Humanoid Robot Foot Running Units for Fall Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing humanoid robots lack measures to prevent falling during power shutdown or when subjected to centrifugal or external forces exceeding control limits, leading to potential operational failure.
Innovation Solution
The humanoid robot is designed with a configuration that includes drive wheels and follower wheels on each foot, allowing for passive direction change and ground contact, along with protective features like hanger rings and slide pads to reduce impact and maintain stability, enabling it to recover from falls and continue operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional humanoid robot design with series-connected suspensions and actuators is used, then the robot can maintain control under normal operation, but it cannot prevent falling during power shutdown or when subjected to centrifugal forces exceeding control limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a protection unit with shock-absorbing members (such as springs or dampers) that are pre-configured to cushion the body portion when falling occurs during power shutdown or when subjected to centrifugal forces exceeding control limits. This pre-prepared protection system reduces impact damage before the robot can recover or be damaged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary anti-action by detecting abnormal states (power shutdown, excessive centrifugal force) in advance and activating the protection unit to counteract the harmful falling effect. The control unit monitors operational parameters and triggers the protection mechanism before the robot falls, creating a preventive counter-action to the potential harmful event.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the robot uses active control of actuators to maintain balance, then it can operate stably under normal conditions, but it becomes vulnerable when power shutdown or external forces exceed control capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The protection unit with shock-absorbing members provides beforehand cushioning that complements the active control system. When the actuator-based balance control becomes insufficient due to power shutdown or excessive external forces, the passive shock-absorbing structure provides inherent stability and impact mitigation without requiring active control input.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection unit acts as an intermediary between the robot's active control system and the external environment. It provides a passive mechanical interface that handles extreme disturbances (falls during power shutdown) that exceed the capabilities of the active actuator-based balance control, thereby ensuring operational continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
A humanoid robot includes: a body portion; a head portion; a left arm and a right arm that have ends connected to the left and right at an upper portion of the body portion; a left foot and a right foot that have ends connected to the left and right at a lower portion of the body portion; and a left running unit and a right running unit provided to the other ends of the left foot and the right foot. The left running unit has a left drive wheel on a front side of an advancing direction and a left follower wheel on a rear side in the advancing direction, the right running unit has a right drive wheel on a front side of the advancing direction, and a right follower wheel on a rear side in the advancing direction.