Walking driving assembly and spherical robot
By adopting walking drive components in spherical robots, using McNum wheel and differential control technology, the problems of low driving efficiency and inflexible turning of spherical robots are solved, and more efficient, flexible and intelligent walking capabilities are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421910816.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-07
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-08-07
AI Technical Summary
The existing spherical robots have low driving efficiency, inflexible turns, and low intelligence.
The walking drive components are adopted, including the chassis, McNum wheel, auxiliary head, driving motor, transmission mechanism, controller and power supply. The McNum wheel is driven to roll through the drive motor, the ball shell is driven by friction, and turns are achieved through differential control.
It improves the driving efficiency and flexibility of spherical robots, enhances intelligence and stability, and adapts to complex terrain and specific maneuvering operations.
Smart Images

Figure CN222946891U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of spherical robots, in particular to a walking drive component and a spherical robot. Background Art
[0002] A spherical robot is a robot that uses the rolling of a sphere to achieve movement. It can achieve all-round movement, has a single-point contact with the ground, has low friction resistance, high energy efficiency, and has the characteristics of a tumbler, which can avoid the tipping and instability that is common in conventional robots. The important parts of the robot are all contained inside the sphere and are well protected by the sphere shell, so they are not easily damaged and fail. By taking appropriate sealing measures, the shell of the spherical robot can be waterproof, so that it can be used in relatively harsh weather conditions and has all-weather adaptability.
[0003] In the prior art, the spherical robot relies on the internal center of mass offset to drive the ball to roll, the driving efficiency is low, the spherical robot is not flexible in turning during walking, and the intelligence of the spherical robot is low. Utility Model Content
[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to solve the technical problems raised in the above background technology.
[0005] The utility model adopts the following technical scheme: a walking drive component, which is located in the spherical shell of a spherical robot, and the walking drive component includes a chassis, a Mecanum wheel, an auxiliary head, a drive motor, a transmission mechanism, a controller and a power supply. The chassis includes a first side and a second side that are arranged opposite to each other, the controller is fixed to the first side, the power supply is fixed to the second side, the power supply and the controller are electrically connected to the drive motor, the drive motor is fixedly installed on the first side, the Mecanum wheel is installed on the second side and connected to the drive motor through the transmission mechanism, the Mecanum wheel contacts the inner wall of the spherical shell and drives the spherical shell to rotate, a support rod is fixedly installed between the chassis and the auxiliary head, a ball is rollingly connected to the surface of the auxiliary head, and the ball contacts the inner wall of the spherical shell;
[0006] A lower bracket is fixedly installed on the first side of the chassis, an upper bracket is fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the auxiliary head, a vertical pole is fixedly installed between the upper bracket and the lower bracket, a lifting slot is opened inside the vertical pole, a lifting motor is fixedly installed inside the upper bracket, a lead screw is fixedly installed on the output end of the lifting motor, the lead screw is rotatably connected inside the lifting slot, a counterweight block is slidably connected inside the lifting slot, and the lead screw is threadedly connected inside the counterweight block.
[0007] Furthermore, the travel drive assembly also includes an elastic member, and the elastic member is connected between the chassis and the Mecanum wheel.
[0008] Furthermore, the drive motor and the Mecanum wheel are connected through the transmission mechanism to form a drive unit, the number of the drive units is an even number, and the drive units are symmetrically distributed on the edge of the chassis.
[0009] Furthermore, the driving unit also includes a mounting frame, an inner side of the mounting frame is rotatably connected to a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the center position of the Mecanum wheel.
[0010] Furthermore, the rotation axes of the Mecanum wheels of a pair of symmetrically distributed drive units are arranged in the same direction.
[0011] Furthermore, the elastic member also includes a support frame, which is fixedly installed on the second side of the chassis, and a round rod is fixedly installed inside the support frame. A spring is sleeved on the surface of the round rod, and a slider is slidably connected to the surface of the round rod.
[0012] Furthermore, the sliding block is fixedly connected to the mounting frame, and the mounting frame drives the Mecanum wheel and the rotating shaft to slide on the chassis.
[0013] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism is a belt transmission mechanism.
[0014] The utility model also provides a spherical robot, which comprises a spherical shell and any one of the above walking drive components, and the walking drive component drives the spherical shell to rotate.
[0015] Furthermore, the spherical robot also includes a head, and the head is magnetically connected to the outer wall of the spherical shell.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the utility model are:
[0017] 1. In the utility model, the driving motor drives the Mecanum wheel to roll through the transmission mechanism. The Mecanum wheel contacts the inner wall of the spherical shell of the spherical robot and drives the spherical shell to roll through friction. The outer wall of the spherical shell contacts the ground and drives the spherical shell to rotate relative to the ground through friction, thereby realizing the walking function of the spherical robot with high driving efficiency. Furthermore, the turning and other actions of the spherical robot can be realized by relying on the differential speed between the Mecanum wheels, thereby improving the intelligence and flexibility of the spherical robot and enriching the application scenarios.
[0018] 2. In the utility model, the lifting motor drives the counterweight block to move up and down in the lifting slot through a screw rod, and the counterweight block is used to adjust the center of gravity to cope with complex terrain or perform specific maneuvers, which facilitates real-time adjustment of the center of gravity position and enhances stability and controllability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Figure 1A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a walking drive assembly is proposed for the utility model;
[0020] Figure 2 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the structure of a walking drive assembly proposed by the utility model;
[0021] Figure 3 A partial structural schematic diagram of a travel drive assembly is provided for the utility model;
[0022] Figure 4 The utility model proposes a walking drive component Figure 3 Bottom view of
[0023] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a lower bracket and an upper bracket of a travel drive assembly proposed for the utility model;
[0024] Figure 6 The utility model provides a schematic diagram of a spherical robot.
[0025] Legend:
[0026] 1. Ball shell; 11. Travel drive assembly; 111. Drive motor; 112. Mounting frame; 113. Rotating shaft; 114. Mecanum wheel; 115. Transmission mechanism; 116. Elastic member; 1161. Support frame; 1162. Spring; 1163. Round rod; 1164. Slider; 117. Chassis; 117a. First side; 117b. Second side; 12. Controller; 13. Power supply; 14. Support rod; 15. Auxiliary head; 151. Ball; 16. Lower bracket; 17. Vertical pole; 18. Upper bracket; 181. Lifting motor; 182. Screw rod; 183. Lifting slot; 184. Counterweight; 2. Head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned purpose, features and advantages of the utility model, the utility model is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.
[0028] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways than those described herein. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments of the following disclosure.
[0029] Example
[0030] See also Figure 1-6The utility model provides a technical solution: a walking drive assembly 11, located in the spherical shell 1 of the spherical robot, the walking drive assembly 11 includes a chassis 117, a Mecanum wheel 114, an auxiliary head 15, a drive motor 111, a transmission mechanism 115, a controller 12 and a power supply 13. In a preferred embodiment, the chassis 117 is made of carbon fiber material. The carbon fiber material has high strength and is not easy to break. It also has the characteristics of light weight, which is conducive to reducing the weight of the walking drive assembly 11 and even the spherical robot. In this embodiment, the chassis 117 is a centrally symmetrical structure. In one embodiment, the chassis 117 is disc-shaped.
[0031] In this embodiment, the chassis 117 includes a first side 117a and a second side 117b that are arranged opposite to each other, the controller 12 is fixed to the first side 117a, the power supply 13 is fixed to the second side 117b, the power supply 13 and the controller 12 are electrically connected to the drive motor 111, and specifically, the power supply 13 is installed at the center of the second side 117b so that the center of gravity of the walking drive assembly 11 is concentrated at the center of the walking drive assembly 11, so as to avoid the spherical robot from moving unsteadily due to uneven center of gravity. The drive motor 111 is fixedly installed on the first side 117a, the Mecanum wheel 114 is installed on the second side 117b, and is connected to the drive motor 111 through the transmission mechanism 115, and the Mecanum wheel 114 contacts the inner wall of the spherical shell 1 and drives the spherical shell 1 to rotate.
[0032] The Mecanum wheel 114 contacts the spherical shell 1, and the driving motor 111 drives the Mecanum wheel 114 to roll through the transmission mechanism 115. The Mecanum wheel 114 contacts the inner wall of the spherical shell 1 of the spherical robot and drives the spherical shell 1 to roll through friction. The outer wall of the spherical shell 1 contacts the ground and drives the spherical shell 1 to rotate relative to the ground through friction, thereby realizing the walking function of the spherical robot with high driving efficiency. Furthermore, the spherical robot can realize turning and other actions by relying on the differential speed between the Mecanum wheels 114, thereby improving the intelligence and flexibility of the spherical robot and enriching the application scenarios.
[0033] In this embodiment, a lower bracket 16 is fixedly installed on the first side 117a of the chassis 117, an upper bracket 18 is fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the auxiliary head 15, a vertical rod 17 is fixedly installed between the upper bracket 18 and the lower bracket 16, a lifting slot 183 is provided inside the vertical rod 17, a lifting motor 181 is fixedly installed inside the upper bracket 18, a screw rod 182 is fixedly installed on the output end of the lifting motor 181, the screw rod 182 is rotatably connected inside the lifting slot 183, a counterweight block 184 is slidably connected inside the lifting slot 183, and the screw rod 182 is threadedly connected inside the counterweight block 184. Further, the lifting motor 181 drives the counterweight block 184 to move up and down in the lifting slot 183 through the screw rod 182, and the center of gravity is adjusted by using the counterweight block 184 to cope with complex terrain or perform specific maneuvering operations, so as to facilitate real-time adjustment of the center of gravity position and enhance stability and controllability.
[0034] In this embodiment, the drive motor 111 and the Mecanum wheel 114 are connected through a transmission mechanism 115 to form a drive unit, the number of which is an even number, and the drive units are symmetrically distributed at the edge of the chassis 117. The drive unit is located at the edge of the chassis 117, which is conducive to the Mecanum wheel 114 contacting the inner wall of the spherical shell 1 without being interfered by the chassis 117 or other devices installed on the chassis 117, such as the power supply 13 and the controller 12. Further, the rotating shafts 113 of the Mecanum wheels 114 of a pair of symmetrically distributed drive units are arranged in the same direction. Specifically, a pair of symmetrically distributed drive units control the spherical shell 1 to rotate in one direction, that is, the spherical robot walks in one direction, and at least two pairs of symmetrically distributed drive units can allow the spherical robot to walk in any direction. In a preferred embodiment, the number of drive units is four, that is, two pairs of symmetrically distributed drive units, and the connection line of a pair of symmetrical drive units is perpendicular to the connection line of another pair of symmetrical drive units.
[0035] In this embodiment, the elastic member 116 further includes a support frame 1161, which is fixedly mounted on the second side 117b of the chassis 117. A round rod 1163 is fixedly mounted inside the support frame 1161. A spring 1162 is sleeved on the surface of the round rod 1163. A slider 1164 is slidably connected to the surface of the round rod 1163. Further, the slider 1164 is fixedly connected to the mounting frame 112, and the mounting frame 112 drives the Mecanum wheel 114 and the rotating shaft 113 to slide on the chassis 117. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic expansion and contraction direction of the elastic member 116 is the radial direction of the chassis 117, so that the Mecanum wheel 114 can move in the radial direction of the chassis 117. When the spherical robot relies on the walking drive assembly 11 to walk bumpy, the Mecanum wheel 114 can move in the radial direction of the chassis 117, which has a certain shock absorption function. At the same time, radial compensation can also be provided for the Mecanum wheel 114, so that the Mecanum wheel 114 is always in close contact with the inner wall of the spherical shell 1, and the positive pressure applied by the Mecanum wheel 114 to the inner wall of the spherical shell 1 is increased, thereby increasing the friction between the Mecanum wheel 114 and the spherical shell 1, and improving the efficiency of the walking drive. Furthermore, there are two elastic members 116 between each Mecanum wheel 114 and the chassis 117. The two elastic members 116 are respectively connected to the chassis 117 and the two ends of the rotating shaft 113 of the Mecanum wheel 114. The rotating shaft 113 of the Mecanum wheel 114 is evenly squeezed by the elastic members 116, so that each part of the Mecanum wheel 114 is evenly in contact with the inner wall of the spherical shell 1, thereby improving the driving efficiency of the travel drive assembly 11.
[0036] In this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 115 is a belt transmission mechanism 115, the belt driving pulley of the belt transmission mechanism 115 is connected to the driving motor 111, and the belt driven pulley is connected to the rotating shaft 113 of the Mecanum wheel 114, so as to transmit the rotation of the driving motor 111 to the rotating shaft 113 of the Mecanum wheel 114, thereby driving the Mecanum wheel 114 to rotate. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 115 also includes a tensioning wheel, which is arranged between the belt driving pulley and the belt driven pulley, and is used to tension the belt, increase the friction between the belt and the belt driving pulley and the belt driven pulley, prevent slipping, and increase the transmission efficiency. In this embodiment, the chassis 117 is provided with a through hole for passing the belt.
[0037] See also Figure 6 The utility model embodiment also provides a spherical robot, including a sphere, the sphere including a spherical shell 1 and the above walking drive component 11, the walking drive component 11 drives the spherical shell 1 to rotate through rolling friction, so that the spherical shell 1 rolls relative to the ground to realize the walking behavior of the spherical robot.
[0038] Furthermore, the spherical robot further comprises a head 2, which is magnetically connected to the outer wall of the spherical shell 1. Specifically, the head 2 is provided with functional devices such as a laser radar and a camera, which are used to realize the interaction capability between the spherical robot and the environment, and between the spherical robot and humans.
[0039] Working principle: The driving motor 111 drives the Mecanum wheel 114 to roll through the transmission mechanism 115. The Mecanum wheel 114 contacts the inner wall of the spherical shell 1 of the spherical robot and drives the spherical shell 1 to roll through friction. The outer wall of the spherical shell 1 contacts the ground and drives the spherical shell 1 to rotate relative to the ground through friction, thereby realizing the walking function of the spherical robot, with high driving efficiency. Furthermore, the spherical robot can turn and other actions by relying on the differential speed between each Mecanum wheel 114, which improves the intelligence and flexibility of the spherical robot and has richer application scenarios. The lifting motor 181 drives the counterweight block 184 to move up and down in the lifting slot 183 through the screw rod 182, and uses the counterweight block 184 to adjust the center of gravity to cope with complex terrain or perform specific maneuvers, which is convenient for real-time adjustment of the center of gravity position and enhances stability and controllability.
[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in other forms. Any technician familiar with the profession may use the technical content disclosed above to change or modify it into an equivalent embodiment with equivalent changes and apply it to other fields. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiment based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still falls within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.
Claims
1. A walking drive assembly, located in a spherical shell (1) of a spherical robot, characterized in that: The travel drive assembly (11) comprises a chassis (117), a Mecanum wheel (114), an auxiliary head (15), a drive motor (111), a transmission mechanism (115), a controller (12) and a power supply (13); the chassis (117) comprises a first side (117a) and a second side (117b) arranged opposite to each other; the controller (12) is fixed to the first side (117a); the power supply (13) is fixed to the second side (117b); the power supply (13) and the controller (12) are electrically connected to the drive motor (111); and the drive motor (111) is electrically connected to the controller (12). The machine (111) is fixedly mounted on the first side (117a), the Mecanum wheel (114) is mounted on the second side (117b) and connected to the drive motor (111) via the transmission mechanism (115), the Mecanum wheel (114) contacts the inner wall of the spherical shell (1) and drives the spherical shell (1) to rotate, a support rod (14) is fixedly mounted between the chassis (117) and the auxiliary head (15), a ball (151) is rollingly connected to the surface of the auxiliary head (15), and the ball (151) contacts the inner wall of the spherical shell (1); A lower bracket (16) is fixedly mounted on the first side (117a) of the chassis (117); an upper bracket (18) is fixedly mounted on the bottom surface of the auxiliary head (15); a vertical rod (17) is fixedly mounted between the upper bracket (18) and the lower bracket (16); a lifting groove (183) is provided inside the vertical rod (17); a lifting motor (181) is fixedly mounted inside the upper bracket (18); a screw rod (182) is fixedly mounted at the output end of the lifting motor (181); the screw rod (182) is rotatably connected inside the lifting groove (183); a counterweight block (184) is slidably connected inside the lifting groove (183); and the screw rod (182) is threadedly connected inside the counterweight block (184).
2. The travel drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The travel drive assembly (11) further comprises an elastic member (116), wherein the elastic member (116) is connected between the chassis (117) and the Mecanum wheel (114).
3. The travel drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive motor (111) and the Mecanum wheel (114) are connected via the transmission mechanism (115) to form a drive unit. The number of the drive units is an even number, and the drive units are symmetrically distributed on the edge of the chassis (117).
4. The travel drive assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving unit further comprises a mounting frame (112), the inner side of which is rotatably connected to a rotating shaft (113), and the rotating shaft (113) is fixedly connected to the center position of the Mecanum wheel (114).
5. The travel drive assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotating axes (113) of the Mecanum wheels (114) of a pair of symmetrically distributed drive units are arranged in the same direction.
6. The travel drive assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic member (116) further comprises a support frame (1161), wherein the support frame (1161) is fixedly mounted on the second side (117b) of the chassis (117), a round rod (1163) is fixedly mounted inside the support frame (1161), a spring (1162) is sleeved on the surface of the round rod (1163), and a slider (1164) is slidably connected to the surface of the round rod (1163).
7. The travel drive assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sliding block (1164) is fixedly connected to the mounting frame (112), and the mounting frame (112) drives the Mecanum wheel (114) and the rotating shaft (113) to slide on the chassis (117).
8. The travel drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism (115) is a belt transmission mechanism (115).
9. A spherical robot, characterized in that: The spherical robot comprises a spherical shell (1) and a walking drive assembly (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the walking drive assembly (11) drives the spherical shell (1) to rotate.
10. The spherical robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The spherical robot further comprises a head (2), wherein the head (2) is magnetically connected to the outer wall of the spherical shell (1).