Elephant nose structure of bionic elephant robot

Abstract

The utility model provides an elephant trunk structure of a bionic elephant robot. The elephant trunk structure comprises a body, the front end of the body is provided with an elephant trunk mechanism, the elephant trunk mechanism comprises a flexible shell and a plurality of soft body units, each soft body unit is provided with an inertia measurement module, each soft body unit is provided with four SMA spring drivers, and each SMA spring driver is provided with an SMA spring. When the service object exceeds the monitored electronic fence area, the whole mechanism moves to the vicinity of the service object and drives the trunk mechanism, so that the trunk mechanism straightens and blocks the service object to prevent the service object from crossing the electronic fence area, thereby preventing the service object from being caught in a dangerous environment, and reducing the probability of safety accidents. And the whole robot adapts to the requirements of different service objects, the combination of science and technology and humanistic care is promoted, and the popularization value is high.

Description

The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of simulation robots, and in particular to the trunk structure of a biomimetic elephant robot. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional companion robots have simple structures, lack flexible bending mechanisms, and cannot effectively protect or accompany their users, thus having a limited function.

[0003] For children at home, when playing on uneven surfaces, they cannot predict when they will lose their balance or encounter obstacles and fall. If they are not helped up in time, they may suffer physical injuries such as scrapes and bumps, and may also develop psychological trauma due to fear and helplessness. Furthermore, without constant parental supervision, children, driven by curiosity, may easily stray beyond designated areas and face potential dangers such as vehicles, water, and strangers in unfamiliar environments, greatly increasing the probability of accidents. The same applies to elderly people at home; failure to help them up promptly after a fall can also cause injury. Therefore, we propose a biomimetic elephant robot with a trunk structure to address these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a trunk structure for a biomimetic elephant robot, which solves the problems of existing robots that cannot promptly help users up when they fall, potentially causing physical injury and psychological trauma. Furthermore, without supervision, users may easily stray from designated areas and fall into dangerous environments, increasing the probability of safety accidents.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a trunk structure of a biomimetic elephant robot, including a body, a trunk mechanism at the front end of the body, the trunk mechanism including a flexible shell and multiple soft units, an inertial measurement module on the soft unit, four SMA spring actuators on the soft unit, and SMA springs on the SMA spring actuators.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the software unit includes a first support disk and a second support disk. The second support disk is provided with four SMA spring drivers arranged in a circumferential array, and an SMA spring is provided between the SMA spring drivers and the first support disk.

[0007] In the preferred embodiment, the first support disk has a central hole and four mounting seats. The mounting seats are connected to the SMA spring actuator and have through holes. The first support disk is connected to the second support disk of the adjacent software unit.

[0008] In the preferred embodiment, the software unit includes a connector and a rotating block. The connector includes a connecting rod with U-shaped frames at both ends and two rotating shafts at one end of the U-shaped frame.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment, the rotating shafts of adjacent software units are rotatably connected to the rotating block, the connecting rod is connected to the first support disk, and a central spring is provided on the periphery of the connecting member. The two ends of the central spring are respectively connected to the first support disk and the second support disk.

[0010] In the preferred embodiment, the elephant trunk mechanism includes a mounting box and four cables. One end of each cable is connected to a soft unit at the top, and the other end of each cable is equipped with a winding motor. The winding motor is mounted on the mounting box, and the mounting box is connected to the main body.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment, the inertial measurement module includes a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer, and has multiple batteries on its main body.

[0012] In the preferred embodiment, the main body is provided with multiple walking mechanisms, the bottom of the walking mechanism is provided with rollers, a rolling motor is provided on one side of the rollers, and the rolling motor is mounted on the walking mechanism.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: when a service recipient falls or exceeds the monitored electronic fence area, the walking mechanism is driven to move, thereby moving the entire structure to the vicinity of the service recipient. The inertial measurement module on the elephant trunk mechanism includes a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer, so that the Euler angle of the end plane is output in the yaw-pitch-roll mode of each software unit to measure the attitude of each software unit.

[0014] Multiple winding motors drive the trunk mechanism to adjust the lengths of four cables, controlling the initial bending posture of the trunk mechanism for initial adjustments of multiple soft units. The length of the SMA springs is controlled by adjusting the heating current on the corresponding SMA springs of each soft unit's four SMA spring actuators, allowing for precise adjustment of each soft unit. Two degrees of freedom in spatial bending are achieved by controlling the contraction of the four SMA springs, enabling the trunk mechanism to bend. When a service object needs to be lifted, the trunk mechanism is activated to wrap around and lift the object.

[0015] When a user exceeds the monitored electronic fence area, the entire robot moves to the user's vicinity and activates the trunk mechanism, which extends to block the user from crossing the fence, thus preventing them from entering a dangerous environment and reducing the probability of accidents. The robot adapts to the needs of different users, promoting the integration of technology and humanistic care, and has significant potential for widespread adoption. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;

[0017] Figure 1 is an axonometric view of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 is an axonometric view of the elephant trunk mechanism of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2 of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 is an axial view of the connector of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 is an axonometric view of a partial structure of the elephant trunk mechanism of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 6 is a side view of Figure 5 of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of A in Figure 2 of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of B in Figure 3 of this utility model;

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Body; 2. Trunk mechanism; 3. Flexible shell; 4. Soft unit; 401. First support disk; 4011. Center hole; 4012. Mounting base; 4013. Through hole; 402. Second support disk; 403. SMA spring; 404. SMA spring actuator; 405. Inertial measurement module; 5. Connector; 501. Linkage rod; 502. U-shaped frame; 503. Rotating shaft; 6. Cable; 7. Mounting box; 8. Rewinding motor; 9. Rotating block; 10. Walking mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Example 1:

[0027] As shown in Figures 1-8, the trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot includes a main body 1, with a trunk mechanism 2 at the front end of the main body 1. The trunk mechanism 2 includes a flexible shell 3 and multiple soft units 4. Each soft unit 4 has an inertial measurement module 405 and four SMA spring actuators 404, each with an SMA spring 403. This mechanism drives a walking mechanism 10 to move the entire structure to the vicinity of the user when the user falls or exceeds the monitored electronic fence area. The inertial measurement module 405 on the trunk mechanism 2 includes a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer, allowing each soft unit 4 to output end-plane Euler angles in a yaw-pitch-roll manner to measure the attitude of each soft unit 4.

[0028] Multiple winding motors 8 drive the trunk mechanism 2 to adjust the lengths of the four cables 6, thereby controlling the initial bending posture of the trunk mechanism 2 for initial adjustment of multiple soft units 4. The length of the SMA spring 403 is controlled by controlling the heating current on the corresponding SMA spring 403 of each soft unit 4 via the four SMA spring actuators 404. This allows for precise adjustment of each soft unit 4. Two degrees of freedom of spatial bending can be achieved by controlling the contraction degree of the four SMA springs 403, enabling the trunk mechanism 2 to bend. When a service object needs to be lifted, the trunk mechanism 2 is driven to wrap around and lift the service object.

[0029] When a service recipient exceeds the monitored electronic fence area, the entire robot moves to the vicinity of the recipient and activates the trunk mechanism 2, causing it to extend and block the recipient from crossing the fence. This prevents the recipient from entering a dangerous environment and reduces the probability of accidents. The robot adapts to the needs of different service recipients, promoting the integration of technology and humanistic care.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the software unit 4 includes a first support disk 401 and a second support disk 402. The second support disk 402 is provided with four SMA spring actuators 404 arranged in a circumferential array. An SMA spring 403 is provided between the SMA spring actuators 404 and the first support disk 401. Through this mechanism, the SMA spring actuators 404 are heated by applying voltage, causing the SMA springs 403 to contract.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the first support disk 401 has a central hole 4011 and four mounting seats 4012. The mounting seats 4012 are connected to the SMA spring actuator 404, and the mounting seats 4012 have through holes 4013. The first support disk 401 is connected to the second support disk 402 of the adjacent software unit 4. Through this mechanism, the end of the software unit 4 is connected to the inertial measurement module 405.

[0032] The soft unit 4 primarily enables spatial bending motion. Following the arrangement of the longitudinal muscles in an elephant's trunk structure, four SMA springs 403 are arranged circumferentially at 90° intervals along the central axis of the soft unit 4. The SMA spring actuator 404 contracts by applying voltage and heating, and its length can be controlled by adjusting the heating current. By coordinating the contraction of the four SMA springs 403, spatial bending with two degrees of freedom can be achieved.

[0033] In the preferred embodiment, the soft unit 4 includes a connector 5 and a rotating block 9. The connector 5 includes a connecting rod 501, with U-shaped frames 502 at both ends of the connecting rod 501. Two rotating shafts 503 are located at one end of each U-shaped frame 502. A central spring is provided around the connector 5, serving as a support material for the soft unit. The good elasticity of the central spring meets the requirements of continuous bending motion. When the SMA spring actuator 404 is not working, the central spring with appropriate stiffness can restore the module to its initial position, thus restoring the elephant trunk mechanism 2 to its initial position. The pitch and wire diameter at the center are equal, preventing the spring frame from contracting due to external forces. The connector 5 passes through the middle of the central spring.

[0034] In the preferred embodiment, the rotating shafts 503 of adjacent software units 4 are rotatably connected to the rotating block 9, the connecting rod 501 is connected to the first support disk 401, and the connecting piece 5 is provided with a central spring on its periphery. The two ends of the central spring are respectively connected to the first support disk 401 and the second support disk 402.

[0035] In the preferred embodiment, the elephant trunk mechanism 2 includes a mounting housing 7 and four cables 6. One end of each cable 6 is connected to the top software unit 4, and the other end of each cable 6 is equipped with a winding motor 8, which is mounted on the mounting housing 7 and connected to the main body 1. The inertial measurement module 405 on the elephant trunk mechanism 2 includes a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer, so that the end-plane Euler angles are output in a yaw-pitch-roll manner by each software unit 4 to measure the attitude of each software unit 4.

[0036] By driving multiple winding motors 8 of the elephant trunk mechanism 2 to adjust the length of the four cables 6, the initial bending posture of the elephant trunk mechanism 2 is controlled to perform initial adjustments of multiple software units 4.

[0037] The SMA spring actuator 404 precisely adjusts the SMA spring 403, thereby precisely adjusting the soft unit 4. The initial adjustment and precise adjustment work together to ensure accurate structural adjustment of the elephant trunk mechanism 2.

[0038] In the preferred embodiment, the inertial measurement module 405 includes a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer, and multiple batteries are provided on the main body 1. Thus, the inertial measurement module 405 on the elephant trunk mechanism 2, including the three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer, outputs end-plane Euler angles in a yaw-pitch-roll manner for each software unit 4 to measure the attitude of each software unit 4.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the main body 1 is provided with multiple traveling mechanisms 10. Each traveling mechanism 10 has a roller at its bottom and a rolling motor on one side of each roller. The rolling motor is mounted on the traveling mechanism 10. This mechanism drives the rolling motor to make the roller roll, thereby moving the traveling mechanism 10 and the overall structure.

[0040] The main body 1 includes a motion recognition module and a target detection and tracking module. The target detection and tracking module uses the ECO-HC tracking algorithm of YOLOv5. YOLOv5 is a highly flexible and fast target detection algorithm, and a small target detection layer is added to the original YOLOv5s. It calls the YOLOv5s detection module and the ECO-HC tracking module. It achieves target detection and re-identification through image information and can calculate linear and angular velocities to publish motion in real time.

[0041] The action recognition module uses the OpenPose algorithm. The input image to the OpenPose algorithm first passes through a VGG19 network to obtain deep features, and then these features are input into a multi-stage network. The first few stages are used to predict affinity fields (PAFs) of human body parts, and the final output is the result.

[0042] The vision and control module, along with the LiDAR 404, camera, and IMU, forms the basis for environmental perception and SLAM construction. The LiDAR obtains the reference trajectory of the mobile robot, serving as the evaluation criterion for the performance and accuracy of the subsequently optimized visual SLAM algorithm. Based on laser time-of-flight ranging technology, and in conjunction with a high-speed laser acquisition and processing mechanism, the robot's visual inspection mechanism can effectively monitor distances, achieving the purpose of setting up electronic fences.

[0043] The above embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of this utility model and should not be considered as limitations on this utility model. The protection scope of this utility model should be the technical solution described in the claims, including equivalent substitutions of the technical features described in the claims. That is, equivalent substitutions and improvements within this scope are also within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot is characterized by: It includes a main body (1), the front end of the main body (1) is provided with an elephant trunk mechanism (2), the elephant trunk mechanism (2) includes a flexible shell (3) and multiple soft units (4), the soft unit (4) is provided with an inertial measurement module (405), the soft unit (4) is provided with four SMA spring actuators (404), and the SMA spring actuators (404) are provided with SMA springs (403).

2. The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The software unit (4) includes a first support disk (401) and a second support disk (402). The second support disk (402) is provided with four SMA spring drivers (404) arranged in a circular array. An SMA spring (403) is provided between the SMA spring drivers (404) and the first support disk (401).

3. The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first support disk (401) has a central hole (4011) and four mounting seats (4012). The mounting seats (4012) are connected to the SMA spring actuator (404). The mounting seats (4012) have through holes (4013). The first support disk (401) is connected to the second support disk (402) of the adjacent software unit (4).

4. The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The software unit (4) includes a connector (5) and a rotating block (9). The connector (5) includes a connecting rod (501). The connecting rod (501) has a U-shaped frame (502) at both ends and two rotating shafts (503) at one end of the U-shaped frame (502).

5. The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rotating shafts (503) of adjacent software units (4) are rotatably connected to the rotating block (9), the connecting rod (501) is connected to the first support disk (401), and the connecting piece (5) is provided with a central spring on its periphery. The two ends of the central spring are respectively connected to the first support disk (401) and the second support disk (402).

6. The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elephant trunk mechanism (2) includes a mounting box (7) and four cables (6). One end of the cables (6) is connected to the top soft unit (4), and the other end of the cables (6) is provided with a winding motor (8). The winding motor (8) is mounted on the mounting box (7), and the mounting box (7) is connected to the main body (1).

7. The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: inertia The measurement module (405) includes a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer, and the main body (1) is equipped with multiple batteries.

8. The trunk structure of the biomimetic elephant robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body (1) is provided with multiple walking mechanisms (10), the bottom of the walking mechanism (10) is provided with rollers, and a rolling motor is provided on one side of the rollers. The rolling motor is installed on the walking mechanism (10).

Images