Bionic snakelike robot for transverse wave transmission

Abstract

The utility model provides a bionic snakelike robot for transverse wave transmission. The bionic snakelike robot comprises an integrated main control unit and a plurality of swing motion units which are elastically connected in series. The swing motion unit comprises a flexible rope, a plurality of friction plates which are elastically hinged, a power cabin and a transmission steering wheel arranged in the power cabin, and the transmission steering wheel is used for driving the flexible rope to move back and forth so that the two sides of the flexible rope can alternately stretch and contract; the flexible rope penetrates through one side of the friction plates, bypasses the transmission steering wheel and then penetrates out of the other side of the friction plates, and the end of the flexible rope is connected to the rear portion of the power cabin of the next-stage swing motion unit or the rear portion of the integrated main control unit so that the friction plates can integrally swing left and right alternately under back-and-forth pulling of the flexible rope. According to the transverse wave transmission bionic snakelike robot, the size of the snakelike robot can be reduced, and the purpose that the snakelike robot is convenient to maintain and replace after being damaged is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of biomimetic robots, specifically to a biomimetic snake robot that transmits transverse waves. Background Technology

[0002] Among robots capable of climbing over obstacles, biomimetic snakes can leverage their multi-joint, multi-degree-of-freedom, and multi-redundancy characteristics to achieve tasks such as moving forward, crossing stairs, and traversing obstacles, enabling them to meet the needs of search and rescue, reconnaissance, monitoring, and bomb disposal in complex environments.

[0003] For example, the invention patent with authorization announcement number CN114643574B discloses a biomimetic snake-like robot, including a snake head, a snake tail, a multi-segmented snake body, multiple connectors, and various detectors. The snake head includes an arc-shaped bottom support frame, multiple servo motors, multiple reels, multiple traction lines, connector interfaces, and drag plates. The servo motors are fixedly installed at the front of the arc-shaped bottom support frame and are fixedly connected to the reels via spline coaxial lines. One end of the traction line is wound inside the reel, and the other end is fixedly connected to the snake tail after passing through multiple connectors and the multi-segmented snake body. The drag plates are fixedly installed on the rear side of the bottom of the arc-shaped bottom support frame legs. The snake body includes telescopic springs, multiple ribs, and multiple drag plates. The ribs include an arc-shaped bottom frame, two spring insertion holes, a perforated ring, a rotating reel, and multiple through holes. Multiple traction lines pass through the through holes and drive the rotating reel to rotate. The drag plates are fixed on the rear side of the bottom of the arc-shaped bottom frame, and the telescopic springs are fixed after passing through the spring insertion holes of the multiple ribs in sequence. The connector includes an arc-shaped base support, a servo motor, a drive wheel, a driven wheel, a perforated cable reel, a snake-shaped retaining sleeve, and a drag plate. The servo motor and the drive wheel are fixedly mounted on the arc-shaped base support, and are coaxially connected via a spline.

[0004] This biomimetic snake robot solves the problem that current biomimetic snake robots cannot fully realize four types of movement on a single snake, namely meandering, tracked, telescopic, and crab-walking, in order to cope with complex and ever-changing environmental exploration tasks. However, in the structure disclosed in this biomimetic snake robot, the elastic rope is connected from the snake's head to its tail, and the connection between each rib is a single whole spring, which has the drawbacks of large size and difficulty in repair after damage. Utility Model Content

[0005] In order to reduce the size of the snake robot and facilitate repair and replacement after damage, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a biomimetic snake robot with transverse wave transmission, including an integrated main control unit and several swing motion units elastically connected together.

[0006] The integrated main control unit is connected to the front end of the plurality of swing motion units and is used to control the start time of the plurality of swing motion units so as to generate a motion time difference between the plurality of swing motion units.

[0007] The swing motion unit includes a flexible rope, several elastically hinged friction plates, a power compartment, and a transmission rudder disk disposed in the power compartment. The transmission rudder disk is used to drive the flexible rope to reciprocate, so that the two sides of the flexible rope alternately extend and contract.

[0008] The flexible rope passes through one side of the friction plates and around the transmission rudder, then exits from the other side of the friction plates. The end of the flexible rope is connected to the rear of the power compartment of the next-level swing motion unit or the rear of the integrated main control unit, so that the friction plates swing alternately left and right as a whole under the back-and-forth pull of the flexible rope.

[0009] Based on the above, in order to ensure that the friction plates can swing and reset in a timely manner, the swing motion unit also includes several pairs of springs. The springs are respectively arranged between two adjacent friction plates and between the upper and lower power compartments and the friction plates, and each pair of springs is symmetrically arranged about the axis of the friction plate.

[0010] Based on the above, in order to ensure that the swing motion unit can only move forward and not backward, a relief groove is provided at the bottom of the friction plate, and friction legs are formed on both sides of the relief groove. An arc-shaped transition surface is provided on the side of the friction leg facing the forward movement of the friction plate, so that the friction force of the friction plate is different when it moves forward and backward.

[0011] Based on the above, the friction pad bends in the forward direction.

[0012] Based on the above, in order to facilitate the installation of the spring, a pair of spring seats for installing the spring are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the friction plate and the front and rear sides of the power compartment.

[0013] Based on the above, in order to facilitate the installation of the flexible rope, the center of the spring seat is provided with a flexible rope through hole for the flexible rope to pass through, and the spring is sleeved on the outside of the flexible rope.

[0014] Based on the above, the power compartment includes a front baffle, a rear baffle, a power compartment shell, a servo mount, and a servo; the servo is disposed in the servo mount and is used to drive the transmission servo disc to rotate back and forth; the servo mount is connected between the front baffle and the rear baffle; and the power compartment shell covers the servo mount.

[0015] Based on the above, in order to facilitate the left and right swinging of the friction plate and reduce the friction force during swinging, a front connecting ear plate is provided on the front end of the friction plate and the rear baffle; a rear connecting ear plate is provided on the rear end of the friction plate and the front baffle; the front connecting ear plate and the adjacent rear connecting ear plate are movably connected by bearings and pins.

[0016] Based on the above, the integrated main control unit includes a protective housing and a main control chip, a power module, a camera, and a WIFI module disposed inside the protective housing. The main control chip is connected to the servo motor signals in each stage of the swing motion unit, and the power module is used to supply power to the servo motors in each stage of the swing motion unit. Specifically, the main control chip can be an STM32F407 main control chip, the camera can be an OV2640 camera, and the WIFI module can be an ESP8266 WIFI module.

[0017] Based on the above, for ease of maintenance and replacement, several of the swing motion units have the same specifications.

[0018] This invention has substantial features and advancements compared to existing technologies. Specifically, the biomimetic snake robot with transverse wave transmission provided by this invention adopts a distributed power design, which enables each swing motion unit to generate a transverse wave. The overall robot is composed of multiple swing motion units spliced ​​together. By controlling the time difference of the start of movement of each swing motion unit, a transverse wave transmission effect is simulated. Moreover, in the distributed power compartment, only one servo motor is needed to provide power. Its small size makes it more suitable for rescue and exploration in confined environments.

[0019] Meanwhile, the transverse wave transmission biomimetic snake robot adopts a design of springs connected in series on the left and right sides, reducing the force on a single spring. This allows the robot to move forward when components in the swing motion unit are damaged due to force majeure, by using other swing motion units to provide the power. This avoids the defect of the robot being unable to move after damage. Furthermore, when a malfunction occurs, only the damaged parts or the damaged swing motion unit need to be replaced, and the robot can continue to be used, achieving the goal of easy repair and replacement after damage.

[0020] Furthermore, by adopting a rounded surface design on the bottom side, the frictional contact area between the two sides and the ground is reduced. The use of ramps, hooks, and bow-shaped structures ensures that the biomimetic snake robot with transverse wave transmission can move forward easily but is difficult to move backward.

[0021] Therefore, this biomimetic snake robot with transverse wave transmission has strong advantages and adaptability for terrain and geological surveys and disaster relief. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the biomimetic snake robot for transverse wave transmission provided by this utility model.

[0023] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of one of the swing motion units in the biomimetic snake robot with transverse wave transmission provided by this utility model.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of adjacent friction plates in the biomimetic snake robot for transverse wave transmission provided by this utility model.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the power compartment in the biomimetic snake robot with transverse wave transmission provided by this utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the friction plate in the biomimetic snake robot for transverse wave transmission provided by this utility model.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the friction plate in the biomimetic snake robot for transverse wave transmission provided by this utility model.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the motion process of the biomimetic snake robot with transverse wave transmission provided by this utility model.

[0029] In the diagram: 1. Integrated main control unit; 2. Friction plate; 3. Power compartment; 4. Spring; 5. Flexible rope; 6. Servo mount; 7. Servo; 8. Transmission rudder; 9. Front baffle; 10. Rear baffle; 11. Flexible rope fixing hole; 12. Spring seat; 13. Rear connecting lug; 14. Front connecting lug; 15. Bow-shaped friction splice; 16. Arc-shaped transition surface; 17. Friction leg; 18. Bearing mounting groove; 19. Clearance groove; 20. Flexible rope perforation. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] This embodiment provides a biomimetic snake-like robot that transmits transverse waves, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, it includes an integrated main control unit 1 and several swing motion units elastically connected in series. The integrated main control unit 1 is connected to the front end of the several swing motion units and is used to control the start time of the several swing motion units to create a motion time difference between the several swing motion units.

[0033] The swing motion unit includes a flexible rope 5, several elastically hinged friction plates 2, a power compartment 3, and a transmission rudder 8 disposed within the power compartment 3. The friction plates 2 are formed by splicing together a pair of bow-shaped friction splice plates 15. The transmission rudder 8 drives the flexible rope 5 to reciprocate, causing the two sides of the flexible rope 5 to alternately extend and contract.

[0034] The flexible rope 5 passes through one side of the friction plates 2, around the transmission rudder 8, and then exits from the other side of the friction plates 2. The end of the flexible rope 5 is connected to the rear of the power compartment 3 of the next-level swing motion unit or the rear of the integrated main control unit 1, so that the friction plates 2 swing alternately left and right as a whole under the reciprocating pull of the flexible rope 5.

[0035] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the friction plates can swing and reset in a timely manner, the swing motion unit also includes several pairs of springs 4. The springs 4 are respectively arranged between two adjacent friction plates 2 and between the upper and lower power compartments 3 and the friction plates 2, and each pair of springs 4 is symmetrically arranged about the axis of the friction plate 2.

[0036] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, to ensure that the swing motion unit can only move forward and not backward, a clearance groove 19 is provided at the bottom of the friction plate 2. Friction legs 17 are formed on both sides of the clearance groove 19. An arc-shaped transition surface 16 is provided on the side of the friction leg 17 facing the forward movement of the friction plate 2, so that the friction force of the friction plate 2 is different when it moves forward and backward. Specifically, the friction plate 2 is bent in the forward direction.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, the power compartment 3 includes a front baffle 9, a rear baffle 10, a power compartment shell, a servo mount 6, and a servo 7. The servo 7 is disposed within the servo mount 6 and is used to drive the transmission servo disc 8 to rotate reciprocally. The servo mount 6 is connected between the front baffle 9 and the rear baffle 10, and the power compartment shell covers the servo mount 6. The front baffle 9 and the integrated main control unit 1 are respectively provided with flexible rope fixing holes 11 for fixing flexible ropes 5.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] This embodiment provides a biomimetic snake-like robot for transverse wave transmission. Unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment: to facilitate spring installation, a pair of spring seats 12 for installing the spring 4 are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the friction plate 2 and the front and rear sides of the power compartment 3. To facilitate the installation of the flexible rope 5, a flexible rope through hole 20 is provided in the center of the spring seat 12 for the flexible rope 5 to pass through, and the spring 4 is sleeved on the outer side of the flexible rope 5.

[0040] Example 3

[0041] This embodiment provides a biomimetic snake-like robot for transverse wave transmission. Unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment: to facilitate the left-right oscillation of the friction plate 2 and reduce friction during oscillation, front connecting lugs 14 are respectively provided on the front end of the friction plate 2 and the rear baffle 10; rear connecting lugs 13 are respectively provided on the rear end of the friction plate 2 and the front baffle 9. The front connecting lugs 14 and the adjacent rear connecting lugs 13 are movably connected by bearings and pins. The front connecting lugs 14 and the rear connecting lugs 13 are respectively provided with bearing mounting grooves 18.

[0042] Example 4

[0043] This embodiment provides a biomimetic snake-like robot with transverse wave transmission. Unlike Embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the integrated main control unit 1 includes a protective housing and a main control chip, a power module, a camera, and a WIFI module disposed inside the protective housing. The main control chip is connected to the servo motors in each stage of the swing motion unit, and the power module supplies power to the servos in each stage of the swing motion unit. The main control chip can be an STM32F407, the camera can be an OV2640, and the WIFI module can be an ESP8266.

[0044] Example 5

[0045] This embodiment provides a biomimetic snake robot that transmits transverse waves. The difference from Embodiment 1 is that, in this embodiment, for ease of maintenance and replacement, the specifications of several swing motion units are the same.

[0046] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, the specific working steps of the biomimetic snake robot for transverse wave transmission provided by this utility model are as follows:

[0047] First, the servo motors 7 in the power compartment 3 are started in sequence. The servo motors 7 in each swing motion unit drive the transmission rudder disks 8 located inside to rotate back and forth. This causes the two strands of the flexible rope 5 to alternately stretch and contract, which in turn causes the multiple friction plates 2 on the flexible rope 5 to swing left and right as a whole. This allows each swing motion unit to generate a transverse wave, which enables the friction plates 2 to rub against the ground, thus realizing the swing forward movement of each swing motion unit.

[0048] Because the biomimetic snake robot is composed of multiple swing motion units, and the starting time of each swing motion unit is different, resulting in a long swing time, the entire biomimetic snake robot produces a transverse wave-transmitting motion posture.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of this utility model and not to limit it; although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation of this utility model or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the spirit of the technical solution of this utility model, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the technical solution claimed by this utility model.

Claims

1. A biomimetic snake robot for transverse wave propagation, characterized by: It includes an integrated main control unit and several swing motion units that are elastically connected in series; The integrated main control unit is connected to the front end of the plurality of swing motion units and is used to control the start time of the plurality of swing motion units so as to generate a motion time difference between the plurality of swing motion units. The swing motion unit includes a flexible rope, several elastically hinged friction plates, a power compartment, and a transmission rudder disk disposed in the power compartment. The transmission rudder disk is used to drive the flexible rope to reciprocate, so that the two sides of the flexible rope alternately extend and contract. The flexible rope passes through one side of the friction plates and around the transmission rudder, then exits from the other side of the friction plates. The end of the flexible rope is connected to the rear of the power compartment of the next-level swing motion unit or the rear of the integrated main control unit, so that the friction plates swing alternately left and right as a whole under the back-and-forth pull of the flexible rope.

2. The lateral wave-propelled biomimetic snake robot of claim 1, wherein: The swing motion unit also includes several pairs of springs. The springs are respectively arranged between two adjacent friction plates and between the upper and lower power compartments and the friction plates. Each pair of springs is arranged symmetrically about the axis of the friction plate.

3. The lateral wave-propelled biomimetic snake robot of claim 1, wherein: The friction plate has a relief groove at its bottom, and friction legs are formed on both sides of the relief groove. The friction legs have an arc-shaped transition surface on the side facing the friction plate as it moves forward, so that the friction force of the friction plate is different when it moves forward and backward.

4. The lateral wave-propelled biomimetic snake robot according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, wherein: The friction pad bends in the direction of travel.

5. The biomimetic snake robot for transverse wave transmission according to claim 2, characterized in that: A pair of spring seats for mounting the springs are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the friction plate and on the front and rear sides of the power compartment.

6. The lateral wave-propelled biomimetic snake robot of claim 5, wherein: The center of the spring seat has a flexible rope through hole for the flexible rope to pass through, and the spring is sleeved on the outside of the flexible rope.

7. The lateral wave-propelled biomimetic snake robot according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 5 or 6, wherein: The power compartment includes a front baffle, a rear baffle, a power compartment shell, a servo mount, and a servo; the servo is disposed in the servo mount and is used to drive the transmission servo disc to rotate back and forth; the servo mount is connected between the front baffle and the rear baffle; and the power compartment shell covers the servo mount.

8. The lateral wave-propelled biomimetic snake robot of claim 7, wherein: The front end of the friction plate and the rear baffle are respectively provided with front connecting lugs; the rear end of the friction plate and the front baffle are respectively provided with rear connecting lugs; the front connecting lugs and the adjacent rear connecting lugs are movably connected by bearings and pins.

9. The lateral wave-propelled biomimetic snake robot of claim 7, wherein: The integrated main control unit includes a protective housing and a main control chip, a power module, a camera, and a WIFI module disposed inside the protective housing. The main control chip is connected to the servo motor signal in each stage of the swing motion unit, and the power module is used to supply power to the servo motor in each stage of the swing motion unit.

10. The lateral wave-propelled biomimetic snake robot of claim 1, wherein: Several of the swing motion units have the same specifications.

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