Wire-driven exoskeleton manipulator and robot cleaner having the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wire-driven exoskeleton manipulators and robot cleaners face challenges in efficiently positioning and rotating multiple links to navigate complex spaces and perform tasks like cleaning, as existing systems lack the flexibility and precision to adapt to varied angles and orientations.
Innovation Solution
A manipulator design featuring a base link with multiple ring-shaped links connected by Borden cables and driven by a motor assembly, allowing for precise rotation and positioning through a system of hinges and tension adjusters, enabling the manipulator to take various postures and position a suction nozzle effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple actuators are disposed adjacent to each link to rotate the links, then the manipulator can position the front end at various positions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical actuators (motors, gears) with a wire-driven cable system. Cables are routed through pulleys and tensioning mechanisms to transmit force remotely, eliminating the need for heavy actuators at each joint. This substitution reduces device complexity while maintaining positioning capability through cable tension control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cables as intermediary elements that transmit force from a centralized driving mechanism to multiple links. The cables act as flexible intermediaries, allowing remote actuation of joints without direct mechanical connection, thus simplifying the overall system architecture while preserving multi-position capability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid structure is used to maintain stability, then the manipulator can hold position, but the adaptability to varied angles and orientations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic cable tensioning system that can adjust forces in real-time to maintain stability at various configurations. The wire-driven mechanism allows the manipulator to hold position through balanced cable tensions rather than rigid structural constraints, enabling adaptation to different angles while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible cables instead of rigid structural elements to connect and actuate links. These flexible elements can accommodate varied angles and orientations while maintaining force transmission, allowing the manipulator to adapt its configuration without compromising structural integrity or position holding capability.
3Ease of operation
If Borden cables with flexible conduits are used to rotate links, then the ease of operation improves, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates self-adjusting tensioning mechanisms within the cable system that automatically compensate for variations in cable length and routing. This self-service feature reduces the need for high manufacturing precision in cable routing, as the system self-corrects for minor dimensional variations, thereby easing operation without requiring extremely tight tolerances.
Data Source
AI summary
A manipulator may include a base link having a ring shape; a first ring-shaped link having a ring shape and disposed to rotate at a predetermined angle at a front end of the base link; a second ring-shaped link having a ring shape and disposed to rotate at a predetermined angle at a front end of the first ring-shaped link; a first Borden cable and a second Borden cable connected to the first ring-shaped link and formed to rotate the first ring-shaped link; a third Borden cable and a fourth Borden cable connected to the second ring-shaped link and formed to rotate the second ring-shaped link; and a driving device that operates the first Borden cable, the second Borden cable, the third Borden cable, and the fourth Borden cable.