A rope-driven octopus arm bionic manipulator system

Abstract

This invention discloses a rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system, which consists of a drive unit and a robotic arm body. The drive unit includes a drive unit and an edge computing control module; the robotic arm body is an octopus brachiopod bionic structure, fixedly mounted to the front panel of the drive unit at its base. The drive unit's power components are four articulated motors, each driving a winding mechanism, thereby controlling the movement of the octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm by pulling the drive cables. This invention achieves underactuated control of the highly redundant octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm using only four articulated motors. By using four cables to drive the robotic arm in mimicking the movement patterns of octopus brachiopods, it can perform flexible winding and obstacle-avoiding movements in confined spaces. This system has advantages such as compact structure, high flexibility, and strong spatial adaptability. It can be equipped with an end effector to enter narrow, deep cavities to perform maintenance and other tasks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of rope-driven robotics technology, specifically a rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for detection, inspection, and auxiliary operations in narrow, complex, and unstructured spaces, related equipment must not only have a large working range and good environmental adaptability, but also meet requirements such as lightweight, miniaturization, rapid response, and ease of deployment and storage. Especially in confined scenarios such as pipes, gaps, cavities, and areas with dense obstacles, traditional rigid robotic arms often struggle to balance maneuverability, mobility, and operational efficiency. Therefore, hyper-redundant robotic arms and continuous robotic arms with continuous deformation capabilities are gradually becoming research hotspots.

[0003] Existing super-redundant continuous robotic arms mostly employ ball screws, linkages, and multi-stage reduction mechanisms for motion control. While this type of structure can achieve a certain degree of attitude adjustment and end effector movement, it generally suffers from problems such as long transmission chains, a large number of ball screws and reduction components, complex assembly relationships, large overall weight and size, and inconvenient maintenance. In particular, when using ball screw and multi-stage transmission schemes, additional components such as slides, guide rails, and couplings are required, further increasing the system's space occupation and structural burden, which is not conducive to forming a compact integrated layout, thus limiting the robotic arm's ability to be deployed, move, and stored in confined environments.

[0004] On the other hand, when increasing the degrees of freedom, existing high-degree-of-freedom robotic arms typically require the simultaneous addition of a large number of active drive units. This leads to increased control difficulty, structural complexity, and system burden, not only raising manufacturing and maintenance costs but also affecting response performance, reliability, and engineering application effectiveness. Especially for continuous robotic arms with a large aspect ratio, continuing to use the design approach of multiple active drive mechanisms often makes it difficult to simultaneously achieve high flexibility, structural simplicity, transmission efficiency, and lightweight requirements. Therefore, how to achieve effective drive and coordinated control of highly redundant high-degree-of-freedom robotic arms with fewer drive sources remains a problem that existing technologies need to solve.

[0005] Furthermore, while existing bionic robotic arms draw inspiration from the flexible movement characteristics of organisms to some extent, most can only achieve bending movements, making it difficult to further realize multi-directional continuous compliant movement and spiral curling for storage. However, in nature, octopus tentacles possess characteristics such as continuous compliance, multi-directional bending, strong winding ability, and high dexterity, enabling them to perform operations such as grasping, entanglement, obstacle avoidance, and passage in complex and confined environments. The helical logarithmic spiral curling forms exhibited by the structures of natural organisms such as nautiluses, elephant trunks, and chameleon tails demonstrate the advantage of achieving efficient storage within limited spaces.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a rope-driven octopus brachioscopic robotic arm system based on bionic design. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to address the problems of existing hyper-redundant robotic arms, such as a large number of drive units, complex transmission chains, large drive volume, limited response speed, and insufficient adaptability to narrow spaces. The invention proposes a rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system. This system directly drives four cables through four joint motors to implement underactuated control of the multi-segment hyper-redundant robotic arm. Combined with a logarithmic spiral size gradient structure, the robotic arm has the ability to bend in multiple directions, continuously curl, and flexibly retract like octopus brachiopods.

[0008] The technical solution to achieve the purpose of this invention is: a rope-driven octopus brachioscopic robotic arm system, the system comprising:

[0009] The drive unit integrates the power source and control components.

[0010] The robotic arm body is fixedly installed outside the drive box and is a biomimetic structure of octopus arms with super redundant degrees of freedom, consisting of multiple segments connected together.

[0011] Multiple drive cables are connected between the power source inside the drive box and the robotic arm body. Underactuated control of the robotic arm body is achieved by changing the tension of the cables. Underactuated control means that the number of drive variables of the robotic arm body is less than its number of degrees of freedom.

[0012] The power source is used to realize the underactuated control, and by adjusting the tension of each of the drive cables, the robotic arm body is driven to produce multi-directional bending or curling deformation.

[0013] The control component is used for power supply management and motion scheduling of the system.

[0014] Furthermore, the robotic arm body includes a base, an intermediate arm segment, and a robotic arm end segment;

[0015] The base is fixedly installed on the outer front part of the drive box;

[0016] The intermediate arm segment is composed of multiple bionic robotic arm segments connected in series via universal joints;

[0017] The end segment of the robotic arm is connected to the far end of the intermediate arm segment, and the drive cable is fixed to the outside of the end segment of the robotic arm.

[0018] Furthermore, the overall configuration of the robotic arm body adopts a biomimetic dimensional gradient design:

[0019] The diameters at both ends of the bionic segment of the robotic arm are set according to a logarithmic spiral function, with the diameter near the base being larger than the diameter at the far end. That is, the outline dimensions of the bionic segment of the robotic arm gradually decrease along the direction away from the base.

[0020] The robotic arm body exhibits a spiral curled shape that follows a logarithmic spiral equation when in a state of extreme curling.

[0021] Furthermore, each of the bionic segments of the robotic arm is provided with multiple circumferentially distributed module cable guide holes; multiple drive cables pass through the corresponding module cable guide holes on each of the bionic segments of the robotic arm and are then fixed to the end segment of the robotic arm.

[0022] Furthermore, the power source employs a drive unit, which includes:

[0023] The first to Nth joint motors serve as direct power components;

[0024] The first to Nth winding mechanisms, which correspond one-to-one with the first to Nth joint motors, are respectively installed on the output shaft of each joint motor;

[0025] The first to Nth joint motors respectively pull the corresponding drive cables through the corresponding winding mechanism. By adjusting the effective length of the drive cables, underactuated control of the robotic arm body can be achieved.

[0026] The value of N is at least the same as the number of drive cables.

[0027] Furthermore, the driving unit also includes:

[0028] Motor mounting plate for supporting the joint motor;

[0029] A conduit bracket, on which a conduit seat is mounted, is used to limit and guide the drive cable.

[0030] One end of the drive cable is fixed to the winding mechanism, and the other end is led out from the winding mechanism and passes through the cable holder and the drive box in sequence to enter the robotic arm body.

[0031] Furthermore, the control component is a control module, which is an edge computing control module, including an edge computing controller and a power supply component;

[0032] The edge computing controller controls the operation of the drive unit according to the received instructions, and supports at least one of the following modes: angle control, speed control, and torque control.

[0033] The power supply component is used to supply power to the power source and the edge computing controller.

[0034] Furthermore, the control module adopts a layered integrated layout, including a device base plate and a device mounting plate fixed above it by connecting columns; the edge computing controller and the power supply assembly are respectively fixed on different sides of the device mounting plate.

[0035] Furthermore, the power supply assembly includes a joint motor power supply for powering the joint motor and a controller power supply for powering the edge computing controller. The joint motor power supply is mounted on the device base plate with vents. The controller power supply and the edge computing controller are mounted on the upper surface of the device mounting plate.

[0036] Furthermore, the control module also includes a dual-encoded junction box;

[0037] At least two of the joint motors constitute a group of drive subunits, each group of drive subunits corresponds to a group of dual-encode junction boxes, and each group of dual-encode junction boxes is connected to the edge computing controller via a data cable.

[0038] Each set of dual-coded junction boxes is used for serial management of control signals. It connects all joint motors in its corresponding drive subunit through data lines, and distributes the control signals of the edge computing controller to each joint motor.

[0039] Compared with the prior art, the significant advantages of this invention are:

[0040] (1) This invention can achieve fast-response drive control of the octopus brachioscopic robotic arm with ultra-high redundant degrees of freedom using only four joint motors, which significantly reduces the number of drivers, reduces the weight and volume of the system, shortens the transmission path and improves the system response speed. It can effectively overcome the defects of existing ultra-redundant robotic arms such as complex drive structure, bulky whole machine, long transmission link and response lag. The simpler and more efficient transmission structure has high practical value and application prospects.

[0041] (2) The present invention adopts a logarithmic spiral super-redundant continuum robotic arm design. By constructing a logarithmic spiral line to simulate the continuous, flexible, and spirally curled biomimetic characteristics of octopus tentacles, the super-redundant robotic arm has continuous flexibility and multi-directional bending ability. It breaks through the limitation of existing robotic arms that can only bend but are difficult to spirally curl and store. It can achieve nautilus-like spiral curling and has strong spatial navigation ability, flexibility and environmental adaptability.

[0042] (3) The present invention uses a joint motor direct drive method to replace the traditional screw reduction mechanism. While reducing the system burden and simplifying the drive structure, it can provide a variety of feedback quantities. It can be combined with an edge computing controller to achieve high-precision closed-loop control, thereby further improving the accuracy, stability and response performance of the robotic arm motion control, and enabling the system to have strong independent operation capabilities.

[0043] (4) The robotic arm of the present invention adopts a modular design. Each bionic module can be added, removed or reconfigured according to task requirements, which facilitates flexible changes in the arm length and overall shape. When increasing the arm length to introduce more degrees of freedom, there is no need to add an additional drive device at the same time. The four joint motors can still maintain a high underactuated efficiency, which has good scalability and adaptability. Its design concept can be extended to the system design of different robotic arms and is suitable for different working scenarios.

[0044] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 This is an overall isometric side view of a rope-driven octopus brachioscopic robotic arm system in one embodiment.

[0046] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the robotic arm drive box structure, in which... Figure 2 (a) in the figure is a front view of the drive box structure. Figure 2 (b) is an isometric view of the drive box structure.

[0047] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a single drive unit in the diagram, wherein Figure 3 (a) in the image is the main view of the drive unit. Figure 3 (b) in the diagram is the rear view of the drive unit.

[0048] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the edge computing control module in the diagram, in which Figure 4 (a) in the figure is a front view of the edge computing control module. Figure 4 (b) is an isometric side view of the edge computing control module.

[0049] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the robotic arm body structure, in which Figure 5 (a) in the diagram is a schematic of the robotic arm in its deployed state. Figure 5 (b) in the diagram is a schematic diagram of the curled shape of the robotic arm.

[0050] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the robotic arm base and the first bionic robotic arm module. Detailed Implementation

[0051] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0052] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0053] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0054] To address the problems of existing hyper-redundant robotic arms, such as a large number of drive units, complex transmission chains, large drive volume, limited response speed, and insufficient adaptability to confined spaces, this invention proposes a rope-driven octopus tentacle bionic robotic arm system. This system simulates the continuous, compliant, multi-directional bending, and highly flexible motion characteristics of octopus tentacles, combined with logarithmic spiral curling principles. In its deployed state, the robotic arm possesses good workspace and obstacle-avoidance capabilities, and in its retracted state, it can form a nautilus-like spiral curled shape, reducing space occupation and improving deployment convenience in confined environments. Furthermore, it employs a simpler and more efficient underactuated scheme, achieving effective control of the high-degree-of-freedom hyper-redundant continuum robotic arm with fewer active drive units, thereby reducing system mass and volume, shortening the transmission path, and improving transmission efficiency, response speed, and scalability.

[0055] In one embodiment, combined Figures 1 to 6 A rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system is provided, the system comprising:

[0056] Drive box 9 integrates the power source and control components;

[0057] The robotic arm body 10 is fixedly installed on the outside of the drive box 9, and is a biomimetic structure of octopus arms with super redundant degrees of freedom, which is composed of multiple segments connected together.

[0058] Multiple drive cables 15 are connected between the power source inside the drive box 9 and the robotic arm body 10. The underactuated control of the robotic arm body 10 is achieved by changing the tension of the cables. The underactuated control means that the number of drive variables of the robotic arm body 10 is less than its number of degrees of freedom.

[0059] The power source is used to realize the underactuated control, and by adjusting the tension of each of the drive cables 15, the robotic arm body 10 is driven to produce multi-directional bending or curling deformation.

[0060] The control component is used for power supply management and motion scheduling of the system.

[0061] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the robotic arm body 10 includes a base 26, an intermediate arm segment 29, and a robotic arm end segment 30;

[0062] The base 26 is fixedly installed on the outer front part of the drive box 9;

[0063] The intermediate arm segment 29 is formed by connecting multiple bionic robotic arm segments 28 sequentially through universal joints 27.

[0064] The end segment 30 of the robotic arm is connected to the far end of the intermediate arm segment 29, and the drive cable 15 is fixed to the outside of the end segment 30 of the robotic arm.

[0065] More preferably, in some embodiments, the overall configuration of the robotic arm body 10 adopts a biomimetic dimensional gradient design:

[0066] The diameters at both ends of the bionic segment 28 of the robotic arm are set according to the logarithmic spiral function law, with the diameter at the end closer to the base 26 being larger than the diameter at the far end. That is, the outline size of the bionic segment 28 of the robotic arm gradually decreases along the direction away from the base 26.

[0067] The robotic arm body 10 exhibits a spiral curled shape following a logarithmic spiral equation when in a state of extreme curling.

[0068] Here, the logarithmic spiral structure of the robotic arm body 10 allows the robotic arm to spiral and curl up in the retracted state, mimicking the shape of a nautilus, which improves grasping ability and facilitates deployment and transportation in narrow spaces.

[0069] In a further preferred embodiment, each of the bionic segments 28 of the robotic arm is provided with a plurality of circumferentially distributed module cable guide holes 33; the plurality of drive cables 15 pass through the corresponding module cable guide holes 33 on each of the bionic segments 28 of the robotic arm and are then fixed on the end segment 30 of the robotic arm.

[0070] Here, the arm adopts a modular design to adjust the length of the arm. Adjacent modules are connected by universal joints to form an octopus-like bionic robotic arm with ultra-high redundant degrees of freedom. It has strong continuous compliance, multi-directional bending and spatial navigation capabilities in narrow and deep cavity spaces.

[0071] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the power source is a drive unit 2, which includes:

[0072] The first to Nth joint motors 12 serve as direct power components;

[0073] The first to Nth winding mechanisms 13, which correspond one-to-one with the first to Nth joint motors 12, are respectively installed on the output shaft of each joint motor.

[0074] The first to Nth joint motors 12 respectively pull the corresponding drive cables 15 through the corresponding winding mechanism 13. By adjusting the effective length of the drive cables 15, underactuation control of the robotic arm body 10 can be achieved.

[0075] The value of N is at least the same as the number of drive cables 15.

[0076] Preferably, in some embodiments, N is 4.

[0077] More preferably, in some embodiments, the driving unit 2 further includes:

[0078] Motor mounting plate 19 is used to support the joint motor 12;

[0079] A conduit bracket 16 is provided, on which a conduit seat 17 is mounted for limiting and guiding the drive cable 15.

[0080] One end of the drive cable 15 is fixed to the winding mechanism 13, and the other end is led out from the winding mechanism 13 and passes through the cable holder 17 and the drive box 9 in sequence to enter the robotic arm body 10.

[0081] Here, through the above setup, four joint motors directly drive the winding mechanism to wind and unwind the drive cable, controlling the movement of the super-redundant octopus arm bionic robotic arm in a rope-driven manner. This replaces the traditional drive scheme that relies on ball screws, multi-stage reducers, or complex linkage mechanisms, shortening the transmission link and improving the response speed. Without adding an additional drive device, this invention can still adapt to the large increase in degrees of freedom brought about by the addition of robotic arm segments, thereby achieving a compact, lightweight, and low-complexity design of the drive device.

[0082] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the control component is a control module 7, which is an edge computing control module, including an edge computing controller 25 and a power supply component;

[0083] The edge computing controller 25 controls the operation of the drive unit 2 according to the received instructions, and supports at least one of the modes of angle control, speed control and torque control.

[0084] The power supply component is used to supply power to the power source and edge computing controller 25.

[0085] Preferably, in some embodiments, the control module 7 adopts a layered integrated layout, including a device base plate 20 and a device mounting plate 23 fixed above it by connecting columns 22; the edge computing controller 25 and the power supply assembly are respectively fixed on different sides of the device mounting plate 23.

[0086] Here, the control module 7 adopts a layered integrated design, which further improves the internal space utilization of the drive box 9, making the layout between the power supply, control and drive units more compact and clear. This helps the system to independently carry multiple sensors and actuators without relying on large external equipment, making it more suitable for carrying out complex detection, inspection and auxiliary operations in narrow deep cavity spaces and complex unstructured environments.

[0087] Preferably, in some embodiments, the power supply assembly includes a joint motor power supply 21 for powering the joint motor 12 and a controller power supply 24 for powering the edge computing controller 25. The joint motor power supply 21 is mounted on the device base plate 20 having vents; the controller power supply 24 and the edge computing controller 25 are mounted on the upper surface of the device mounting plate 23.

[0088] In a further exemplary and preferred embodiment, the controller power supply 24 is used to provide 12V DC power to the edge computing controller 25, and the joint motor power supply 21 is used to provide 24V DC power to the joint motor 12.

[0089] Here, the edge computing controller 25 can reduce the system's dependence on external control devices, undertake control calculation and scheduling tasks, and enable the system to have higher overall integration and work adaptability in complex environments.

[0090] Preferably, in some embodiments, the control module 7 further includes a dual-encoded junction box 11;

[0091] At least two of the joint motors 12 constitute a group of drive sub-units, each group of drive sub-units corresponds to a group of dual-encode junction boxes 11, and each group of dual-encode junction boxes 11 is connected to the edge computing controller 25 via a data cable.

[0092] Each set of dual-encoded junction boxes 11 is used for serial management of control signals. They are connected in series with all joint motors 12 in their corresponding drive subunits via data lines, and the control signals of the edge computing controller 25 are distributed to each joint motor.

[0093] Here, the joint motor 12 can execute multiple control modes such as angle control, speed control, and torque control, and has angle, speed and torque feedback. While realizing direct drive, it can provide the system with richer status information. In conjunction with the edge computing controller 25, it can flexibly adjust the posture of the robotic arm body 10 according to the task environment, which greatly improves the control accuracy and dynamic response performance of the system.

[0094] Here, the dual-code junction box 11 serves to collect lines, connect signals, and organize wiring, making the layout and connection of the articulated motor 12 clearer and more orderly, reducing cross-interference of the wiring harness inside the drive box 9, enhancing electrical safety, and improving the convenience of system maintenance and module replacement.

[0095] With the above structure, the system can complete the power distribution to the motor and controller inside the drive box. The built-in edge computing controller can complete the feedback data processing and intelligent control of the octopus brachioscopic robotic arm without the need for external devices, and can flexibly switch between modes such as angle control, speed control and torque control.

[0096] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the drive box 9 includes multiple panels that enclose a closed space and an internal support structure; the multiple panels include at least a bottom plate 8, a top plate 3, a left side plate 4, a right side plate 5, a front panel 6, and a rear side plate 1, wherein the front panel 6 serves as the force-bearing support surface of the robotic arm body 10 and has structural positions for supporting the robotic arm body 10.

[0097] Preferably, in some embodiments, in combination with Figure 1 At least four L-shaped connecting rods 4 securely connect the top plate 3 on the upper side, the two drive box side plates 5 on both sides, and the drive box bottom plate 8 on the lower side. The rear panel 1 and the front panel 6 are placed parallel to each other along the length of the system and are respectively fixed to the beginning and end of the four connecting rods 4, forming a structurally stable enclosed drive box 9. This box-type integrated layout makes the overall system structure more compact, facilitates unified protection and integrated installation of internal components, and helps reduce external interference and improve the convenience of transportation, storage, and on-site deployment in narrow spaces.

[0098] More preferably, in some embodiments, the drive cable 15 is led out from the winding mechanism 13, passes through the cable tray 17, and enters the robotic arm body 10 via the front panel cable guide hole 31 on the front panel 3.

[0099] More preferably, in some embodiments, the drive subunits are provided in two sets arranged in a mirror image, with each set containing two articulated motors. Preferably, the two sets of drive subunits are evenly arranged inside the drive housing 9, perpendicular to the top plate 3 and bottom plate 8, and fixed at both ends to the inner sides of the rear panel 1 and front panel 6 respectively by two fixing corner pieces 18. This results in more balanced force distribution on the drive units on both sides of the drive housing 9, more regular cable routing, and facilitates the guidance and retraction of the drive cables 15 inside the drive housing, thus improving transmission stability and reducing cable interference.

[0100] Preferably, each drive subunit includes a dual-encoding junction box 11, two articulated motors 12, two cable winding mechanisms 13, two motor limiting holes 14, two rolls of drive cable 15, a conduit bracket 16, a conduit seat 17, a fixing corner piece 18, and a motor mounting plate 19. The two articulated motors 12 are positioned corresponding to their respective motor limiting holes 14 and fixed to the inner side of the motor mounting plate 19 by six evenly distributed mounting screws along the circumference. The dual-encoding junction box 11 is arranged side-by-side with the two articulated motors 12, and its corner is fixed to the inner side of the front panel 6 by four mounting screws, used for wiring connection and control signal management of the two articulated motors 12. The cable winding mechanism 13 is located on the outer side of the motor mounting plate 19, passes through the motor limiting holes 14, and is fixedly connected to its respective articulated motor 12 by five mounting screws, serving as the working execution unit after the articulated motor 12 outputs torque. The cable tray bracket 16 is fixed to the outside of the motor mounting plate 19 by seven evenly distributed mounting screws. Two cable trays 17 are installed on the cable tray bracket 16 with pre-drilled holes for limiting and guiding the drive cable 15. One end of the drive cable 15 is fixed to the winding mechanism 13, and the other end passes through the cable tray bracket 16 and the cable tray 17 and extends forward, reaching the outside of the drive box 9 and connecting to the robotic arm body 10 through the cable tray 17 installed on the inside of the front panel 6. This drive unit uses only four joint motors 12 to directly drive the four drive cables 15 to output power. Compared with the traditional lead screw reduction mechanism, it eliminates the long transmission chain and intermediate conversion links, effectively simplifying the internal structure of the drive box, significantly reducing the number, weight and volume of drive devices, and improving transmission efficiency and response speed, thereby achieving underactuated control of the robotic arm body 10 with fewer active drive units.

[0101] Preferably, the device base plate 20 is fixed to the lower side of the two drive sub-units and the inner side of the rear panel 1 and the front panel 6 by eight fixing corner pieces 18. The device mounting plate 23 is fixed to the lower side of the device base plate 20 by four connecting columns 22. The joint motor power supply 21 is installed on the upper side of the device mounting plate 23. The cooling fan is placed on the lower side of the ventilation opening of the device base plate 20 to facilitate heat dissipation and ensure power supply stability. The controller power supply 24 and the edge computing controller 25 are fixed side by side on the lower side of the device mounting plate 23, forming an integrated layout with upper and lower layers.

[0102] Preferably, in combination Figure 4 The robotic arm body 10 is fixed to the outside of the front panel 6, serving as the end effector of the system. The standard total length of the arm is 3 meters, and the end effector load capacity can reach 1 kg under predetermined working conditions. The base 26 is fixed to six evenly distributed circumferential front panel mounting holes 32 through the base mounting holes 34, allowing the drive cable 15 to be led out from the inside of the drive box 9 through the front panel cable guide hole 31 and enter the robotic arm.

[0103] Combination Figure 5 A logarithmic spiral with a total length of 3 meters is discretized to obtain bionic segments 28 of different diameters for the robotic arm. The diameters at both ends of each segment 28 gradually change according to a logarithmic spiral pattern, with the diameter at the end closer to the base 26 being slightly larger than the diameter at the end farther from the base 26. The intermediate arm segment 29 is composed of multiple bionic segments 28 connected sequentially from thick to thin. Adjacent segments 28 are connected by universal joints 27, giving each segment 28 two degrees of freedom, forming a stable and flexible dual-axis rotational connection. The first segment 28 with the largest diameter in the intermediate arm segment 29 is connected to the base 26 via a universal joint 27. The end segment 30 of the robotic arm has the smallest diameter and is connected to the far end of the intermediate arm segment 29 via a universal joint 27, thus forming the robotic arm body 10 with super-redundant degrees of freedom and continuous compliant characteristics. The outer end of the drive cable 15 passes through the cable guide hole 31 on the front panel and the cable guide hole 33 of each module in sequence, and is fixed to the outer side of the end segment 30 of the robotic arm. When the edge computing controller 25 controls the joint motor 12 to drive the winding mechanism 13 to move, the continuous change of the tension of the drive cable 15 can drive the robotic arm body 10 to continuously deform along the preset curvature, so as to realize the multi-directional bending, continuous smooth curling and stretching and posture adjustment of the octopus tentacles.

[0104] The driving process and control concept of the bionic robotic arm system of this invention are described in detail below.

[0105] The edge computing controller 25, serving as the system control core, is located on the underside of the device mounting plate 23 in the edge computing control module 7. It is used for generating drive commands, scheduling states, and controlling motion. The edge computing controller 25 generates control commands based on task requirements and sends them to the four articulated motors 12 via two dual-encoded junction boxes 11. The articulated motors 12, according to the received control commands, drive their respective winding mechanisms 13 to retract or extend the drive cable 15, thereby changing the effective length of the drive cable 15 outside the drive box 9. This change in cable length transmits the corresponding tension to the robotic arm body 10, driving it to bend, coil, extend, and adjust its posture. Because the articulated motors 12 have multiple control modes, the edge computing controller 25 can synchronously or differentially control the four articulated motors 12 according to different task environments. This allows each winding mechanism 13 to retract or extend the drive cable 15 according to a specific mode, creating tension changes in different directions and amplitudes, thus achieving coordinated control of the local area and overall posture of the robotic arm body 10.

[0106] In actual operation, when the robotic arm body 10 needs to bend in a certain direction, the two joint motors 12 on the corresponding side rotate forward to tighten the drive cable 15. Under the cooperation of the universal joint 27 and the bionic segment 28 of the robotic arm, a continuous curvature change is formed. The degree of loosening and releasing of the drive cable 15 by the two joint motors 12 on the other side determines the degree of curling of the robotic arm body 10. When the robotic arm needs to recover or extend, the two joint motors 12 on the corresponding side drive the winding mechanism 13 in the opposite direction to release the drive cable 15, so that the robotic arm gradually returns to its original position under the action of restoring force. This driving method achieves continuous control of an arm with super-redundant degrees of freedom with a small number of active drive units. It has typical underactuated characteristics and can maintain the excellent motion capability and environmental adaptability of the robotic arm while significantly reducing the number of actuators.

[0107] The robotic arm body 10 of this invention adopts a modular design, with each module having a relatively independent structure. By adjusting the length parameter of the logarithmic spiral, the total length of the robotic arm after unfolding can be changed. By adjusting the logarithmic spiral configuration parameter, robotic arms with different workspaces and load capacities can be designed, demonstrating good versatility, expandability, and engineering application value.

[0108] This invention utilizes only four joint motors 12, employing a direct-drive approach to achieve efficient driving and control of the robotic arm body 10 with highly redundant degrees of freedom. This significantly reduces the complexity of the internal mechanisms of the drive box 9, decreases the number, weight, and volume of the system's drivers, shortens the transmission path, and improves response speed and transmission efficiency. Compared to existing high-degree-of-freedom robotic arms that typically require a large number of drivers, this invention, even with increased arm length and the introduction of more degrees of freedom, eliminates the need for additional drive devices. It still allows for underactuated control of the 3m-long highly redundant robotic arm body 10 using only four joint motors. While maintaining the arm's compliant continuity and helical retraction capabilities, this invention further demonstrates its advantages of simple underactuated structure, lightweight system, high control efficiency, and strong engineering applicability.

[0109] In summary, compared to common rope-driven robotic arm systems, this invention employs an underactuated design, meaning the number of drive control variables (4) is far fewer than the 76 degrees of freedom of a bionic robotic arm, enabling a highly lightweight drive design. A direct-drive joint motor replaces the ball screw drive mechanism commonly used in rope-driven robotic arms, improving the overall system's control response speed. The robotic arm, composed of 38 bionic segments, is 3 meters long, with a root diameter of 120 mm and a head diameter of 30 mm. The segments are connected sequentially via universal joints. The high length-to-slenderness ratio of the arm body is suitable for operation in confined spaces, and the outer contour of the arm's cross-section is a logarithmic spiral, giving the robotic arm continuous, compliant curling bionic characteristics, allowing it to flexibly adjust its curling shape like an octopus's tentacles, even achieving a spiral curling state. The system of this invention uses only four joint motors to achieve underactuated control of the super-redundant octopus brachioscopic robotic arm. The robotic arm is driven by four cables to flexibly curl and dodge obstacles in a narrow space, mimicking the movement pattern of octopus brachioscopic arms. It has the advantages of compact structure, high flexibility and strong spatial adaptability. It can also enter narrow and deep cavity spaces to complete maintenance and other work tasks by adding an end-effector.

[0110] It should be noted that for components without special structural limitations, any component that can achieve the corresponding function in the existing technology is acceptable.

[0111] It should also be noted that the above-mentioned settings, installations, connections, and fixations can be made using, but are not limited to, bolts, threads, etc. Any existing fixed or movable connection scheme can be adapted, as long as the corresponding function can be achieved.

[0112] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rope-driven octopus brachioscopic robotic arm system, characterized in that, The system includes: The drive unit integrates the power source and control components. The robotic arm body is fixedly installed outside the drive box and is a biomimetic structure of octopus arms with super redundant degrees of freedom, consisting of multiple segments connected together. Multiple drive cables are connected between the power source inside the drive box and the robotic arm body. Underactuated control of the robotic arm body is achieved by changing the tension of the cables. Underactuated control means that the number of drive variables of the robotic arm body is less than its number of degrees of freedom. The power source is used to realize the underactuated control, and by adjusting the tension of each of the drive cables, the robotic arm body is driven to produce multi-directional bending or curling deformation. The control component is used for power supply management and motion scheduling of the system.

2. The rope-driven octopus arm bionic robotic arm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm body includes a base, an intermediate arm segment, and a robotic arm end segment; The base is fixedly installed on the outer front part of the drive box; The intermediate arm segment is composed of multiple bionic robotic arm segments connected in series via universal joints; The end segment of the robotic arm is connected to the far end of the intermediate arm segment, and the drive cable is fixed to the outside of the end segment of the robotic arm.

3. The rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The overall structure of the robotic arm adopts a biomimetic dimensional gradient design: The diameters at both ends of the bionic segment of the robotic arm are set according to a logarithmic spiral function, with the diameter near the base being larger than the diameter at the far end. That is, the outline dimensions of the bionic segment of the robotic arm gradually decrease along the direction away from the base. The robotic arm body exhibits a spiral curled shape that follows a logarithmic spiral equation when in a state of extreme curling.

4. The rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the bionic segments of the robotic arm is provided with multiple circumferentially distributed module cable guide holes; multiple drive cables pass through the corresponding module cable guide holes on each of the bionic segments of the robotic arm and are then fixed to the end segment of the robotic arm.

5. The rope-driven octopus arm bionic robotic arm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power source employs a drive unit, which includes: The first to Nth joint motors serve as direct power components; The first to Nth winding mechanisms, which correspond one-to-one with the first to Nth joint motors, are respectively installed on the output shaft of each joint motor; The first to Nth joint motors respectively pull the corresponding drive cables through the corresponding winding mechanism. By adjusting the effective length of the drive cables, underactuated control of the robotic arm body can be achieved. The value of N is at least the same as the number of drive cables.

6. The rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive unit further includes: Motor mounting plate for supporting the joint motor; A conduit bracket, on which a conduit seat is mounted, is used to limit and guide the drive cable. One end of the drive cable is fixed to the winding mechanism, and the other end is led out from the winding mechanism and passes through the cable holder and the drive box in sequence to enter the robotic arm body.

7. The rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control component adopts a control module, which is an edge computing control module, including an edge computing controller and a power supply component; The edge computing controller controls the operation of the drive unit according to the received instructions, and supports at least one of the following modes: angle control, speed control, and torque control. The power supply component is used to supply power to the power source and the edge computing controller.

8. The rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control module adopts a layered integrated layout, including a device base plate and a device mounting plate fixed on top of it by connecting columns; the edge computing controller and the power supply assembly are respectively fixed on different sides of the device mounting plate.

9. The rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The power supply assembly includes a joint motor power supply for powering the joint motor and a controller power supply for powering the edge computing controller. The joint motor power supply is mounted on the device base plate with ventilation openings. The controller power supply and the edge computing controller are mounted on the upper surface of the device mounting plate.

10. The rope-driven octopus brachiopod bionic robotic arm system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control module also includes a dual-encoding junction box; At least two of the joint motors constitute a group of drive subunits, each group of drive subunits corresponds to a group of dual-encode junction boxes, and each group of dual-encode junction boxes is connected to the edge computing controller via a data cable. Each set of dual-coded junction boxes is used for serial management of control signals. It connects all joint motors in its corresponding drive subunit through data lines, and distributes the control signals of the edge computing controller to each joint motor.

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