A quadruped robot with multiple lidar

Abstract

This utility model discloses a multi-LiDAR quadruped robot, comprising a body, two front legs mounted on both sides of the front of the body, and two rear legs mounted on both sides of the rear of the body. A first LiDAR is arranged forward on the front mounting surface of the body, and the first LiDAR has a first scanning area facing forward of the body. A second LiDAR is arranged rearward on the rear mounting surface of the body, and the second LiDAR has a second scanning area facing rear of the body. The first scanning area and the second scanning area intersect by a line located below the lowest point of the bottom of the body and above the highest point of a pre-set passable obstacle on the ground. Only two LiDARs are needed to sense the ground areas in front of the robot, below the body, and behind it. This reduces the robot's surrounding field of vision and landing area field of vision by using fewer sensors, thus reducing sensor costs and space requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of quadruped robots, and more particularly to a quadruped robot with multiple perspectives. Background Technology

[0002] LiDAR, as a 3D sensor, has been widely used in robotics, especially in structured scenarios where a single low-cost LiDAR can meet many application requirements. The main purpose of developing quadruped robots is to enable their biomimetic leg structure to be used in both structured and unstructured scenarios. Complex scenarios place higher demands on the performance, layout, and usage of LiDAR sensors, where a single LiDAR often cannot meet the application requirements. Robot mapping and localization tasks require LiDAR to capture as much data as possible about the surrounding environment, while navigation tasks focus on detecting obstacles at close range. Perception-motion-control fusion focuses more on information about the landing points around the robot's legs. For example, existing technology discloses an intelligent quadruped robot (Chinese Patent Publication No. CN113184078A) that uses a combination of a depth camera mounted on the front of the robot and a LiDAR mounted on the back. However, this LiDAR mounted on top of the robot is difficult to use for terrain perception of the quadruped's legs, while the depth camera on the front is limited by accuracy and lighting conditions, failing to achieve ideal environmental perception. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This utility model addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a multi-laser radar quadruped robot, comprising a body, two front legs mounted on both sides of the front of the body, and two hind legs mounted on both sides of the rear of the body.

[0004] A first laser radar is arranged forward on the front mounting surface of the body, and the first laser radar has a first scanning area facing the front of the body.

[0005] A second lidar is arranged rearward on the rear mounting surface of the fuselage, and the second lidar has a second scanning area facing the rear of the fuselage.

[0006] The first scanning area and the second scanning area have an intersecting line, which is located below the lowest point of the bottom of the machine body and above the highest point of a pre-set obstacle on the ground.

[0007] Preferably, the first lidar is mounted facing forward on the front mounting surface of the machine body and has a first mounting angle relative to the horizontal direction, the first mounting angle being -70 to 20 degrees.

[0008] Preferably, the second lidar located on the rear mounting surface of the machine body is installed at a downward angle, and the foremost edge of the area where the second scanning area intersects with the ground exceeds the foremost edge of the vertical projection of the machine body onto the ground.

[0009] Preferably, the second lidar is installed at a downward tilt and has a second installation angle with the horizontal direction, the second installation angle being -90 to -20 degrees.

[0010] Preferably, the area where the second scanning area intersects with the ground covers the pre-landing range of the two front legs taking one step forward.

[0011] Preferably, the first and second lidars have a field of view of 360 degrees in the horizontal direction and 90 degrees in the vertical direction.

[0012] Preferably, the overlapping area of ​​the first scanning area and the second scanning area is located in front of the front leg.

[0013] Preferably, the multi-laser quadruped robot also has a third laser radar. The body includes a head, a body, and a tail connected in sequence. The third laser radar is installed on the upper side of the head, body, or tail and has a third scanning area facing upwards. The first scanning area, the second scanning area, and the third scanning area intersect each other and have a common field of view.

[0014] Preferably, the third lidar is mounted upwards on the upper mounting surface of the body and has a third mounting angle relative to the vertical direction, the third mounting angle being -20 to 20 degrees.

[0015] Preferably, the third scanning area does not contact the highest point of the top of the machine body, and the first scanning area, the second scanning area and the third scanning area are connected and surround the front, rear, top and bottom areas of the machine body.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0017] This utility model discloses a multi-LiDAR quadruped robot. By utilizing two LiDARs—a first LiDAR positioned forward on the front mounting surface and a second LiDAR positioned backward on the rear mounting surface—it can achieve complete perception of the ground in front of the robot, the ground below the robot, and the ground behind the robot, avoiding blind spots in areas such as below the robot. Fewer sensors ensure the robot's four-sided field of view and landing area field of view, achieving a better balance between sensor cost and the robot's environmental perception capability. The dual-LiDAR ground detection scheme reduces the number of LiDARs while maintaining the detection range and enabling the robot's mapping, localization, navigation, and terrain perception functions. This reduces sensor cost, sensor layout space, and the robot's weight.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-laser radar quadruped robot disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the LiDAR scanning area disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-laser radar quadruped robot disclosed in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the laser radar scanning area disclosed in another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", 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 utility model 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 utility model.

[0027] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an” or “a” and similar terms do not indicate a limitation of quantity, but rather indicate the presence of at least one.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] As attached Figure 1 and 2As shown, this embodiment discloses a multi-LiDAR quadruped robot, including a body 1, two front legs 2 mounted on both sides of the front of the body, and two rear legs 3 mounted on both sides of the rear of the body. A first LiDAR 4 is arranged forward on the front mounting surface of the body 1, and the first LiDAR 4 has a first scanning area 41 facing forward of the body. A second LiDAR 5 is arranged rearward on the rear mounting surface of the body 1, and the second LiDAR 5 has a second scanning area 51 facing rearward of the body. The first scanning area 41 and the second scanning area 51 intersect at a line 61, which is located below the lowest point of the bottom of the body and above the highest point of a pre-set obstacle on the ground. Figure 2 As shown, the field of view of the head and tail lidars intersect at a line 61, which is located above the ground. To ensure that taller obstacles are also within the field of view, its height is set slightly higher than that of typical obstacles. The position and height of the intersection point are adjusted by adjusting the installation height and angle of the head and tail lidars. However, it is necessary to ensure a certain ground-level common field of view 13 for both the head and tail lidars to avoid blind spots in ground scanning. In addition, since the rear lidar is placed downwards and backwards, there is a certain risk of it touching the ground and causing sensor damage. Therefore, the lowest installation height of the rear lidar must ensure that the bottom of the lidar is higher than the bottom of the quadruped robot's torso.

[0031] In this embodiment, the body 1 can also be further divided into a fuselage and a head 7 and a tail 8 that are respectively connected to the front and rear ends of the fuselage, according to the front and rear positions. In this case, the first laser radar 4 is installed at the front end of the head and the second laser radar 5 is installed at the rear end of the tail.

[0032] In this embodiment, for clarity, the horizontal angle is defined as positive upward and negative downward. The vertical angle is positive to the right and negative to the left. In this embodiment, the first lidar 4 is mounted forward on the front mounting surface of the body 1, and has a first mounting angle relative to the horizontal direction, which is -70 to 20 degrees. The preferred angle range is -20 to 20 degrees. Alternatively, a preferred angle of 0 degrees can be used, resulting in a smaller angle between the first lidar fixed to the head and the horizontal line, ensuring the quadruped robot's surrounding field of vision for mapping, localization, and navigation functions. Simultaneously, it provides a ground visibility range 11 for the head radar in the quadruped robot's landing area, which can be used for terrain perception and motion control functions.

[0033] Preferably, the second lidar 5 is installed at a downward tilt and has a second mounting angle with the horizontal direction, the second mounting angle being -90 to -20 degrees. A preferred angle is -70 degrees, which results in a larger angle between the second lidar fixed at the tail and the horizontal line, ensuring sufficient visibility of the quadruped robot's landing area and providing a ground visibility range 12 for the tail lidar in the quadruped robot's landing area.

[0034] In this embodiment, the second LiDAR 5, located on the rear mounting surface of the body 1, is installed at a downward angle, and the foremost point of the area where the second scanning area intersects with the ground exceeds the foremost point of the body's vertical projection on the ground. Specifically, the ground visibility range 12 formed by the second scanning area of ​​the tail LiDAR extends beyond the head of the quadruped robot, ensuring that even if the head LiDAR is damaged in extreme cases, the tail LiDAR can still maintain a relatively complete field of vision of the landing area, thus satisfying the quadruped robot's terrain perception, movement control, and other functions. At the same time, the tail LiDAR also provides a certain degree of surrounding vision, such as the area behind the tail, which can be used to satisfy the quadruped robot's mapping, localization, navigation, and other functions.

[0035] Furthermore, the area where the second scanning area 51 of the second lidar 5 intersects with the ground, i.e., the ground visibility range 12 and 13 of the tail lidar, covers the pre-landing range of the two front legs taking one step forward. Preferably, the area where the second scanning area intersects with the ground, i.e., the ground visibility range of the tail lidar, should cover the pre-landing range of the robot's front legs taking one step forward at the set maximum stride. This satisfies the quadruped robot's landing area vision and ensures that the tail lidar can also maintain the area's visibility even if the head lidar is damaged.

[0036] In this embodiment, the overlapping area of ​​the first scanning area 41 and the second scanning area 51 is located in front of the front leg, thereby ensuring sufficient field of view coverage. The first lidar 4 and the second lidar 5 have a hemispherical field of view of 360 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees vertically.

[0037] This embodiment discloses a multi-LiDAR quadruped robot that, by deploying only two LiDARs on its body—a first LiDAR facing forward on the front mounting surface and a second LiDAR facing backward on the rear mounting surface—can achieve complete perception of the ground in front of the robot, below the robot, and behind it, avoiding blind spots such as those below the robot. Fewer sensors ensure the robot's four-sided field of view and landing area field of view, achieving a better balance between sensor cost and the robot's environmental perception capability. This dual-LiDAR ground detection scheme reduces the number of LiDARs while maintaining the detection range and enabling the robot's mapping, localization, navigation, and terrain perception functions. This lowers sensor cost, reduces sensor layout space, and reduces the robot's weight.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] In another embodiment, as shown in the appendix Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the quadruped robot disclosed in this embodiment includes the same structure as in the previous embodiment, namely, a body 1, two front legs 2 mounted on both sides of the front of the body, and two rear legs 3 mounted on both sides of the rear of the body. A first lidar 4 is arranged forward on the front mounting surface of the body 1, and the first lidar 4 has a first scanning area 41 facing forward. A second lidar 5 is arranged rearward on the rear mounting surface of the body 1, and the second lidar 5 has a second scanning area 51 facing rearward. The first scanning area 41 and the second scanning area 51 intersect at a line 61, which is located below the lowest point of the bottom of the body and above the highest point of a pre-set passable obstacle on the ground. In addition, the multi-lidar quadruped robot disclosed in this embodiment also has a third lidar 9, which is mounted on the upper side of the body, i.e., the back of the body. Specifically, the third lidar 9 can be installed on the upper side of the head 7, the upper side of the body, or the upper side of the tail 8, without any specific restrictions, because its placement will not significantly affect the overall field of view of the quadruped robot. The installed third lidar 9 has a third scanning area 91 facing upwards on the robot body, and the first scanning area 41, the second scanning area 51, and the third scanning area 91 intersect each other in pairs to have a common field of view.

[0040] In this embodiment, for clarity, the horizontal angle is defined as positive upward and negative downward. Similarly, the vertical angle is defined as positive to the right and negative to the left.

[0041] In this embodiment, the third lidar is mounted upwards on the upper mounting surface of the robot body, and has a third mounting angle relative to the vertical direction. This third mounting angle is between -20 and 20 degrees, with a preferred angle of 0 degrees. That is, the angle between the third lidar and the vertical line is controlled within a range of ±20 degrees. This upper lidar contributes less to the field of vision of the landing area and is mainly used to ensure the quadruped robot's surrounding field of vision. Based on the quadruped robot of Embodiment 1, it can significantly increase the scanning of the area above the robot, thereby meeting the needs of the quadruped robot for mapping, localization, and navigation.

[0042] In this embodiment, the third scanning area does not contact the highest point of the robot's top, thereby reducing interference from the various devices mounted on the back of the robot to the third lidar scan. Furthermore, the first, second, and third scanning areas are connected and surround the front, rear, top, and bottom areas of the robot, effectively reducing blind spots in the scanning observation around the robot's perimeter.

[0043] In this embodiment, the overlapping area of ​​the first scanning area 41 and the second scanning area 51 forms a visible range on the ground between the front and rear legs, extending beyond the foremost point of the robot's vertical projection on the ground. Preferably, the first lidar 4 is mounted forward and downward on the front mounting surface of the robot 1, with a first mounting angle relative to the horizontal direction, preferably -50 degrees, to minimize scanning blind spots at extremely close proximity to the robot's front end. The second lidar 5 is mounted backward and downward on the front mounting surface of the robot 1, with a second mounting angle relative to the horizontal direction, preferably -50 degrees. The first lidar 4 and the second lidar 5 have a hemispherical field of view of 360 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees vertically.

[0044] This embodiment focuses on describing the differences from Embodiment 1. Other identical content can be found in the relevant content description in Embodiment 1.

[0045] This embodiment discloses a quadruped robot with a three-LiDAR system mounted on its back. The combined configuration of three LiDARs achieves maximum spectral coverage around the robot, ensuring ideal four-way and landing area visibility. This provides excellent hardware support for critical tasks such as mapping, localization, navigation, perception, and motion control. It enhances the all-weather, all-scene adaptability of the quadruped robot system. Simultaneously, it boasts a wide visible field of view and limits blind spots to areas with minimal impact on the robot's application, enabling it to perform mapping, localization, navigation, perception, and motion control tasks without replacing or adding new sensors. Furthermore, by using only LiDAR, without using depth cameras or other auxiliary sensors, and utilizing a single type of sensor to cover the quadruped robot's perception field of view, it simplifies system complexity and post-processing difficulty, reducing reliance on computing power while maintaining the quadruped robot's perception capabilities.

[0046] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present utility model using the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors, characterized in that: It includes a body, two front leg pieces installed on both sides of the front of the body, and two rear leg pieces installed on both sides of the rear of the body; A first lidar is arranged forward on the front mounting surface of the body, and the first lidar has a first scanning area facing the front of the body. A second lidar is arranged rearward on the rear mounting surface of the fuselage, and the second lidar has a second scanning area facing the rear of the fuselage. The first scanning area and the second scanning area have an intersecting line, which is located below the lowest point of the bottom of the machine body and above the highest point of a pre-set obstacle on the ground.

2. The quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first lidar is mounted facing forward on the front mounting surface of the machine body and has a first mounting angle relative to the horizontal direction, the first mounting angle being -70 to 20 degrees.

3. The quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second lidar, located on the rear mounting surface of the aircraft, is installed at a downward angle, and the foremost point of the area where the second scanning area intersects with the ground exceeds the foremost point of the aircraft's vertical projection on the ground.

4. The quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second lidar is installed at a downward tilt and has a second installation angle with the horizontal direction, the second installation angle being -90 to -20 degrees.

5. The quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors according to claim 2, characterized in that: The area where the second scanning area intersects with the ground covers the pre-landing range of the two front legs taking one step forward.

6. The quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first and second lidars have a field of view of 360 degrees in the horizontal direction and 90 degrees in the vertical direction.

7. The multi-laser quadruped robot according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: The overlapping area of ​​the first scanning area and the second scanning area is located in front of the front leg.

8. The quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: It also has a third lidar. The aircraft body includes a head, a fuselage and a tail connected in sequence. The third lidar is installed on the upper side of the head, fuselage or tail and has a third scanning area facing the top of the aircraft body. The first scanning area, the second scanning area and the third scanning area intersect each other and have a common field of view.

9. The quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors according to claim 8, characterized in that: The third lidar is mounted upwards on the upper mounting surface of the body and has a third mounting angle relative to the vertical direction, the third mounting angle being -20 to 20 degrees.

10. The quadruped robot with multiple lidar sensors according to claim 9, characterized in that: The third scanning area does not contact the highest point of the top of the machine body. The first scanning area, the second scanning area, and the third scanning area are connected and surround the front, rear, top, and bottom areas of the machine body.

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