Composite robot

Abstract

The utility model discloses a composite robot which comprises an autonomous mobile robot platform, a multi-axis mechanical arm, an autonomous mobile control module and a mechanical arm task control module, wherein the multi-axis mechanical arm, the autonomous mobile control module and the mechanical arm task control module are installed on the autonomous mobile robot platform. The autonomous mobile robot platform comprises a laser radar, a foresight camera, a laser distance measuring sensor, a rearview camera and a walking driving module; the multi-axis mechanical arm comprises a joint motor driving module and an arm-mounted camera; the laser radar, the front-view camera, the rear-view camera, the walking driving module, the joint motor driving module and the arm-mounted camera are all connected with the autonomous movement control module and the mechanical arm task control module through a USB, and the autonomous movement control module is connected with the mechanical arm task control module through the Ethernet. And the laser distance measuring sensor is connected with the walking driving module through a USB (Universal Serial Bus). The composite robot not only has high safety and reliability, but also is relatively low in cost and remarkable in practical value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a composite robot, belonging to the technical field of robots. Background Art

[0002] A composite robot is a new type of robot integrating the functions of a mobile robot and a robotic arm. With the increasing demand for industrial intelligence and the continuous improvement of process complexity, enterprises' demand for the flexibility of automation equipment is more urgent. Compared with the single functions of AGV / AMR, collaborative robots, and machine vision, the composite robot integrating the characteristics of the three is obviously more flexible and can have a very diverse range of application scenarios in the industrial field, such as spraying, palletizing, inspection, patrol, security, etc., becoming the key equipment for realizing industrial production intelligence and an important condition for the value competition of robots in the second half.

[0003] In the current robot market, functional safety has become one of the core competitiveness. To improve the fault tolerance of robots, reduce the impact of single-point failures on robots, and ensure the continuous and safe operation of robots, currently, redundancy design is mainly adopted, aiming to improve the reliability of robots by adding additional components. Specifically, standby components with exactly the same functions are set to ensure that when a certain component fails, the robot can still work normally through the standby components, thereby improving the overall reliability of the robot. Obviously, this redundancy design scheme by adding additional components will bring high costs, complexity, and large volume, which is not conducive to market competition and promotion. Therefore, there is an urgent need in the market for a composite robot that can both solve the adverse effects of single-point failures on the continuous and safe operation of robots and avoid the high redundancy design costs. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] Aiming at the above problems and requirements existing in the prior art, the purpose of the utility model is to provide a composite robot with high safety, reliability, and relatively low cost.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A composite robot, comprising an autonomous mobile robot platform, a multi-axis robotic arm mounted on the autonomous mobile robot platform, an autonomous mobile control module, and a robotic arm task control module. The autonomous mobile robot platform includes a lidar, a front-view camera, a laser range sensor, a rear-view camera, and a walking drive module. The multi-axis robotic arm includes a joint motor drive module and an arm-mounted camera. The lidar, the front-view camera, the rear-view camera, the walking drive module, the joint motor drive module, and the arm-mounted camera are all connected to the autonomous mobile control module and the robotic arm task control module through USB. The autonomous mobile control module and the robotic arm task control module are connected to each other through Ethernet. The laser range sensor is connected to the walking drive module through USB.

[0007] An implementation scheme, the autonomous mobile robot platform further includes a movable trolley. At the top of the movable trolley, there is an installation platform. The lidar and the front-view camera are installed on the top of the installation platform. The laser range sensor is installed on the top of the movable trolley in front of the installation platform. The rear-view camera is installed on the top of the movable trolley behind the installation platform.

[0008] An implementation scheme, the lidar is located in front of the front-view camera, and the installation surface of the front-view camera is higher than the installation surface of the lidar.

[0009] An implementation scheme, on the top of the movable trolley behind the installation platform, there is also a robotic arm mounting bracket. The multi-axis robotic arm is installed on the top of the robotic arm mounting bracket.

[0010] A further implementation scheme, the robotic arm mounting bracket is a U-shaped bracket with an opening facing forward. The rear-view camera is installed on the back of the U-shaped bracket. The multi-axis robotic arm is installed on the upper arm of the U-shaped bracket. The robotic arm task control module is installed in the abdominal cavity of the U-shaped bracket.

[0011] A further implementation scheme, on the upper arm of the U-shaped bracket, there is a fixedly installed joint motor drive module mounting bracket. The joint motor drive module is fixedly installed in the inner cavity of the joint motor drive module mounting bracket. The multi-axis robotic arm is installed on the top of the joint motor drive module mounting bracket.

[0012] An implementation scheme, the autonomous mobile control module is installed on the top of the installation platform behind the front-view camera.

[0013] An implementation scheme, the movable trolley includes a vehicle body and a wheel set. The wheel set includes driven wheels arranged on both sides in the front of the vehicle body and driving wheels arranged on both sides in the rear of the vehicle body. The walking drive module is electrically connected to the driving wheel motors.

[0014] An implementation scheme, the autonomous mobile robot platform further includes a main control battery and a power battery. The autonomous mobile control module is electrically connected to the main control battery through a power line, and the robotic arm task control module is electrically connected to the power battery through a power line.

[0015] A preferred scheme, the autonomous mobile robot platform further includes an antenna, and the antenna is installed at the rear top of the installation platform.

[0016] A preferred scheme, both the front-view camera and the arm-mounted camera are depth cameras, and the rear-view camera is an RGB camera.

[0017] A preferred scheme, the autonomous mobile control module selects the NVIDIA Jetson TX2 module, and the robotic arm task control module selects the NVIDIA Jetson Nano module.

[0018] A preferred scheme, the autonomous mobile control module, the robotic arm task control module, and the joint motor drive module are all equipped with WiFi modules.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of the present utility model are as follows:

[0020] By setting the autonomous mobile control module and the robotic arm task control module, and connecting the key components (lidar, front-view camera, rear-view camera, walking drive module, joint motor drive module, and arm-mounted camera) to both the autonomous mobile control module and the robotic arm task control module through USB, and connecting the autonomous mobile control module and the robotic arm task control module through Ethernet, not only can the safety risk of the composite robot being completely paralyzed caused by the failure of the autonomous mobile robot platform or the multi-axis robotic arm be avoided, but also when any one of the autonomous mobile control module and the robotic arm task control module fails, the other normal module can immediately take over the failed module to enable the composite robot to continue running with complete functions, and when the front-view camera or the rear-view camera fails, the arm-mounted camera can replace the failed camera to achieve the front-view or rear-view function; therefore, the present utility model can not only improve the running safety, reliability, and stability of the composite robot, but also significantly reduce the cost compared with the existing component redundancy design scheme, which has important significance and practical value for improving the market competitiveness of the composite robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the architecture of a composite robot provided by the embodiment;

[0022] Figure 2 is a front side view structure schematic diagram of the composite robot provided by the embodiment;

[0023] Figure 3It is a schematic rear view structure diagram of the composite robot provided by the embodiment;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic left view structure diagram of the composite robot provided by the embodiment;

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic right view structure diagram of the composite robot provided by the embodiment;

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic partial structure diagram of the composite robot provided by the embodiment after removing the side plates on both sides of the installation platform and the multi-axis robotic arm;

[0027] The reference numerals in the figure are indicated as follows:

[0028] 1. Autonomous mobile robot platform; 1-1. LiDAR; 1-2. Front camera; 1-3. Laser range sensor; 1-4. Rear camera; 1-5. Walking drive module; 1-6. Movable trolley; 1-61. Vehicle body; 1-62. Wheel set; 1-621. Driven wheel; 1-622. Driving wheel; 1-623. Driving motor for driving wheel; 1-7. Installation platform; 1-8. Main control battery; 1-9. Power battery; 1-10. Antenna; 2. Multi-axis robotic arm; 2-1. Joint motor drive module; 2-2. Arm-mounted camera; 3. Autonomous mobile control module; 4. Robotic arm task control module; 5. Robotic arm mounting bracket; 5-1. Back of U-shaped frame; 5-2. Abdomen of U-shaped frame; 5-3. Upper arm of U-shaped frame; 6. Joint motor drive module mounting bracket. Detailed implementation manners

[0029] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that the terms used in the present utility model are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present utility model should be the ordinary meanings understood by those with ordinary skills in the art. The orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "inside", "outside", "above", "below", "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc. are all based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the composite robot referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present utility model.

[0030] Embodiment

[0031] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6As shown in the figure, a composite robot provided in this embodiment includes an autonomous mobile robot platform 1, a multi-axis robotic arm 2, an autonomous movement control module 3, and a robotic arm task control module 4 installed on the autonomous mobile robot platform 1. The autonomous mobile robot platform 1 includes a lidar 1-1, a front camera 1-2, a laser distance sensor 1-3, a rear camera 1-4, and a walking drive module 1-5. The multi-axis robotic arm 2 includes a joint motor drive module 2-1 and an arm-mounted camera 2-2. The lidar 1-1, the front camera 1-2, the rear camera 1-4, the walking drive module 1-5, the joint motor drive module 2-1, and the arm-mounted camera 2-2 are all connected to the autonomous movement control module 3 and the robotic arm task control module 4 through USB. The autonomous movement control module 3 and the robotic arm task control module 4 are connected to each other through Ethernet. The laser distance sensor 1-3 and the walking drive module 1-5 are connected through USB.

[0032] It should be noted here that the autonomous movement control module 3 and the robotic arm task control module 4 described in this application are not components with exactly the same functions, so they do not belong to redundant design. By separating the autonomous movement control from the robotic arm task control in this application, the composite robot can have higher safety during normal operation and can well avoid the safety risk of the composite robot being completely paralyzed when a failure occurs in the autonomous mobile robot platform 1 or the multi-axis robotic arm 2.

[0033] In this embodiment, the lidar 1-1 can be selected as the A3 type lidar of Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd., which is used to perform 360-degree omnidirectional scanning and ranging detection on the surrounding environment to obtain a contour map of the surrounding environment. Through the collected information of the lidar 1-1, obstacles in the surrounding environment can be identified, so that high-precision contour information data of the surrounding environment can be obtained in real time, and thus it can provide a basis for map construction, autonomous navigation, and path planning.

[0034] In this embodiment, the front camera 1-2 is preferably a depth camera, for example, a depth camera of the Intel RealSense D455 model. Because the depth camera has high-precision depth perception technology, it can capture the depth information and RGB images of the scene in real time, and can ensure that the scene depth can be obtained with high precision and high resolution in various environments, and can ensure reliability and stability. Through the collected data provided by the front camera 1-2, the types of obstacles in front can be identified, so that it can provide a basis for the precise prompt of the obstacles in front and the program design of safe obstacle avoidance in combination with the lidar 1-1. In addition, the color images and depth information obtained by the front camera 1-2 can provide rich environmental data for visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM).

[0035] In this embodiment, the laser distance sensor 1-3 serves as the last line of defense for accurately prompting obstacles in front of the robot and safely avoiding them. By setting the spacing limit threshold and connecting the laser distance sensor 1-3 to the walking drive module 1-5 through USB communication, emergency obstacle avoidance can be achieved based on the laser distance sensor 1-3.

[0036] In this embodiment, the rear-view camera 1-4 can be an HD RGB camera. Based on the acquisition data provided by the rear-view camera 1-4, the category of the rear obstacle can be identified, providing a basis for accurately prompting the rear obstacle.

[0037] In this embodiment, the walking drive module 1-5 is used to control the operation of the drive motor of the driving wheel, enabling the autonomous mobile robot platform 1 to move along a predetermined path or an autonomously planned path.

[0038] In this embodiment, the arm-mounted camera 2-2 is preferably a depth camera, such as the depth camera of the Intel RealSense D405 model. Because the depth camera of the D405 model can provide sub-millimeter depth measurement accuracy within a short distance (7 cm to 50 cm), which is crucial for the robotic arm to perform fine operations, ensuring that the robotic arm can accurately identify and locate the target object, thus achieving high-precision grasping and placement; in addition, the depth camera can not only provide high-precision depth data but also has color imaging capabilities, capable of simultaneously obtaining the depth information and color information of the object. This information fusion enables the robotic arm to more accurately identify and distinguish different objects in a complex environment, contributing to the robot's more precise scheduling and collaborative operations, thereby improving the overall work efficiency and accuracy; in particular, the depth camera of the D405 model can adopt the global shutter exposure method, which helps to keep the image clear in an environment with fast movement or changing light, especially important for the composite robot working in a dynamic or complex industrial environment, ensuring that the robotic arm can stably and reliably perform tasks under various conditions and achieving high-precision positioning and grasping.

[0039] In addition, it should be noted that the multi-axis robotic arm 2 in this embodiment is an off-the-shelf existing product, and the joint motor drive module 2-1 is a standard component of the purchased multi-axis robotic arm 2, which is a known product. Its main function is to control the joint motors of the multi-axis robotic arm 2 to achieve the movement of each joint, which is a known and mature technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0040] In this embodiment, the autonomous movement control module 3 can be selected as the NVIDIA Jetson TX2 module. This module has various standard hardware interfaces and can be easily integrated into various products and form factors, such as industrial robots, commercial drones, portable medical devices, and enterprise collaboration devices. Additionally, many AI applications have common requirements: classification, object detection, language translation, text-to-speech, recommendation system engines, sentiment analysis, etc. This module is configured with software toolkits for the above requirements, and moreover, this module can run large deep neural networks with high computing performance and only 7.5 watts of power consumption.

[0041] In this embodiment, the robotic arm task control module 4 can be selected as the NVIDIA Jetson Nano module. This module is a compact AI computer that can provide superior performance and power consumption, can meet the requirements of running modern AI workloads, running multiple neural networks in parallel, and simultaneously processing data from multiple high-resolution sensors, and can implement embedded IoT intelligent technology.

[0042] Please refer to Figures 2 to 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the autonomous mobile robot platform 1 further includes a movable trolley 1-6. On the top of the movable trolley 1-6, there is an installation platform 1-7. The lidar 1-1 and the front-view camera 1-2 are installed on the top of the installation platform 1-7. The laser range sensor 1-3 is installed on the top of the movable trolley 1-6 in front of the installation platform 1-7. The rear-view camera 1-4 is installed on the top of the movable trolley 1-6 behind the installation platform 1-7.

[0043] In this embodiment, the lidar 1-1 is located in front of the front-view camera 1-2, and the installation surface of the front-view camera 1-2 is higher than that of the lidar 1-1. Such a setting can give full play to the wide-angle acquisition range of the front-view camera 1-2.

[0044] In this embodiment, on the top of the movable trolley 1-6 behind the installation platform 1-7, there is also a robotic arm mounting bracket 5. The multi-axis robotic arm 2 is installed on the top of the robotic arm mounting bracket 5. The specific implementation manner of this embodiment is: the robotic arm mounting bracket 5 is a U-shaped bracket with an opening facing forward. The rear-view camera 1-4 is installed on the back 5-1 of the U-shaped bracket. The robotic arm task control module 4 is installed in the abdominal cavity 5-2 of the U-shaped bracket. On the upper arm 5-3 of the U-shaped bracket, there is fixedly installed a joint motor drive module mounting bracket 6. The joint motor drive module 2-1 is fixedly installed in the inner cavity of the joint motor drive module mounting bracket 6. The multi-axis robotic arm 2 is installed on the top of the joint motor drive module mounting bracket 6. Such a layout design can make the overall structure of the composite robot more compact.

[0045] In this embodiment, the autonomous movement control module 3 is installed on the top of the installation platform 1-7 behind the front camera 1-2. However, the installation position of the autonomous movement control module 3 is not limited to the situation of this embodiment, and no special limitation is imposed on this.

[0046] In this embodiment, the movable trolley 1-6 includes a vehicle body 1-61 and a wheel set 1-62. The wheel set 1-62 includes driven wheels 1-621 provided on both sides in front of the vehicle body 1-61 and driving wheels 1-622 provided on both sides behind the vehicle body 1-61. The walking drive module 1-5 is electrically connected to the driving wheel drive motor 1-623.

[0047] In this embodiment, the autonomous mobile robot platform 1 further includes a main control battery 1-8 and a power battery 1-9. The autonomous movement control module 3 is electrically connected to the main control battery 1-8 through a power line, and the robotic arm task control module 4 is electrically connected to the power battery 1-9 through a power line. By supplying power to the autonomous movement control module 3 and the robotic arm task control module 4 with different batteries, it can not only ensure the long-term operation of the autonomous movement control module 3, but also avoid the situation where the autonomous movement control module 3 and the robotic arm task control module 4 stop working simultaneously due to power failures.

[0048] In a preferred solution, the autonomous mobile robot platform 1 further includes an antenna 1-10, and the antenna 1-10 is installed on the rear top of the installation platform 1-7 to enhance the reception of network signals.

[0049] In a preferred solution, the autonomous movement control module 3, the robotic arm task control module 4, and the joint motor drive module 2-1 are all provided with WiFi modules. Such an arrangement is for two purposes. On the one hand, it is convenient for them to establish communication connections with external devices (such as a debugging computer, a mobile phone, or a remote controller). On the other hand, when an Ethernet connection cannot be established between the autonomous movement control module 3 and the robotic arm task control module 4, or a USB communication connection cannot be established between the joint motor drive module 2-1 and the autonomous movement control module 3, or a USB communication connection cannot be established between the joint motor drive module 2-1 and the robotic arm task control module 4, they can achieve wireless network communication through WiFi.

[0050] The above composite robot of the present utility model can not only handle the situation when a failure occurs in the autonomous movement control module or the robotic arm task control module, but also handle the situation when a failure occurs in the front camera or the rear camera. The specific handling operations are as follows:

[0051] In the normal working state, the lidar 1-1, the front camera 1-2, the rear camera 1-4, and the driving module 1-5 of the walking mechanism are all preferentially in communication with the autonomous movement control module 3. And the joint motor driving module 2-1 and the on-arm camera 2-2 are all preferentially in communication with the robotic arm task control module 4. Moreover, the autonomous movement control module 3 and the robotic arm task control module 4 are synchronized in real time and update and save the latest data of each other;

[0052] The autonomous movement control module 3 and the robotic arm task control module 4 monitor the working states of each other. Once the robotic arm task control module 4 detects a failure of the autonomous movement control module 3 (i.e., no communication signal of the autonomous movement control module 3 is collected), the robotic arm task control module 4 immediately activates the latest data saved locally by it, and substitutes for the autonomous movement control module 3 to communicate with the lidar 1-1, the front camera 1-2, the rear camera, and the driving module 1-5 of the walking mechanism, and immediately takes over the autonomous movement control module 3 to enable the composite robot to continue running with complete functions. Similarly, once the autonomous movement control module 3 detects a failure of the robotic arm task control module 4 (i.e., no communication signal of the robotic arm task control module 4 is collected), the autonomous movement control module 3 immediately activates the latest data saved locally by it, and substitutes for the robotic arm task control module 4 to communicate with the joint motor driving module 2-1 and the on-arm camera 2-2, and immediately takes over the robotic arm task control module 4 to enable the composite robot to continue running with complete functions;

[0053] Meanwhile, the autonomous movement control module 3 (under normal circumstances) or the robotic arm task control module 4 (when the autonomous movement control module 3 fails) monitors the working states of the front camera 1-2 and the rear camera 1-4. Once it detects a failure of the front camera 1-2 or the rear camera 1-4 (i.e., no communication signal of the front camera 1-2 or the rear camera 1-4 is collected), it will immediately adjust the posture of the robotic arm through the joint motor driving module 2-1 to enable the on-arm camera 2-2 to substitute for the faulty camera to achieve the front view or rear view function.

[0054] As can be seen from the above, the utility model can not only avoid the safety risk of the overall paralysis of the composite robot caused by the failure of the autonomous mobile robot platform or the multi-axis robotic arm, but also enable another normal module to immediately take over the faulty module to enable the composite robot to continue running with complete functions when any one of the autonomous movement control module and the robotic arm task control module fails, and enable the on-arm camera to substitute for the faulty camera to achieve the front view or rear view function when the front camera or the rear camera fails. Therefore, the utility model can not only improve the running safety, reliability, and stability of the composite robot, but also significantly reduce the cost compared with the existing component redundancy design scheme, which has important significance and practical value for improving the market competitiveness of the composite robot.

[0055] Finally, it is necessary to point out here that the above description is only the preferred specific implementation mode of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present utility model should be covered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A composite robot, comprising an autonomous mobile robot platform and a multi-axis robotic arm mounted on the autonomous mobile robot platform, characterized in that: It also includes an autonomous mobile control module and a robotic arm task control module installed on an autonomous mobile robot platform, and the autonomous mobile robot platform includes a laser radar, a front-view camera, a laser ranging sensor, a rear-view camera and a walking drive module, and the multi-axis robotic arm includes a joint motor drive module and an arm-mounted camera; the laser radar, the front-view camera, the rear-view camera, the walking drive module, the joint motor drive module and the arm-mounted camera are all connected to the autonomous mobile control module and the robotic arm task control module through USB, the autonomous mobile control module and the robotic arm task control module are connected through Ethernet, and the laser ranging sensor is connected to the walking drive module through USB.

2. The composite robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The autonomous mobile robot platform also includes a movable cart, a mounting platform is provided on the top of the movable cart, the laser radar and the front-view camera are installed on the top of the mounting platform, the laser ranging sensor is installed on the top of the movable cart located in front of the mounting platform, and the rear-view camera is installed on the top of the movable cart located behind the mounting platform.

3. The composite robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: A mechanical arm mounting frame is also provided on the top of the movable trolley located behind the installation platform, and the multi-axis mechanical arm is installed on the top of the mechanical arm mounting frame.

4. The composite robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The robotic arm mounting frame is a U-shaped frame with an opening facing forward, a rear-view camera is installed on the back of the U-shaped frame, the multi-axis robotic arm is installed on the upper arm of the U-shaped frame, and a robotic arm mission control module is installed in the abdominal cavity of the U-shaped frame.

5. The composite robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: A joint motor drive module mounting frame is fixedly arranged on the upper arm of the U-shaped frame, the joint motor drive module is fixedly arranged in the inner cavity of the joint motor drive module mounting frame, and the multi-axis robot arm is installed on the top of the joint motor drive module mounting frame.

6. The composite robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The movable vehicle comprises a vehicle body and a wheel set, wherein the wheel set comprises driven wheels arranged on both sides of the front of the vehicle body and driving wheels arranged on both sides of the rear of the vehicle body, and a travel drive module is electrically connected to a driving motor of the driving wheel.

7. The composite robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The autonomous mobile robot platform also includes a main control battery and a power battery. The autonomous mobile control module is electrically connected to the main control battery via a power line, and the robotic arm task control module is electrically connected to the power battery via a power line.

8. The composite robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The autonomous movement control module, the robotic arm task control module and the joint motor drive module are all provided with WiFi modules.

9. The composite robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front-view camera and the arm-mounted camera are both depth cameras, and the rear-view camera is an RGB camera.

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