Water surface robot and motion control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a water surface robot and a motion control method thereof, and relates to the technical field of robots. The water surface robot comprises an eccentric motor and a driving sheet. The driving sheet is arranged on the water surface to form a floating platform. The eccentric motor is fixedly arranged above the driving sheet. The vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can be changed so that the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can cover the inherent frequency required for the driving sheet to generate a jet phenomenon. The eccentric motor drives the driving sheet to vibrate at the inherent frequency, so that the water body at the bottom of the driving sheet generates a jet phenomenon. The greater the inherent frequency of the driving sheet is, the greater the jet thrust is, so as to drive the driving sheet to move on the water surface. Compared with the propulsion achieved by interacting with water through the water kicking mode, the water surface robot has higher energy transmission efficiency. Meanwhile, the floating platform formed by the driving sheets increases the contact area of the water surface robot and the water surface, so that the structural stability of the water surface robot during movement is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a surface robot and its motion control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demands in fields such as marine development, water area monitoring, and underwater rescue, underwater robots, as intelligent devices capable of autonomous operation in aquatic environments, have been widely researched and applied. Based on their location within the water, underwater robots can generally be divided into two main categories: surface robots and underwater robots. Surface robots are primarily used for operations in surface environments, such as water quality monitoring, surface patrol, and environmental sensing, and have significant application value in civilian, scientific research, and specialized fields.

[0003] Aquatic organisms in nature have evolved efficient locomotion mechanisms adapted to aquatic environments over long periods. Lizards and water striders, for example, can float and walk on water using surface tension. Based on this biomimetic principle, various lizard- and water strider-inspired aquatic walking robots have been developed. These robots use hydrophobic materials in their legs to reduce the contact area between the legs and water, allowing them to float on the surface using surface tension. They also generate propulsion by pushing off the water with their hind legs. However, in practical applications, these aquatic walking robots rely on hind leg pushes for propulsion, resulting in low energy transfer efficiency. Furthermore, the overall stability of the structure is poor due to the reliance on hydrophobic materials in the legs for buoyancy. They are prone to tilting or tipping over when encountering slight water flow disturbances, wind, or surface fluctuations, making it difficult to maintain a stable walking posture. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a surface robot and its motion control method to solve the problems existing in the prior art and improve the energy transfer efficiency and motion stability of the surface robot.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: This invention provides a water surface robot, including an eccentric motor and a drive plate. The drive plate is disposed on the water surface to form a floating platform. The eccentric motor is fixedly disposed above the drive plate. The vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can be changed so that the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can cover the natural frequency required for the drive plate to generate a jet phenomenon.

[0006] In some embodiments, the number of driving plates is at least two. One end of each driving plate is close to the eccentric motor, and the other end extends horizontally outward from the eccentric motor. The driving plates are evenly distributed along the circumference of the eccentric motor to form a floating platform. The eccentric motor is fixedly mounted above at least one driving plate. The Young's modulus of all the driving plates along the circumference of the eccentric motor gradually increases. The vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can be changed so that the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can cover the natural frequency required for all the driving plates to generate the jet phenomenon.

[0007] In some embodiments, there are four driving plates, namely a first driving plate, a second driving plate, a third driving plate, and a fourth driving plate. The rear end of the first driving plate and the front end of the second driving plate are fixedly connected. The eccentric motor is fixedly disposed above the fixed connection between the first and second driving plates. The third and fourth driving plates are respectively fixedly disposed to the right and left of the eccentric motor, so that the first, second, third, and fourth driving plates form a cross-shaped floating platform. The Young's modulus of the first, second, third, and fourth driving plates gradually decreases.

[0008] In some embodiments, the surface robot further includes a levitation body disposed at the bottom of the floating platform, the levitation body being fixedly connected to one end of the drive plate near the eccentric motor.

[0009] In some embodiments, the end of the drive plate away from the eccentric motor has a guide portion, the width of which gradually increases from the end away from the eccentric motor to the end closer to the eccentric motor.

[0010] In some embodiments, a protective body is also included, the bottom of which is fixedly connected to the top of the floating platform and encloses the floating platform to form an accommodating cavity, so as to fix the eccentric motor in the accommodating cavity.

[0011] In some embodiments, a power system is also included, the power system comprising a battery, the suspension having a hollow cavity, the battery being disposed within the hollow cavity, and the battery being electrically connected to the eccentric motor.

[0012] In some embodiments, a controller is also included, which is disposed within the hollow cavity of the levitation body, and is electrically connected to the eccentric motor. The controller is used to connect to the launch operation terminal signal.

[0013] In some embodiments, anti-collision buffer strips are affixed to the circumferential edge of each of the drive plates at the end away from the eccentric motor.

[0014] The present invention also provides a motion control method for a surface robot, which uses the surface robot described in any of the above claims to cause the eccentric motor to vibrate and drive the drive plate to vibrate at the natural frequency required to generate the jet phenomenon.

[0015] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art: This invention provides a water surface robot and its motion control method. By making the vibration frequency of an eccentric motor cover the natural frequency required for the driving plate to generate a jet phenomenon, the eccentric motor drives the driving plate to vibrate at the natural frequency, thereby generating a jet phenomenon in the water at the bottom of the driving plate, which in turn drives the driving plate to move on the water surface. The higher the natural frequency of the driving plate, the greater the jet thrust. Compared with propulsion by interacting with the water through a kicking motion, this method has a stronger energy transfer efficiency. At the same time, the floating platform formed by the driving plates increases the contact area between the water surface robot and the water surface, thereby improving the structural stability of the water surface robot during movement. Even when encountering slight water flow disturbances, wind effects, or water surface fluctuations, it is not easy to tilt or roll over, thus maintaining a stable walking state. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the surface robot structure in some embodiments of Example 1; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the surface robot from another perspective in some embodiments of Example 1.

[0018] In the figure: 1-Eccentric motor; 2-Drive plate; 21-First drive plate; 22-Second drive plate; 23-Third drive plate; 24-Fourth drive plate; 3-Suspension body; 31-Upper shell; 32-Lower shell; 33-Connecting column. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] The purpose of this invention is to provide a surface robot and its motion control method to solve the problems existing in the prior art and improve the motion speed and stability of the surface robot.

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] Example 1 This embodiment provides a surface robot, such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the system includes an eccentric motor 1 and a drive plate 2. The drive plate 2 is positioned on the water surface to form a floating platform. The eccentric motor 1 is fixedly positioned above the drive plate 2. The vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 can be changed to cover the natural frequency required for the drive plate 2 to generate a jet phenomenon. By making the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 cover the natural frequency required for the drive plate 2 to generate a jet phenomenon, the eccentric motor 1 drives the drive plate 2 to vibrate at its natural frequency, thereby generating a jet phenomenon in the water at the bottom of the drive plate 2. The higher the natural frequency of the drive plate 2, the greater the jet thrust, which propels the drive plate 2 to move on the water surface. Compared with propulsion by interacting with the water through a kicking motion, this method has a higher energy transfer efficiency. At the same time, the floating platform formed by the drive plates 2 increases the contact area between the water robot and the water surface, thereby improving the structural stability of the water robot during movement. Even when encountering slight water flow disturbances, wind effects, or water surface fluctuations, it is less likely to tilt or tip over, thus maintaining a stable walking state.

[0023] In some embodiments, there are two driving plates 2. One end of each driving plate 2 is close to the eccentric motor 1, and the other end extends horizontally outward from the eccentric motor 1 to form a floating platform. The two driving plates extend in collinear and opposite directions. The Young's modulus of the two driving plates 2 has a difference. The vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 can be changed so that the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 can cover the natural frequency required for all driving plates 2 to generate the jet phenomenon. When the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor is greater than that of the driving plate 2 with a smaller natural frequency required to generate the jet phenomenon, but less than the natural frequency required to generate the jet phenomenon... When a driving plate 2 with a higher natural frequency is required, a driving plate 2 with a lower natural frequency required to generate a jet phenomenon can generate a jet phenomenon, thereby causing the floating platform to move in the direction of the driving plate 2 with a higher natural frequency required to generate a jet phenomenon. When the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor is greater than the natural frequency required for the two driving plates 2 to generate a jet phenomenon, both driving plates 2 generate a jet phenomenon, and the jet thrust of the driving plate 2 with a higher natural frequency required to generate a jet phenomenon is greater, thereby causing the floating platform to move in the direction of the driving plate 2 with a lower natural frequency required to generate a jet phenomenon.

[0024] In some embodiments, the number of driving plates 2 is at least three. One end of each driving plate 2 is close to the eccentric motor 1, and the other end extends horizontally outward from the eccentric motor 1. The driving plates 2 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the eccentric motor 1 to form a floating platform. The eccentric motor 1 is fixedly installed above at least one driving plate 2. The Young's modulus of all driving plates 2 along the circumference of the eccentric motor gradually increases. The vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 can be changed so that the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 can cover the natural frequency required for all driving plates 2 to generate the jet phenomenon. When the eccentric motor 1 vibrates, it can drive each driving plate 2 to vibrate. By changing the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1, the driving plate 2 with a natural frequency lower than the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 can generate a jet phenomenon. That is, water located on the bottom side of the driving plate 2 is jetted from the side close to the eccentric motor 1 along the driving plate 2 towards the side away from the eccentric motor 1. The driving plate 2 with a smaller Young's modulus has a larger natural frequency required to generate a jet phenomenon, and the greater the jet thrust when generating a jet phenomenon, so as to drive the water surface robot to move in a directional manner.

[0025] In some embodiments, there are four driving plates 2: a first driving plate 21, a second driving plate 22, a third driving plate 23, and a fourth driving plate 24. The rear end of the first driving plate 21 is fixedly connected to the front end of the second driving plate 22. An eccentric motor 1 is fixedly positioned above the fixed connection between the first driving plate 21 and the second driving plate 22. The third driving plate 23 and the fourth driving plate 24 are fixedly positioned to the right and left of the eccentric motor 1, respectively, so that the first driving plate 21, the second driving plate 22, the third driving plate 23, and the fourth driving plate 24 form a cross-shaped floating platform. The Young's modulus of the first driving plate 21, the second driving plate 22, the third driving plate 23, and the fourth driving plate 24 gradually decreases. The natural frequencies required for the first driving plate 21, the second driving plate 22, the third driving plate 23, and the fourth driving plate 24 to generate the jet phenomenon are respectively... f1 , f2 , f3 and f4 , f1 , f2 , f3 and f4 Gradually increase, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first driving plate 21 is located at the front end of the second driving plate 22, with the left and right sides relative to the front end. Specifically, when it needs to move backward, the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 is made only greater than that of the first driving plate 21. f1 And smaller than the second driving plate 22 f2 The third driving thin plate 23 f3 and the fourth drive plate 24 f4 At this point, only the first driving plate 21 generates a jet phenomenon, thereby driving the water robot to move backward; when forward movement is required, the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 is made greater than that of the first driving plate 21. f1 The second driving thin plate 22 f2 And smaller than the third driving plate 23 f3 and the fourth drive plate 24 f4 At this time, both the first driving plate 21 and the second driving plate 22 generate jet propulsion, and the jet thrust of the second driving plate 22 is greater, thereby driving the water robot to move forward; when it is necessary to move to the left, the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 is made greater than that of the first driving plate 21. f1 The second driving plate 22 f2 and the third drive plate 23 f 3, and smaller than the fourth driving plate 24 f4At this time, the first driving plate 21, the second driving plate 22, and the third driving plate 23 all generate jet phenomena, thereby driving the water surface robot to move to the left and forward at the same time. When it is necessary to move to the right, the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 is made greater than the natural frequency required for all four driving plates 2 to generate jet phenomena. At this time, the first driving plate 21, the second driving plate 22, the third driving plate 23, and the fourth plate all generate jet phenomena, and the jet thrust of the fourth driving plate 24 drives the water surface robot to move to the right and forward at the same time.

[0026] In some embodiments, the water surface robot further includes a suspension body 3, which is disposed at the bottom of the floating platform. The suspension body 3 is fixedly connected to the end of the drive plate 2 near the eccentric motor 1. The suspension body 3 provides buoyancy to the floating platform, thus preventing the drive plate 2 from being unable to maintain its floating state due to its own buoyancy, which would be insufficient to balance the weight of the eccentric motor 1 and the floating platform.

[0027] In some embodiments, each drive plate 2 has a flow guide at the end away from the eccentric motor 1. The width of the flow guide gradually increases from the end away from the eccentric motor 1 to the end closer to the eccentric motor 1. The flow guide further reduces the resistance when moving on the water surface, thereby improving the movement speed of the water robot.

[0028] In some embodiments, the surface robot further includes a protective body. The bottom of the protective body is fixedly connected to the top of the floating platform and encloses the floating platform to form a cavity. The eccentric motor 1 is fixedly disposed within the cavity, thereby isolating the eccentric motor 1 from the outside environment and preventing water splashes or waves from affecting the normal operation of the eccentric motor 1 during the movement of the surface robot. In some embodiments, ventilation holes are provided on the circumferential sidewalls of the protective body. One end of the ventilation hole communicates with the internal cavity, and the other end communicates with the outside of the protective body, so that the eccentric motor 1, which is enclosed by the protective body and the floating platform, can dissipate heat normally and ensure the stability of the eccentric motor 1's operation.

[0029] In some embodiments, the surface robot also includes a power system, which includes a battery. The levitation body 3 has a hollow cavity, and the battery is disposed in the hollow cavity. The battery is electrically connected to the eccentric motor 1 and can provide the power required for the eccentric motor 1 to operate, so that the surface robot does not need to be electrically connected to the land.

[0030] In some embodiments, the power system also includes a photovoltaic energy storage mechanism, which includes a photovoltaic panel. The photovoltaic panel is installed on the top of the protective body and is electrically connected to a battery. The photovoltaic panel converts light energy into electrical energy and stores it in the battery, thereby using clean energy to provide power to the eccentric motor 1 and ensuring the stability of the operation of the eccentric motor 1.

[0031] In some embodiments, the surface robot also includes a controller, which is disposed in the hollow cavity of the suspension body 3. The controller is electrically connected to the eccentric motor 1 and is used to connect to the signal of the launch operation terminal. By receiving the signal from the launch operation terminal through the controller, the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 is changed, thereby controlling the movement direction of the surface robot.

[0032] In some embodiments, a charging controller and an inverter are also provided within the hollow cavity of the levitation body 3. The charging controller controls the charging process of the photovoltaic panel to the battery, preventing overcharging from damaging the battery or over-discharging from shortening its lifespan. The inverter converts the DC power output from the battery into AC power for use by various loads on the floating platform. In some embodiments, the levitation body 3 includes an upper shell 31 and a lower shell 32, which are detachably connected to facilitate the maintenance or replacement of electrical equipment within the levitation body 3. A sealing strip is provided at the joint between the upper shell 31 and the lower shell 32 to prevent water from entering the hollow cavity. In some embodiments, the upper shell 31 is fixedly connected to the drive plate 2 via a connecting post 33, and the connection point between the connecting post 33 and the drive plate 2 is located at the end of the drive plate 2 closest to the eccentric motor 1, to ensure the degree of freedom of vibration of the end of the drive plate 2 away from the eccentric motor 1.

[0033] In some implementations, the drive plate 2 is made of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene, which is inexpensive and has strong buoyancy, thereby further improving the structural stability of the water robot during movement.

[0034] In some embodiments, anti-collision buffer strips are affixed to the circumferential edges of each drive plate 2 at the end away from the eccentric motor 1. When the water robot collides with other obstacles on the water, the anti-collision buffer strips can absorb the collision energy, thereby protecting the eccentric motor 1 and the drive plate 2.

[0035] Example 2 This embodiment provides a motion control method for a surface robot. Using the surface robot described in Embodiment 1, an eccentric motor 1 vibrates, driving a drive plate 2 to vibrate at the natural frequency required to generate a jet phenomenon. In some embodiments, the number of drive plates 2 is four: a first drive plate 21, a second drive plate 22, a third drive plate 23, and a fourth drive plate 24. When backward movement is required, the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 is made only greater than f1 of the first drive plate 21, but less than f2 of the second drive plate 22, f3 of the third drive plate 23, and f4 of the fourth drive plate 24. At this time, only the first drive plate 21 generates a jet phenomenon, thus driving the surface robot backward. When forward movement is required, the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor 1 is made greater than f1 of the first drive plate 21 and f2 of the second drive plate 22, but less than f3 of the third drive plate 23 and f4 of the fourth drive plate 24. At this time, both the first drive plate 21 and the second drive plate 22 generate jet phenomena, and the second drive plate 24... The jet thrust of eccentric motor 2 is relatively large, thus driving the water surface robot to move forward. When it is necessary to move to the left, the vibration frequency of eccentric motor 1 is made greater than f1 of the first driving plate 21, f2 of the second driving plate 22, and f3 of the third driving plate 23, but less than f4 of the fourth driving plate 24. At this time, the first driving plate 21, the second driving plate 22, and the third driving plate 23 all generate jet phenomena, thus driving the water surface robot to move to the left and forward at the same time. When it is necessary to move to the right, the vibration frequency of eccentric motor 1 is made greater than the natural frequency required for all four driving plates 2 to generate jet phenomena. At this time, the first driving plate 21, the second driving plate 22, the third driving plate 23, and the fourth plate all generate jet phenomena, and the jet thrust of the fourth driving plate 24 drives the water surface robot to move to the right and forward at the same time.

[0036] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A surface robot, characterized in that: It includes an eccentric motor and a drive plate. The drive plate is set on the water surface to form a floating platform. The eccentric motor is fixedly set above the drive plate. The vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can be changed so that the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can cover the natural frequency required for the drive plate to generate a jet phenomenon.

2. The surface robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of driving plates is at least two. One end of each driving plate is close to the eccentric motor, and the other end extends horizontally outward from the eccentric motor as the center. The driving plates are evenly distributed along the circumference of the eccentric motor to form a floating platform. The eccentric motor is fixedly installed above at least one driving plate. The Young's modulus of all the driving plates along the circumference of the eccentric motor gradually increases. The vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can be changed so that the vibration frequency of the eccentric motor can cover the natural frequency required for all the driving plates to generate the jet phenomenon.

3. The surface robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of driving plates is four, namely a first driving plate, a second driving plate, a third driving plate, and a fourth driving plate. The rear end of the first driving plate and the front end of the second driving plate are fixedly connected. The eccentric motor is fixedly installed above the fixed connection between the first and second driving plates. The third and fourth driving plates are respectively fixedly installed on the right and left sides of the eccentric motor, so that the first, second, third, and fourth driving plates form a cross-shaped floating platform. The Young's modulus of the first, second, third, and fourth driving plates gradually decreases.

4. The surface robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface robot also includes a levitation body, which is located at the bottom of the floating platform and is fixedly connected to the end of the drive plate near the eccentric motor.

5. The surface robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive plate has a flow guide at the end away from the eccentric motor, and the width of the flow guide gradually increases from the end away from the eccentric motor to the end closer to the eccentric motor.

6. The surface robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a protective body, the bottom of which is fixedly connected to the top of the floating platform and surrounds the floating platform to form an accommodating cavity, so as to fix the eccentric motor in the accommodating cavity.

7. The surface robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a power system, which includes a battery. The suspension body has a hollow cavity, and the battery is disposed in the hollow cavity and electrically connected to the eccentric motor.

8. The surface robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a controller, which is disposed in the hollow cavity of the levitation body. The controller is electrically connected to the eccentric motor and is used to connect to the signal of the launch operation terminal.

9. The surface robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: Anti-collision buffer strips are affixed to the circumferential edge of each of the drive plates at the end away from the eccentric motor.

10. A motion control method for a surface water robot, employing the surface water robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The eccentric motor vibrates and drives the drive plate to vibrate at the natural frequency required to produce the jet phenomenon.

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