Robot with multifunctional layer spiral splicing and variable rigidity hybrid adsorption structure

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a robot with a multifunctional layer spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure, which solves the problem that robots lack reliable joint active variable stiffness regulation mechanism and it is difficult to realize efficient switching between flexible obstacle avoidance and high stiffness operation positioning modes, and the robot comprises a shell, a locking assembly and a plurality of guide pieces, the shell comprises a base support piece, a perception detection piece and a variable stiffness adjustment piece connected in sequence, the guide pieces are connected to the base support piece, the perception detection piece and the variable stiffness adjustment piece, and the base support piece, the perception detection piece and the variable stiffness adjustment piece are arranged around the locking assembly, and through the modular splicing of the base support, the perception detection and the variable stiffness adjustment, and the tension control of the guide pieces, the autonomous and controllable switching of the two working modes of the robot, i.e., low stiffness flexible traversal and high stiffness locking, is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure. Background Technology

[0002] Continuum robots, due to their excellent flexibility and adaptability, are widely used in confined, unstructured environments such as aero-engine blade inspection and complex pipeline exploration. Traditional rope-driven continuum robots typically employ a flexible skeleton with circumferentially distributed drive ropes, achieving overall bending deformation through the extension and retraction of the ropes. However, traditional flexible skeletons often use integrated lamination bonding or monolithic manufacturing processes, mixing load-bearing support, state sensing, and stiffness adjustment components, resulting in a lack of physical decoupling between different hardware functional layers. Once local fatigue or damage occurs, it often leads to the scrapping of the entire robot, making rapid on-site reconstruction and line-side maintenance difficult. Furthermore, this overall passive flexible design results in extremely low torsional stiffness, making it highly susceptible to axial torsional instability under multi-directional composite loads, severely affecting end-effector positioning accuracy.

[0003] Furthermore, existing continuum robots lack a reliable mechanism for active joint stiffness regulation, making it difficult to efficiently switch between flexible obstacle avoidance and high-stiffness operation and positioning. Once detached from external support points, the inherent weakness of constant and insufficient joint stiffness becomes fully apparent, deteriorating the accuracy and stability of the system's autonomous end-effector operations in confined environments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is: in order to overcome the lack of a reliable joint active variable stiffness control mechanism in the existing continuous robot, and the difficulty in achieving efficient switching between the two modes of flexible obstacle avoidance and high stiffness operation positioning, this invention provides a robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: a robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure, including a shell, a locking component, and several guide components. The outer shell includes a base support component, a sensing and detection component, and a variable stiffness adjustment component connected in sequence. The guide component connects the basic support component, the sensing and detection component, and the variable stiffness adjustment component. The basic support component, the sensing and detection component, and the variable stiffness adjustment component are arranged around the locking component. Through the modular splicing of the basic support, sensing and detection, and variable stiffness adjustment components, combined with the tension control of the guide component, the robot can achieve autonomous and controllable switching between two working modes: low-stiffness flexible travel and high-stiffness locking. When in low-stiffness flexible mode, there is no relative slippage between the basic support, sensing and detection components and variable stiffness adjustment components when the tension applied by the guide component is applied. When in high-rigidity locking mode, the tension applied by the guide causes relative slippage between the base support, sensing and detection components and the variable stiffness adjustment components, forming radial compressive force, which enables the locking assembly to operate.

[0006] To address the issues of low axial torsional stiffness and easy axial loosening or torsional instability between layers in traditional frames, the design further incorporates a ribbon-like spiral structure for the base support components, sensing and detection components, and variable stiffness adjustment components, all arranged around the locking assembly.

[0007] To address the issues of single or dual drive ropes being unable to achieve arbitrary bending in space and uneven transmission of driving force, the system further includes mounting holes for connecting guide components on the base support, sensing and detection components, and variable stiffness adjustment components. The mounting holes corresponding to the guide components are located on the same straight line, and the guide components have at least three holes.

[0008] To address the issue of interlayer normal separation and radial warping in discrete spiral belts under bending stress, a first assembly block extending along itself is further provided on the side of the base support near the sensing and detection component. The sensing and detection component protrudes from one side near the base support component to form a first assembly groove that matches the first assembly block. The first assembly groove is arranged inside the first assembly block. A second assembly block extending along itself is provided on the side of the sensing and detection component near the variable stiffness adjustment component. The variable stiffness adjustment component protrudes from one side near the sensing and detection component to form a second assembly groove that matches the second assembly block. The second assembly groove is arranged inside the second assembly block. Both the first assembly block and the second assembly block are dovetail blocks.

[0009] To address the issues of existing robots relying on external sensors, being easily scratched and damaged, and being unable to sense internal strain states in situ, a further method is proposed, which includes a sensing microfluidic channel inside the sensing and detection component, filled with sensing liquid metal, which constitutes a strain sensing node.

[0010] To address the issues of constant material stiffness, narrow range of active control, and slow response in traditional robots, a further method is proposed that includes an internal microfluidic channel for the variable stiffness adjustment component, which is filled with a liquid metal that can harden or soften under temperature influence.

[0011] To address the problem of external extrusion pressure being difficult to efficiently and stably convert into internal axial locking force, a locking assembly is further included, comprising a central shaft and several wedge sliders. The wedge sliders are arranged around the central shaft, with the outer edge of the wedge sliders contacting the inner cavity surface of the outer shell, and the inner wall surface of the wedge sliders contacting the central shaft. The wedge sliders have three wedge sliders.

[0012] To address the issues of stress concentration, poor motion guidance, and easy jamming of the slider under pressure, the cross-section of the wedge slider is further designed to be a parallelogram or an isosceles trapezoid.

[0013] To address the issue that transmission components are prone to plastic deformation or fracture under high tensile loads and lack flexibility to follow the bending of the robotic arm, the guide component is further designed as a straight rod or multi-strand braided rope structure with high axial tensile strength and flexibility.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The robot provided by the present invention has a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure. Through modular splicing of basic support, sensing and detection, and variable stiffness adjustment, combined with tension control of guide components, the robot can achieve autonomous and controllable switching between two working modes: low-stiffness flexible passage and high-stiffness locking. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is the present invention. Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure; Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the sensing and detection device structure according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is the present invention. Figure 4 A perspective structural diagram of the state-sensing detection component; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the variable stiffness adjustment component structure according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is the present invention. Figure 6 A perspective structural diagram of the variable stiffness adjustment component under certain conditions; Figure 8 This is the present invention. Figure 7 A top-down structural diagram in perspective.

[0017] In the diagram: 1. Basic support component; 11. First assembly block. 2. Sensing and detection component; 21. First assembly slot; 22. Second assembly block; 23. Sensing microfluidic channel. 3. Variable stiffness adjustment component; 31. Second assembly groove; 32. Adjustable microfluidic channel. 4. Mounting holes; 5. Central axis; 6. Wedge slider; 7. Guide components. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, illustrating only the basic structure of the invention, and therefore only show the components relevant to the invention.

[0019] like Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention, a robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure, including a shell, a locking component, and several guide members 7. The outer shell includes a base support component 1, a sensing and detection component 2, and a variable stiffness adjustment component 3, which are connected in sequence. The guide component 7 connects the base support component 1, the sensing and detection component 2, and the variable stiffness adjustment component 3. The base support component 1, the sensing and detection component 2, and the variable stiffness adjustment component 3 are arranged around the locking component. When in low stiffness flexible mode, there is no relative slippage between the base support 1, sensing and detection component 2 and variable stiffness adjustment component 3 under the tension applied by the guide component 7. When in high-rigidity locking mode, the tension applied by the guide 7 causes relative sliding between the base support 1, the sensing and detection component 2, and the variable stiffness adjustment component 3, forming radial extrusion force, which enables the locking component to work. Through the modular splicing of the base support 1, the sensing and detection component 2, and the variable stiffness adjustment component 3, combined with the tension control of the guide 7, the robot can autonomously and controllably switch between two working modes: low-rigidity flexible passage and high-rigidity locking.

[0020] The modular helical decoupling design of the basic support component 1, sensing and detection component 2, and variable stiffness adjustment component 3 allows for line-side maintenance simply by reversing the rotation of the corresponding individual strip when a local sensor fails or the helical strip fatigues. Furthermore, it can adapt to different tasks by dynamically adjusting the heterogeneous material ratio of the helical strip, thus avoiding the need for complete machine scrapping. The basic support component 1, sensing and detection component 2, and variable stiffness adjustment component 3 are all in the form of a ribbon-like spiral structure. The basic support component 1, sensing and detection component 2, and variable stiffness adjustment component 3 are arranged around the locking component. Through the rigid-flexible coupling configuration of multiple spiral ribbons interlacing and interlocking through concave and convex structures, the interlayer shear deformation is effectively constrained, thereby improving the robot's torsional stiffness. The three major functions of basic support, resistive strain / force sensing, and liquid metal phase transformation stiffness are completely decoupled into three independent helical strips. The assembly slots and self-locking assembly blocks enable plug-and-play modular reconstruction without fasteners and minute-level line-side maintenance.

[0021] The base support member 1 is integrally processed and formed from a flexible polymer material with high fatigue life and low friction coefficient. As a base support layer, it constitutes the basic tubular hollow contour of the manipulator, and provides an overall flexible bending substrate and axial load-bearing stiffness. The base support member 1 serves as the skeleton substrate of the continuum robot, forming the basic flexible tubular outer shell contour of the manipulator, whose main physical function is to provide the complete machine with basic flexible bending degrees of freedom and axial load-bearing stiffness.

[0022] A sensing microfluidic channel 23 is opened inside the sensing detection member 2. The sensing microfluidic channel 23 is a grid-shaped microfluidic channel, which is filled with sensing liquid metal. The sensing liquid metal forms a strain sensing node, and realizes high-sensitivity, lag-free in-situ non-intrusive feedback of strain and force signals by utilizing the principle that the change of the length-diameter ratio of the sensing microfluidic channel 23 caused by deformation leads to a linear change in resistance.

[0023] Flexible sensing elements are integrally embedded / printed inside or on the surface of the matrix of the sensing detection member 2, which are used to detect the bending angle, strain state or contact force state of each joint segment in real time. The sensing microfluidic channel 23 is fabricated inside the sensing layer by 3D printing technology, and sensing liquid metal is injected to form strain sensing nodes. The deformation of the continuum leads to changes in the length and diameter of the microfluidic channel, which in turn changes the resistance of the liquid metal. The strain of the sensing node is sensed by detecting the change in resistance. The strain information of multiple nodes can be used to reconstruct the shape of the continuum, and the force condition can be further calculated in combination with the material mechanical properties of the continuum structure to realize force sensing.

[0024] When the manipulator undergoes three-dimensional bending deformation under the action of the guide member 7, the sensing detection member 2 is stretched or compressed synchronously, resulting in the adaptive change of the spatial length-diameter ratio of the internal sensing microfluidic channel, which in turn causes a linear change in the resistance value of the liquid metal. The main control system can calculate the local strain and torque signals of the sensing layer by detecting the real-time change of the resistance of each sensing node, and can obtain the spatial three-dimensional bending posture and force state of the continuum robot without lag through multi-node strain spatial reconstruction.

[0025] An adjustment microfluidic channel 32 is opened inside the variable stiffness adjustment member 3. The adjustment microfluidic channel 32 has an outer peripheral flow channel and an internal flow channel. The outer peripheral flow channel is in a square shape, the internal flow channel is in a cross-shaped (asterisk) shape, and the outer peripheral flow channel and the internal flow channel are communicated. The adjustment microfluidic channel 32 is filled with adjustment liquid metal, which can be hardened or softened under the influence of temperature. By utilizing the solid-liquid phase change characteristics of liquid metal under the influence of temperature, the elastic modulus of the material is increased by 2-4 orders of magnitude, providing a wide-range, controllable active stiffness hardening or softening means.

[0026] The variable stiffness adjustment component 3 is made of a material whose physical properties can be actively controlled. The adjustment microfluidic channel 32 is made inside the variable stiffness layer using 3D printing technology, and the adjustment liquid metal is injected. The liquid-solid phase change of the liquid metal is controlled by heating and cooling to achieve stiffness adjustment.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the basic support component 1 has a first assembly block 11 extending along itself on the side near the sensing and detection component 2; The sensing and detection component 2 protrudes from one side near the base support component 1 to form a first assembly groove 21 that matches the first assembly block 11. The first assembly groove 21 is arranged inside the first assembly block 11. The sensing and detection component 2 has a second assembly block 22 extending along itself on the side near the variable stiffness adjustment component 3. The variable stiffness adjustment component 3 protrudes from one side near the sensing and detection component 2 to form a second assembly groove 31 that matches the second assembly block 22. The second assembly groove 31 is arranged inside the second assembly block 22. The first assembly block 11 and the second assembly block 22 are both dovetail blocks, and the first assembly groove 21 and the second assembly groove 31 are both dovetail grooves. Through the dovetail-shaped concave and convex structure, the adjacent layers are allowed to undergo micro-shearing and sliding when bending to ensure flexibility. At the same time, it provides extremely strong constraint force in the normal and radial directions, effectively preventing the layers from loosening, and efficiently converting the axial compressive force into the radial extrusion force.

[0028] The dovetail groove and dovetail block mating structure allows adjacent spiral bands to undergo slight relative shear slip along the spiral trajectory when the robot arm bends, ensuring overall bending flexibility. At the same time, it provides extremely strong locking force in the normal and radial directions, effectively preventing the three spiral bands from becoming loose between layers or axially torsional unstable under combined loads.

[0029] In another embodiment, the positions of the corresponding assembly slots and assembly blocks can be interchanged, such as... Figure 4 , 6 As shown.

[0030] The basic support component 1, the sensing and detection component 2, and the variable stiffness adjustment component 3 are all provided with mounting holes 4 for connecting the guide component 7. The mounting holes 4 corresponding to the guide component 7 are located on the same straight line. There are at least three guide components 7, so that the differential tension of the three guide components 7 can be linearly vector superimposed, thereby realizing the precise bending of the robotic arm in any direction in three-dimensional space. The guide component 7 applies axial pre-tightening constraint to the overall multi-head helical structure and serves as the transmission medium for bending driving force.

[0031] Each guide member 7 has a matching ball head or T-shaped end integrally machined or fixedly attached to its front end. During assembly, it is embedded in the corresponding anchor seat and locked by the end cover pressure plate or axial snap ring, achieving a rigid connection that can withstand tensile loads across the entire tension range. The rear end of the guide member 7 extends out and connects to the external drive motor shaft on the sliding platform and the fixed platform.

[0032] The mounting hole 4 is fitted with a polytetrafluoroethylene or copper-based oil-impregnated self-lubricating anti-friction bushing. The guide 7 can slide freely axially within it. The axial tension of the guide 7 is entirely borne by the anchor seat of the closed end face. The starting guide through hole only provides radial positioning and guiding functions.

[0033] The guide component 7 is a straight rod or multi-strand braided rope structure with high axial tensile strength and flexibility. It has both high tensile strength and excellent flexibility, and can withstand the huge axial tension when locked with high rigidity. It can also deform freely with bending posture, ensuring the reliability and service life of the force transmission path.

[0034] By controlling the tension of the three guide members 7 passing through the inside of the robotic arm body through an external drive motor, it can not only drive the robotic arm to perform three-dimensional bending deformation, but also trigger the deformation inside the body, so as to realize the adaptive stepless control of the whole machine between low-rigidity flexible obstacle avoidance and high-rigidity stable positioning operation.

[0035] The locking assembly includes a central shaft 5 and several wedge sliders 6. The wedge sliders 6 are arranged around the central shaft 5. The outer edge of the wedge slider 6 contacts the inner cavity surface of the outer shell, and the inner wall surface of the wedge slider 6 contacts the central shaft 5. There are three wedge sliders 6. The three wedge sliders 6 move along the inclined plane under radial compression. By utilizing the wedge clamping effect, the radial force is amplified many times to the radial normal pressure of the central shaft. The mechanical high-strength locking is achieved through spatial Coulomb friction, realizing wide-range, continuous, and adaptive continuous adjustment of the stiffness of the robotic arm, which greatly improves the end-effector positioning and operation accuracy in confined environments.

[0036] The central axis 5 is a slender, cylindrical, flexible shaft that runs the entire length of the robotic arm and is located at the geometric center axis of the robot body. The central axis 5 is integrally molded from a composite material or composite structure with high axial tensile stiffness and excellent bending flexibility. Its inner core uses high-strength, high-elasticity metal wire, which can be nickel-titanium alloy wire, stainless steel strand, or carbon fiber bundle to provide axial tensile and compressive load-bearing capacity. Its outer layer is covered with a polymer elastomer sleeve with a specific coefficient of friction. The polymer elastomer can be polyurethane or silicone rubber, which provides a reliable frictional load-bearing interface for the wedge slider in the variable stiffness locking state. The cross-section of the wedge slider 6 is parallelogram or isosceles trapezoid. The parallelogram or isosceles trapezoidal cross-section allows the three sliders to fit perfectly in space and smoothly guide along the inclined plane when under force, ensuring uniform transmission of wedge clamping force and stable locking.

[0037] The central shaft 5 has connection interfaces machined at both ends. These interfaces can have external threaded sections for use with lock nuts, or flange bosses for use with circumferentially distributed clamping screws. Correspondingly, a central anchoring hole is provided at the geometric center of the closed end face of both the beginning and end of the robotic arm. This central anchoring hole can be a threaded through hole or a stepped countersunk hole. During assembly, after the central shaft 5 is inserted into the inner cavity of the robotic arm, its two ends are inserted into the central anchoring holes of the beginning and end closed end faces, respectively. Tightening the lock nuts or clamping screws achieves a rigid connection at both ends, forming an integrated load-bearing structure with no relative slippage between the central shaft 5 and the front and rear closed end faces.

[0038] The mechanism by which the central shaft 5 achieves axial tensile and compressive boundary constraints is as follows: (1) Rigid anchoring at the ends: The two ends of the central shaft 5 are respectively machined with connecting structures, which can be external threaded sections, flange bosses or tapered chucks. The connecting structures are rigidly fixed to the central anchoring holes of the closed end faces of the beginning and end of the robotic arm. The closed end face of the beginning is fixed to the sliding platform, and the closed end face of the end is a free end. After the two ends are rigidly fixed, the central shaft 5 is completely constrained by the displacement boundary conditions in the axial direction. The axial relative distance between its two ends is locked by the spacing of the closed end faces, and it cannot undergo independent axial elongation or shortening.

[0039] (2) Guarantee of constant centerline length during bending: When the robotic arm undergoes three-dimensional bending deformation under the differential tension of the drive rope, the central axis 5 bends synchronously. Because its two ends are rigidly anchored between the front and rear closed end faces, and the shaft itself has an axial tensile stiffness much higher than that of the spiral shell, the arc length of the central axis 5 remains constant during bending, i.e., the centerline length of the robotic arm. Bending deformation only changes the curvature distribution of the axis, without changing its axial length, thus physically ensuring the geometric constraint that the centerline cannot be extended in the kinematic model of the continuum robot. This constraint provides a stable geometric reference for the precise motion control and end-effector positioning of the robotic arm.

[0040] (3) Lateral support against compressive instability: The central shaft 5 is a slender, flexible rod, which is at risk of buckling instability when subjected to axial compressive loads. To address this issue, three irregularly shaped wedge-shaped sliders circumferentially cover the entire length of the central shaft 5, providing quasi-continuous, non-uniform lateral support. The wedge-shaped sliders 6 are tightly fitted to the outer surface of the central shaft 5 along its entire length, effectively reducing the effective buckling length of the shaft and significantly increasing its compressive bearing capacity. Under variable stiffness locking, the radial normal pressure exerted by the wedge-shaped sliders 6 on the central shaft 5 is further enhanced, completely suppressing any slight buckling tendency of the shaft.

[0041] In the variable stiffness locking state, the radial contraction force of the outer shell forces the three inclined wedge sliders 6 to undergo slight compression and misalignment along their respective mating parallelogram inclined surfaces, generating a wedge tightening effect, which in turn applies a strong radial normal pressure to the central shaft 5, locking the relative motion by relying on spatial Coulomb friction.

[0042] The overall working process of the guide component 7-tension closed-loop coordinated control and system operation: (1) Drive and transmission link: The driving and tension control of the three guide members 7 are accomplished by an external drive unit on a fixed platform. The external drive unit comprises three independently controlled brushless DC servo motors, each motor's output shaft connected to a winch or lead screw-nut transmission pair via a planetary reducer. The rear end of each guide member 7 is wound and fixed in the rope groove of the corresponding winch, or fixed to the lead screw-nut via a clamp. The rotation of the motor drives the winch to extend or retract, or the lead screw-nut to move linearly, thereby precisely adjusting the effective extension / retraction length and axial tension of the guide member 7.

[0043] In the rear drive link of each guide member 7, a tension sensor is installed in series. The tension sensor can be an S-type tension / compression sensor or a spoke-type tension sensor, used to detect the actual axial tension value borne by the guide member 7 in real time. The signal from the tension sensor is amplified and filtered by the signal conditioning circuit, and then fed back to the PID closed-loop controller of the main control system.

[0044] (2) Tension Force Closed-Loop Control Principle: Based on the current mission mode, which includes flexible passage, free bending, and high-rigidity positioning, the main control system calculates the target tension values ​​of each of the three guide members 7 in real time. The servo drivers of each motor use the actual tension (T) fed back by the tension sensor. i ) as a process variable, with the target tension (T) i d Using this as a setpoint, a PID closed-loop control algorithm is run to adjust the motor's output torque and speed in real time, ensuring that the actual tension accurately tracks the target value. The control law can be expressed as:

[0045] in Let (i) be the output torque command value of the (i)th motor. These are the proportional, integral, and differential gain coefficients, respectively.

[0046] (3) The overall working process of the system—a complete cycle from flexible passage to high-rigidity operation: Phase 1: Initialization and Axial Feed; After the system is powered on, the three guide members 7 are simultaneously tightened to the reference pretension force. Benchmark pretension Approximately 5% to 10% of the maximum locking tension is used to ensure that guide component 7 remains stable throughout the entire process. The robotic arm maintains a vertical or horizontal extended posture, and the bottom sliding platform, driven by the transmission screw, feeds axially along the linear guide rail, pushing the robotic arm body into the narrow cavity to be explored. Application scenarios include flow channels between aero-engine blades, bends and diameter-changing sections of industrial pipelines, etc.

[0047] Phase Two: Low-Stiffness Flexible Bending Traversal; When the robotic arm needs to bypass obstacles or travel along a curved path, the main control system calculates the differential tension increment of the three guide members 7 in real time based on the path planning results, driving the robotic arm to perform three-dimensional bending deformation. In this mode, the total tension level of the guide members 7 is maintained in a low range near T0; the groove and block cooperation structure between the spiral bands allows adjacent spiral bands to undergo slight relative shear slip along the spiral trajectory, ensuring bending flexibility; the internal wedge slider is in a relaxed contact state with the inclined surface, and can move freely with bending; the regulating liquid metal in the variable stiffness adjustment component 3 is heated by the temperature control system and kept in a liquid state above the melting point, and in a low elastic modulus state. The whole machine presents a through-type configuration with low bending stiffness and high flexible deformation capability.

[0048] Phase Three: Reaching the target workstation and maintaining posture; After the end effector of the robotic arm reaches the target detection or work station, the main control system locks the current extension and retraction length of the three guide members 7, and the motor brakes or uses the self-locking characteristic of the screw nut pair to maintain the tension of the guide members 7 at a low value near T0. The robotic arm stays stably at the target position in the current bending posture.

[0049] Phase 4: High Stiffness Locking Mode The main control system synchronously sends ramp boost commands to the three motors, and the tension of the three guide members 7 increases from... Following the preset ramp curve, with a typical ramp time of 0.5 to 2 seconds, the body rises synchronously and uniformly to the locked target tension value. Tension value Usually 5 to 20 times. The axial resultant force generated by the three-way uniform synchronous tightening uniformly compresses the entire spiral shell along the centerline, simultaneously triggering two parallel links: outer mechanical locking and inner material hardening. Outer mechanical locking chain: The axial compression displacement is transformed into radial contraction of the spiral band inward through the inclined geometric constraint of the spiral groove and block mating structure. The spiral ridge slides along the inclined track in the groove, and the groove reaction force generates a radial component pointing towards the central axis, driving the inner wall of the spiral band to press inward against the outer periphery of the three irregularly shaped inclined wedge sliders 6, forcing the sliders to undergo slight squeezing and misalignment along their respective inclined mating surfaces; this misalignment produces a wedge-tightening amplification effect, multiplying the outer radial wrapping force according to the inclined plane mechanics principle into a radial normal force pointing towards the central axis 5, generating a spatial Coulomb static friction force at the interface between the wedge slider 6 and the outer surface of the central axis 5 sufficient to lock relative sliding and rotation. The inner layer material phase change hardening chain: The regulating liquid metal medium in the regulating microchannel 32 within the variable stiffness regulating component 3 is cooled below its freezing point by a Peltier cooler or a micro-compressor refrigeration system, transforming from a liquid to a solid state. Its elastic modulus increases by 2-4 orders of magnitude, and the stiffness of the variable stiffness regulating component 3 itself increases dramatically. The regulating liquid metal medium can be a gallium indium tin alloy. The two chains are synchronized in time and coupled in space, jointly increasing the overall bending stiffness and torsional stiffness of the robotic arm to 5-30 times that of the flexible travel mode, completing the stepless continuous transformation from a flexible travel body to a high-stiffness locking working arm.

[0050] Phase 5: High-precision terminal operations In the locked configuration, the robotic arm acts as a high-rigidity spatial bending cantilever beam, capable of withstanding tool loads at its end without producing perceptible additional deformation or vibration. Tool loads include eddy current testing probes, micro-grinding tools, and foreign object grippers. The sensing node within sensing component 2 continuously monitors the strain state of each segment in real time, providing force / torque feedback for closed-loop control and ensuring that the end-effector positioning accuracy remains within the design tolerance range throughout the operation.

[0051] Phase Six: Unlocking and Continuing / Exiting After the operation is completed, the main control system simultaneously executes three unlocking operations: (i) the three motors simultaneously unload the tension of the guide component 7, and release the tension from the guide component 7 using a symmetrical ramp curve. Down to (ii) The temperature control system switches to heating mode, heating the liquid metal inside the variable stiffness adjustment component 3 to melt it and restore it to a liquid state. The variable stiffness adjustment component 3 returns to a low elastic modulus flexible state. (iii) The spiral shell returns to its original diameter under its own elastic restoring force. The internal wedge slider 6 is released from the wedge-tightening state, and the static friction between the wedge slider 6 and the central shaft 5 disappears. The entire robotic arm returns to a low stiffness flexible travel configuration. The three guide components 7 return to the differential control mode, allowing it to continue bending and traveling to the next workstation, or to exit the cavity environment in the opposite direction along the feed path.

[0052] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the inventive concept. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure, characterized in that, Includes the housing, locking components, and several guides (7) The outer shell includes a basic support component (1), a sensing and detection component (2), and a variable stiffness adjustment component (3) connected in sequence. The guide member (7) connects the base support member (1), the sensing and detection member (2) and the variable stiffness adjustment member (3), and the base support member (1), the sensing and detection member (2) and the variable stiffness adjustment member (3) are arranged around the locking component; When in low stiffness flexible mode, the tension applied by the guide (7) results in no relative slippage between the base support (1), the sensing and detection component (2), and the variable stiffness adjustment component (3); When in high-rigidity locking mode, the tension applied by the guide (7) causes relative slippage between the base support (1), the sensing detection element (2) and the variable stiffness adjustment element (3) to form radial extrusion force, thereby enabling the locking assembly to work.

2. The robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The basic support component (1), sensing and detection component (2), and variable stiffness adjustment component (3) are all in the form of a ribbon spiral structure, and the basic support component (1), sensing and detection component (2), and variable stiffness adjustment component (3) are arranged around the locking component.

3. The robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The basic support (1), sensing and detection component (2), and variable stiffness adjustment component (3) are all provided with mounting holes (4) for connecting the guide component (7). The mounting holes (4) corresponding to the guide component (7) are located on the same straight line, and the guide component (7) has at least three.

4. The robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The basic support component (1) has a first assembly block (11) extending along itself on the side near the sensing and detection component (2). The sensing and detection component (2) protrudes from one side near the base support component (1) to form a first assembly groove (21) that matches the first assembly block (11). The first assembly groove (21) is arranged inside the first assembly block (11). The sensing and detection component (2) has a second assembly block (22) extending along itself on the side near the variable stiffness adjustment component (3). The variable stiffness adjustment component (3) protrudes from one side near the sensing and detection component (2) to form a second assembly groove (31) that matches the second assembly block (22). The second assembly groove (31) is arranged inside the second assembly block (22). Both the first assembly block (11) and the second assembly block (22) are dovetail blocks.

5. The robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing and detection component (2) has a sensing microfluidic channel (23) inside, and the sensing microfluidic channel (23) is filled with sensing liquid metal, which constitutes a strain sensing node.

6. The robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The variable stiffness adjustment component (3) has an adjustment microfluidic channel (32) inside, and the adjustment microfluidic channel (32) is filled with adjustment liquid metal, which can harden or soften under the influence of temperature.

7. The robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The locking assembly includes a central shaft (5) and a plurality of wedge sliders (6), the wedge sliders (6) being arranged around the central shaft (5), the outer edge of the wedge sliders (6) being in contact with the inner cavity surface of the outer shell, the inner wall surface of the wedge sliders (6) being in contact with the central shaft (5), and having three wedge sliders (6).

8. The robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The cross-section of the wedge slider (6) is a parallelogram or an isosceles trapezoid.

9. The robot with a multifunctional layered spiral splicing and variable stiffness hybrid adsorption structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The guide member (7) is a straight rod or a multi-strand braided rope structure with high axial tensile strength and flexibility.

Images