A multi-legged robot and a multi-legged robot control system

Abstract

The application provides a multi-legged robot and a multi-legged robot control system. By setting a camera assembly, the environment information can be actively acquired by the camera assembly before being passively acquired by a contact sensor, thereby providing a reference for posture switching of the multi-legged robot and improving the posture switching speed. Meanwhile, by setting a signal receiving assembly, the multi-legged robot can directly acquire the intention of a controller, without the need for the controller to manually input a control instruction, thereby improving the operation efficiency and reducing the operation complexity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotics, and more specifically, to a multi-legged robot and a multi-legged robot control system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of robotics technology, mobile robots have been widely used in fields such as inspection, search and rescue, service, and complex terrain exploration. Traditional mobile robots are mainly divided into two categories: wheeled robots and multi-legged walking robots. Wheeled robots have a simple structure, high speed, and low energy consumption, making them suitable for efficient movement on flat ground; however, their ability to traverse complex environments such as rugged, stepped, or loose terrain is significantly limited. In contrast, multi-legged walking robots have strong terrain adaptability and stability, enabling them to maintain balance and overcome obstacles on uneven terrain, but their motion control is complex, energy consumption is high, and response speed is slow.

[0003] To combine the advantages of wheeled and walking robots, hybrid wheel-legged multi-legged robots have emerged. Currently, the control of hybrid wheel-legged multi-legged robots is based on contact sensors and controller commands, which is difficult to control and cannot quickly switch between wheeled and multi-legged movement modes, resulting in poor control performance. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a multi-legged robot and a multi-legged robot control system to solve the problems of high control difficulty and low motion mode switching speed in the prior art.

[0005] Specifically, this application is implemented through the following technical solution: In a first aspect, this application provides a multi-legged robot, which includes a main body, multiple mechanical legs, a camera assembly, a signal receiving assembly, and a control assembly; The camera assembly is disposed on the outer surface of the main body; the mechanical legs are disposed around the main body and connected to the main body; the signal receiving assembly and the control assembly are disposed inside the main body; At least a portion of the multiple mechanical legs are equipped with omnidirectional wheel assemblies; each mechanical leg includes multiple joints; each joint is equipped with a drive servo motor; The camera component is used to acquire environmental images in front of the multi-legged robot; the signal receiving component is used to receive the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and facial bio-signals of the controller; the control component is used to output control signals based on the environmental images and the EEG and facial bio-signals; the drive servo motor is used to control the posture of the mechanical legs based on the control signals; the posture includes the posture corresponding to the wheeled movement mode and the posture corresponding to the multi-legged movement mode.

[0006] Optionally, the mechanical leg includes a horizontal joint, a connecting joint, and a foot; one end of the horizontal joint is connected to the main body; the other end of the horizontal joint is connected to one end of the connecting joint; and the other end of the connecting joint is connected to the foot.

[0007] Optionally, a first drive servo motor is provided at the connection between the horizontal joint and the main body; the first drive servo motor is used to drive the horizontal joint to swing in the horizontal direction. A second drive servo motor is provided at the connection between the horizontal joint and the connecting joint; the second drive servo motor is used to drive the connecting joint to swing in the vertical direction; A third drive servo is provided at the connection between the connecting joint and the foot; the third drive servo is used to drive the foot to swing in the vertical direction.

[0008] Optionally, the caster assembly includes a first caster and a second caster; the first caster and the second caster are respectively located on both sides of the foot.

[0009] Optionally, the foot is provided with a DC geared motor for driving the caster wheel assembly; the first caster wheel and the second caster wheel are Mecanum wheels.

[0010] Optionally, the multi-legged robot includes six mechanical legs; four of the six mechanical legs are equipped with omnidirectional wheels.

[0011] Optionally, the four mechanical legs equipped with casters are located at the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right of the main body, respectively; the two mechanical legs without casters are located on the left and right sides of the main body, respectively.

[0012] Optionally, the camera direction of the camera component is adjustable.

[0013] Secondly, this application provides a multi-legged robot control system, including the multi-legged robot as described in the first aspect above, or any embodiment of the first aspect, and a wearable signal acquisition component.

[0014] Optionally, the signal receiving component is used to receive the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and facial biosignals sent by the wearable signal acquisition component via wireless communication through the Open Voice Control (OSC) protocol.

[0015] The multi-legged robot and its control system provided in this application, by incorporating a camera component, can actively acquire environmental information before passively obtaining it through contact sensors, providing a reference for the multi-legged robot's posture switching and improving the speed of posture switching. Simultaneously, by incorporating a signal receiving component, the multi-legged robot can directly receive the controller's intentions, eliminating the need for manual input of control commands, thus improving operational efficiency and reducing operational complexity. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 One of the schematic diagrams of a multi-legged robot provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 A second schematic diagram of a multi-legged robot provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the mechanical leg provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-legged robot control system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0017] In the diagram: 1 Main body, 2 Mechanical leg, 3 Camera assembly, 21 Horizontal joint, 22 Connecting joint, 23 Foot, 24 Universal wheel assembly, 25 First drive servo motor, 26 Second drive servo motor, 27 Third drive servo motor, 28 DC geared motor. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in one or more embodiments of this specification should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar words used in one or more embodiments of this specification do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0020] To facilitate understanding of the multi-legged robot provided in this application embodiment, its application scenarios are first described. The multi-legged robot provided in this application embodiment belongs to the field of robotics technology, specifically a type of mobile robot, and can be applied to various complex or changing environments. For example, in scenarios with undulating terrain, obstacles, or uneven surfaces, the robot can maintain stable movement by switching to a multi-legged walking mode, and can be used for tasks such as power line inspection, geological exploration, and disaster area monitoring. On flat or regular ground, the robot can achieve wheeled movement by folding its mechanical legs and utilizing the omnidirectional wheel set to improve mobility, making it suitable for factory transportation, security patrols, and mixed indoor and outdoor environments. Furthermore, in emergency rescue scenarios, the robot can enter dangerous or narrow areas to perform material delivery and environmental monitoring tasks; in scientific research and teaching scenarios, it can serve as an experimental platform for multi-legged motion control, brain-computer interface control, and visual navigation algorithms, verifying the effectiveness of control strategies and structural designs.

[0021] To balance the high-speed mobility of wheeled robots with the terrain adaptability of multi-legged robots, hybrid wheel-legged multi-legged robots have emerged. These robots typically integrate wheel sets into their mechanical legs, switching between different motion modes by controlling the posture of the legs to adapt to diverse terrains such as flat ground, elevation differences, slopes, and obstacles. However, current hybrid wheel-legged multi-legged robots largely rely on contact sensors (such as inertial sensors, force sensors, and contact switches) to perceive road conditions, resulting in delays in motion mode switching and poor overall control responsiveness and motion coordination. Especially in scenarios requiring rapid switching between wheeled and walking motion, robots often experience insufficient control precision, posture imbalance, or increased energy consumption. Furthermore, using traditional controllers for posture and gait control leads to complex system structures and difficult parameter tuning, thus limiting the practical application effectiveness of hybrid wheel-legged multi-legged robots.

[0022] Therefore, this application provides a multi-legged robot and a multi-legged robot control system. By incorporating a camera component, environmental information can be actively acquired through the camera component before passive acquisition via contact sensors, providing a reference for the multi-legged robot's posture switching and improving the posture switching speed. Simultaneously, by incorporating a signal receiving component, the multi-legged robot can directly receive the controller's intentions, eliminating the need for manual input of control commands, thus improving operational efficiency and reducing operational complexity.

[0023] The following describes a specific implementation of the multi-legged robot provided in this application, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1This is one of the schematic diagrams of a multi-legged robot provided in an embodiment of this application. The multi-legged robot provided in this application includes a main body 1, multiple mechanical legs 2, a camera assembly 3, a signal receiving assembly, and a control assembly. The camera assembly 3 is disposed on the outer surface of the main body 1; the mechanical legs 2 are distributed around the main body 1 and connected to it; the signal receiving assembly and the control assembly are disposed inside the main body 1.

[0025] The main body 1 is the main load-bearing structure of the multi-legged robot, used to install internal devices such as control components, drive power supply, signal receiving components and communication modules; sensor interfaces and auxiliary positioning devices can be installed on the outer surface of the main body.

[0026] The mechanical legs 2 are evenly distributed around the main body 1. Each mechanical leg 2 consists of multiple joints, and each joint is equipped with a drive servo motor for adjusting the leg posture. At least some of the mechanical legs 2 are equipped with omnidirectional wheel sets 24, which enable the multi-legged robot to move smoothly by rotating the omnidirectional wheels in wheeled motion mode. In multi-legged motion mode, the drive servo motors can control the mechanical legs to extend or lift, so as to achieve actions such as walking, turning, and crossing obstacles.

[0027] The camera component 3 can be positioned above or at the front of the main body 1 to acquire image information of the robot's surrounding environment (such as the area in front), enabling the control component to perform terrain recognition and motion mode switching. The signal receiving component receives the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and facial biosignals of the controller. The control component outputs control signals based on the environmental images, EEG signals, and facial biosignals; the drive servo motors control the posture of the mechanical legs 2 according to the control signals; these postures include those corresponding to wheeled motion mode and those corresponding to multi-legged motion mode.

[0028] Among them, EEG signals can include the brainwave signals of the controller, and facial biosignals can include the controller's facial expression signals, eye movement signals, facial temperature, blood oxygen, etc.

[0029] Please refer to the above. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a second schematic diagram of a multi-legged robot provided in an embodiment of this application. (The above...) Figure 1 The multi-legged robot is in a multi-legged locomotion mode. Figure 2 The multi-legged robot is in a wheeled locomotion mode.

[0030] In one embodiment, the multi-legged robot can switch between a multi-legged locomotion mode and a wheeled locomotion mode to adapt to different terrain environments and task requirements.

[0031] In multi-legged locomotion mode, each of the multi-legged robot's mechanical legs 2 is independently driven by drive servos located at the joints, and the omnidirectional wheel sets 24 of the mechanical legs 2 are in a state of being lifted off the ground. At this time, the multi-legged robot can realize alternating support and swinging of the leg ends through gait planning, thereby completing actions such as forward movement, turning, and obstacle avoidance. In this mode, the multi-legged robot has high posture stability and can maintain balance and move forward on unstructured terrain (such as slopes, gravel ground, potholes, or obstacle areas), exhibiting strong terrain adaptability and obstacle-crossing ability.

[0032] In wheeled motion mode, the mechanical legs 2 are folded or retracted, allowing the omnidirectional wheel assembly 24 to contact the ground and drive the servo motors to maintain a fixed posture. The multi-legged robot achieves smooth and rapid movement through the rotation of the wheel assembly. This mode is suitable for flat or low-resistance surfaces, significantly improving movement speed and energy utilization efficiency, reducing the complexity of gait planning and attitude control, and enabling efficient transportation, patrolling, or site relocation.

[0033] In contrast, the multi-legged locomotion mode emphasizes maneuverability and stability in complex terrain, while the wheeled locomotion mode focuses on speed and efficiency in flat terrain. By sensing and analyzing terrain information in real time, the multi-legged robot can automatically switch between the two modes, thereby balancing mobility and energy efficiency and improving overall operational performance.

[0034] In one implementation, the control components of the multi-legged robot can acquire the electroencephalogram (EEG) and facial biosignals of the operator, as well as environmental images captured by a camera on the robot, during movement. Then, cognitive indicator feedback information can be generated based on the EEG and facial biosignals, and corresponding control commands can be generated based on this feedback. Furthermore, the terrain information of the multi-legged robot's current location can be determined based on the environmental images. Based on the terrain information, the multi-legged robot can determine its target movement mode from wheeled and multi-legged movement modes. Finally, control signals can be output based on the control commands and the target movement mode to control the movement of multiple robot groups.

[0035] The aforementioned electroencephalogram (EEG) and facial biosignals refer to the weak electrical potential changes generated by the neuronal populations in the brain of the controlling individual during activity. EEG and facial biosignals can be acquired through invasive and non-invasive methods. In some embodiments, non-invasive acquisition can be used.

[0036] Non-invasive methods for acquiring electroencephalogram (EEG) and facial biosignals can utilize EEG acquisition devices (such as wireless EEG headsets, head-mounted EEG acquisition devices, EEG caps, etc.) to collect EEG and facial biosignals, which are then transmitted to a multi-legged robot. The multi-legged robot can receive the EEG and facial biosignals via a signal receiving component. In some embodiments, EEG and facial biosignals can be transmitted wirelessly (e.g., via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G / 5G module transmission, Open Sound Control (OSC)).

[0037] Camera component 3 can capture images of the environment in which the multi-legged robot is located, obtaining environmental images. The environmental images can be images of what is in front of the multi-legged robot, and the multi-legged robot can continuously collect environmental images through the camera.

[0038] The control component can be a computer device with certain computing capabilities (such as a central processing unit, microcontroller, etc.), which can analyze EEG signals and facial biosignals, generate cognitive index feedback information, and then generate corresponding control instructions based on the cognitive index feedback information, which serve as the basis for controlling the multi-legged robot.

[0039] In some possible implementations, the control component can decode EEG signals and facial biosignals to obtain feedback information from the controller under at least one cognitive indicator, and generate standardized digital control instructions based on the feedback information, which are used to indicate the direction of travel of the multi-legged robot.

[0040] The feedback information under this cognitive indicator can be determined by a pre-trained machine learning model. The cognitive indicator may include dimensions such as the controller's stress, participation, interest, relaxation level, and attention.

[0041] The control component can filter, segment, standardize, and extract features from the collected EEG and facial biosignals. Then, it can confirm the cognitive index feedback information based on the processed EEG and facial biosignals. The processed EEG and facial biosignals can be input into the model through machine learning, neural network models, etc., to obtain the cognitive index feedback information output by the model, such as attention level, intention recognition, emotion fluctuation index, and differences in left and right brain activity.

[0042] After receiving cognitive indicator feedback information, the control component can determine the standardized digital control commands corresponding to that feedback. In this step, various cognitive indicator feedback information can be pre-mapped to standardized digital control commands. Based on this mapping, the control commands corresponding to EEG signals and facial biosignals can be determined. These standardized digital control commands can be recognized by the multi-legged robot, and their meaning can indicate the robot's direction of movement, such as moving forward, turning left, turning right, stopping, or moving backward. When determining the cognitive indicator feedback information, the environmental image can be processed to determine the terrain information of the multi-legged robot's current location. This terrain information indicates the topography of the ground in the environmental image.

[0043] In some embodiments, terrain information may include a terrain roughness score. After obtaining the edge density, the control component can normalize the edge density to obtain a normalized edge density. Based on the normalized edge density, the terrain information of the environment is then determined. The aforementioned terrain roughness score can reflect the flatness of the ground in front of the multi-legged robot, providing a reference for subsequent motion mode decisions.

[0044] Please refer to the above. Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a mechanical leg provided in some embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the mechanical leg 2 includes a horizontal joint 21, a connecting joint 22, and a foot 23; one end of the horizontal joint 21 is connected to the main body 1; the other end of the horizontal joint 21 is connected to one end of the connecting joint 22; and the other end of the connecting joint 22 is connected to the foot 23.

[0045] The horizontal joint 21, connecting joint 22, and foot 23 can be rigid rods that are hinged sequentially, with internal spaces for mounting drive servos. Switching between modes can be accomplished by controlling the coordinated movement of the individual drive servos.

[0046] In some embodiments, a first drive servo motor 25 is provided at the connection between the horizontal joint 21 and the main body 1; the first drive servo motor is used to drive the horizontal joint 21 to swing in the horizontal direction; a second drive servo motor 26 is provided at the connection between the horizontal joint 21 and the connecting joint 22; the second drive servo motor 26 is used to drive the connecting joint 22 to swing in the vertical direction; a third drive servo motor 27 is provided at the connection between the connecting joint 22 and the foot 23; the third drive servo motor 27 is used to drive the foot to swing in the vertical direction.

[0047] The first drive servo motor 25 drives the horizontal joint 21 to swing horizontally, controlling the left and right rotation of the entire leg, equivalent to the horizontal rotation of the "hip joint," used to adjust the direction of the leg or walking direction. The second drive servo motor 26 drives the connecting joint 22 to swing vertically, corresponding to the "leg lifting / knee bending" action of a person's leg, controlling the up and down lifting and landing of the leg. The third drive servo motor 27 drives the foot to swing vertically, equivalent to the "ankle joint," used to fine-tune the angle of the foot, so that the sole of the foot can land smoothly or be lifted to adapt to the terrain.

[0048] When the multi-legged robot is in wheeled motion, the mechanical leg 2 can be in a "kneeling" posture, so that the omnidirectional wheel assembly 24 located on the foot 23 is in contact with the ground, and the joints of the mechanical leg are not in contact with the ground. For mechanical legs without omnidirectional wheels, they simply need to remain out of contact with the ground.

[0049] In some embodiments, the caster assembly 24 includes a first caster and a second caster; the first caster and the second caster are respectively disposed on both sides of the foot. For example, the caster assembly 24 may be located on both sides of the middle section of the foot 23.

[0050] In some embodiments, the foot 23 is provided with a DC geared motor 28 for driving the caster wheel assembly 24; wherein the first caster wheel and the second caster wheel can be Mecanum wheels.

[0051] In some embodiments, the caster wheel assembly 24 is connected to the foot 23 via a shaft coupling.

[0052] In some embodiments, the multi-legged robot includes six mechanical legs; four of the six mechanical legs are provided with omnidirectional wheel sets 24.

[0053] Thus, since each mechanical leg 2 contains 3 degrees of freedom, the entire multi-legged robot contains 18 degrees of freedom, enabling the multi-legged robot to achieve various postures and maintain stability.

[0054] In some embodiments, the four mechanical legs equipped with omnidirectional wheels are located at the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right of the main body, respectively; the two mechanical legs without omnidirectional wheels are located on the left and right sides of the main body, respectively. This arrangement, with the mechanical legs equipped with omnidirectional wheels at the four corners, facilitates stable omnidirectional movement and fine-tuning of the multi-legged robot on a plane, while the wide distribution of support surfaces improves stability during walking or sliding.

[0055] In some embodiments, the camera component 3 has an adjustable camera direction, thereby enabling the acquisition of environmental images from various angles to meet the needs of travel in various directions.

[0056] See Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of a multi-legged robot control system provided in an embodiment of this application. The system includes the multi-legged robot described in any of the above embodiments, as well as a wearable signal acquisition component.

[0057] Optionally, the signal receiving component is used to receive EEG signals and facial biosignals transmitted by the wearable signal acquisition component wirelessly via the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol. In the above technical solution, by setting up a camera component, environmental information can be actively acquired before passive acquisition through contact sensors, providing a reference for the multi-legged robot to switch postures and improving the posture switching speed. Simultaneously, by setting up a signal receiving component, the multi-legged robot can directly receive the controller's intentions, eliminating the need for manual input of control commands, thus improving operational efficiency and reducing operational complexity.

[0058] One or more embodiments of this specification are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of one or more embodiments of this specification should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A multi-legged robot, characterized in that, The multi-legged robot includes a main body, multiple mechanical legs, a camera assembly, a signal receiving assembly, and a control assembly; The camera assembly is disposed on the outer surface of the main body; the mechanical legs are disposed around the main body and connected to the main body; the signal receiving assembly and the control assembly are disposed inside the main body; At least a portion of the multiple mechanical legs are equipped with omnidirectional wheel assemblies; each mechanical leg includes multiple joints; each joint is equipped with a drive servo motor; The camera component is used to acquire environmental images in front of the multi-legged robot; the signal receiving component is used to receive the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and facial bio-signals of the controller; the control component is used to output control signals based on the environmental images and the EEG and facial bio-signals; the drive servo motor is used to control the posture of the mechanical legs based on the control signals; the posture includes the posture corresponding to the wheeled movement mode and the posture corresponding to the multi-legged movement mode.

2. The multi-legged robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mechanical leg includes a horizontal joint, a connecting joint, and a foot; one end of the horizontal joint is connected to the main body; the other end of the horizontal joint is connected to one end of the connecting joint; and the other end of the connecting joint is connected to the foot.

3. The multi-legged robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, A first drive servo motor is provided at the connection between the horizontal joint and the main body; the first drive servo motor is used to drive the horizontal joint to swing in the horizontal direction. A second drive servo motor is provided at the connection between the horizontal joint and the connecting joint; The second drive servo is used to drive the connecting joint to swing in the vertical direction; A third drive servo is provided at the connection between the connecting joint and the foot; the third drive servo is used to drive the foot to swing in the vertical direction.

4. The multi-legged robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The caster wheel assembly includes a first caster wheel and a second caster wheel; the first caster wheel and the second caster wheel are respectively located on both sides of the foot.

5. The multi-legged robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The foot is equipped with a DC geared motor for driving the caster wheel assembly; the first caster wheel and the second caster wheel are Mecanum wheels.

6. The multi-legged robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The multi-legged robot includes six mechanical legs; four of the six mechanical legs are equipped with omnidirectional wheels.

7. The multi-legged robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The four mechanical legs equipped with casters are located at the front left, front right, rear left, and rear right of the main body, respectively; the two mechanical legs without casters are located on the left and right sides of the main body, respectively.

8. The multi-legged robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera component has an adjustable camera orientation.

9. A control system for a multi-legged robot, characterized in that, Includes the multi-legged robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, and a wearable signal acquisition component.

10. The multi-legged robot control system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The signal receiving component is used to receive EEG signals and facial biosignals sent by the wearable signal acquisition component via wireless communication through the Open Voice Control (OSC) protocol.

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