Variable-stiffness bionic robotic fish
By introducing an air pump for inflation and deflation and a wrapping rib structure into the tail fin of the biomimetic robotic fish, the complexity of tail stiffness adjustment has been solved, improving the robotic fish's movement efficiency and structural strength, and enabling it to operate in complex marine environments.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520259740.0
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-09
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-02-18
AI Technical Summary
Traditional underwater robots are bulky, energy-intensive, and have poor maneuverability. The biomimetic robotic fish's tail stiffness adjustment mechanism has a complex structure, resulting in structural redundancy and making it difficult to lighten and maintain.
It adopts a simple tail stiffness adjustment mechanism, which adjusts the stiffness by inflating and deflating the tail fin with an air pump, and sets wrapping ribs on the surface of the tail fin to increase its strength. The movement adjustment is achieved by using a servo to drive the tail fin to swing.
It enables flexible adjustment of tail fin stiffness, improves the movement efficiency and structural strength of the robotic fish, extends the service life of the tail fin, and adapts to different underwater operation needs.
Smart Images
Figure CN223644960U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of underwater bionic robots, in particular to a bionic robotic fish with variable rigidity. BACKGROUND
[0002] In the field of underwater operating robots, especially in the aspects of ocean resource development and underwater detection, traditional underwater robots have some limitations, such as large size, high energy consumption, poor maneuverability, etc. These limitations are particularly evident in complex marine environments, limiting their application range and efficiency. With the development of bionics, bionic robotic fish have attracted widespread attention due to their small size, low energy consumption, and strong maneuverability. They mimic the swimming mode of real fish and can operate flexibly in complex environments.
[0003] The rigidity change of the tail of the bionic robotic fish helps to adjust the motion efficiency of the robotic fish, but the rigidity adjustment mechanism for the tail of the bionic robotic fish is currently complex, causing structural redundancy of the robotic fish, which is not convenient for lightweight and later maintenance. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL
[0004] The present application aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application proposes a bionic robotic fish with variable rigidity, which has a tail rigidity adjustment mechanism with a simple structure.
[0005] According to the bionic robotic fish with variable rigidity of the embodiments of the present application, the bionic robotic fish with variable rigidity comprises:
[0006] A head assembly comprising a head shell and a gas pump, the gas pump being installed in the head shell;
[0007] A middle assembly comprising an isolation plate and a rudder, the rudder being installed on the isolation plate, the isolation plate being provided with a through hole;
[0008] A tail fin, which is an elastic member and is connected to the output end of the rudder, the surface of the tail fin being covered with envelope ribs, the tail fin being provided with a cavity inside, and the gas delivery pipe of the gas pump being in communication with the cavity of the tail fin through the through hole of the isolation plate;
[0009] Wherein, the rudder can drive the tail fin to swing, and the gas pump can inflate the tail fin to make it expand.
[0010] According to the bionic robotic fish with variable rigidity of the embodiments of the present application, at least the following beneficial effects are achieved: the rigidity of the tail fin can be increased by inflating the tail fin, and the rigidity of the tail fin can be reduced by discharging the gas in the tail fin, so that the rigidity of the tail fin is adjusted by inflating and discharging the gas pump; and the structural strength of the tail fin is improved by setting envelope ribs on the surface of the tail fin, so as to prolong the service life of the tail fin.
[0011] According to some embodiments of the present application, the number of envelope ribs is multiple and staggered.
[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the tail fin is provided with a clamping groove at the end thereof, and the output end of the rudder is inserted and fixed in the clamping groove.
[0013] According to some embodiments of the present application, the isolation plate is installed between the head shell and the tail fin, and separates the head shell from the tail fin.
[0014] According to some embodiments of the present application, the isolation plate is provided with a sealing ring, and the end of the head shell is provided with a sealing groove, and the sealing ring can be inserted into the sealing groove to achieve sealing.
[0015] According to some embodiments of the present application, the through hole is provided with a sealing plug.
[0016] According to some embodiments of the present application, the head shell is in a semi-ellipsoidal shape.
[0017] According to some embodiments of the present application, the head shell is provided with an opening, and the opening is in communication with the internal space of the head shell.
[0018] According to some embodiments of the present application, the opening is provided with a sealing ring.
[0019] According to some embodiments of the present application, the variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish further comprises a controller, and the rudder and the air pump are electrically connected to the controller; the head assembly further comprises a button, and the button is installed on the surface of the head shell and electrically connected to the controller.
[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosed technology scheme of the present application, constitute a part of the specification and are used together with the embodiments disclosed in the present application to explain the technical scheme of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical scheme of the present application.
[0022] Figure 1 is a semi-sectional view of the variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0023] Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a local enlarged view of A in FIG. 8.
[0024] Reference numerals: 100-head assembly, 110-head housing, 111-opening, 112-sealing groove, 120-button, 200-middle assembly, 210-isolation plate, 211-through hole, 213-sealing ring, 220-servo motor, 300-tail fin, 310-envelope rib, 320-snap slot. Detailed Implementation
[0025] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.
[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0027] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.
[0028] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.
[0029] In the description of this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0030] In the field of underwater robots, especially in marine resource development and underwater exploration, traditional underwater robots have some limitations, such as large size, high energy consumption, and poor maneuverability. These limitations are particularly pronounced in complex marine environments, restricting their application scope and efficiency. With the development of bionics, bionic robotic fish have attracted widespread attention due to their advantages such as small size, low energy consumption, and high maneuverability. They mimic the swimming patterns of real fish and can operate flexibly in complex environments.
[0031] The stiffness variation of the tail of the bionic robotic fish can help adjust the movement efficiency of the robotic fish, but the current stiffness adjustment mechanism for the tail of the bionic robotic fish is complex, resulting in structural redundancy of the robotic fish, which is not conducive to lightweighting and later maintenance.
[0032] In response, this application proposes a variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish that can increase the stiffness of the tail fin 300 by inflating it with air, and decrease its stiffness by expelling gas from it. The stiffness of the tail fin 300 can be adjusted by inflating and deflating it with an air pump. Furthermore, by providing wrapping ribs 310 on the surface of the tail fin 300, the structural strength of the tail fin 300 can be improved, thereby extending its service life.
[0033] Reference Figure 1 The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish includes a head assembly 100, a mid-section assembly 200, and a tail fin 300. The head assembly 100 serves as the head of the biomimetic robotic fish and has an internal cavity. The mid-section assembly 200 acts as an intermediate connector between the head assembly 100 and the tail fin 300, isolating the internal space of the head assembly 100 from the tail fin 300 to prevent interference with the electronic components within the head assembly 100 when the tail fin 300 moves, and also seals the internal space of the head assembly 100. The tail fin 300 serves as the driving component of the variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish; its movement propels the fish to complete underwater tasks.
[0034] Specifically, the head assembly 100 includes a head shell 110 and an air pump (not shown). The head shell 110 is hollow, forming a cavity, and the air pump is installed inside the cavity of the head shell 110. The middle assembly 200 includes an isolation plate 210 and a servo motor 220. The servo motor 220 is mounted on the isolation plate 210, which has a through hole 211 for the air pump's air supply pipe and the servo motor 220's cable to pass through. The tail fin 300 is an elastic element and is connected to the output end of the servo motor 220. When the output end of the servo motor 220 swings, the tail fin 300 can swing along with the output end of the servo motor 220, thereby driving the variable stiffness bionic robotic fish to swim. It is worth noting that the tail fin 300 has an internal cavity, and the air pump's air supply pipe passes through the through hole 211 of the isolation plate 210 and communicates with the cavity of the tail fin 300, so that the air pump can inflate the tail fin 300.
[0035] When the air pump is activated to inflate the tail fin 300, the tail fin 300 expands, its stiffness increases, thereby reducing the swaying amplitude, which can be applied to low-speed swimming situations; when the air pump de-inflates the tail fin 300, the tail fin 300 contracts, its stiffness decreases, thereby increasing the swaying amplitude, which can be applied to high-speed swimming situations.
[0036] Furthermore, the surface of the caudal fin 300 is covered with multiple, staggered ribs 310 to enhance the strength of the caudal fin 300 and reduce the risk of cracking after inflation. This allows the caudal fin 300 to withstand greater gas pressure, extending its service life. Moreover, because the caudal fin 300 can be inflated with more gas, its upper limit of stiffness is also increased, broadening the range of stiffness adjustment.
[0037] In some embodiments, the air source for the air pump can be a compressed air tank, which is installed inside the head housing 110. When it is necessary to increase the stiffness of the tail fin 300, the air pump releases compressed air from the compressed air tank into the tail fin 300. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the head housing 110 is connected to a pipe that connects to an onshore air storage device. The air pump fills the tail fin 300 with gas from the external air storage device, which can also control the stiffness of the tail fin 300.
[0038] In some embodiments, the electronic equipment of the variable stiffness bionic robotic fish is disposed inside the fish body, and the electronic equipment is centrally placed in the cavity of the head shell 110 for protection thereunder; in other embodiments, the electronic equipment of the variable stiffness bionic robotic fish is disposed outside the fish body, and the electronic equipment is electrically connected to the servo motor 220 via a cable to realize the control of the servo motor 220.
[0039] Furthermore, the connection between the tail fin 300 and the servo motor 220 can be achieved using bolts, snap-fit connections, or pin connections. In this embodiment, the end of the tail fin 300 is provided with a snap-fit groove 320, which is inserted and fixed to the output end of the servo motor 220. When the variable stiffness bionic robotic fish is applied in different usage scenarios, different driving effects can be achieved by replacing different tail fins 300.
[0040] Furthermore, the isolation plate 210 is installed between the head housing 110 and the tail fin 300. The isolation plate 210 separates the head housing 110 and the tail fin 300 to prevent the tail fin 300 from affecting the electronic equipment inside the head housing 110 during its swinging process. At the same time, the isolation plate 210 also seals the internal space of the head housing 110 to prevent water leakage from damaging the electronic equipment inside the head housing 110.
[0041] Furthermore, regarding the connection method between the isolation plate 210 and the head housing 110, refer to... Figure 2 A sealing ring 213 is provided on the isolation plate 210, and a sealing groove 112 is provided at the end of the head housing 110. The sealing ring 213 can be inserted into the sealing groove 112 to achieve a seal. Since the sealing ring 213 has a raised structure, after it is inserted into the sealing groove 112, it can make the joint between the isolation plate 210 and the head housing 110 undulating, preventing water from the external environment from seeping in from the joint. An additional elastic sealing ring can also be provided in the sealing groove 112 to further improve the sealing effect between the isolation plate 210 and the head housing 110.
[0042] Specifically, the sealing ring 213 is provided with a plurality of first sealing holes arranged in a circumferential array, and the sealing groove 112 is also provided with a plurality of second sealing holes corresponding to the first sealing holes. Bolts can pass through the first sealing holes and the second sealing holes to bolt the isolation plate 210 to the head housing 110 for bolt connection and fixation.
[0043] Furthermore, a sealing plug is installed at the through hole 211. After the air supply pipe and cable are passed through the through hole 211, the sealing plug can fill the empty part in the through hole 211, thereby preventing the external environment from communicating with the internal space of the head shell 110 and playing a sealing role.
[0044] Furthermore, the head shell 110 is semi-ellipsoidal in shape and streamlined, thereby reducing the swimming resistance of the variable stiffness bionic robotic fish and facilitating its swimming.
[0045] Furthermore, the head shell 110 has an opening 111, which communicates with the internal space of the head shell 110. The opening 111 is used to allow external cables or air pipes to pass through, so that external devices can be electrically connected to electronic devices in the head shell 110 via cables, or external air storage devices can supply gas to the air pump in the head shell 110 via air pipes, thus completing the connection between this variable stiffness bionic robotic fish and external devices.
[0046] Specifically, a sealing ring is provided at the opening 111. After the air tube and cable are inserted through the opening 111, the sealing ring can fill the empty part in the opening 111, thereby preventing the external environment from communicating with the space inside the head shell 110, and playing a sealing role.
[0047] Furthermore, the variable stiffness bionic robotic fish also includes a controller, which, as one of the electronic devices of the variable stiffness bionic robotic fish, is housed in the head shell 110. The servo motor 220 and the air pump are both electrically connected to the controller and controlled by the controller. The head assembly 100 also includes a button 120, which is mounted on the surface of the head shell 110 and electrically connected to the controller. Thus, the user can control the controller by operating the button 120, thereby controlling the variable stiffness bionic robotic fish.
[0048] Understandably, a wireless transceiver can also be installed inside the variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish, and this transceiver is electrically connected to the controller. Users can send and receive commands to the wireless transceiver via mobile phones, computers, or other remote control devices, thereby controlling the controller.
[0049] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this application. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.
Claims
1. A variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish, characterized in that, include: A head assembly, the head assembly including a head housing and an air pump, the air pump being installed inside the head housing; A central component, comprising an isolation plate and a servo motor, the servo motor being mounted on the isolation plate, the isolation plate having through holes; The tail fin is an elastic element and is connected to the output end of the servo motor. The surface of the tail fin is covered with ribs, and a cavity is provided inside the tail fin. The air supply pipe of the air pump passes through the through hole of the partition plate and communicates with the cavity of the tail fin. The servo motor can drive the tail fin to swing, and the air pump can inflate the tail fin with air to make it expand.
2. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are multiple wrapping ribs arranged in an alternating pattern.
3. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tail fin has a snap-fit groove at its end, which is then inserted and fixed to the output end of the servo motor.
4. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition plate is installed between the head shell and the tail fin, and the partition plate separates the head shell from the tail fin.
5. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to claim 4, characterized in that: A sealing ring is provided on the isolation plate, and a sealing groove is provided at the end of the head shell. The sealing ring can be inserted into the sealing groove to achieve a seal.
6. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing plug is installed in the through hole.
7. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to claim 1, characterized in that: The head shell is semi-ellipsoidal in shape.
8. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to claim 1, characterized in that: The head shell has an opening that communicates with the internal space of the head shell.
9. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to claim 8, characterized in that: The opening is equipped with a sealing ring.
10. The variable stiffness biomimetic robotic fish according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The variable stiffness bionic robotic fish also includes a controller, and the servo motor and the air pump are both electrically connected to the controller; the head assembly also includes a button, which is mounted on the surface of the head shell and is electrically connected to the controller.