Two-Axis Robot Body Positioning for Rough-Terrain Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robots with two arms and a crawler configuration have high complexity, weight, and a high center of gravity, limiting their ability to reduce height and move efficiently on rough terrain.
Innovation Solution
A robot design featuring a body position changing mechanism with elevation and azimuth angle adjustment, allowing the body to be lowered and positioned relative to a vehicle portion, reducing height and improving mobility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a six joint configuration body is used to achieve high degree of freedom of posture, then the robot can take various postures, but the robot becomes expensive and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The body position changing mechanism is divided into two independent mechanisms: elevation angle changing mechanism and azimuth angle changing mechanism. This segmentation allows each mechanism to handle a specific degree of freedom, reducing the complexity and weight compared to a six-joint configuration while still achieving the necessary positional and orientational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential degrees of freedom needed for the robot's operation by implementing separate elevation and azimuth angle changing mechanisms. This selective extraction of necessary motion capabilities eliminates unnecessary joints and components, thereby reducing weight and cost while maintaining adequate adaptability for the intended application.
2Length of moving object
If the height of the robot is reduced by folding back link members, then the robot height is lowered, but the center of gravity remains high and mobility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The link members are designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, allowing them to extend when mobility is needed and fold when height reduction is required. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the robot to optimize its configuration based on operational requirements, achieving both low height and high speed mobility as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of motion control through the elevation angle changing mechanism, which operates independently from the vertical folding of link members. This additional degree of freedom allows the robot to lower its height by adjusting the elevation angle while maintaining the link members in an extended position for mobility, effectively decoupling height reduction from center of gravity position.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the robot is designed with a high center of gravity to maintain stability, then the robot is stable, but it cannot pass through places with height restrictions and cannot move at high speed
Solution Approach 1:
The robot's center of gravity is made dynamically adjustable through the reconfigurable link members and body position changing mechanisms. The system can shift its center of gravity to appropriate positions based on operational mode: lower for stability during manipulation tasks and higher when speed is prioritized, eliminating the need for a permanently high center of gravity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting the elevation angle and azimuth angle to modify the effective height and center of gravity position of the robot. These parameter adjustments allow the robot to adapt its physical characteristics to different operational requirements, achieving both stability and the ability to pass through height-restricted areas.
Data Source
AI summary
Robot includes two arms, a body, a vehicle portion, and a body position changing mechanism. Body position changing mechanism includes an elevation angle changing mechanism that supports body such that an elevation angle with respect to a vehicle portion reference plane is changeable, and an azimuth angle changing mechanism that supports elevation angle changing mechanism. Elevation angle changing mechanism includes a moving portion that is moved along a straight line parallel to the vehicle portion reference plane, a first link that includes a lower end connected to moving portion rotatably, extends in a direction forming an elevation angle with the vehicle portion reference plane, and supports body, a second link that includes an upper end connected to first link rotatably, and a link lower end support portion to which a lower end of second link is connected rotatably.