanoid robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: In step S2, a multi-nozzle fused deposition and selective laser sintering composite process is used to continuously gradient form the wear-resistant layer, elastic layer, rigid layer and reinforcing layer.

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