Walking mobility device

Abstract

To provide a walking mobility device that can move in any direction on uneven ground. [Solution] The device comprises a base 11 and a radial arm body 12 connected to the lower side of the base, wherein the radial arm body has a plurality of arm sections 12a, each consisting of three or more arm sections, projecting outward, and each of the plurality of arm sections has an independently controlled leg section 20. The plurality of arm sections is characterized by having six arm sections arranged radially at equally divided angles in the horizontal direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking mobile device that can move on uneven ground such as mountain forests and is suitable for various operations.

Background Art

[0002] In mountain forests and construction sites with severe undulations, various types of endless-track work machines are used because vehicles cannot travel. However, it is difficult to make sharp turns and avoid obstacles such as standing trees and rocks. Particularly at work sites for cutting trees from mountain forests and the like, it is difficult for endless-track vehicles to overcome large undulations.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a walking robot in which six arm-leg integrated limbs are arranged radially. However, the walking robot disclosed in the publication arranges the arm-leg integrated limbs with a 60-degree phase difference from a robot body having six hexagonal peripheral walls, and does not have the radial arm body in the present invention. Therefore, the first limb portion on the root side is rotationally driven and controlled by a motor around a horizontal rotation axis. Also, since the technology originally aims to hook the limb tips on the ceiling grid, among the six arm-leg integrated limbs, three of the arm-leg integrated limbs are hooked on the ceiling grid, and the other three arm-leg integrated limbs must be in a free-leg state where they can move freely while suspended from the ceiling. Therefore, four motor drives are required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a walking mobile device that can move in an arbitrary direction on an uneven ground. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The walking mobility device according to the present invention comprises a base and a radial arm body connected to the lower side of the base, wherein the radial arm body has a plurality of arm sections, each consisting of three or more arm sections, projecting outward, and each of the plurality of arm sections has independently controlled legs.

[0007] The present invention is characterized by the fact that by providing a radial arm body in which multiple arm sections are arranged radially around the base, the movement of the legs attached to each arm section can be controlled with a simple structure.

[0008] There are no particular restrictions on the number of arm sections as long as there are three or more, but considering the arbitrary direction of movement and the stability of that movement, it is preferable that the multiple arm sections be arranged radially with six arm sections divided into equal horizontal angles.

[0009] The leg section may consist of more joints, as long as it has at least one joint that allows for horizontal rotation and one that allows for vertical rotation. In the present invention, it is preferable that the leg portion has a base joint connected to the tip of the arm portion by a vertical axis, an intermediate joint connected to the tip of the base joint by a first horizontal axis, and a leg joint connected to the tip of the intermediate joint by a second horizontal axis, and it is preferable that the base joint, intermediate joint, and leg joint are each controlled to rotate around an axis by a cylinder mechanism. The walking robot described in Patent Document 1, as explained earlier, uses servo motor drive control. While this may be applicable to relatively small or lightweight walking robots, in the field of large machinery, often referred to as heavy machinery, used in rough terrain such as forests, as in the present invention, a large driving force is required. Therefore, a hydraulic cylinder mechanism was adopted. In particular, since the present invention has multiple arm sections that protrude radially outward, it facilitates the arrangement of cylinders and hydraulic mechanisms, and offers a high degree of design flexibility. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The walking mobility device according to the present invention has multiple arm sections arranged radially, and since each arm section has a leg section at its tip, the rotation angles of the leg sections in the left-right and up-down directions can be made large. For example, by arranging six legs radially, the robot can support its own weight with any three or four legs while allowing the other legs to move freely, thus enabling movement in any direction. Furthermore, since each leg can move freely, it can walk stably even on sloped or uneven ground. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figures (a) and (b) show the external appearance of the walking mobility device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of an example where six arm sections are arranged at equal 60° intervals from each other. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing how the intermediate joint rotates up and down. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the rotation of the leg joint in the inward and outward directions. [Figure 5] (a) and (b) show diagrams illustrating the horizontal rotation of the base joint. [Figure 6] (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing the movement of the intermediate joint and the leg joint. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] An example of the configuration of the walking mobility device according to the present invention will be described below using an embodiment consisting of six legs, but the present invention is not limited to the number of legs as long as it has three or more legs arranged radially.

[0013] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show external perspective views of the walking mobility device, Figure 2 shows a plan view, and Figures 3 and 4 show partial side views. Note that Figures 3 and 4 only show the front leg for clarity. By providing a vertical column 11a at the center of the lower surface of the plate-shaped base 11 as shown in FIG. 3, a space portion that allows the vertical rotation of the leg portion 20 is formed, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it has a radial arm body 12 in which six arm portions 12a to 12f are integrally formed from the vertical column 11a.

[0014] The distal ends of the six arm portions 12a to 12f of the radial arm body 12 are each connected to the leg portion 20 by a link. Each leg portion 20 has the same structure, and an enlarged view thereof is shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) with the arm portion 12a as a representative. A base joint 21 that is rotatable in the horizontal direction is connected to the distal end side of the arm portion 12a via a vertical axis V1, and an intermediate joint 22 that is rotatable in the vertical direction is connected to the base joint 21 via a first horizontal axis H1. The distal end side of this intermediate joint 22 has a leg joint 23 that is rotatable in the inner and outer directions via a second horizontal axis H2. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a grounding member 24 whose both ends in the inner and outer directions are curved up and down is connected to the third horizontal axis H3 so as to be rotatable in the inner and outer directions so that the inclination of the uneven ground can be absorbed.

[0015] Next, the rotation mechanism of each joint portion will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, the base joint 21 is connected to the tip of the arm portion 12a via a vertical axis V1 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. A cylinder 31 is attached to the side portion of the arm portion 12a via a first bracket 31b so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction by a connecting shaft 31c. The plate portion of the base joint 21 is connected to the tip of the rod 31a provided on this cylinder 31 via a vertical connecting shaft 31d. Thereby, it can be rotated in the horizontal direction by the extension and contraction of the rod 31a of the cylinder 31.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 3, 6(a), and 6(b), the base side of the intermediate joint 22 is connected to the base joint 21 via a first horizontal axis H1. The second cylinder 32 is connected to a bracket 32b, which is fixed to the plate portion of the base joint 21, via a horizontal connecting shaft 32c. In this embodiment, the tip of the rod 32a is connected to the upper part of the intermediate joint 22 by a connecting shaft 32f, forming a first auxiliary joint 32e, and the bracket 32b is connected to a connecting shaft 32h, forming a second auxiliary joint 32g, thus creating a jointed structure. As a result, as shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the vertical rotation angle of the intermediate joint 22 can be set to be large.

[0017] The leg joint 23 is connected to the tip of the intermediate joint 22 so as to be rotatable in the inward and outward directions on the second horizontal axis H2, but in this embodiment the third cylinder 33 is connected via the connecting shaft 33c of the bracket 33b provided on the intermediate joint 22 side. The tip of the rod 33a of the third cylinder 33 is axially connected to the middle of the upper end of the leg joint 23 via a connecting shaft 33d, as shown in Figure 4. As a result, the leg joint 23 rotates inward and outward due to the extension and contraction of the rod 33a of the third cylinder 33.

[0018] Each of the multiple arm sections 12a to 12f provided on the radial arm body 12 has an independent leg section 20 at its tip, and each leg section has a base joint 21 that is controlled to rotate horizontally by a cylinder mechanism, an intermediate joint 22 that is controlled to rotate vertically on the base joint 21, and a leg joint 23 that is controlled to rotate inward and outward on the intermediate joint 22, thus providing a high degree of freedom in the walking direction. For example, in Figure 1, the two rear side legs 20c and 20e are lifted, and the front side leg 20a and the rear side leg 20d rotate in the inward and outward directions, making it possible to move forward or backward. Since each of the six legs 20 (20a to 20f) can independently rotate horizontally, be lifted upward or placed on the ground, and move inward and outward, it can move in any direction.

[0019] In this embodiment, the base 11 is in the shape of a disc plate, but there are no restrictions on the shape or structure of the base 11, and its shape and structure can be designed according to the application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0020] 11 Base 12 Radial Arm Body 12a~12f Arm section 20(20a~20f) Legs 21. Base joint 22 Intermediate joints 23 Ankle joints H1 1st horizontal axis H2 2nd horizontal axis V1 vertical axis

Claims

1. It has a base and radial arm bodies connected to the lower side of the base, The aforementioned radial arm body has multiple arm sections, each consisting of three or more arm sections, projecting outwards. A walking and moving device characterized in that each of the plurality of arm sections has a leg section that is controlled independently.

2. The walking mobility device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of arm sections are arranged radially with six arm sections divided into equal horizontal angles.

3. The walking mobility device according to claim 2, characterized in that the leg portion has a base joint connected to the tip of the arm portion by a vertical axis, an intermediate joint connected to the tip of the base joint by a first horizontal axis, and a leg joint connected to the tip of the intermediate joint by a second horizontal axis.

4. The walking mobility device according to claim 3, characterized in that the base joint, intermediate joint, and leg joint are each controlled to rotate around an axis by a cylinder mechanism.

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