A robot end intelligent work device and control method

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a robot end intelligent work device and a control method, which comprise a shell, a rigidity adjusting mechanism, a clamping jaw mechanism and a control unit; the clamping jaw mechanism comprises multiple groups of flexible side plates and rigid clamping jaws arranged at specific angles on a circumference, and the flexible side plates are movably connected with the rigid clamping jaws; the rigidity adjusting mechanism comprises a sliding ring, an elastic member, a driving unit and a transmission unit, the sliding ring is sleeved on the periphery of each flexible side plate, a position sensor is arranged on the sliding ring, the sliding ring is connected with the shell through the elastic member, the driving unit drives the sliding ring to slide up and down along the flexible side plate through the transmission unit, so as to adjust the rigidity of the flexible side plate; the control unit is used for determining a target rigidity adjusting ratio of the flexible side plate according to a task instruction, determining a control instruction of the driving unit according to the target rigidity adjusting ratio and a current position detected by the position sensor, and driving the sliding ring to slide to a target position reaching the target rigidity adjusting ratio according to the control instruction. The device can complete multiple mode work tasks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a robotic end-effector intelligent operation device and control method. Background Technology

[0002] Humanoid robots, drones, and other robotic systems possess high mobility and a wide operating space, demonstrating enormous application potential in complex, unstructured environments. With technological advancements, drones, for example, are gradually shifting from passive information gathering platforms (such as aerial photography and monitoring) to aerial robots (Aerial Manipulators) with active physical interaction capabilities. As a key end effector for robots to perform physical interaction tasks such as grasping, perching, sampling, and delivery, the performance of the robotic gripper directly determines the success rate, efficiency, and stability of the operation.

[0003] Existing robotic gripper technologies are mainly divided into two categories: rigid grippers and soft grippers. Rigid grippers can provide high grasping force and rigidity, ensuring load capacity, but they have high mechanical resistance and lack adaptability to the environment. During high-speed aerial grasping, rigid collisions can easily damage target objects (especially fragile items such as biological samples and bird eggs), or cause robot instability or even damage due to the huge reaction force impact. In addition, the closing response speed of rigid grippers is limited by the bandwidth of servo motors and transmission mechanisms, making it difficult to achieve millisecond-level instantaneous triggering, thus limiting their ability to capture dynamic targets.

[0004] Soft grippers possess excellent flexibility, environmental adaptability, and energy absorption capabilities, making them suitable for grasping irregularly shaped or fragile objects. However, they have low rigidity and limited load-bearing capacity, making them unsuitable for high-intensity tasks (such as breaking windows, suspending objects for rest, and grasping heavy objects at heights). Furthermore, soft grippers typically suffer from slow response times, require complex pneumatic systems, and exhibit low control precision. Therefore, neither type of robotic gripper possesses multi-mode operational capabilities, making it difficult to meet diverse application requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a robot end-effector intelligent operation device and control method.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a robot end effector intelligent operation device, including: a housing, a stiffness adjustment mechanism, a gripper mechanism, and a control unit;

[0007] The gripper mechanism includes multiple sets of flexible side plates and rigid grippers arranged at a specific angle on the circumference, and the flexible side plates are movably connected to the rigid grippers. The stiffness adjustment mechanism includes a slip ring, an elastic element, a drive unit, and a transmission unit. The slip ring is sleeved around each flexible side plate and is equipped with a position sensor. One side of the slip ring is connected to the housing through the elastic element. The drive unit drives the slip ring to slide up and down along the flexible side plate through the transmission unit to adjust the stiffness of the flexible side plate. The control unit is configured to determine the target stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate according to the received task instruction, determine the control instruction of the drive unit according to the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position detected by the position sensor, and control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the target position that achieves the target stiffness adjustment ratio according to the control instruction.

[0008] Optionally, the control unit is configured to determine the current stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate based on the current position; determine the stiffness adjustment amount based on the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current stiffness adjustment ratio; and determine the feedback control command of the drive unit based on the stiffness adjustment amount.

[0009] Optionally, the position sensor includes a conductive side plate and a conductor fixed to the slip ring. The conductor is in contact with the conductive side plate through a contact point. The conductive side plate and the flexible side plate are arranged in the same direction and at the same height. The control unit is used to determine the current resistance value based on the current contact position between the conductor and the conductive side plate; and to determine the current stiffness adjustment ratio based on the current resistance value.

[0010] Optionally, the relationship between the resistance value and the stiffness adjustment ratio is as follows: (3) in, The resistivity of the conductive baseband on the conductive side plate. A This represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductive baseband. R This is the resistance value. For stiffness adjustment ratio, = / 0, This is the current height of the slip ring. 0 represents the total height of the flexible side panel.

[0011] Optionally, the device further includes a central push rod, which is located at the center of the circumference, with one end of the central push rod corresponding to the bottom of the base; each set of rigid grippers is movably connected to the base; The control unit is used to control the central push rod to push the rigid gripper to open or pull the rigid gripper to close, according to the task instruction.

[0012] Optionally, the task instruction is a flexible grasping instruction; The control unit is configured to determine the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio according to the flexible gripping command, determine the first control command of the drive unit according to the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position, and control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the lowest position according to the first control command, so that the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio is reached at the lowest position.

[0013] Optionally, the task instruction is an obstacle clearance instruction; The control unit is configured to determine the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio according to the obstacle-breaking command, determine the second control command of the drive unit according to the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position, and control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the highest position according to the second control command, so that the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio is reached at the highest position.

[0014] Optionally, the task instruction is a projection instruction; The control unit is used to control the central push rod to push the rigid gripper at a predetermined speed to open it after the slip ring slides along the flexible side plate to the target position.

[0015] Optionally, the task instruction is a stable habitat instruction; The control unit is configured to control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the lowest position according to the first control command, and then control the central push rod to pull the rigid gripper to achieve a closed state, so that the rigid gripper is clamped in the perching position. According to the second control command, the control unit is configured to control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the highest position, so that the rigid gripper is stably clamped in the perching position.

[0016] This application also provides a control method for a robot end-effector intelligent operation device, implemented based on the aforementioned robot end-effector intelligent operation device, the method comprising: The target stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate is determined according to the received task instructions; Based on the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position detected by the position sensor, the control command of the drive unit is determined; According to the control command, the drive unit is controlled to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the target position that achieves the target stiffness adjustment ratio.

[0017] As can be seen from the above description, the intelligent end-effector device and control method provided in this application include a gripper mechanism comprising a movably connected flexible side plate and a rigid gripper. A slip ring is sleeved around each flexible side plate. The drive unit drives the slip ring to slide up and down along the flexible side plate via a transmission unit to adjust the stiffness of the flexible side plate. The control unit determines the target stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate according to the task instruction, and determines the control instruction for the drive unit based on the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position detected by the position sensor. The control unit then drives the slip ring to slide to the target position that achieves the target stiffness adjustment ratio according to the control instruction. This integrated device, by dynamically adjusting the structural stiffness and energy barrier of the gripper mechanism, can achieve continuous adjustment from ultra-sensitive triggering to high-strength holding, resolving the contradiction between sensitivity and load capacity. It enables various operational tasks such as millisecond-level fragile item grasping, powerful obstacle breaking, dynamic perching, and controllable object ejection, greatly improving the robot's operational capabilities, enhancing its ability to execute complex sequence tasks, meeting diverse application needs, and expanding the robot's applicable scope and scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the device according to an embodiment of this application, showing the rigid gripper in a closed state; Figure 2 This is a side view of the device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the device according to an embodiment of this application, showing the rigid gripper in an open state; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the device according to an embodiment of this application, showing the rigid gripper in a closed state; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the device according to an embodiment of this application, showing the rigid gripper in an open state; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the device according to an embodiment of this application without its housing. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the slip ring structure according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a top view of the position sensor according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 10This is a perspective view of the position sensor according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the slip ring position and the stiffness adjustment ratio in an embodiment of this application; Figure 12A-12D This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state changes of embodiments of this application under four task modes; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit detection principle in an embodiment of this application; Figure 14 This is a schematic flowchart of the control method according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0021] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in the embodiments of this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0022] In related technologies, rigid grippers have poor environmental adaptability and are difficult to perform low-intensity tasks, while flexible grippers have low stiffness and are difficult to perform high-intensity tasks. Both types of grippers are only suitable for specific types of tasks and cannot meet the diverse needs of tasks. Grippers based on origami or bistable mechanisms have self-locking capabilities that do not require continuous energy consumption and rapid "jump" characteristics, but they are usually designed in one piece. Once their structural parameters are determined, their energy barrier and critical triggering force are fixed and cannot be dynamically adjusted according to task requirements during the operation process, resulting in serious performance trade-offs: low triggering threshold grippers designed to grasp light and small objects cannot withstand strong wind interference or heavy loads and are prone to accidental triggering or falling off during flight; high triggering threshold grippers designed for high-load tasks cannot sensitively capture light and small objects and are prone to pushing away or damaging the target. Using a single stiffness design, it is impossible to dynamically adjust mechanical properties in variable unstructured environments, making it difficult to achieve ideal multimodal operation results.

[0023] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a robot end-effector intelligent operation device and control method, which can dynamically adjust the effective deformation length of the flexible side plate according to the task type, so that it has different stiffness, and can realize operation tasks in various modes such as high stiffness, medium stiffness, and low stiffness, to meet diverse application needs.

[0024] The technical solution of this application will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0025] like Figure 1-7 As shown, this application provides a robot end-effector intelligent operation device, including: a housing 10, a stiffness adjustment mechanism, a gripper mechanism, and a control unit; The gripper mechanism includes multiple sets of flexible side plates 21 and rigid grippers 22 arranged at a specific angle on the circumference, with the flexible side plates 21 and rigid grippers 22 being movably connected. The stiffness adjustment mechanism includes a slip ring 30, an elastic element 31, a drive unit, and a transmission unit. The slip ring 30 is sleeved around each flexible side plate 21. A position sensor is provided on the slip ring 30. One side of the slip ring 30 is connected to the housing 10 through the elastic element 31. The drive unit drives the slip ring 30 to slide up and down along the flexible side plate 21 through the transmission unit to adjust the stiffness of the flexible side plate. The control unit is used to determine the target stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate 21 according to the received task instructions, determine the control instructions of the drive unit according to the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position detected by the position sensor, and control the drive unit to drive the slip ring 30 to slide along the flexible side plate 21 to the target position that achieves the target stiffness adjustment ratio according to the control instructions.

[0026] The robot end-effector intelligent operation device provided in this embodiment includes a housing 10, a stiffness adjustment mechanism, and a gripper mechanism. The gripper mechanism is the main structure for performing physical interaction and includes multiple sets of flexible side plates 21 and rigid grippers 22. Each set of flexible side plates 21 is movably connected to the rigid grippers 22, and each set of rigid grippers 22 is movably connected to the base 221. The rigid grippers 22 can open or close relative to the flexible side plates 21.

[0027] In some configurations, one end of the flexible side plate 21 is movably connected to the joint of the rigid gripper 22 via a flexible hinge 23, while the other end of the flexible side plate 21 is fixedly connected to the housing 10 or movably connected via a flexible hinge, in order to reduce energy dissipation and friction at the joint. To achieve stable gripping, three or four sets of flexible side plates 21 and rigid grippers 22 can be provided, with one set spaced at 120-degree intervals along the circumference or another set spaced at 90-degree intervals. The number and arrangement can also be set as needed, and there is no specific limitation.

[0028] In some embodiments, the gripper mechanism employs a "rigid-flexible-rigid" layered composite structure. The flexible side plate 21 is made of a material with high elastic modulus and high strength, including but not limited to carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), glass fiber, spring steel sheets, or high-strength engineering plastics. The flexible hinge 23 can be made of fatigue-resistant polymer films, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, polyimide (PI) films, or other polymer films.

[0029] In some methods, CFRP sheets are used to make flexible side panels, with a thickness ranging from 0.1mm to 0.5mm, depending on the required load capacity. Alternatively, a PET film is sandwiched between two layers of CFRP sheets and cured using hot pressing or adhesive bonding to form a flexible side panel. At the joint, the CFRP layer is removed, leaving only the PET layer as a flexible hinge, forming an integrated flexible gripper mechanism. This design not only reduces weight but also eliminates the gap and wear problems of traditional pin joints, ensuring efficient energy transfer.

[0030] The stiffness adjustment mechanism is used to dynamically adjust the stiffness of the gripper mechanism. The mechanism includes a slip ring 30, a drive unit and a transmission unit. The slip ring 30 is sleeved around each flexible side plate 21 and fits against the outer surface of the flexible side plate 21. The drive unit can drive the slip ring 30 to slide up and down along the flexible side plate 21 through the transmission unit to adjust the stiffness of the flexible side plate.

[0031] like Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of first mounting grooves 301 are equally spaced along the circumferential direction on the slip ring 30. Each first mounting groove 301 is used to mount the flexible side plate 21. The lower side of the slip ring 30 is connected to one end of the elastic member 31, and the other end of the elastic member 31 is connected to the housing 10. A drive unit and a transmission unit are provided inside the housing 10. The output end of the drive unit is connected to the slip ring 30 through the transmission unit. When the drive unit is activated, the slip ring 30 can be driven to slide up and down along the extension direction (or height direction) of the flexible side plate 21 through the transmission unit.

[0032] like Figure 4 , 5As shown in Figure 7, in some embodiments, the drive unit can be a motor 61, and the transmission unit can be a bobbin 62. The rope 64 on the bobbin 62 passes through the connecting hole 304 on the slip ring 30. When the motor 61 rotates in the forward direction, the bobbin 62 rotates in the forward direction as well, loosening the rope 64. Under the elastic force of the elastic element 31, the slip ring 30 rises along the flexible side plate 21. When the motor 61 rotates in the reverse direction, the bobbin 62 rotates in the reverse direction as well, tightening the rope 64. Under the traction force of the rope 64, the slip ring 30 descends along the flexible side plate 21, thereby realizing the process of the slip ring 30 sliding up and down along the flexible side plate.

[0033] During the up-and-down sliding process, the slip ring 30 can dynamically adjust the mechanical boundary of the flexible side plate 21, limiting the radial deformation of the flexible side plate 21 in the lower half of the slip ring 30. The length of the flexible side plate 21 in the upper half of the slip ring 30 is considered the effective deformation length of the flexible side plate 21 (the distance from the slip ring 30 to the flexible hinge 23). When the slip ring 30 is at its lowest position relative to the flexible side plate 21, the effective deformation length of the flexible side plate 21 is the largest (close to its full length), resulting in the lowest overall structural stiffness and energy barrier. As the slip ring 30 moves upward from its lowest position, the effective deformation length of the flexible side plate 21 decreases, and the structural stiffness increases non-linearly and rapidly. When the slip ring 30 slides to its highest position relative to the flexible side plate 21, the effective deformation length of the flexible side plate 21 is the smallest, resulting in the highest overall structural stiffness and energy barrier.

[0034] This gripper mechanism constitutes a bistable structure. The flexible side plate buckles and deforms within its effective deformation length, storing elastic potential energy within the structure. This structure has two stable states with minimum potential energy: a "released state" where the rigid grippers 22 are fully open outwards, and a "gripping state" where the rigid grippers 22 are fully closed inwards. Between these two stable states lies an unstable equilibrium point (critical point) with extremely high potential energy. When the externally applied force exceeds the critical triggering force, the structure undergoes an instantaneous transition, automatically switching states using the released strain energy.

[0035] In some designs, the slip ring 30 is a rigid ring structure, and its material can be lightweight aluminum alloy or wear-resistant engineering plastic (e.g., polyoxymethylene). The inner diameter of the slip ring is slightly larger than the circumscribed circle diameter of the gripper mechanism in the closed state, and the inner wall of the slip ring is polished to reduce friction. The shape of the slip ring 30 can be circular or polygonal; the specific shape is not limited.

[0036] like Figure 1 , 7As shown in Figure 10, a position sensor is provided on the slip ring 30. The position sensor includes a conductive side plate 24 and a conductor 42 fixed on the slip ring 30. The conductor 42 is in contact with the conductive side plate 24 through a contact point 43. The conductive side plate 24 and the flexible side plate 21 are arranged in the same direction and at the same height. Specifically, the slip ring 30 is provided with a second mounting groove 302 and a recess 303. The conductive side plate 24 is installed in the second mounting groove 302. The conductive side plate 24 and the flexible side plate 21 have the same extension direction and the same height. The recess 303 is used to install the conductor 42. The position of the conductor 42 corresponds to that of the conductive side plate 24. The inner surface of the conductive side plate 24 is provided with a conductive base strip 41. The conductor 42 and the conductive base strip 41 are in contact through a contact point 43. During the up and down sliding process of the slip ring 30, the conductor 42 contacts the conductive side plate 24 at different positions to form a sliding rheostat with an adjustable resistance value. The different contact positions of the two constitute different resistance values. By detecting the resistance value, the height position of the slip ring 30 relative to the conductive side plate 24, that is, relative to the flexible side plate 21, can be determined.

[0037] In some ways, such as Figure 10 , 13 As shown, the slip ring 30 is provided with two sets of conductive side plates 24 and conductors 42. The two conductors 42 are electrically connected. The inner surfaces of the two conductive side plates 24 are prepared with two parallel conductive base strips 41 and a comb-shaped electrode array by screen printing conductive silver paste or attaching precision conductive tape. An elastic metal contact is provided on one side of the conductor 42. When the slip ring 30 slides up and down, the elastic metal contact acts as a slider of a sliding rheostat, bridging different comb-shaped electrodes and changing the resistance value of the circuit. The control unit reads this resistance value through a voltage divider circuit or a bridge circuit to obtain the current contact position of the slip ring 30. Compared with an external linear displacement sensor or encoder, this solution has the advantages of compact structure, light weight, and no additional volume.

[0038] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the device also includes a central push rod 50, which is located at the center of the circumference. One end of the central push rod 50 corresponds to the bottom of the base 221, and the other end of the central push rod 50 is connected to the bracket through a slider 63. The central push rod 50 can push the rigid gripper 22 to achieve a fully open state, or pull the rigid gripper 22 to achieve a fully closed state.

[0039] In some configurations, the central push rod 50 is connected to the bottom of the base 221 via a pull rope. When the central push rod 50 receives an opening command, it rises and pushes against the base 221, causing the base 221 to rise under the thrust. When the thrust exceeds the critical triggering force, the rigid gripper 22 switches to the fully open state. When the central push rod 50 receives a closing command, it descends and pulls the base 221 via the pull rope, causing the base 221 to descend under the tension. When the tension exceeds the critical triggering force, the rigid gripper 22 switches to the fully closed state.

[0040] The control unit is used to receive task instructions, query the mapping table between task instructions and target stiffness adjustment ratios according to the task instructions, determine the target stiffness adjustment ratio corresponding to the current task instruction, determine the control instructions for the drive unit according to the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position detected by the position sensor, control the drive unit to move according to the control instructions, and drive the slip ring 30 to slide along the flexible side plate 21 to the target position, and achieve the target stiffness adjustment ratio at the target position.

[0041] In some embodiments, the control unit is configured to determine the current stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate 21 based on the detected current position; determine the stiffness adjustment amount based on the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current stiffness adjustment ratio; and determine the feedback control command of the drive unit based on the stiffness adjustment amount.

[0042] like Figure 11 As shown, the stiffness adjustment ratio is based on the current height of the slip ring 30 relative to the flexible side plate 21. H The total height of the flexible side panel 21 H 0 indicates confirmation, which is represented as: (1) Current height H The current position detected by the position sensor can be determined based on the resistance value formed by the current contact position between the conductor 42 and the conductive side plate 24, as shown below: (2) in, The resistivity of the conductive baseband on the conductive side plate. A This represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductive baseband. R This is the resistance value. 0 represents the parasitic resistance of the circuit.

[0043] According to formulas (1) and (2), the relationship between the resistance value and the stiffness adjustment ratio can be obtained: (3) The control unit determines the target stiffness adjustment ratio required for the task based on the task instructions. Then, based on the current resistance value detected by the position sensor, the current stiffness adjustment ratio is determined according to formula (3). Adjust the ratio according to the target stiffness Compared with the current stiffness adjustment ratio The difference between the values ​​is used to determine the stiffness adjustment amount. Based on the stiffness adjustment amount, the feedback control command of the drive unit is determined. The drive unit is controlled to move according to the feedback control command. The upward or downward movement of the slip ring 30 along the flexible side plate is adjusted by the feedback control method so that the slip ring 30 accurately reaches the target position. The stiffness adjustment ratio corresponding to the resistance value at the target position is the target stiffness adjustment ratio.

[0044] In some methods, for working devices of specific materials and dimensions, a definite correspondence between resistance values ​​and stiffness adjustment ratios can be determined through experimental data processing and calculation. For example, the relationship between resistance values ​​and stiffness adjustment ratios is essentially linear, such as: It directly controls and adjusts based on the corresponding relationship, greatly simplifying the algorithm complexity and significantly improving the control response speed.

[0045] In some implementations, when the slip ring 30 is adjusted within a range between its lowest position (minimum current height) and highest position (maximum current height) relative to the flexible side plate 21, the stiffness adjustment ratio can vary within a range between the minimum and maximum values. For example, The range is 0.05-0.7. Correspondingly, the critical triggering force of the gripper mechanism can be continuously adjusted within a large range. For example, it can be continuously adjusted from about 1.2N to more than 13.1N. The maximum critical triggering force is nearly 11 times the minimum critical triggering force. In this way, a gripper mechanism can exhibit both extremely high compliance and extremely high rigidity. By simply adjusting the position of the slip ring 30, multiple modes of tasks such as low rigidity, medium rigidity, and high rigidity can be completed.

[0046] In some embodiments, the task instruction is a flexible grasping instruction; The control unit is used to determine the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio according to the flexible gripping command, and to determine the first control command of the drive unit according to the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position. The control unit is used to control the drive unit to drive the slip ring 30 to slide along the flexible side plate 21 to the lowest position according to the first control command, so that the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio is reached at the lowest position.

[0047] In this embodiment, the robot is connected to the working device via a connecting rod, and the robot sends the task instructions to be executed to the control unit. For example... Figure 12A As shown, when a flexible grasping task needs to be performed, the robot sends a flexible grasping command to the control unit. The control unit determines the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio (e.g., ) corresponding to the flexible grasping command by querying a mapping table. =0.05), based on the current position of the slip ring detected by the position sensor, the current stiffness adjustment ratio is determined. Based on the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio and the current stiffness adjustment ratio, the stiffness adjustment amount is determined. Based on the stiffness adjustment amount, the first control command of the drive unit is determined. According to the first control command, the drive unit is controlled to drive the slip ring to slide to the lowest position relative to the flexible side plate 21. At the lowest position, the effective deformation length of the flexible side plate 21 is the largest, the stiffness is the lowest, the energy barrier is extremely low, and the gripper mechanism exhibits good compliance. It is only necessary to control the rigid gripper 22 to slightly contact the object. The control center push rod 50 can break through the energy barrier with a small pushing force and use a very small contact inertial force to trigger the state switching of the bistable structure, so that the rigid gripper 22 can compliantly wrap the object, thereby completing the task of grasping fragile and easily damaged items such as fruits and biological samples.

[0048] Because the gripper mechanism has extremely low stiffness, the gripping force is very gentle and will not cause structural damage to the object. Furthermore, the gripping response time is very fast (less than 33ms). After the gripping task is completed, the control slip ring 30 moves upwards moderately (e.g., to...). =0.2), by increasing the stiffness, it prevents the object from falling off during flight.

[0049] In some embodiments, the task instruction is an obstacle clearance instruction; The control unit is used to determine the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio according to the obstacle breaking command, and to determine the second control command of the drive unit according to the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position. The control unit is used to control the drive unit to drive the slip ring 30 to slide along the flexible side plate 21 to the highest position according to the second control command, so that the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio is reached at the highest position.

[0050] In this embodiment, as Figure 12B As shown, when an obstacle-clearing task is required, the robot sends an obstacle-clearing command to the control unit. The control unit determines the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio (e.g., by querying a mapping table) corresponding to the obstacle-clearing command. =0.7), based on the current position of the slip ring detected by the position sensor, the current stiffness adjustment ratio is determined. Based on the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio and the current stiffness adjustment ratio, the stiffness adjustment amount is determined. Based on the stiffness adjustment amount, the second control command of the drive unit is determined. According to the second control command, the drive unit is controlled to drive the slip ring to slide to the highest position relative to the flexible side plate 21. At the highest position, the effective deformation length of the flexible side plate 21 is the smallest, the stiffness is the highest, and the energy barrier is extremely high (e.g., greater than 13N). The gripper mechanism constitutes a hard rigid body that can withstand high-speed impacts without malfunctioning. It can quickly complete the task of powerfully breaking obstacles (e.g., breaking glass within 12ms).

[0051] In some embodiments, the task instruction is a projection instruction; The control unit is used to control the central push rod to push the rigid gripper 22 at a predetermined speed to open it after the slip ring 30 slides along the flexible side plate 21 to the target position.

[0052] In this embodiment, as Figure 12C As shown, when a projection task needs to be performed, the robot sends a projection command to the control unit. This projection command includes projection parameters such as projection distance and projection height. The control unit determines the target stiffness adjustment ratio corresponding to the projection command by querying the mapping table (the target stiffness adjustment ratio is determined according to the projection height). Based on the current position of the slip ring detected by the position sensor, the current stiffness adjustment ratio is determined. Based on the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current stiffness adjustment ratio, the stiffness adjustment amount is determined. Based on the stiffness adjustment amount, the control command of the drive unit is determined. According to the control command, the drive unit drives the slip ring to slide to the target position. At the target position, the flexible side plate 21 reaches the required stiffness. Then, the control unit determines the pushing speed of the central push rod 50 based on parameters such as the projection distance. The control unit controls the central push rod 50 to push the rigid gripper 22 to the fully open state at this pushing speed. At the instant of state reversal, the elastic energy released by the flexible side plate is converted into the kinetic energy of the object, projecting the object in the rigid gripper 22. By adjusting the stiffness ratio, the initial velocity and range of the projectile can be precisely controlled. Thus, the strain energy released during the transition of the bistable structure from a closed to an open state is used as the power source to complete the projection mission. The target position for the projection mission can be either the intermediate position between the lowest and highest positions, or the highest position itself.

[0053] Optionally, the end of the center push rod 50 can be designed to be concave or have a non-slip texture to accommodate different shaped ejection loads.

[0054] In some embodiments, the task instruction is a stable habitat instruction; The control unit is used to control the drive unit to drive the slip ring 30 to slide along the flexible side plate 21 to the lowest position according to the first control command, and then the control center push rod 50 pulls the rigid gripper 22 to achieve a closed state, so that the rigid gripper 22 is clamped in the perching position. According to the second control command, the drive unit is used to control the drive unit to drive the slip ring 30 to slide along the flexible side plate 21 to the highest position, so that the rigid gripper 22 is stably clamped in the perching position.

[0055] In this embodiment, as Figure 12DAs shown, when a stable perching task needs to be performed, the robot sends a stable perching command to the control unit. The control unit breaks down the task into multiple steps based on the stable perching command, including: determining the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio and the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio by querying the mapping table; determining the first control command based on the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio; adjusting the slip ring to the lowest position according to the first control command; and, at the moment of approaching the perching target (such as a tree branch), quickly triggering the rigid gripper to close with high sensitivity to grip the perching target without the need for precise hovering alignment; after sensing the closed state, determining the second control command based on the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio; and adjusting the slip ring to the highest position according to the second control command to provide a high-strength gripping force, stably locking the gripper mechanism to the perching target to prevent it from falling off the perching position, ensuring that the robot can still hang stably after the motor is turned off, achieving zero-energy perching.

[0056] It should be noted that the above is only an example of the executable tasks. Depending on the task requirements of the actual application scenario, the operating device can complete any combination of one or more low-stiffness, medium-stiffness, and high-stiffness tasks. For example, it can first break through obstacles and then project to a specific point; or first project and then grab; or first break through obstacles to enter the room and then compliantly grab the sample; or first observe and then launch the beacon, etc. The type, order, and specific process of the tasks performed by the device are not limited.

[0057] The robotic end-effector intelligent operation device provided in this application embodiment has a control unit that controls the position of the stiffness adjustment mechanism according to task instructions, adjusts the stiffness of the flexible side plate, and adjusts the mechanical boundary constraints of the bistable structure. This integrated operation device is ingeniously designed and structurally simple, adaptable to various types of robots. By dynamically adjusting the structural stiffness and energy barrier of the gripper mechanism, it can achieve continuous adjustment from ultra-sensitive triggering to high-strength holding, resolving the contradiction between sensitivity and load capacity. It enables various operation modes such as millisecond-level fragile object grasping, powerful obstacle breaking, dynamic perching, and controllable object ejection, greatly improving the robot's ability to operate in unstructured environments, enhancing its ability to execute complex sequence tasks, avoiding damage, improving operational efficiency, meeting diverse application needs, and expanding the robot's applicable scope and scenarios.

[0058] like Figure 14 As shown, this application provides a control method for a robot end-effector intelligent operation device, implemented based on the robot end-effector intelligent operation device, including: S1401: Determine the target stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate according to the received task instructions; S1402: Determine the control command for the drive unit based on the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position detected by the position sensor; S1403: Control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the target position that achieves the target stiffness adjustment ratio according to the control command.

[0059] It should be noted that the method in this embodiment can be executed by a single device, such as a computer or server. The method can also be applied in a distributed scenario, where multiple devices cooperate to complete the task. In such a distributed scenario, one of these devices may execute only one or more steps of the method in this embodiment, and the multiple devices will interact with each other to complete the method described.

[0060] It should be noted that the above description describes specific embodiments of this specification. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recorded in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0061] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of this disclosure (including the claims) is limited to these examples; within the framework of this disclosure, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the embodiments of this application as described above, which are not provided in the details for the sake of brevity.

[0062] Additionally, to simplify the description and discussion, and to avoid obscuring the embodiments of this application, the well-known power / ground connections to integrated circuit (IC) chips and other components may or may not be shown in the provided drawings. Furthermore, the apparatus may be shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the embodiments of this application, and this also takes into account the fact that the details of the implementation of these block diagram apparatuses are highly dependent on the platform on which the embodiments of this application will be implemented (i.e., these details should be fully understood by those skilled in the art). While specific details (e.g., circuits) have been set forth to describe exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of this application can be implemented without these specific details or with variations thereof. Therefore, these descriptions should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0063] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, many substitutions, modifications, and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. For example, other memory architectures (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM)) may be used with the embodiments discussed.

[0064] The embodiments of this application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A robotic end-effector intelligent operation device, characterized in that, include: Housing, stiffness adjustment mechanism, gripper mechanism, and control unit; The gripper mechanism includes multiple sets of flexible side plates and rigid grippers arranged at a specific angle on the circumference, and the flexible side plates are movably connected to the rigid grippers. The stiffness adjustment mechanism includes a slip ring, an elastic element, a drive unit, and a transmission unit. The slip ring is sleeved around each flexible side plate and is equipped with a position sensor. One side of the slip ring is connected to the housing through the elastic element. The drive unit drives the slip ring to slide up and down along the flexible side plate through the transmission unit to adjust the stiffness of the flexible side plate. The control unit is configured to determine the target stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate according to the received task instruction, determine the control instruction of the drive unit according to the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position detected by the position sensor, and control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the target position that achieves the target stiffness adjustment ratio according to the control instruction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit is configured to determine the current stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate based on the current position; determine the stiffness adjustment amount based on the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current stiffness adjustment ratio; and determine the feedback control command of the drive unit based on the stiffness adjustment amount.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The position sensor includes a conductive side plate and a conductive body fixed on the slip ring. The conductive body is in contact with the conductive side plate through a contact point. The conductive side plate and the flexible side plate are arranged in the same direction and at the same height. The control unit is used to determine the current resistance value based on the current contact position between the conductor and the conductive side plate; and to determine the current stiffness adjustment ratio based on the current resistance value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The relationship between resistance value and stiffness adjustment ratio is as follows: （3） in, The resistivity of the conductive baseband on the conductive side plate. A This represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductive baseband. R This is the resistance value. For stiffness adjustment ratio, = / 0, This is the current height of the slip ring. 0 represents the total height of the flexible side panel.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a central push rod, which is located at the center of the circumference, with one end of the central push rod corresponding to the bottom of the base; each set of rigid grippers is movably connected to the base; The control unit is used to control the central push rod to push the rigid gripper to open or pull the rigid gripper to close, according to the task instruction.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The task instruction is a flexible grasping instruction; The control unit is configured to determine the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio according to the flexible gripping command, determine the first control command of the drive unit according to the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position, and control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the lowest position according to the first control command, so that the minimum stiffness adjustment ratio is reached at the lowest position.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The task instruction is an obstacle clearance instruction; The control unit is configured to determine the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio according to the obstacle-breaking command, determine the second control command of the drive unit according to the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position, and control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the highest position according to the second control command, so that the maximum stiffness adjustment ratio is reached at the highest position.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The task instruction is a projection instruction; The control unit is used to control the central push rod to push the rigid gripper at a predetermined speed to open it after the slip ring slides along the flexible side plate to the target position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The task instruction is a stable habitat instruction; The control unit is configured to control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the lowest position according to the first control command, and then control the central push rod to pull the rigid gripper to achieve a closed state, so that the rigid gripper is clamped in the perching position. According to the second control command, the control unit is configured to control the drive unit to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the highest position, so that the rigid gripper is stably clamped in the perching position.

10. A control method for a robot end-effector intelligent operation device, implemented based on the robot end-effector intelligent operation device as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, include: The target stiffness adjustment ratio of the flexible side plate is determined according to the received task instructions; Based on the target stiffness adjustment ratio and the current position detected by the position sensor, the control command for the drive unit is determined; According to the control command, the drive unit is controlled to drive the slip ring to slide along the flexible side plate to the target position that achieves the target stiffness adjustment ratio.

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