CN104924305A - Deformable flexible spherical modular robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a deformable soft spherical module robot, comprising first, second and third spherical flexible modules, a detachable connection module, a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet, a relay, an electromagnetic valve, and a trachea joint , an air pump, a control system, and a power supply, wherein: the first, second, and third spherical flexible modules are connected into one body through a detachable connection module, which serves as the torso of the robot; the first electromagnet is arranged on the first spherical flexible module The second electromagnet is set under the third spherical flexible module; the electromagnet is connected with the relay; the solenoid valve is connected with the first, second and third spherical flexible modules through the air pipe; the electromagnetic valve is connected with the air pump through the air pipe joint The air pump is connected to the power supply; the solenoid valve is connected to the relay, and the relay is connected to the control system; the control system is connected to the power supply. The invention learns from the crawling principle of the caterpillar to realize the forward and backward movement of the soft robot.

Description

Deformable soft spherical modular robot

technical field

The invention relates to a modular robot used in rescue and detection, in particular to a deformable and detachable modular soft robot.

Background technique

A robot is a machine device that can perform work automatically. It can receive human command immediately; it can also operate autonomously according to the technical indicators and action principles stipulated by humans through pre-written programs. At present, there are endless researches on robots, but the common robots are almost all rigid, and their own size cannot be changed. Rigid robots have the characteristics of fast movement speed, high operation accuracy, and relatively simple driving.

With the development of the economy, various geological disasters have brought more and more losses to human beings, and various types of robots have played an irreplaceable role in the rescue and relief process. But due to the unpredictability of various terrains. However, traditional rigid robots are affected by their own conditions, with limited range of motion and poor environmental adaptability. Soft robots can withstand large strains because they are made of flexible materials. It can change its body size according to the complex environment, reach the environment that rigid robots cannot reach, and complete the work that traditional rigid robots cannot do. Currently disclosed soft robots can only achieve specific simple movements. Drive efficiency is low.

Chinese patent application CN201110354601.9 discloses "a soft robot with full-skin flipping motion", the mechanism consists of a circular cylindrical soft body base, a control ring, and a control unit. The flexible movement of the soft robot is generated by the tail control ring. Since the volume of the base itself remains unchanged, the head of the base is elongated forward, and the outer skin at the end is converted into the inner skin. The inner skin of the head is converted to the outer skin. The forward motion of the robot is realized by flipping the skin. The structure of the robot is relatively complicated because the matrix is composed of flexible thin film skin and body fluid. The efficiency of generating driving force through extrusion is relatively low, and the application prospect is not wide.

Contents of the invention

Aiming at the defects of existing robots, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a soft robot that can realize forward movement in a narrow environment and whose structure can be disassembled and assembled. The robot uses the crawling principle of caterpillars for reference. The detachable module connection is used, and the spherical flexible module is connected with the electromagnet. The forward and backward movement of the soft robot can be realized through the switch of the electromagnet to charge and deflate and the on-off cooperation of the electromagnet.

In order to achieve the above object, the technical scheme that the present invention takes is:

The invention provides a deformable soft spherical modular robot, comprising: at least three spherical flexible modules, a detachable connection module, a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet, a relay, an electromagnetic valve, a trachea joint, an air pump, and a control system and power supply, wherein: the three spherical flexible modules are the first spherical flexible module, the second spherical flexible module, and the third spherical flexible module, which are connected as a whole through a detachable connection module, as the torso part of the robot; An electromagnet is arranged under the first spherical flexible module; the second electromagnet is arranged under the third spherical flexible module; the first and second electromagnets are respectively connected with the relay; 2. The third spherical flexible module is connected; the solenoid valve is connected to the air pump through the air pipe joint, the air pump is connected to the power supply, and the solenoid valve is connected to the relay, and the relay is connected to the control system; the control system is connected to the power supply; the control system is used to output control signals , by controlling the relay to control the on-off current of the electromagnet, and the control system controls the on-off of the air flow by controlling the solenoid valve.

Preferably, there are seven solenoid valves, wherein: six solenoid valves are divided into three groups in two groups, and two solenoid valves in each group are connected in series through conduits, and the three groups of solenoid valves are connected in parallel with three ball valves respectively. The type flexible module is connected through a conduit, and at the same time, three sets of solenoid valves are connected in parallel to the air pump through the air pipe joint; another electromagnetic valve is connected in parallel with the three sets of electromagnetic valves and is also connected to the air pump through the air pipe joint.

More preferably, the trachea connector is connected to the air pump through a catheter.

Preferably, the detachable connection module is composed of a sub-module and a female module, wherein: the sub-module is composed of soft fibers, and the female module is composed of hard bristles with hooks.

Preferably, the first spherical flexible module is bonded to the first electromagnet, the third spherical flexible module is bonded to the second electromagnet, the first electromagnet is located below the first spherical flexible module, The second electromagnet is located under the third spherical flexible module.

Preferably, the electromagnets are respectively connected to the relays in parallel through wires.

Preferably, the solenoid valves are respectively connected to relays in parallel through wires.

Compared with existing robots, the present invention has achieved the following beneficial effects:

The base of the present invention adopts an elastic film as the main structure of the base, and is mainly composed of three spherical flexible modules, which can adapt to a narrow working environment by changing its own size, structure and shape; The large deformation of the spherical module and the on-off of the electromagnet promote the robot to move forward; the detachable connection modules are used between the spherical flexible modules of the robot to facilitate the fault detection and maintenance of the robot. Compared with traditional rigid robots, complex rigid transmission structures such as racks, gears, belts and bearings are omitted, which not only reduces the weight of the robot, but also makes the structure of the robot simpler and less prone to damage. Small workspace by itself.

Description of drawings

In order to make the content of the present invention easier and clearer to be understood and recognized, the present invention is further explained through the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

In the figure: wire 1, conduit 2, solenoid valves 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, spherical flexible modules 19, 20, 21, electromagnets 22, 23, relays 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, control system 24, air pump 25, power supply 27, detachable connection module 28, air pipe connector 26.

specific implementation plan

The present invention will be explained in detail below in conjunction with specific practical examples. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, this embodiment provides a deformable soft spherical modular robot, which includes: wire 1, conduit 2, solenoid valves 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, spherical flexible Modules 19, 20, 21, electromagnets 22, 23, relays 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, control system 24, air pump 25, power supply 27, detachable connection module 28, air pipe connector 26; of which:

Three spherical flexible modules 19, 20, 21 are used as the torso of the robot;

The electromagnets 22 and 23 are respectively arranged under the spherical flexible modules 19 and 21; the electromagnet 22 is connected to the relay 11 through the wire 1; the electromagnet 23 is connected to the relay 10 through the wire 1;

The solenoid valve 3 is connected to the spherical flexible module 19 through the conduit 2, and the solenoid valve 3 is connected to the relay 12 through the wire 1;

The solenoid valve 4 is connected to the spherical flexible module 20 through the conduit 2, and the solenoid valve 4 is connected to the relay 13 through the wire 1;

The solenoid valve 5 is connected to the spherical flexible module 21 through the conduit 2, and the solenoid valve 5 is connected to the relay 14 through the wire 1;

The solenoid valve 6 is connected to the air pump 25 through the air pipe connector 26, and the solenoid valve 6 is connected to the relay 15 through the wire 1;

The solenoid valve 7 is connected to the air pump 25 through the air pipe joint 26, and the solenoid valve 7 is connected to the relay 16 through the wire 1;

The solenoid valve 8 is connected to the air pump 25 through the air pipe joint 26, and the solenoid valve 8 is connected to the relay 17 through the wire 1;

The solenoid valve 9 is connected to the air pump 25 through the air pipe connector 26; the solenoid valve 9 is connected to the relay 18 through the wire 1;

The trachea connector 26 is connected to the air pump 25 through the conduit 2;

The air pump 25 is connected to the power supply 27 through the wire 1;

The relays 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 are respectively connected to the control system 24 through the wire 1;

The control system 24 is connected to the power supply 27 through the wire 1; the control system 24 is used to output control signals, and controls the on-off current of the electromagnets 22, 23 by controlling the relays 10, 11; 15, 16, 17, 18 control solenoid valves 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 to control the on-off of air flow, and the whole system is inflated by air pump 25.

As a preferred embodiment, the first spherical flexible module 19, the second spherical flexible module 20, and the third spherical flexible module 21 are connected through a detachable module 28, thereby ensuring that the first spherical flexible module 19. The second spherical flexible module 20 and the third spherical flexible module 21 can be disassembled and assembled and are in the same straight line.

As a preferred embodiment, the electromagnets 22 , 23 are respectively connected in parallel with the relays 11 , 12 through the wire 1 .

As a preferred embodiment, among the solenoid valves 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9: the solenoid valves 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 constitute an airflow control system, and the solenoid valve 9 constitutes an exhaust Pneumatic system, a group of solenoid valve 3 and solenoid valve 6, a group of solenoid valve 4 and solenoid valve 7, a group of solenoid valve 5 and solenoid valve 8 are composed of three groups, the first group of solenoid valves 3 and 6 are connected in series through the conduit 2 connected, the second group of solenoid valves 4 and 7 are connected in series through conduit 2, the third group of solenoid valves 5 and 8 are connected in series through conduit 2, the first group of solenoid valves are connected in parallel with the first flexible spherical module 19 is connected through conduit 2, the second group of solenoid valves is connected in parallel with the second flexible spherical module 20 through conduit 2, and the third group of solenoid valves is connected in parallel with the third flexible spherical module 21 through conduit 2; the solenoid valve 6 is connected with relay 15, solenoid valve 7 is connected with relay 16, solenoid valve 8 is connected with relay 17, and solenoid valve 9 is connected with relay 18.

As a preferred embodiment, the detachable connection module 28 is composed of two parts: a female part and a female part, one part is composed of fine and soft fibers, and the other part is composed of harder bristles with hooks.

As a preferred embodiment, the first spherical flexible module 19, the second spherical flexible module 20, the third spherical flexible module 21 and the solenoid valves 3, 4, 5 are respectively connected by a conduit 2 , the three conduits 2 are connected in parallel.

As a preferred embodiment, the electromagnetic valve 6 is connected to the air pipe joint 26 through the air pipe 2, the electromagnetic valve 7 is connected to the air pipe joint 26 through the air pipe 2, the electromagnetic valve 8 is connected to the air pipe joint 26 through the air pipe 2, and the electromagnetic valve 9 is connected to the air pipe joint 26 through the air pipe 2. The air pipe 2 is connected with the air pipe joint 26, and the air pipe joint 26 is connected with the air pump 25.

As a preferred embodiment, the first spherical flexible module 19 is glued together with the electromagnet 22, and the electromagnet 22 is located below the first spherical flexible module 19; the third spherical flexible module 21 Bonded together with the electromagnet 23 , the electromagnet 23 is located below the third spherical flexible module 21 .

In this embodiment, the crawling principle of caterpillars is used for reference. The base uses an elastic film as the main structure of the base. It is mainly composed of three spherical flexible modules, which can adapt to a narrow working environment by changing its size, structure and shape. An electromagnet is installed at the bottom of the spherical flexible module. Each spherical flexible module is connected by a detachable module. By controlling the air flow, the ball-shaped flexible module produces a large deformation and the electromagnet is powered on and off to make the robot move forward. Compared with traditional rigid robots, complex rigid transmission structures such as racks, gears, belts and bearings are omitted. It not only reduces the weight of the robot, but also makes the structure of the robot simpler and less prone to damage. According to the change of the shape and size of the robot, it can pass through a working space smaller than its own size. The spherical flexible modules of the robot are connected by detachable modules. It is convenient for fault detection and maintenance of the robot.

In other embodiments, there may be more than three spherical flexible modules of the present invention. The specific principle and structure are similar to the above three spherical flexible modules, which are fully understood by those skilled in the art and will not be repeated here.

Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A deformable soft spherical modular robot, characterized in that it includes: at least three spherical flexible modules, a detachable connection module, a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet, a relay, an electromagnetic valve, a trachea joint, and an air pump , control system and power supply, wherein: the three spherical flexible modules are respectively the first spherical flexible module, the second spherical flexible module, and the third spherical flexible module, which are connected as a whole through a detachable connection module, as a robot torso part; the first electromagnet is arranged under the first spherical flexible module; the second electromagnet is arranged under the third spherical flexible module; the first and second electromagnets are respectively connected with the relay; the solenoid valve is connected with the first 1. The second and third spherical flexible modules are connected; the solenoid valve is connected to the air pump through the air pipe joint, the air pump is connected to the power supply, and the solenoid valve is connected to the relay, and the relay is connected to the control system; the control system is connected to the power supply, and the control system is used for The output control signal controls the on-off current of the electromagnet by controlling the relay, and the control system controls the on-off of the air flow by controlling the solenoid valve. 2. A deformable soft spherical modular robot according to claim 1, characterized in that there are seven solenoid valves, among which: six solenoid valves are divided into three groups in groups of two, and each group has two solenoid valves. The valves are connected in series through conduits, and the three sets of solenoid valves are connected in parallel with the three ball-type flexible modules through conduits. At the same time, the three sets of solenoid valves are connected in parallel with the air pump through the air pipe joint; the other solenoid valve is connected in parallel with the three sets of solenoid valves. It is also connected to the air pump through the air pipe connector. 3. A deformable soft spherical modular robot according to claim 2, wherein the air pipe joint is connected to the air pump through a catheter. 4. A deformable soft spherical modular robot according to claim 1, wherein the detachable connection module is composed of a sub-module and a female module, wherein: the sub-module is composed of soft fibers, and the female module is composed of hard fibers. of hooked bristles. 5. A deformable soft spherical module robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first spherical flexible module is bonded to the first electromagnet, the third spherical flexible module is bonded to the second The electromagnets are bonded together, the first electromagnet is located under the first spherical flexible module, and the second electromagnet is located under the third spherical flexible module. 6. A deformable soft spherical modular robot according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the electromagnets are respectively connected to relays in parallel through wires. 7. A deformable soft spherical modular robot according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the solenoid valves are respectively connected to relays in parallel through wires. 8. A deformable soft spherical modular robot according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the air pump is connected to the power supply through wires. 9. A deformable soft spherical modular robot according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the relay is connected to the control system through wires. 10. A deformable soft spherical modular robot according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the control system is connected to the power supply through wires.