Thickening rubber rope module and robot foot bottom part
By combining the variable stiffness rope of shear thickening glue and Kevlap rope with platinum cured silicone in the sole parts of the robot, the problem of unstable walking of humanoid robots under different gaits is solved, and the variable stiffness performance and adaptability are achieved, improving walking stability and shock absorption effect.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421952365.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-13
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-01
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-08-13
AI Technical Summary
The foot design of existing humanoid robots is difficult to effectively absorb impact forces at different gait speeds, resulting in unstable walking and low adaptability, especially in complex environments.
A variable stiffness rope composed of shear thickening glue and Kevd rope is combined with a platinum cured silicone elastomer to form a thickening glue rope module for robotic sole parts and has stiffness adjustment and shock absorption functions.
It improves the variable stiffness performance and walking stability of the robot's soles, enhances the adaptability in complex environments, and can effectively absorb different degrees of impact forces.
Smart Images
Figure CN223172982U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a thickening rubber rope module and a robot sole component. Background Art
[0002] The feet of humanoid robots are in direct contact with the external environment. During walking, the soles of the robots are subjected to ground friction and their own gravity, so that the soles bear a great impact force. Moreover, when the robots are at different gait speeds, the impact forces on the soles are different. In order to reduce the impact force during walking, wear-resistant soft materials are added to the soles. Existing sole components usually only use silica gel bodies, which can form soft soles, but it is difficult to form hard soles, and the variable stiffness performance is low. At the same time, it is difficult to absorb impact forces of different degrees, resulting in unstable walking, low walking stability, and difficulty in coping with complex and changeable environments, with low adaptability.
[0003] In summary, the technical problems existing in the related art need to be improved. Summary of the Utility Model
[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to solve at least to a certain extent one of the technical problems existing in the related art.
[0005] In order to achieve the above technical purpose, the technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the utility model include:
[0006] On the one hand, the embodiments of the utility model provide a thickening rubber rope module, including:
[0007] Shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive;
[0008] A plurality of variable stiffness ropes, the variable stiffness ropes are connected to the shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive in a preset arrangement manner, the length of the variable stiffness ropes is greater than the length of the shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive, and the variable stiffness ropes are composed of shear thickening rubber and Kevlar ropes;
[0009] The thickening rubber rope module is applied to a robot sole component.
[0010] In some embodiments, the middle section of the variable stiffness rope is wrapped in the shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive.
[0011] In some embodiments, both ends of the variable stiffness rope are located outside the shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive.
[0012] In some embodiments, the plurality of variable stiffness ropes are arranged in the shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive at an interval of 3 mm.
[0013] In some embodiments, the length of the shear thickening glue elastic body is 150 mm - 170 mm, the width of the shear thickening glue elastic body is 115 mm - 125 mm, and the height of the shear thickening glue elastic body is 8 mm - 10 mm.
[0014] In some embodiments, the length of the variable stiffness rope is 170 mm - 190 mm.
[0015] In some embodiments, the width of the variable stiffness rope is 3 mm.
[0016] In some embodiments, the number of the variable stiffness ropes is 20.
[0017] The beneficial effects of the present utility model are as follows:
[0018] A thickening glue rope module provided by an embodiment of the present utility model includes a shear thickening glue elastic body and a plurality of variable stiffness ropes. Among them, the variable stiffness ropes are connected to the shear thickening glue elastic body in a preset arrangement manner. The length of the variable stiffness rope is greater than the length of the shear thickening glue elastic body. The variable stiffness rope is composed of shear thickening glue and Kevlar ropes. The thickening glue rope module is applied to the sole component of a robot. The thickening glue rope module has a stiffness adjustment function, thereby improving the variable stiffness performance.
[0019] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present utility model provides a sole component of a robot, including:
[0020] The thickening glue rope module;
[0021] A platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer, which is connected to the thickening glue rope module. The length of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the length of the thickening glue rope module. The width of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the width of the thickening glue rope module. The height of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the height of the thickening glue rope module.
[0022] In some embodiments, the length of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is 200 mm - 220 mm, the width of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is 140 mm - 150 mm, and the height of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is 14 mm - 16 mm.
[0023] The beneficial effects of the present utility model are as follows:
[0024] A kind of robot sole component provided by an embodiment of the present utility model includes a thickening rubber cord module and a platinum-cured silicone elastomer. Among them, the platinum-cured silicone elastomer is connected to the thickening rubber cord module. The length of the platinum-cured silicone elastomer is greater than that of the thickening rubber cord module, the width of the platinum-cured silicone elastomer is greater than that of the thickening rubber cord module, and the height of the platinum-cured silicone elastomer is greater than that of the thickening rubber cord module. The robot sole component has a stiffness adjustment function and a shock absorption function, thereby improving the variable stiffness performance, walking stability and adaptability.
[0025] Other features and advantages of the present utility model will be described in the subsequent specification, and, in part, will be obvious from the specification, or will be understood by implementing the present utility model. The objectives and other advantages of the present utility model can be realized and obtained by the structures specifically pointed out in the specification and the drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings
[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.
[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a thickening rubber cord module according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0028] Figure 2 It is a top view of the structure of a robot sole component according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0029] Figure 3 It is a side view of the structure of a robot sole component according to an embodiment of the present utility model. Detailed Description of the Embodiments
[0030] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the following will further describe the present application in detail with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application, and are not used to limit the present application. When the following description involves the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementation manners described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementation manners consistent with the embodiments of the present application. They are only examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the embodiments of the present application detailed in the appended claims.
[0031] It will be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. used in this application may be used herein to describe various concepts, but unless otherwise specified, these concepts are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one concept from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present application, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the words "if" and "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining".
[0032] The terms "at least one", "plurality", "each", "any", etc. used in this application include "at least one", "two" or more, "plurality" or "each", "any" or "any one", "each" or "any one" as used herein.
[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing the embodiments of this application only and are not intended to limit this application.
[0034] Before explaining the embodiments of the present application in detail, some of the nouns and terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are first explained. The nouns and terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are subject to the following explanations.
[0035] Shear thickening: also known as dilatancy, refers to the non-Newtonian fluid behavior in which the viscosity of the system increases by orders of magnitude with increasing shear rate or shear stress.
[0036] Shear stiffening gels (STGs) are intelligent materials with a sensitive strain rate effect. When subjected to shear stress or increased shear rate, their apparent viscosity increases significantly, by several to dozens of times. These materials have broad application prospects in protective equipment, vibration control, wearable devices, automotive safety, and other fields. The research and application of shear thickening gels have garnered significant attention, particularly in the areas of impact resistance and ballistic protection.
[0037] Stiffness refers to the ability of a material or structure to resist elastic deformation when subjected to force. It represents the ease with which a material or structure deforms elastically. The stiffness of a material is typically measured using the elastic modulus E. Within the macroscopic elastic range, stiffness is the proportional coefficient between the load and displacement of a component, or the force required to cause a unit displacement. Its reciprocal is called compliance, which represents the displacement caused by a unit force. Stiffness can be divided into static and dynamic stiffness.
[0038] Kevlar rope: It is woven with Kevlar® fibers and is golden yellow. It has extremely high strength, greater than 28 grams per denier, 5 - 6 times that of high-quality steel. Its modulus is 2 - 3 times that of steel or fiberglass, its toughness is 2 times that of steel, and its weight is only 1 / 5 that of steel. At the same time, it has the following characteristics: high temperature resistance, fireproof and flame-retardant, light weight, high strength, high modulus, stable dimensions, low shrinkage rate, puncture resistance, abrasion resistance, heat resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, good mechanical properties, good dielectric properties, etc.
[0039] Platinum-cured silicone (ECoflex50): It is a water-white translucent elastic silicone with versatile and easy-to-use characteristics. The weight or volume mixing ratio of ECoflex50 silicone is 1A:1B, and it cures at room temperature with a negligible shrinkage rate. The cured silicone is very soft, very strong, and very "elastic". It can be stretched many times its original size without tearing and will elastically return to its original shape without deformation. It can be used in scenarios such as manufacturing prosthetics and orthopedic cushions.
[0040] In related technologies, the feet of humanoid robots are very important because the feet, especially the soles, are the direct contact surfaces with the external environment. In order to reduce the impact force during the operation of the robot, a silicone pad or other anti-wear soft materials are added to the soles. After adding these soft materials, the walking effect of the robot is improved to a certain extent, but most of the feet of humanoid robots with soft soles do not have variable stiffness characteristics and have limited adaptability. During the movement of humans or animals, their muscles have variable stiffness and can cope with complex and changing environments. Especially in the human foot, when a single motor unit of the extensor digitorum is stimulated within a large frequency range, the stiffness from rest to the peak of twitch can increase by about five times. In the prior art, generally only a silicone body is added to the sole for shock absorption or buffering, which can form a soft sole, but it is difficult to form a hard sole, and the variable stiffness performance is low. At the same time, it is difficult to absorb impact forces of different degrees, resulting in unstable walking, low walking stability, and difficulty in coping with complex and changing environments, with low adaptability.
[0041] In view of this, aiming at the current situation of humanoid robots and inspired by the characteristics of biological muscles, the present utility model adopts a shear thickening gum material in the foot design and adds STG-Kevlar rope when curing ECoflex50. This not only makes the sole support play a better buffering and shock absorption effect but also can reduce the sole stretching during walking, improving the walking stability. The stiffness characteristics of the STG-Kevlar rope match the wide stiffness performance of skeletal muscles, similar to the role of a skeleton support, with high variable stiffness performance and the ability to adapt to a variety of complex and changing environments, with high adaptability.
[0042] As Figure 1As shown, an embodiment of the present utility model provides a thickening rubber rope module, including:
[0043] Shear thickening rubber elastic viscoelastic body;
[0044] Multiple variable stiffness ropes, which are connected to the shear thickening rubber elastic viscoelastic body in a preset arrangement manner. The length of the variable stiffness rope is greater than the length of the shear thickening rubber elastic viscoelastic body. The variable stiffness rope is composed of shear thickening rubber and Kevlar rope;
[0045] The thickening rubber rope module is applied to the sole component of the robot.
[0046] In some embodiments, the thickening rubber rope module may include a shear thickening rubber elastic viscoelastic body 101 and multiple variable stiffness ropes 102. Among them, the variable stiffness rope may include an STG-Kevlar rope (i.e., shear thickening rubber-Kevlar rope). The variable stiffness rope is connected to the shear thickening rubber (STG) elastic viscoelastic body in a preset arrangement manner. Exemplarily, a sequential arrangement method can be adopted, and the variable stiffness ropes are arranged side by side, with their rope bodies parallel to each other. After the ends of the multiple variable stiffness ropes are aligned, they are connected to the shear thickening rubber elastic viscoelastic body and placed in the shear thickening rubber elastic viscoelastic body for curing. In terms of length, the length of the variable stiffness rope 102 is greater than the length of the shear thickening rubber elastic viscoelastic body 101, so that both ends of the variable stiffness rope can extend out of the shear thickening rubber elastic viscoelastic body. Moreover, the variable stiffness rope is composed of shear thickening rubber and Kevlar rope. The shear thickening rubber can be first dissolved in an isopropanol solution to form a uniform mixture as a suspension, and then the Kevlar rope is placed in the suspension. Through processes such as soaking, vulcanization, and baking, the variable stiffness rope is manufactured. The thickening rubber rope module can be applied to the sole component of the robot to improve the variable stiffness performance.
[0047] In some embodiments, the middle section of the variable stiffness rope is wrapped in a shear thickening gel elastomer, and both ends of the variable stiffness rope are located outside the shear thickening gel elastomer. Exemplarily, after the variable stiffness rope is placed in a mold, the shear thickening gel stock solution can be poured in so that the middle section of the variable stiffness rope is wrapped by the shear thickening gel STG, and both ends of the variable stiffness rope are respectively exposed by 10 mm so that they can be wrapped and fixed by platinum-cured silica gel subsequently, but cannot penetrate the gel. It can be understood that the shear thickening gel STG has fluidity and will slowly solidify when placed in a mold to form a shear thickening gel elastomer. In some embodiments, the length of the shear thickening gel elastomer is 150 mm - 170 mm, the width of the shear thickening gel elastomer is 115 mm - 125 mm, the height of the shear thickening gel elastomer is 8 mm - 10 mm, the length of the variable stiffness rope is 170 mm - 190 mm, and the width of the variable stiffness rope is 3 mm. Exemplarily, the length of the shear thickening gel elastomer can be set to 160 mm, the width of the shear thickening gel elastomer can be set to 120 mm, the height of the shear thickening gel elastomer can be set to 9 mm, and the length of the variable stiffness rope can be set to 180 mm so that the length of the variable stiffness rope is greater than the length of the shear thickening gel elastomer for subsequent fixation in silica gel. In some embodiments, multiple variable stiffness ropes are arranged in the shear thickening gel elastomer at an interval of 3 mm, and the number of variable stiffness ropes is 20. Exemplarily, multiple variable stiffness ropes can be arranged at an interval of 3 mm, or the interval can be adjusted as needed to increase or decrease the number of variable stiffness ropes. When arranged at an interval of 3 mm, according to the length and width of the shear thickening gel elastomer in this embodiment, 20 variable stiffness ropes can be arranged. It can be understood that the values of the length and number of variable stiffness ropes are empirical values, but are also related to the length and width of the robot's sole component. The number of variable stiffness ropes can be selected according to the width of the shear thickening gel elastomer, and the ropes can be evenly distributed so that the sole is evenly stressed and there will be no situation where the stiffness is greater on one side and smaller on the other side. Moreover, STG is soft and sticky in its normal state and has strong self-healing ability. When shear force, compressive force, and tensile impact force are applied, the strain rate will increase, and the elastic modulus, storage modulus, and yield stress will also increase significantly. The selected STG component is polyborodimethylsiloxane (PBDMS), which is more stable and has a higher initial viscosity than the traditional shear thickening fluid (STF) composed of nano-silica and polyethylene glycol.
[0048] The beneficial effects of implementing the embodiments of the present utility model include: A thickening rubber rope module provided by the embodiments of the present utility model includes a shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive body and multiple variable stiffness ropes. Among them, the variable stiffness ropes are connected to the shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive body in a preset arrangement manner. The length of the variable stiffness ropes is greater than the length of the shear thickening rubber elastic adhesive body. The variable stiffness ropes are composed of shear thickening rubber and Kevlar ropes. The thickening rubber rope module is applied to the sole component of a robot. The thickening rubber rope module has a stiffness adjustment function, thereby improving the variable stiffness performance.
[0049] As Figure 2 shown, the embodiments of the present utility model also provide a sole component of a robot, including:
[0050] A thickening rubber rope module;
[0051] A platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer, which is connected to the thickening rubber rope module. The length of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the length of the thickening rubber rope module. The width of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the width of the thickening rubber rope module. The height of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the height of the thickening rubber rope module.
[0052] In some embodiments, the sole component of the robot may include a thickening rubber rope module 201 and a platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer 202. Among them, the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer 202 is connected to the thickening rubber rope module 201. The length of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the length of the thickening rubber rope module. The width of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the width of the thickening rubber rope module. The height of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is greater than the height of the thickening rubber rope module. Exemplarily, after the thickening rubber rope module is placed in a mold, the platinum-cured silicone rubber original liquid can be poured in. The length, width, and height of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer after curing and forming are all greater than those of the thickening rubber rope module, so that the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer fully wraps the thickening rubber rope module. It can be understood that the platinum-cured silicone rubber original liquid has fluidity and will slowly cure in the mold. It cures at room temperature for more than 2 hours to form a platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer. In some embodiments, the length of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is 200 mm - 220 mm, the width of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is 140 mm - 150 mm, and the height of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer is 14 mm - 16 mm. Exemplarily, the length of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer can be set to 210 mm, the width of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer can be set to 145 mm, and the height of the platinum-cured silicone rubber elastomer can be set to 15 mm to adapt to the size of the robot's foot. The side view of the obtained sole component of the robot is as Figure 3As shown. Additionally, the robot's sole component can be placed on the robot's sole as a buffer pad to achieve shock absorption and impact force absorption. It can be understood that platinum-cured silicone ECoflex50 is a water-white translucent elastic silicone that can be used in scenarios such as manufacturing prosthetics and orthotic cushions. The sole shape requires the platinum-cured silicone elastomer to completely wrap around. If the variable stiffness rope extends outside the platinum-cured silicone elastomer, it may reduce the service life, which also determines the length of the thickening glue rope module. After the two ends of the variable stiffness rope are fixed to the platinum-cured silicone elastomer, the position of the variable stiffness rope is further strengthened, and the effective range of the variable stiffness rope is within both the thickening glue rope module and the platinum-cured silicone elastomer. During the fast gait process, it helps to reduce the deformation of the sole (for example, when the sole is stretched, the variable stiffness rope increases in stiffness after being subjected to tensile force, and after the stiffness increases, the deformation of the thickening glue rope module and the platinum-cured silicone elastomer decreases). This process from soft to hard absorbs the impact force and also increases the service life of the sole component.
[0053] The beneficial effects of implementing the embodiments of the present utility model include: A robot sole component provided by the embodiments of the present utility model includes a thickening glue rope module and a platinum-cured silicone elastomer. Among them, the platinum-cured silicone elastomer is connected to the thickening glue rope module. The length of the platinum-cured silicone elastomer is greater than the length of the thickening glue rope module, the width of the platinum-cured silicone elastomer is greater than the width of the thickening glue rope module, and the height of the platinum-cured silicone elastomer is greater than the height of the thickening glue rope module. The robot sole component has a stiffness adjustment function and a shock absorption function, thereby improving the variable stiffness performance, walking stability, and adaptability.
[0054] In some embodiments, an STG-Kevlar rope (i.e., variable stiffness rope), STG stock solution (i.e., shear thickening collagen stock solution), and ECoflex50 (i.e., platinum-cured silicone) are cured in sequence to finally form a sole component with effects such as shock absorption and stable walking. This sole component has a certain variable stiffness performance, which comes from the variable stiffness performance of the STG-Kevlar rope itself (the STG-Kevlar rope is located inside the sole component). During walking, the robot's sole is subjected to ground friction and its own gravity, causing the sole to bear a large impact force. Moreover, the impact force on the sole is different for the robot at different gait speeds. The STG-Kevlar rope group exhibits different rigidities at different speeds, causing the internal stiffness characteristics of this sole component to change, further absorbing the impact force and making the humanoid robot walk more stably in different environments and at different speeds.
[0055] In the description of this specification, the descriptions referring to terms such as "one embodiment", "another embodiment" or "certain embodiments" mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present utility model. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.
[0056] The preferred embodiments of the embodiments of the present application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this does not limit the scope of the rights of the embodiments of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and improvements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and essence of the embodiments of the present application shall fall within the scope of the rights of the embodiments of the present application.
Claims
1. A thickening rubber cord module, characterized in that, Comprising: Shear thickening glue elastic body; Multiple variable stiffness ropes, the variable stiffness ropes are connected to the shear thickening glue elastic body in an arranged manner in sequence, the length of the variable stiffness rope is greater than the length of the shear thickening glue elastic body, and the variable stiffness rope is composed of shear thickening glue and Kevlar rope; The thickening glue rope module is applied to the sole component of the robot.
2. The thickening rubber cord module according to claim 1, wherein The middle section of the variable stiffness rope is wrapped in the shear thickening glue elastic body.
3. The thickening rubber cord module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both ends of the variable stiffness rope are located outside the shear thickening glue elastic body.
4. The thickening rubber rope module according to claim 1, characterized in that The multiple variable stiffness ropes are arranged in the shear thickening glue elastic body at an interval of 3 mm.
5. The thickening rubber cord module according to claim 1, wherein The length of the shear thickening glue elastic body is 150 mm - 170 mm, the width of the shear thickening glue elastic body is 115 mm - 125 mm, and the height of the shear thickening glue elastic body is 8 mm - 10 mm.
6. The thickening rubber cord module according to claim 1, characterized in that The length of the variable stiffness rope is 170 mm - 190 mm.
7. The thickening rubber cord module according to claim 1, characterized in that The width of the variable stiffness rope is 3 mm.
8. The thickening rubber cord module according to claim 1, wherein The number of the variable stiffness ropes is 20.
9. A robot sole component, characterized in that, Comprising: The thickening glue rope module according to any one of claims 1 - 8; Platinum cured silicone elastomer, the platinum cured silicone elastomer is connected to the thickening glue rope module, the length of the platinum cured silicone elastomer is greater than the length of the thickening glue rope module, the width of the platinum cured silicone elastomer is greater than the width of the thickening glue rope module, and the height of the platinum cured silicone elastomer is greater than the height of the thickening glue rope module.
10. The robot sole component according to claim 9, characterized in that, The length of the platinum cured silicone elastomer is 200 mm - 220 mm, the width of the platinum cured silicone elastomer is 140 mm - 150 mm, and the height of the platinum cured silicone elastomer is 14 mm - 16 mm.