Amphibious robot, control method and use

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of special robots. Disclosed are an amphibious robot, a control method and a use. The amphibious robot comprises a body, a movement mechanism, and a control unit; the movement mechanism comprises a plurality of wheel paddle mechanisms and a plurality of wheel paddle drivers; each wheel paddle mechanism comprises a rotating wheel and a web. The present invention achieves the movement of the robot in two environments; the wheel paddle mechanism designed in some embodiments can achieve an obstacle surmounting function of the robot; according to the present invention, the wheel paddle mechanism uses the wheel-paddle coupling design, so that the robot achieves omnidirectional movement in three-dimensional directions in water and on the land under the driving of four motors; an upper air bag and a lower air bag of the robot can achieve fixed depth control under any gait of the robot; the wheel paddle mechanism in the present invention is designed on the basis of a bionic principle, the design is inspired from fish swimming, the web is similar to a caudal fin, the movement of the web simulates the caudal fin of a fish, and the wheel paddle mechanism has a movement posture similar to that of fishes in water and has an excellent underwater movement capability.

Description

Amphibious robot, control method and application Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to an amphibious robot, a control method and applications. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the transition zone between ocean and land has attracted increasing attention for scientific exploration, environmental monitoring, military exploration, and seabed resource exploration and development, driving the development of amphibious robotics. Research on amphibious robots capable of adapting to the diverse terrain of both land and offshore mudflats while also possessing high mobility is of great significance for marine resource exploration, disaster relief, and national security. Amphibious robots can be categorized by their propulsion method into leg-propelled amphibious robots, wheel-leg / fin hybrid amphibious robots, snake-like propulsion amphibious robots, and spherical amphibious robots.

[0003] Common wheel-legged amphibious robots typically use wheels or C-shaped legs for propulsion on land. Once in water, the wheels and legs are transformed or replaced, transforming into flat paddles or propellers for propulsion. However, manual replacement of the propulsion mechanism is required when switching between water and land, and the lack of the ability to autonomously switch between water and land modes limits their adaptability. This approach requires a large number of actuators to achieve multi-gait motion and is complex to control. Technical issues

[0004] In order to solve the defects of current amphibious robots such as complex structure, inconvenient control, unsatisfactory flexibility and adaptability, and limited application scenarios, the present invention proposes an amphibious robot, a control method and an application. Technical Solutions

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0006] An amphibious robot comprises a body, a motion mechanism and a control unit;

[0007] The motion mechanism includes several wheel-paddle mechanisms and wheel-paddle drives; the wheel-paddle mechanisms have a rotating wheel and a paddle; under the control of a control unit, the wheel-paddle mechanism has at least two motion states, the two motion states including a rolling state and a reciprocating swinging state; in the rolling state, the body can move in a wheeled manner by relying on the rotating wheel in the wheel-paddle mechanism; in the reciprocating swinging state, the body can move in the water by relying on the paddle in the wheel-paddle mechanism to obtain thrust in a paddle-like manner.

[0008] Preferably, the wheel-paddle mechanism includes a hub, a rotating wheel and at least one paddle;

[0009] The wheel hub has at least one notch, the notch of the wheel hub has at least one connecting portion, and the fin is mounted on the connecting portion;

[0010] The runner is annular and is fitted onto the outer side of the hub, and has a notch that is consistent with the hub; the outer side of the runner has wheel patterns or tooth protrusions.

[0011] Preferably, the outer end of the paddle extends out of the hub and the outside of the runner, and the paddle is arranged along the radial direction of the runner.

[0012] When the paddles protrude from the wheels, the wheel-paddle mechanism has a certain obstacle-crossing function with the help of the protruding paddles.

[0013] Preferably, the wheel-paddle mechanism is provided with 4, each divided into two groups, and respectively installed on both sides of the front and rear ends of the body;

[0014] The propeller mechanism is inclined at 45 degrees to the fuselage and is symmetrically arranged along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the fuselage;

[0015] The two-wheel propeller mechanisms at the front and rear ends of the fuselage are in an open state on the outside of the fuselage.

[0016] Preferably, it also includes an airbag unit, which is arranged on the body and can adjust the volume of the airbag to adjust the buoyancy.

[0017] Preferably, the paddle drive includes four motors, which are connected to the axles of the wheel hubs in the corresponding paddle mechanisms in a one-to-one correspondence, and the motors can drive the wheel hubs to rotate or swing back and forth.

[0018] Preferably, the body has a sealed cabin, and the control unit and power supply are built into the sealed cabin. In some embodiments, the control unit adopts a CPG control method to enable the body to perform smooth gait switching. At the same time, the body is equipped with an IMU for real-time posture detection, forming a closed-loop control.

[0019] Preferably, the airbag unit includes an airbag shell, an airbag and an adjusting member; the upper and lower sides of the body respectively have airbag shells, and there are two airbags, which are respectively installed in the upper and lower airbag shells, and the airbags are installed in the airbag shells; there are several small holes on the airbag shell; the adjusting member is connected to the airbag to adjust the volume of the airbag.

[0020] The present invention further provides a control method for the above-mentioned amphibious robot, comprising: on land, because the paddle wheel mechanism is inclined at 45 degrees to the robot body, the paddle wheel mechanism is controlled to be in a rolling state; the robot body's motion mechanism adopts a four-wheel drive control method, and the driving force is obtained by controlling the four motors to respectively rotate forward, reverse and / or the wheel speed deviation to perform land walking movements, and the land walking movements include forward, backward, yaw, lateral movement and rotation in place; when the robot body is in a corresponding posture, the robot body can perform rolling, forward and pitch coupling in conjunction with the movement;

[0021] In water, because the wheel-paddle mechanism is inclined at 45 degrees to the body, the wheel-paddle mechanism is controlled to be in a reciprocating swinging state; the body's movement mechanism adopts a 4-propeller drive control method, by controlling the 4 motors to swing the paddles and interact with the water respectively, and cooperating with the control airbag to adjust the volume, the driving force is obtained to perform the underwater swimming action; the underwater swimming action includes three-dimensional movement in water and fixed-depth hovering action.

[0022] The present invention further proposes the above-mentioned amphibious robot, which is used in scientific investigation, environmental monitoring, military exploration and seabed resource exploration and development. Beneficial effects

[0023] The present invention enables the robot to move in two environments. In some embodiments, the wheel-paddle mechanism can realize the robot's obstacle-crossing function. The wheel-paddle mechanism of the present invention adopts a wheel-paddle coupling design, which realizes the omnidirectional movement of the robot in three directions underwater and on land under the condition of four motors. The two airbags on the upper and lower parts of the robot can achieve fixed depth control in any gait of the robot.

[0024] The paddle mechanism design of the present invention is based on the bionic principle and is inspired by the swimming of fish. The paddle is similar to the tail fin, and the movement of the paddle simulates the tail fin of the fish. It has a movement posture similar to that of fish in water and has excellent underwater movement ability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG1 is an axonometric view of an embodiment of an amphibious robot;

[0027] FIG2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of an amphibious robot;

[0028] FIG3 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a wheel-paddle mechanism in an amphibious robot;

[0029] FIG4 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a sealed cabin in an amphibious robot;

[0030] FIG5 is a front view of an amphibious robot;

[0031] FIG6 is a flow chart of a control method for an amphibious robot;

[0032] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an underwater motion gait of an amphibious robot;

[0033] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the land motion gait of an amphibious robot. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more apparent, embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] 1-8 , an amphibious robot 100 includes a body 10 and a motion mechanism 20 ;

[0036] The body 10 includes a sealed cabin 11, a head end cover 12 and a body shell 13; the sealed cabin 11 is placed inside the body shell 13, and the head end cover 12 is connected to one end of the body shell 13 by screws;

[0037] In some embodiments, the sealed cabin 11 is composed of a flange end cover fixing ring 111, a hollow waterproof screw 112, a waterproof nut 113, a sealed cabin flange 114, an acrylic tube 115, a PCB 116, a fixing plate 117, a battery 118, a sealed cabin hatch 119, and a second solid waterproof screw 110. The PCB 116 and the battery 118 are fixed to the upper and lower ends of the fixing plate 117 by Velcro, respectively, and then placed in the acrylic tube 115. The sealed cabin flange 114 is installed at both ends of the acrylic tube 115, and the hollow waterproof screw 112, the second solid waterproof screw 110, and the waterproof nut 113 are installed on the sealed cabin hatch 119, which is then installed on one end of the sealed cabin flange 114. Finally, the flange end cover fixing ring 111 is installed and connected by screws.

[0038] The motion mechanism 20 includes a plurality of wheel-paddle mechanisms 21 and a plurality of wheel-paddle drives 22;

[0039] In some embodiments, the wheel-paddle mechanism 21 is provided with four, divided into two groups, and respectively installed on both sides of the front and rear ends of the body 10;

[0040] In some embodiments, the paddle mechanism 21 is inclined at 45 degrees to the body 10 and is symmetrically arranged along the body 10 in the vertical and horizontal directions; the two paddle mechanisms 21 at the front and rear ends of the body 10 are in an open state outside the body 10;

[0041] In some embodiments, the body shell 13 has a wheel and paddle bracket 130;

[0042] In some embodiments, the paddle mechanism 21 includes a hub 211, a rotor 212 and at least one paddle 213; the hub 211 and the rotor 212 have at least one notch 200 for coupling and mounting the paddle 213; the rotor 212 is annular and fits onto the outside of the hub 211, and has a notch that is consistent with the hub 211; the notch 200 of the hub has at least one connecting portion 214 for connecting the paddle 213; in some embodiments, the paddle 213 is provided with one; in some embodiments, the connecting portion 214 is rigid A connecting rod, a rigid connecting rod having a connecting end 2140 at its outer end, and a paddle 213 mounted on the connecting end 2140; in some embodiments, the outer side of the rotating wheel 212 has a wheel pattern; in some embodiments, a plurality of tooth protrusions 2120 are provided on the outer side of the rotating wheel 212; in some embodiments, the outer end of the paddle 213 extends out of the hub 211 and the outer side of the rotating wheel 212, and the paddle 213 is arranged along the radial direction of the rotating wheel 212; when the paddle 213 protrudes from the rotating wheel 212, the paddle mechanism 21 has a certain obstacle crossing function with the help of the protruding paddle 213.

[0043] In some embodiments, the rotating wheel 212 is a flexible outer ring; the flexible outer ring can be relatively hard and is mounted on the hub 211 by screws. In some embodiments, the paddle 213 is a flexible paddle; it is connected to the connecting end 2140 by screws.

[0044] In some embodiments, there are four paddle wheels 22, each including a steering gear 221; the four steering gears 25 are respectively mounted on four diagonal corners of the housing 27 by screws, and the other side is connected to the hubs 211 of the four paddle wheels 21 by screws.

[0045] In some embodiments, the airbag unit 30 is further included. The airbag unit 30 is configured on the body 10 and can adjust the airbag volume to adjust buoyancy. In some embodiments, the airbag unit 30 includes an airbag housing 31, an airbag 32, and an adjustment member (not shown). The body housing 13 has an airbag housing 31 on the upper and lower sides, and two airbags 32 are provided, respectively installed in the upper and lower airbag housings 31. The airbags 32 are installed in the airbag housings 31. The airbag housings 31 have a plurality of small holes. The adjustment member is connected to the airbag 32 to adjust the volume of the airbag 32.

[0046] In some embodiments, a control unit is also included. In some embodiments, the control unit is a control chip, which is mounted on a PCB board. Under the control of the control unit, the wheel-paddle mechanism has at least two motion states, including a rolling state and a reciprocating swinging state. In the rolling state, the body can move in a wheeled manner by relying on the rotating wheels in the wheel-paddle mechanism. In the reciprocating swinging state, the body can move in the water by relying on the paddles in the wheel-paddle mechanism to obtain thrust in a paddle-like manner.

[0047] A control method for an amphibious robot comprises: S1. On land, because the paddle wheel mechanism is inclined at 45 degrees to the robot body, the paddle wheel mechanism is controlled to be in a rolling state; the robot body's motion mechanism adopts a four-wheel drive control mode, and the driving force is obtained by controlling four motors to respectively rotate forward, reverse and / or wheel speed deviation to perform land walking movements, and the land walking movements include forward, backward, yaw, lateral movement and rotation in place; when the robot body is in a corresponding posture, the robot body can perform rolling, forward and pitch coupling in conjunction with the movement;

[0048] S2. In water, the paddle-wheel mechanism is tilted at 45 degrees to the body, so it is controlled to be in a reciprocating swinging state. The body's motion mechanism adopts a 4-propeller drive control method, which controls the 4 motors to swing the paddles to interact with the water respectively, and cooperates with the airbag to adjust the volume to obtain driving force to perform underwater swimming movements. The underwater swimming movements include three-dimensional underwater movement and fixed-depth hovering movements.

[0049] When the robot moves on land, propulsion is provided by the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the paddle wheels. Counterclockwise rotation of the LJ1 and LJ3 paddle wheels, and clockwise rotation of the LJ2 and LJ4 paddle wheels, causes the robot to move forward; the reverse rotation results in backward movement. Clockwise rotation of the LJ1 and LJ2 paddle wheels, and counterclockwise rotation of the LJ3 and LJ4 paddle wheels, causes the robot to move to the right; the reverse rotation results in left movement. In these gaits, adjusting the rotation speed of one paddle wheel to a different speed than the others can achieve yaw motion. Clockwise rotation of the LJ1 and LJ4 paddle wheels causes the robot to turn left on the spot; similarly, counterclockwise rotation of the LJ2 and LJ3 paddle wheels causes the robot to turn right on the spot. Based on the same principle, different initial positions of the paddle wheels can achieve different gaits, such as rolls and forward-pitch coupling. Compared to traditional amphibious robots, this robot requires fewer motors, has more gaits, and has excellent flexibility, making it particularly suitable for operations in confined underwater spaces.

[0050] When the robot swims, the reciprocating wheel-paddle mechanism generates thrust through the rigid-flexible coupled paddles, powering the robot's movement. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of movement, the solid arrows represent the force generated by the paddles, and the dashed arrows represent the two directional components of the force generated by the paddles. The numbering sequence used for the wheels and paddles is shown in the figure. Taking the backward gait as an example, the backward force components generated by F1 and F2 cause the robot to move backward. While the horizontal force components do not contribute to the robot's propulsion, they ensure horizontal stability. Similarly, the reciprocating oscillation of the LJ3 and LJ4 wheel-paddle mechanisms enables the robot to move forward. The reciprocating oscillation of the LJ1 and LJ4 wheel-paddle mechanisms enables the robot to turn left on the spot; similarly, the reciprocating oscillation of the LJ2 and LJ3 wheel-paddle mechanisms enables the robot to turn right on the spot. The reciprocating oscillation of the LJ2 and LJ4 wheel-paddle mechanisms enables the robot to move leftward; similarly, the reciprocating oscillation of the LJ1 and LJ3 wheel-paddle mechanisms enables the robot to move rightward. In the aforementioned gait, the robot's yaw motion is achieved by varying the reciprocating speeds of the two paddle mechanisms. The flexible paddles of each of the four paddle mechanisms are located below the robot and perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The reciprocating oscillation of the four paddle mechanisms causes the robot to ascend; conversely, it causes the robot to dive. The flexible paddles of the LJ1 and LJ2 paddle mechanisms are located below or below the robot and perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The reciprocating oscillation of the two paddle mechanisms causes the robot's pitch motion.

[0051] In this specification, the use of terms such as "Embodiment 1," "this embodiment," and "in one embodiment" indicates that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in the invention or at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example; furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be appropriately combined in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0052] In the description of this specification, the terms "connect," "install," "fix," "dispose," and "have" are to be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connect" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0053] In the description of this specification, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises", "comprising" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or apparatus comprising the element.

[0054] The above description of the embodiments is to facilitate ordinary technicians in this technical field to understand and apply the technology of this case. People familiar with the technology in this field can obviously make various modifications to these examples easily and apply the general principles described here to other embodiments without having to go through creative work. Therefore, this case is not limited to the above embodiments. Modifications to the following situations should all be within the scope of protection of this case: ① A new technical solution implemented based on the technical solution of the present invention and combined with existing common knowledge, the technical effect produced by the new technical solution does not exceed the technical effect of the present invention; ② The equivalent replacement of some features of the technical solution of the present invention with the known technology, the technical effect produced is the same as the technical effect of the present invention; ③ The technical solution of the present invention is expandable, and the substantive content of the expanded technical solution does not exceed the technical solution of the present invention; ④ The equivalent transformation made by the content of the description and drawings of the present invention is directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields.

Claims

1. An amphibious robot, characterized in that: It includes a body, a motion mechanism and a control unit; The motion mechanism includes a plurality of wheel-paddle mechanisms and wheel-paddle drives; the wheel-paddle mechanism has a rotating wheel and a paddle; under the control of a control unit, the wheel-paddle mechanism has at least two motion states, the two motion states including a rolling state and a reciprocating swinging state; in the rolling state, the machine body can move in a wheeled manner by relying on the rotating wheel in the wheel-paddle mechanism; in the reciprocating swinging state, the machine body can move in a paddle-like manner by relying on the paddle in the wheel-paddle mechanism to obtain thrust in the water.

2. The amphibious robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wheel-paddle mechanism comprises a hub, a rotating wheel and at least one paddle; The wheel hub has at least one notch, the notch of the wheel hub has at least one connecting portion, and the paddle is mounted on the connecting portion; The rotating wheel is ring-shaped, and is fitted on the outer side of the wheel hub, and has a notch that is consistent with the wheel hub; the outer side of the rotating wheel has wheel patterns or tooth protrusions.

3. The amphibious robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer end of the paddle extends out of the hub and the outer side of the rotating wheel, and the paddle is arranged along the radial direction of the rotating wheel.

4. The amphibious robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The wheel-paddle mechanism is provided with four, divided into two groups, and respectively installed on both sides of the front and rear ends of the machine body; The propeller mechanism is inclined at 45 degrees to the fuselage and is symmetrically arranged along the longitudinal and transverse directions of the fuselage; The two-wheel propeller mechanism at the front and rear ends of the fuselage is in an open state on the outside of the fuselage.

5. The amphibious robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes an airbag unit, which is arranged on the body and can adjust the volume of the airbag to adjust the buoyancy.

6. The amphibious robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The wheel-paddle drive includes four motors, which are connected to the wheel axles of the wheel hubs in the corresponding wheel-paddle mechanisms one by one, and the motors can drive the wheel hubs to rotate or reciprocate.

7. The amphibious robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The body is provided with a sealed cabin, in which a control unit and a power supply are built.

8. The amphibious robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The airbag unit includes an airbag shell, an airbag and an adjusting member; the upper and lower sides of the body are provided with airbag shells respectively, and two airbags are provided, which are respectively installed in the upper and lower airbag shells, and the airbags are installed in the airbag shells; there are several small holes on the airbag shell; the adjusting member is connected to the airbag to adjust the volume of the airbag.

9. A control method of the amphibious robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: Including, on land, because the wheel-paddle mechanism is inclined at 45 degrees to the body, the wheel-paddle mechanism is controlled to be in a rolling state; the body's motion mechanism adopts a 4-wheel drive control method, and the driving force is obtained by controlling the 4 motors to rotate forward, reverse and / or wheel speed deviation respectively to perform land walking actions, and the land walking actions include forward, backward, yaw, lateral movement and rotation on the spot; when the body is in a corresponding posture, it can perform rolling, forward pitch coupling in conjunction with this action; In water, because the wheel-paddle mechanism is inclined at 45 degrees to the body, the wheel-paddle mechanism is controlled to be in a reciprocating swinging state; the body's motion mechanism adopts a 4-propeller drive control method, which controls 4 motors to swing the paddles to interact with water respectively, and cooperates with the airbag to adjust the volume to obtain driving force to perform swimming actions in water; the swimming action in water includes three-dimensional movement in water and fixed-depth hovering action.

10. An amphibious robot used for scientific investigation, environmental monitoring, military exploration, and seabed resource survey and development.

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