Cable-driven intelligent mechanical arm applied to high-voltage tower
The design of the rope-driven intelligent robotic arm solves the problems of heavy robotic arm weight and low safety in high-voltage tower operations, achieving efficient operation capabilities with lightweight, high stability, simple operation, and low cost, and adapting to various high-voltage tower models.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANGHAI PLATFORM FOR SMART MFG CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing robotic arms for high-voltage tower operations are heavy, making it difficult to complete tasks safely and effectively at heights, and the existing technology has not been widely adopted.
Design a rope-driven intelligent robotic arm that uses a servo motor to drive the rope, with the joint drive concentrated at the bottom. Combined with a five-degree-of-freedom structure and a quick-change end magnet module, it achieves lightweight and modular design, adapting to various high-voltage tower models.
It achieves lightweight design, high stability, simple operation, and low cost, adapts to various high-voltage tower models, has a high self-weight load ratio and a high degree of automation, strong safety, and is suitable for various operational tasks.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025083083_02072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
A rope-driven intelligent robotic arm for use on high-voltage towers Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent robot technology, specifically to a rope-driven intelligent robotic arm applied to high-voltage iron towers. Background Technology
[0002] With technological advancements, an increasing number of industries are developing intelligent robots for various purposes to perform tasks that are highly dangerous and challenging. Among these, high-altitude operations on high-voltage transmission towers, particularly those involving power transmission lines, urgently require the development of intelligent robotic arms to replace manual labor due to their inherent danger. While domestic and international scholars have conducted extensive research in the field of climbing robots, mature research results specifically for power transmission tower applications are limited. Most research remains in the theoretical analysis and functional prototype testing stages and has not yet been widely adopted in practical applications. The design challenge lies in the weight limitations of the robotic arm itself. The end-effector cannot perform tasks such as removing bird nests, honeycomb, surface inspection, safety maintenance, and emergency rescue. Existing robotic arms that meet load requirements are too heavy, and the high working height of the tower makes transporting the arm to the designated location very difficult. During operation, the weight is biased towards the end-effector, resulting in excessive torque that the entire machine needs to overcome, posing a safety hazard. Therefore, a lightweight intelligent robotic arm with its mass concentrated at the bottom is needed. Overall, the rope-driven intelligent robotic arm for high-voltage transmission towers has significant potential for widespread adoption. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this application is to provide a rope-driven intelligent robotic arm for use on high-voltage towers. This design utilizes a servo motor located at the bottom to drive the rope, enabling the end joints to rotate and allowing the robotic arm to complete tasks at designated locations on the tower.
[0004] One aspect of this application provides a rope-driven intelligent robotic arm for use in high-voltage towers, comprising: a five-degree-of-freedom body structure module, a fixed base plate module, and an end magnet quick-change module;
[0005] The five-degree-of-freedom body structure module includes: a second rope, a carbon tube connecting plate, a large arm carbon tube, a transmission gear, a rotating plate, a rope loop, a wrist connecting plate, a fixing plate, a forearm carbon tube, and a joint motor.
[0006] The second rope passes through the rope-threading sleeve on the rotating disk. The output shaft of the joint motor is connected to a pinion gear and then to the transmission gear. The transmission gear is connected to the carbon tube connecting plate. The upper arm carbon tube is connected to the carbon tube connecting plate by fastening bolts. After the second rope passes through the rope-threading sleeve, it exits through the upper arm carbon tube and drives the rotation of the lower arm carbon tube.
[0007] Furthermore, the fixed base plate module includes: joint three motor, joint four motor, motor mounting plate, first pulley, joint five motor, support plate, first rope, whole machine mounting base, and joint one motor;
[0008] The joint three motor and the joint four motor are respectively fixed on both sides of the motor mounting plate. The motor output shaft is connected to the first pulley and is located on the left side of the whole machine mounting base. The joint five motor is fixed to the support plate and is located above the whole machine mounting base. The joint one motor is located inside the whole machine mounting base. The first ropes all pass through the through holes.
[0009] Furthermore, the mounting base is made of nylon material, and the four motors—joint three motor, joint four motor, joint five motor, and joint one motor—are all centrally arranged on the fixed base plate module, making the whole machine lighter and its self-weight load ratio greater.
[0010] Furthermore, the end magnet quick-change module includes: a magnet, a magnet mounting base, a rope fixing block, a mounting bracket, a third rope, a wrist connecting plate, a second pulley, and a conduit;
[0011] The second pulley is connected to the wrist connecting plate on one side and the mounting bracket on the other side. The rope fixing block is connected to the end of the mounting bracket. The third rope passes through the rope fixing block and is wrapped around the second pulley. The second pulley is fixed above the mounting bracket. The magnet mounting base and the magnet are connected in sequence on the other side.
[0012] Compared with the prior art, this application has at least one of the following beneficial effects:
[0013] 1. This invention adopts a rope-driven drive, which is applicable to a variety of typical high-voltage transmission line towers, such as "Gan" towers, "Cat Ear" towers, and "Ram Horn" towers. It is simple to operate, has low manufacturing cost, and is easy to promote.
[0014] 2. In this invention, the servo motors that drive each joint are concentrated at the bottom of the robotic arm, which makes the torque that the whole machine needs to overcome less when the front joint is working, and the overall stability is stronger.
[0015] 3. In this invention, each joint is relatively independent and the length of the upper arm and lower arm can be adjusted. Depending on the tower type and the end tools required for different tasks, different lengths of upper arm, lower arm and ropes can be selected and matched. At the same time, the lightweight materials and easy disassembly and assembly mechanism can also greatly improve the efficiency of assembly and transportation.
[0016] 4. The quick-change mechanism for end-effector tool replacement in this invention uses an energized demagnetizing magnet. Compared with traditional electric and pneumatic quick-change mechanisms, it is lighter and easier to connect. In extreme situations such as power depletion or accidental short circuit, the electromagnet still maintains its magnetism, keeping the tool attached to the end of the robotic arm and ensuring operational safety.
[0017] 5. This invention employs a five-degree-of-freedom serial robotic arm as its overall structure, offering a large working range. The use of carbon fiber tube connecting rods ensures lightweight construction and easy replacement, resulting in excellent maintainability and stability. The rope-driven drive system simplifies the overall structure while meeting actual workload and accuracy requirements, with most of the weight concentrated in the base, resulting in a higher self-weight load ratio and suitability for high-voltage tower operation environments. A magnet-based quick-change mechanism enables rapid robot assembly and tool replacement, offering a high degree of modular integration and adaptability to various working scenarios. It requires no manual intervention and boasts a high degree of automation. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:
[0019] Figure 1 is an overall structural diagram of a rope-driven intelligent robotic arm applied to a high-voltage iron tower according to an embodiment of this application.
[0020] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of the fixed base plate module in one embodiment of this application.
[0021] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a five-degree-of-freedom ontological structure in one embodiment of this application.
[0022] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of the end magnet quick-change module in one embodiment of this application.
[0023] In the diagram: 100, Fixed base plate module; 200, Five-DOF body structure module; 300, End magnet quick-change module; 101, Joint three motor; 102, Joint four motor; 103, Motor mounting plate; 104, First pulley; 105, Joint five motor; 106, Support plate; 107, First rope; 108, Overall mounting base; 109, Joint one motor; 201, Second rope; 202, Carbon fiber tube connecting plate; 203, Upper arm carbon fiber tube; 204, Transmission gear; 205, Rotating disc; 206, Rope threading loop; 207, Wrist connecting disc; 208, Fixing disc; 209, Forearm carbon fiber tube; 210, Joint two motor; 301, Magnet; 302, Magnet mounting base; 303, Rope fixing block; 304, Mounting bracket; 305, Third rope; 306, Wrist connecting plate; 307, Second pulley; 308, Cable threading tube. Detailed Implementation
[0024] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present application, but do not limit the present application in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present application. These all fall within the protection scope of the present application.
[0025] Referring to Figure 1, which is an embodiment of this application, this example relates to a rope-driven intelligent robotic arm applied to a high-voltage tower, including: a fixed base plate module 100, a five-degree-of-freedom body structure module 200, and an end magnet quick-change module 300.
[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the fixed base plate module 100 includes a joint three motor 101, a joint four motor 102, a motor mounting plate 103, a first pulley 104, a joint five motor 105, a support plate 106, a first rope 107, a whole machine mounting base 108, and a joint one motor 109.
[0027] Joint 3 motor 101 and joint 4 motor 102 are fixed on both sides of motor mounting plate 103 respectively. The motor output shaft is connected to pulley 104 and is set on the left side of the whole machine mounting base 108. Joint 5 motor 105 is fixed to support plate 106 and is set above the whole machine mounting base 108. Joint 1 motor 109 is set inside the whole machine mounting base 108. All ropes pass through the through holes.
[0028] The mounting base 108 is made of nylon material. The four motors, namely joint motor 101, joint motor 102, joint motor 105, and joint motor 109, are all centrally arranged on the fixed base plate module, making the whole machine lighter and with a greater self-weight load ratio.
[0029] The joint motor 109 is the power source for the first joint of the robotic arm. It can provide 20 NM of torque and is mounted on the fixed plate 208. The motor shaft passes through a nylon gear. The rotation of the motor causes the gear to rotate, thereby realizing the rotation of the carbon tube 203 of the upper arm relative to the fixed plate 208.
[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the five-degree-of-freedom body structure module 200 includes: a second rope 201, a carbon fiber connecting plate 202, a large arm carbon fiber tube 203, a transmission gear 204, a rotating disk 205, a rope loop 206, a wrist connecting plate 207, a fixing plate 208, a forearm carbon fiber tube 209, and a joint second motor 210. The second rope 201 and other wires pass through the rope loop 206 mounted on the rotating disk 205. The output shaft of the joint second motor 210 is connected to a pinion gear and then to the transmission gear 204. The forearm is connected to the carbon tube connecting plate 202 via a transmission gear 204 on a rotating disk 205. The upper arm carbon tube 203 is connected to the carbon tube connecting plate 202 via fastening bolts. The second rope 201 passes through the rope loop 206, exits through the upper arm carbon tube 203, and winds around the groove of the pulley to drive the rotation of the forearm. The forearm carbon tube 209, wrist connecting plate 207, and fixing plate 208 are connected in sequence. After the rope 201 passes through the forearm carbon tube 209, it winds around the pulley at the wrist to drive the rotation of the wrist.
[0031] The large arm carbon tube 203 is the main length structural component of the robotic arm. It is a hollow carbon fiber tube with a thickness of 3mm, an outer diameter of 50mm, and a length of 500mm. There are 6 M3 through holes at both ends for fixing to the rotating disk 205 and the carbon tube connecting disk 202.
[0032] The forearm carbon tube 209 is the second length structural component of the robotic arm. It is a hollow carbon fiber tube with a thickness of 3mm, an outer diameter of 50mm, and a length of 400mm. There are 6 M3 through holes at both ends. The rotating disk 205 is fixed to the carbon tube connecting disk 202.
[0033] The carbon fiber tube is hollow, through which the rope passes, allowing a camera module to be installed at the end of the robotic arm to observe the tool's position and the working environment.
[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the end magnet quick-change module 300 includes: a magnet 301, a magnet mounting base 302, a rope fixing block 303, a mounting bracket 304, a third rope 305, a wrist connecting plate 306, a second pulley 307, and a conduit 308. The second pulley 307 is connected to the wrist connecting plate 306 on one side and to the mounting bracket 304 on the other side. The rope fixing block 303 is connected to the end of the mounting bracket 304. The rope passes through the rope fixing block 303 and wraps around the second pulley 307. The second pulley 307 is fixed above the mounting bracket 304. The other side is connected to the magnet mounting base 302 and the magnet 301 in sequence.
[0035] Magnet 301 is an energized demagnetizing magnet. When a tool needs to be changed, the magnet is energized and demagnetized, and when brought close to the tool, it is de-energized and attracted, thus completing the tool switching and adapting to different work tasks.
[0036] When the robotic arm completes its operations, it can adapt to various high-voltage transmission towers. Through experimental tests, it can well adapt to typical tower materials such as "wine glass" towers, "cat ear" towers, "dry" character towers, and "sheep horn" towers during operation.
[0037] When the robot climbs the main members of the tower, this example involves an automatic tower climbing method for the above-mentioned device, including automatic obstacle recognition, obstacle crossing gait planning, and turning gait planning.
[0038] Specific experimental results have shown that the robotic arm mentioned in this invention demonstrates good operation capabilities for the four existing typical types of transmission towers at a height of 10m - 20m above the ground and under an air pressure of 8MPa.
[0039] This invention has been proven through experiments to be applicable to various typical high-voltage transmission towers currently in use, such as "dry" character towers, "cat ear" towers, "sheep horn" towers, etc. It is easy to operate, has a low manufacturing cost, and is easy to promote technically.
[0040] In this invention, the servo motors that drive each joint are concentrated at the bottom of the robotic arm, making the torque that the whole machine needs to overcome smaller during operation of the front-end joints and enhancing the overall stability.
[0041] In this invention, each joint is relatively independent, and the lengths of the upper arm and forearm can be adjusted. According to different tower types and the end tools required for different operation tasks, different lengths of the upper arm, forearm, and ropes can be selected and paired. At the same time, lightweight materials and easily disassembled and assembled mechanisms can also greatly improve the efficiency of assembly and transportation.
[0042] In this invention, the quick-change mechanism for replacing the end tool (i.e., the end magnet quick-change module 300) uses an electrified demagnetization type magnet. Compared with traditional electric and pneumatic quick-change mechanisms, it is lighter in weight and easier to connect. In extreme situations such as power depletion and accidental short circuits, the electromagnet still maintains its magnetism, keeping the tool adsorbed at the end of the robotic arm and ensuring operation safety.
[0043] Specifically, this invention uses a cable-driven drive, and each joint of the robotic arm can be linked. A cable-driven intelligent robotic arm applied to high-voltage transmission towers is designed. Compared with similar robotic arms, this invention aims to conduct lightweight processing in terms of structure, material, and power, and improve the load-to-self-weight ratio of the robot on the premise of ensuring the load of the end tool.
[0044] First, the weight was reduced by using a self-made carbon fiber structure and nylon material. Second, rope drive was used to control the movement of each joint. While reducing the weight, the elasticity of the rope itself was used to reduce the internal force damage to the mechanical structure caused by processing and assembly problems. Combining kinematics and mechanical principles, the stress and movement of each component of the robotic arm were analyzed, taking into account factors such as the external dimensions of the tower surface maintenance task area and the possible movement trajectory of the maintenance tools at the end of the robotic arm. The robotic arm structure was simplified and the robotic arm structure scheme was further optimized.
[0045] For the joints of the robotic arm, rope-driven control is adopted, integrating joint components such as servo drivers, frameless direct-drive motors, harmonic reducers, feedback encoders, and brakes at the bottom of the robotic arm to reduce the size and weight of the joints and improve their operational efficiency. For the linkages of the robotic arm, high-strength, low-density materials such as aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, and carbon fiber are used in simulation software to test their mechanical properties, reliability, stability, durability, and other indicators. Experiments are conducted on materials with better performance, and the material with the best overall performance is selected to reduce the weight and power consumption of the robotic arm, improve its load-to-weight ratio, and work efficiency. Overall, this invention aims to develop a product that can be used and promoted in the power industry. To this end, in-depth research is conducted on aspects such as lightweight robotic arms and high load-to-weight ratio, which has significant research value.
[0046] The specific embodiments of this application have been described above. It should be understood that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the substantive content of this application. The above-described preferred features can be used in any combination without conflict.
Claims
1. A rope-driven intelligent robotic arm for use on high-voltage transmission towers, characterized in that, include: Five-degree-of-freedom body structure module, fixed base plate module and end magnet quick-change module; The five-degree-of-freedom body structure module includes: a second rope, a carbon tube connecting plate, a large arm carbon tube, a transmission gear, a rotating plate, a rope loop, a wrist connecting plate, a fixing plate, a forearm carbon tube, and a joint motor. The second rope passes through the rope-threading sleeve on the rotating disk. The output shaft of the joint motor is connected to a pinion gear and then to the transmission gear. The transmission gear is connected to the carbon tube connecting plate. The upper arm carbon tube is connected to the carbon tube connecting plate by fastening bolts. After the second rope passes through the rope-threading sleeve, it exits through the upper arm carbon tube and drives the rotation of the lower arm carbon tube.
2. The rope-driven intelligent robotic arm for high-voltage transmission towers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed base plate module includes: joint three motor, joint four motor, motor mounting plate, first pulley, joint five motor, support plate, first rope, whole machine mounting base, and joint one motor; The joint three motor and the joint four motor are respectively fixed on both sides of the motor mounting plate. The motor output shaft is connected to the first pulley and is located on the left side of the whole machine mounting base. The joint five motor is fixed to the support plate and is located above the whole machine mounting base. The joint one motor is located inside the whole machine mounting base. The first ropes all pass through the through holes.
3. The rope-driven intelligent robotic arm for high-voltage towers according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting base is made of nylon material. The four motors, namely the joint motor, the joint motor, the joint motor, the joint motor, and the joint motor, are all centrally arranged on the fixed base plate module, which makes the whole machine lighter and has a greater self-weight load ratio.
4. The rope-driven intelligent robotic arm for high-voltage towers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end magnet quick-change module includes: a magnet, a magnet mounting base, a rope fixing block, a mounting bracket, a third rope, a wrist connecting plate, a second pulley, and a conduit. The second pulley is connected to the wrist connecting plate on one side and the mounting bracket on the other side. The rope fixing block is connected to the end of the mounting bracket. The third rope passes through the rope fixing block and is wrapped around the second pulley. The second pulley is fixed above the mounting bracket. The magnet mounting base and the magnet are connected in sequence on the other side.