CN117301036A - Pneumatic soft robot for space-limited unstructured environment - Google Patents

Abstract

The application discloses a pneumatic soft robot for a space-limited unstructured environment and a control method, wherein the robot comprises: the load platform, the front anchoring unit, the telescopic unit, the rear anchoring unit, the gas-electricity integrated pipeline, the gas source and the controller are sequentially arranged; the front anchoring unit comprises a front anchoring unit electromagnetic valve; the rear anchoring unit comprises a rear anchoring unit electromagnetic valve; the front anchoring unit is connected with the telescopic unit through the electromagnetic valve of the front anchoring unit to realize gas circuit connection; the front anchoring unit is connected with the air source through the electromagnetic valve of the rear anchoring unit and the gas-electricity integrated pipeline; the air source and the controller are used for jointly adjusting the volumes and the shapes of the front anchoring unit, the telescopic unit and the rear anchoring unit through the gas-electricity integrated pipeline. The robot is suitable for changing environments and has better practicability. The method and the device can be widely applied to the technical field of soft robots.

Description

A pneumatic soft robot for space-constrained unstructured environments

Technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of soft robots, in particular to a pneumatic soft robot used in space-limited unstructured environments.

Background technique

Soft robot design usually requires the participation of bionics. Due to its unique movement mechanism, inchworms are commonly used bionic objects in soft robot design. The body of the inchworm is composed of several body segments, which can be stretched and curled into an "Ω" shape under the action of muscles to achieve telescopicity. There is a set of legs on the front and rear of the body to anchor itself. When the inchworm moves forward, it first curls up its body, then anchors its hind feet, then stretches its body to anchor its front feet, and finally releases its hind feet from anchoring and curls up its body again, thereby achieving overall forward movement.

Various existing pipeline soft robots are reproductions of this structure. The smallest unit of each such robot is composed of an anchoring mechanism, a telescopic mechanism and another anchoring mechanism connected in sequence. The anchoring mechanism and the telescopic mechanism are driven according to the above-mentioned inchworm movement process, thereby realizing the robot in the pipeline. movement in.

Compared with other solutions, the pipeline soft robot based on inchworm bionics has better adaptability to pipelines and can initially solve problems existing in pipeline operations. However, limited by its design purpose and mechanical structure, there are certain difficulties in the application of this type of pipeline soft robot in unstructured environments with limited space, and it cannot be applied to more changing environments. Therefore, there are still technical problems that need to be solved in the related technologies.

Contents of the invention

The purpose of this application is to solve, at least to a certain extent, one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

To this end, one purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a pneumatic soft robot for space-limited unstructured environments; the robot can adapt to changing environments and has better practicability.

In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the technical solutions adopted by the embodiments of the present application include: a pneumatic soft robot used in a space-limited unstructured environment, including a load platform, a front anchoring unit, a telescopic unit, and a rear anchor arranged in sequence. Anchoring unit, gas and electricity integrated pipeline, gas source and controller; the front anchoring unit includes a front anchoring unit solenoid valve; the rear anchoring unit includes a rear anchoring unit solenoid valve; the front anchoring unit passes through The solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit realizes the connection of the air path with the telescopic unit; the front anchoring unit realizes the connection of the air path with the air source through the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit and the integrated gas and electricity pipeline. ; The air source and the controller are used to jointly adjust the volume and shape of the front anchoring unit, the telescopic unit and the rear anchoring unit through the pneumatic and electrical integrated pipeline.

In addition, a pneumatic soft robot for space-limited unstructured environments according to the above embodiments of the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

Further, in the embodiment of the present application, the gas-electricity integrated pipeline includes spindle-shaped smooth foam blocks; the spindle-shaped smooth foam blocks are arranged at intervals on the gas-electricity integrated pipeline.

Further, in the embodiment of the present application, both the front anchoring unit and the rear anchoring unit further include a protective layer, a balloon and a friction gasket; the protective layer wraps the balloon, and the protective layer is used to protect The balloon is damaged by the environment; the friction pad is provided on the protective layer; the balloon is used to receive gas and expand itself to expand the front anchoring unit and the rear anchoring unit; the friction pad is used To increase the surface friction of the front anchoring unit and the rear anchoring unit.

Further, in the embodiment of this application, the load platform includes a thermal imaging module, a gas sensor, a temperature and humidity sensor, a camera and a microphone module.

Further, in the embodiment of the present application, the axial diameter of the front anchoring unit and the rear anchoring unit when not expanded is smaller than the maximum diameter of the load platform in the axial direction.

Further, in the embodiment of the present application, the telescopic unit includes a bellows, a first air path joint and a second air path joint; the first air path joint is used to connect with the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit; the The second gas line connector is used to connect with the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present application, both the rear anchoring unit solenoid valve and the front anchoring unit solenoid valve include a normally closed end, a normally open end and an air inlet end.

Further, in the embodiment of the present application, the controller includes a microprocessor, a miniature screen, a configuration panel and a solid-state relay.

Further, in the embodiment of the present application, the material of the protective layer is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber.

On the other hand, embodiments of the present application also provide a robot control method for controlling the pneumatic soft robot used in a space-limited unstructured environment described in any of the preceding items. The method includes:

The controller opens the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit to control the expansion of the rear anchoring unit through the air source and obtains the first detection data of the robot; based on the first detection data, the controller determines the first detection result of the obstacle detection unit; the third A detection result is used for the controller to determine whether the robot is anchored successfully for the first time; the first detection data includes the relationship between air pressure and time during the expansion of the rear anchoring unit; when the robot is anchored successfully for the first time, the controller Close the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit and the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit, and control the air source to inflate the telescopic unit and control the telescopic unit to axially extend a preset distance to make the soft robot center of gravity for the first time Move forward; the controller opens the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit, and controls the air source to inflate the front anchoring unit to expand the front anchoring unit and obtain the second detection data of the robot; according to the second detection data, The controller obtains the second detection result of the obstacle detection unit; the second detection result is used for the controller to detect whether the robot is anchored successfully for the second time; the second detection data includes the air pressure during the expansion of the front anchoring unit Relationship with time; when the robot is anchored successfully for the second time, the controller closes the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit and controls the air source to output negative pressure to restore the front anchoring unit to the state before expansion.

The advantages and beneficial effects of the application will be set forth in part in the description below, and in part will be obvious from the description, or learned through practice of the application:

This application can realize the overall movement of the soft robot through two anchorings through the load platform, front anchoring unit, telescopic unit, rear anchoring unit, gas and electricity integrated pipeline, air source and controller, and the front anchoring unit of this application , the telescopic unit and the rear anchoring unit only perform axial movement without curling up into an "Ω" shape, which can adapt to more application scenarios, improve the environmental adaptability of the soft robot, and improve the practicality of the soft robot.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a pneumatic soft robot used in a space-limited unstructured environment in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the steps of a pneumatic soft robot control method used in a space-limited unstructured environment in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a pneumatic soft robot used in a space-limited unstructured environment in another specific embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the front anchoring unit or the rear anchoring unit in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a telescopic unit in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a gas-electricity integrated pipeline in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a load unit in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a schematic flow chart of artificial neural network model training in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a schematic flow chart of a soft robot realizing a motion cycle in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structural changes of the soft robot realizing a motion cycle in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a pneumatic soft robot control device used in a space-limited unstructured environment in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The principles and processes of the pneumatic soft robot used in space-limited unstructured environments in the embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

First, the shortcomings of the existing technology are introduced.

Confined space refers to a type of area where the space is narrow and it is difficult for people and ordinary equipment to enter and exit. Confined space operations are an important topic of interest in many fields. Medical examination, surgery, pipeline inspection, complex equipment maintenance, post-earthquake search and rescue, geological exploration and geological disaster prevention and other fields all involve confined space exploration.

Limited by their own structural stiffness, traditional rigid robots are difficult to operate in space-constrained environments, which limits their application in areas such as search and rescue in crevices of ruins, geological crack detection, and pipeline inspection. With the development of materials and microelectronics technology, a large number of soft robots with limited space application scenarios have emerged. Among them, pipeline soft robots are a more common and mature category.

Soft robot design usually requires the participation of bionics. Due to its unique movement mechanism, inchworms are commonly used bionic objects in soft robot design. The body of the inchworm is composed of several body segments, which can be stretched into a straight shape or curled into an "Ω" shape under the action of muscles, thereby achieving telescopicity. There is a set of legs at the front and rear of the body to anchor itself. When the inchworm moves forward, it first curls up its body, then anchors its hind feet, then stretches its body to anchor its front feet, and finally releases its hind feet from anchoring and curls up its body again, thereby achieving overall forward movement.

Various existing pipeline soft robots are reproductions of this structure. The smallest unit of each such robot is composed of an anchoring mechanism, a telescopic mechanism and another anchoring mechanism connected in sequence. The anchoring mechanism and the telescopic mechanism are driven according to the above-mentioned inchworm movement process, thereby realizing the robot in the pipeline. movement in.

Compared with other solutions, the pipeline soft robot based on inchworm bionics has better adaptability to pipelines and can initially solve problems existing in pipeline operations. However, limited by its design purpose and mechanical structure, it is difficult to apply this type of pipeline soft robot in unstructured environments with limited space.

Unstructured environment is a concept opposite to structured environment. A structured environment refers to a type of environment where the surface of the environment is uniform, the structure and change patterns are stable and knowable, and the environmental information is knowable. Pipes are a typical structured environment because the inner wall of the pipe is uniform, the shape is regular and fixed, and there are usually no sudden obstacles. The main changes in environmental information are reflected in changes in the inner diameter and curvature of the pipe. In contrast, the surface of an unstructured environment is uneven, the structure may change over time, and the change pattern is difficult to grasp. Gaps in ruins, ground fissures, and damaged or heavily silted pipelines after geological disasters are all common unstructured environments.

When existing pipeline soft robots operate in unstructured environments, they may face problems such as insufficient traversability due to large radius, damage or failure of the anchoring mechanism, and insufficient reliability. In addition, current pipeline soft robots generally lack adaptive controllers. The operations of the anchoring mechanism and telescopic mechanism follow manual control or preset open-loop control operations, and cannot actively adapt to the time-varying characteristics of the unstructured environment. Therefore, in the unstructured environment The operation efficiency in a chemical environment is lower and the robot may even be damaged.

There are two typical soft robot designs in the existing technology. One type of robot consists of a steering mechanism, an anchoring mechanism, a telescopic mechanism and an anchoring mechanism. The maximum diameter of the anchoring mechanism of the robot is 80mm, and the diameter of the telescopic mechanism is 40mm. It can adapt to certain situations. Pipes with an inner diameter within a range and perform a variety of tasks, but the robot airbag is in direct contact with the environment, and there are problems such as insufficient anchoring force and easy damage to the airbag. Moreover, the driving pressure of the rubber airbag used is high, which is not conducive to miniaturization. When it ruptures, there will be Certain risks.

Another kind of robot is composed of a pneumatic telescopic unit and a pneumatic expansion unit and can move in the pipeline. However, the robot components are highly customized and do not have a matching controller, so the degree of automation is low.

To sum up, there are great difficulties in the application of existing soft robots in space-limited unstructured environments, and there is a long-term need to operate in space-limited unstructured environments. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a pneumatic soft robot that can adapt to unstructured environments, have a high level of automation, and can perform a variety of tasks in unstructured environments as needed.

To address the above technical problems, with reference to Figure 1 , this application provides a pneumatic soft robot for space-limited unstructured environments. The robot may include a load platform 1, a front anchoring unit 2, a telescopic unit 3, a rear anchoring unit 4, a pneumatic and electric integrated pipeline 5, a gas source 6 and a controller 7 arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the soft robot's movement; the front The anchoring unit 2 may include a front anchoring unit solenoid valve; the rear anchoring unit 4 may include a rear anchoring unit solenoid valve; the front anchoring unit 2 realizes the air path connection with the telescopic unit 3 through the front anchoring unit solenoid valve; The anchoring unit 2 realizes the gas path connection with the air source 6 through the rear anchoring unit solenoid valve and the pneumatic and electric integrated pipeline 5; the air source 6 and the controller 7 are used to jointly adjust the front anchoring unit 2, The volume and shape of the telescopic unit 3 and the rear anchoring unit 4. The payload platform 1 can monitor the environment of the soft robot through devices such as sensors and microphones, and can also transmit audio signals from the payload platform 1 to the controller 7 through the microphone to achieve audio capture in the environment.

Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present application, the gas-electricity integrated pipeline may include spindle-shaped smooth foam blocks; the spindle-shaped smooth foam blocks are arranged at intervals on the gas-electricity integrated pipeline.

Further, in some embodiments of the present application, both the front anchoring unit and the rear anchoring unit may also include a protective layer, a balloon, and a friction gasket; the protective layer may wrap the balloon, and the protective layer may be used to protect the balloon from the environment. The spike structure or spiked object in the robot is damaged; the friction gasket can be set on the protective layer; the friction gasket can increase the friction of the front anchoring unit and the rear anchoring unit, so that the robot can maintain its own stability when moving. Stablize. The balloon can expand itself by receiving gas. After the balloon expands, it can expand the front anchoring unit or the rear anchoring unit and change the volume or shape of the anchoring unit.

Further, in some embodiments of the present application, the load platform may include a thermal imaging module, a gas sensor, a temperature and humidity sensor, a camera and a microphone module. The thermal imaging module can be used to detect the heat signals of survivors in the ruins; the gas sensor can be used to detect the presence of combustible gas underground, providing guidance for the use of subsequent rescue tools; the temperature and humidity sensor can be used to detect air temperature and humidity; the camera can be used For observing conditions inside ruins; silicon microphone modules can be used to transmit information to underground survivors.

Further, in some embodiments of the present application, the axial diameter of the front anchoring unit and the rear anchoring unit when not expanded may be smaller than the maximum diameter of the load platform in the axial direction; the maximum diameter of the telescopic unit in the axial direction is The diameter may be smaller than the diameter of the front anchoring unit as well as the rear anchoring unit. The load platform is located at the forefront of the axial direction. The maximum diameter of the load platform is larger than the front anchoring unit, rear anchoring unit and telescopic unit, which allows the load platform to smoothly enter the space-limited unstructured environment. There is still a certain space for the fixed unit and the telescopic unit, so as not to affect the subsequent movement of the soft robot.

Further, in some embodiments of the present application, the telescopic unit may include a bellows, a first air line joint and a second air line joint; the first air line joint is used to connect with the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit; the second air line joint The line joint is used to connect with the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit; the first air line joint is connected with the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit; the second air line joint is connected with the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit so that the front anchoring unit, telescopic unit and The rear anchoring unit forms a complete gas path that can transmit gas to each other.

Further, in some embodiments of the present application, both the rear anchoring unit solenoid valve and the front anchoring unit solenoid valve may include a normally closed end, a normally open end, and an air inlet end; the air inlet end of the rear anchoring unit solenoid valve may Directly connected to the air source; the normally open end can be connected to the balloon inside the front anchoring unit; the normally closed end can be opened when the gas in the balloon needs to be released.

Further, in some embodiments of the present application, the controller may include a microprocessor, a micro-screen, a configuration panel and a solid-state relay; two radial basis function neural network pre-training models may be run on the microprocessor, respectively Anchor unit obstacle detector and telescopic unit motion controller.

Further, in some embodiments of the present application, the material of the protective layer is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber. This material has the characteristics of good puncture resistance, good flexibility and small thickness. It can protect the balloon inside the anchoring unit from being damaged by the environment. Its flexibility can adapt to more suitable environments. The small thickness can provide more stability for the anchoring unit. Room for expansion.

In addition, referring to Figure 2, corresponding to the method in Figure 1, embodiments of the present application also provide a control method for a pneumatic soft robot used in a space-limited unstructured environment, for controlling any of the previous items. For a pneumatic soft robot in a space-limited unstructured environment, the method may include steps S101-S106.

S101. The controller opens the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit to control the expansion of the rear anchoring unit through the air source and obtains the first detection data of the robot;

S102. According to the first detection data, the controller determines the first detection result of the obstacle detection unit; the first detection result is used for the controller to determine whether the robot is anchored successfully for the first time; the first detection data includes the expansion period of the rear anchoring unit The relationship between air pressure and time;

S103. When the robot is anchored successfully for the first time, the controller closes the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit and the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit, controls the air source to inflate the telescopic unit and controls the telescopic unit to axially extend the preset distance, so that the software The robot's center of gravity moves forward for the first time;

S104. The controller opens the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit, and controls the air source to inflate the front anchoring unit to expand the front anchoring unit and obtain the second detection data of the robot;

S105. According to the second detection data, the controller obtains the second detection result of the obstacle detection unit; the second detection result is used by the controller to determine whether the robot is anchored successfully for the second time; the second detection data includes the expansion period of the front anchoring unit The relationship between air pressure and time;

S106. When the robot is anchored successfully for the second time, the controller closes the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit and controls the air source to output negative pressure to restore the front anchoring unit to the state before expansion.

The specific structure and control principle of this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

First, for the structure of the soft robot:

Referring to Figure 3, the soft robot may include a load platform, a front anchoring unit, a telescopic unit, a rear anchoring unit, an integrated gas and electric pipeline, a gas source and a controller. The front anchoring unit has the same structure as the rear anchoring unit, hereinafter referred to as "anchoring unit". The anchoring unit can be divided into two parts: PAM and connector. Please refer to Figure 4 for the specific structure.

In Figure 4, PAM is divided into inner and outer layers, and the inner layer is a single-mouth balloon. The outer layer is a layer of protective fabric wrapped around the inner balloon, and the fabric is made of flexible puncture-resistant material. Since the fabric does not have the ductility of the inner balloon, in order for the fabric to expand as the inner balloon expands, the fabric needs to be in a relaxed state when the inner balloon is not inflated. In order to improve the friction between the contact surface between the fabric and the environment after the inner balloon is inflated, and to prevent sharp objects on the contact surface from passing through the holes in the fabric and damaging the inner balloon, a number of high-friction gaskets need to be adhered to the surface of the fabric.

One end of the PAM inner balloon is called the "open end" and the other end is called the "blind end". A connector is fixed on the open end of the PAM. The connector is a flexible ring, and a miniature two-position three-way solenoid valve is fixed in the ring. The three ports of the solenoid valve are the air inlet end, the normally open end and the normally closed end. When the power is turned on, the gas is output from the normally closed end. After the power is turned on, the gas is output from the normally open end.

The normal open end of the solenoid valve is connected to the opening of the inner balloon and sealed. There is a small hole on the ring, and the cable penetrates into the cavity of the inner and outer layers of the PAM through the small hole, and then is led out from the other end of the PAM. In order to allow the cables to expand as the PAM expands, the cables in the PAM need to be appropriately extended and limits set at the entry and exit points.

The structure of the telescopic unit can be referred to Figure 5. In Figure 5, the main body of the telescopic unit is a flexible corrugated tube, and the diameter of the tube is close to the diameter of the anchor unit when it is not inflated. The bellows has an opening at each end, and each opening is connected to the open end of an anchoring unit. The bellows is connected to one end of the front anchoring unit, and the opening is connected to the air inlet end of the solenoid valve at the open end of the front anchoring unit. The bellows is connected to one end of the rear anchoring unit, and the opening is connected to the normally closed end of the solenoid valve at the open end of the rear anchoring unit. There is a small hole on the first expansion joint at both ends of the corrugated pipe. The cable passing through the open end of the front anchoring unit passes through the small hole into one end of the corrugated pipe, leaves the other end of the corrugated pipe and penetrates into the rear anchoring unit. The open end of the soft robot finally passes through the blind end of the rear anchoring unit, forming an electrical path that runs through the entire soft robot. In order for the cable to adapt to the axial expansion and contraction of the bellows, the length of the cable left in the bellows needs to be slightly larger than the maximum extension length of the bellows, and the small holes at both ends should be airtight to prevent gas from flowing out when the bellows is pressurized. There is leakage from the small hole where the wire is threaded.

The structure of the load platform can be referred to Figure 7. In Figure 7, the load platform is fixed on the blind end of the front anchoring unit. The diameter of the platform is similar to the diameter of the anchoring unit when it is not inflated. The main body is a hollow flexible paraboloid, and the required sensors or end effectors are installed in the paraboloid. , the surface is reserved with openings required for the operation of relevant devices, and the cables of the devices pass through the entire robot and exit from the blind end of the rear anchoring unit in the aforementioned manner.

The structure of the integrated gas and electricity pipeline can be referred to Figure 6. In Figure 6, the main body of the gas-electricity integrated pipeline is a flexible gas transmission hose whose length can be adjusted as needed. The hose is equipped with spindle-shaped smooth foam blocks at regular intervals to avoid contact between the hose and the environment. . Connect a short length of hose from the air inlet end of the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit, and pass the hose through the PAM of the anchoring unit and out of its blind end. Connect the air inlet hose of the rear anchoring unit solenoid valve to the A end of the Y-shaped tee connector at one end of the pneumatic and electrical integrated pipeline, and connect the rear anchoring unit cable connector to the B-end cable connector of the Y-shaped tee connector. Connect the A end of the Y-shaped tee joint at the other end of the gas source and gas-electricity integrated pipeline to the gas source, and connect the B-end cable connector to the controller.

The main body of the air source is a DC pump with air pressure sensor. The dual-purpose air pump is a type of air pump that can output both positive pressure and negative pressure. The air source is equipped with two communication buses. The first is for the controller to access the air pressure sensor data, which is called the "air pressure measurement bus". The second is for the controller to control the power and output type of the pump (i.e. positive pressure or negative pressure). It's called the "air pump control bus". Both buses are connected to the controller.

The controller is connected to the two-way communication bus of the air source, the solenoid valve control line of the front anchoring unit, and the solenoid valve control line of the rear anchoring unit. The controller mainly includes a microprocessor, a micro-screen, a configuration panel and a solid-state relay. There are two radial basis function neural network pre-trained models running on the microprocessor, namely the anchoring unit obstacle detector and the telescopic unit motion controller.

The anchor unit obstacle detector belongs to the classifier. During training, the model learns the air pressure-time characteristics of the two modes of free expansion and restricted expansion of the anchor unit under a given air pump power, where free expansion refers to The anchor unit is inflated when there are no obstacles around it. Restricted expansion refers to the situation when the anchor unit is hindered by surrounding obstacles during the inflation process. The air pressure-time curves in the two situations are different, so it can be passed The experiment establishes a data set and uses supervised learning methods to train the corresponding model. During the movement of the robot, the front and rear anchoring units need to be activated alternately. During the inflation and expansion process of the anchoring unit, the microprocessor regularly reads the air pressure and sensor timestamp of the corresponding anchoring unit through the air pressure measurement bus, and inputs the model for inference. Determine whether the anchor unit has encountered an obstacle according to the output result of the model. If the result is true, it means that the anchor unit has been successfully anchored and the telescopic unit can be inflated.

The telescopic unit motion controller is a fitter. This model fits the curve between the elongation distance of the telescopic unit and the inflation time under a given air pump power during training. During the movement of the robot, after the rear anchor unit is anchored, the telescopic unit needs to be inflated to extend it along the axial direction, thereby realizing the migration of the robot's center of gravity. During the inflation and extension process of the telescopic unit, the microprocessor inputs the model for inference based on the single movement distance set by the user to obtain the required inflation time, thereby achieving quantitative control of the robot's movement.

The balloon used in the anchoring unit can be spherical or ellipsoidal, and the specifications are determined by the channel size of the application scenario. Taking a 5-inch balloon as an example, when the balloon is not inflated, its folded diameter is about 5mm, and its maximum diameter after inflated is about 127mm. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE) can be used as flexible stab-proof material. This material has the characteristics of good stab-proof performance, good flexibility, low density and small thickness.

The specifications of the two three-way solenoid valves used in the anchor unit are determined by the application scenario. Taking commonly used solenoid valves as an example, the minimum optional solenoid valve size is no larger than 15mm*12.5mm*12.5mm.

There are currently many kinds of corrugated pipes, which vary greatly in terms of materials, specifications, and performance, and there is no standardized naming. According to the deformation recovery characteristics of bellows expansion joints, bellows can be divided into two categories. The first category is that after being stretched by external force, the deformation can be maintained by itself without the need to continue to apply external force. This patent is called "steady-state bellows" , the second type is that after being stretched by external force, the deformation cannot be maintained by itself. This patent calls it "unstable bellows". The bellows used in the telescopic unit is a steady-state bellows, and the specifications are determined by the application scenario. Taking the existing stable corrugated pipe as an example, the available diameters are 9mm, 19mm, 20mm, 29mm, 40mm, etc., and the length can be customized or cut according to needs.

Secondly, for the construction of soft robots:

Before the soft robot is built, the controller program, in addition to the neural network model, has been compiled into firmware and programmed into the microprocessor. The construction method can include the following steps:

1. Build the anchor unit.

1.1. Make the inner layer of PAM core. Take a latex balloon, pass the open end and the other end of the balloon through two small silicone gaskets, and secure them with flexible adhesive. Insert a short silicone tube into the balloon from the open end and seal it with flexible sealant.

1.2. Lay out cables. Take a silicone trachea and a multi-core wire, the length should be slightly longer than half of the maximum circumference of the anchoring unit, and use flexible adhesive to bond the two axially into a pipeline. Make a hole in the gasket mentioned in 1.1, pass the pipeline through the gasket on one side and out the gasket on the other side, and inject glue into the opening to fix the pipeline. Install gas line connectors and line connectors at both ends of the pipeline.

1.3. Make the outer layer of PAM core. Take a piece of UHMWPE fabric of 40g/㎡ and glue it into a cylinder using special polyethylene glue. The diameter of the cylinder is set as the maximum expansion radius of the anchoring unit, and the length is slightly longer than the length of the balloon. Cut and seal the two ends of the cylinder appropriately, put the closed ends outside the gaskets mentioned in 1.1, and fix them with flexible sealant. The high friction gasket is secured to the outer surface of the fabric using a flexible adhesive.

1.4. Make connectors. Take a miniature two-position three-way solenoid valve and connect the normal end of the solenoid valve to the short silicone tube in step 1.1. Take two other short silicone tubes and connect them to the inlet end and normally closed end of the solenoid valve respectively. Connect the two wires of the solenoid valve to the connector in step 1.2 through the line connector. Slip the solenoid valve into a small silicone gasket, align the gasket with the gasket installed on the open end of the balloon in step 1.1 and secure with flexible adhesive.

1.5. If the anchor unit produced is a front anchor unit, seal the normally closed end of the solenoid valve.

1.6. Repeat steps 1.1 to 1.5 to make the second anchor unit.

2. Build a telescopic unit.

2.1. Lay out pipelines. Take a steady-state corrugated tube and pass a section of multi-core wire through the corrugated tube so that the length of the wire in the tube is slightly larger than the maximum length of the extended corrugated tube. Drill a small hole in the last expansion joint at both ends of the corrugated pipe, pass the wire through the small hole and seal the small hole, and install line connectors at both ends of the outgoing wire.

2.2. Install the main body of the unit. Take two gas line joints, install them on both ends of the bellows, and seal them with flexible sealant.

3. Build a load platform.

3.1. Select the task load. The soft robot described in this patent can be equipped with different types of sensors and end effectors according to task requirements. In this embodiment, earthquake search and rescue is taken as an example. Lepton3.5 micro thermal imaging module, SGP40 gas sensor, SHT35 temperature and humidity sensor, OV9734 micro camera and TDA1308 silicon microphone module are selected. The thermal imaging module is used to detect the heat signals of survivors in the ruins; the SGP40 is used to detect the presence of flammable gases underground and provides guidance for the use of subsequent rescue tools; the SHT35 is used to detect air temperature and humidity; the micro camera is used to observe the internal conditions of the ruins; Silicon microphone modules are used to relay messages to underground survivors.

3.2. Install the task load. Draw a PCB for the above sensor, weld the sensor to the flexible PCB, weld multi-core wires to lead out the power supply and bus, and spray a waterproof coating on the PCB to protect the sensor.

3.3. Processing load platform. Use flexible materials to process the parabolic shell and base of the load platform. According to the PCB engineering documents, a corresponding notch is processed at the vertex of the parabola, the flexible PCB is installed on the notch with flexible adhesive, and the multi-core wire is led out from the tail of the parabola.

4. Make integrated gas and electricity pipelines.

Take a silicone hose, connect a Y-shaped three-way connector to each end of the hose, mark the two unused interfaces of the connector as end A and end B, pass a multi-core cable through the inside of the hose, and connect the three-way connector from both ends. Pass the B end of the through joint through and seal it with sealant. Make a set of spindle-shaped glossy foam blocks, drill holes on the axis of the blocks, thread the hose through the blocks and secure with flexible adhesive.

5. Assemble the soft robot.

Align the open ends of the two anchor units built in step 1 with the two ends of the telescopic unit built in step 2. Connect the air inlet end of the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit to the air joint at one end of the telescopic unit through a silicone hose, connect the two cables through the joint, and secure the two with silicone bolts.

Connect the air inlet end of the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit to the air joint at the other end of the telescopic unit through a silicone hose. Connect the two cables in the same way and secure them with silicone bolts.

Connect the load platform cable and the blind end cable of the front anchoring unit through the interface, align the axis of the load platform and the front anchoring unit, and secure the two with silicone bolts.

Connect the air inlet hose of the rear anchoring unit solenoid valve to the A end of the Y-shaped tee connector at one end of the pneumatic and electrical integrated pipeline, and connect the rear anchoring unit cable connector to the B-end cable connector of the Y-shaped tee connector.

Connect the A end of the Y-shaped tee joint at the other end of the gas source and gas-electricity integrated pipeline to the gas source, and connect the B-end cable connector to the controller.

6. Train the artificial neural network model.

The process of training the artificial neural network model can be referred to Figure 8. In Figure 8, the training can include the following steps:

6.1. Collect anchor unit obstacle detector data set. Put the soft robot into a hard tube with a radius slightly larger than the robot, and fix the anchor unit. A one-dimensional lidar is fixed at the other end of the transparent tube. Start the air source and lidar at the same time, and record the displacement-time data of the telescopic unit.

6.2. Training the anchor unit obstacle detector model. Construct a single hidden layer radial basis function neural network model, set the number of input layer nodes to 1, the number of hidden layer nodes to 32, and the number of output layer nodes to 1. Perform supervised training on the model.

6.3. Collect telescopic unit motion controller data set. The rear anchoring unit of the soft robot is fixed on an iron stand, and the front anchoring unit is freely suspended. Start the air source, record the air pressure-time data of the anchor unit, and add a label with a value of "0" for each air pressure-time data pair, which means the data corresponding to free expansion. Place a rigid tube with a radius slightly larger than the radius of the front anchoring unit on the front anchoring unit and fix it to the iron stand with a clamp. Start the air source, record the air pressure-time data of the anchor unit, and add a label with a value of "1" to each air pressure-time data pair, which means data corresponding to restricted expansion.

6.4. Establish the motion controller model of the telescopic unit. Construct a single hidden layer radial basis function neural network model, set the number of input layer nodes to 1, the number of hidden layer nodes to 64, and the number of output layer nodes to 1. Perform supervised training on the model.

6.5. Import the model. Write the two sets of model parameter files obtained by training into the microprocessor of the controller.

The microprocessor is the stm32f103 microcontroller produced by STMicroelectronics, and other microprocessors with Cortex-M4F cores can also be used.

The learning rate of the radial basis neural network model training process can be set to 1e-5.

Finally, for the control of soft robots:

For the expression of the control process, in order to simplify the expression, the air inlet end of the solenoid valve of the robot's front anchoring unit is A1, the normally open end is B1, and the normally closed end is C1; the air inlet end of the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit is A2, and the normally open end is A2. B2, the normally closed end is C2. The gas source is connected to A2 through an integrated gas and electricity pipeline. The air source and solenoid valve are cut off by default.

Referring to Figure 9 and Figure 10, when the robot starts to move forward, turn on the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit, connect A2 and B2, turn on the air source, make the air source output positive pressure, expand the rear anchoring unit, and at the same time, the controller reads Get the air pressure-time data and call the anchoring unit obstacle detector. If the output result is true, it means the anchoring is completed and the air source is cut off.

Cut off the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit to connect A2 and C2. At this time, the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit is also in a cut-off state, and A1 and C1 are connected (C1 is sealed). At this time, the air source is connected to the telescopic unit. Call the telescopic unit motion controller to calculate the time t required to reach the preset length d, turn on the air source, and make the air source output positive pressure. After the working time t, cut off the air source to complete the first forward movement of the robot's center of gravity.

Turn on the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit to connect A1 and B1. At this time, the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit is also in a cut-off state, and A2 and C2 are connected. Connect the air source to output positive pressure. The pressurized gas enters the front anchoring unit through the telescopic unit to expand the front anchoring unit. At the same time, the controller reads the air pressure-time data and calls the anchoring unit obstacle detector. If The output result is true, indicating that the anchoring is completed and the air source is cut off.

Cut off the solenoid valve of the front anchoring unit to connect A1 and C1. At this time, the solenoid valve of the rear anchoring unit is also in a cut-off state, and A2 and C2 are connected. The air source is connected to output negative pressure. After the working time t, the air source is cut off to complete the second forward movement of the robot's center of gravity and complete a movement cycle of the robot.

When the robot needs to perform multiple periodic movements, it only needs to repeat the above process and adjust the preset length d as needed to achieve quantitative control of the robot's movement.

The beneficial effects achieved are also the same as those achieved by the above-mentioned embodiment of the pneumatic soft robot used in a space-limited unstructured environment.

Corresponding to the method in Figure 1, embodiments of the present application also provide a pneumatic soft robot control device for space-limited unstructured environments. The specific structure can be referred to Figure 11 and can include:

at least one processor;

At least one memory for storing at least one program;

When the at least one program is executed by the at least one processor, the at least one processor implements the pneumatic soft robot control method for space-limited unstructured environments.

It should be noted that the contents in the above method embodiments are applicable to this device embodiment. The functions specifically implemented by this device embodiment are the same as those in the above method embodiments, and the beneficial effects achieved are the same as those achieved by the above method embodiments. The beneficial effects are also the same.

Corresponding to the method in Figure 1, an embodiment of the present application also provides a storage medium in which processor-executable instructions are stored. When executed by the processor, the processor-executable instructions are used to execute the A control method for pneumatic soft robots in space-constrained unstructured environments.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned content in the embodiment of the pneumatic soft robot control method for space-limited unstructured environment is applicable to this storage medium embodiment. The functions specifically implemented by this storage medium embodiment are consistent with the above-mentioned uses. The embodiments of the method for controlling a pneumatic soft robot in a space-limited unstructured environment are the same, and the beneficial effects achieved are also the same as the embodiments of the method for controlling a pneumatic soft robot in a space-limited unstructured environment. same.

In some alternative embodiments, the functions/operations noted in the block diagrams may occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality/operations involved. Furthermore, the embodiments presented and described in the flowcharts of this application are provided by way of example for the purpose of providing a more comprehensive understanding of the technology. The disclosed methods are not limited to the operations and logical flows presented herein. Alternative embodiments are contemplated in which the order of various operations is changed and in which sub-operations described as part of a larger operation are performed independently.

Furthermore, although the present application is described in the context of functional modules, it should be understood that, unless stated to the contrary, one or more of the functions and/or features may be integrated in a single physical device and/or software module , or one or more functions and/or features may be implemented in separate physical devices or software modules. It will also be understood that a detailed discussion regarding the actual implementation of each module is not necessary for understanding the present application. Rather, the actual implementation of the various functional modules in the apparatus disclosed herein will be within the ordinary skill of an engineer, taking into account the properties, functions and internal relationships of the modules. Therefore, a person skilled in the art using ordinary skills will be able to implement the application as set forth in the claims without undue experimentation. It will also be understood that the specific concepts disclosed are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application, which is to be determined by the full scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the existing technology or the part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including Several programs are used to cause a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage media include: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), magnetic disk or optical disk and other media that can store program code. .

The logic and/or steps represented in flowcharts or otherwise described herein, for example, may be considered a sequenced listing of an executable program for implementing the logical functions, which may be embodied in any computer-readable medium, For use with or in combination with program execution systems, devices or devices (such as computer-based systems, systems including processors or other systems that can retrieve programs from program execution systems, devices or devices and execute programs) or equipment. For the purposes of this specification, a "computer-readable medium" may be any device that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with a program execution system, apparatus, or device.

More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer readable media include the following: electrical connections with one or more wires (electronic device), portable computer disk cartridges (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), Read-only memory (ROM), erasable and programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM). Additionally, the computer-readable medium may even be paper or other suitable medium on which the program may be printed, as the paper or other medium may be optically scanned, for example, and subsequently edited, interpreted, or otherwise suitable as necessary. process to obtain the program electronically and then store it in computer memory.

It should be understood that various parts of the present application can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, various steps or methods may be implemented in software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable program execution system. For example, if it is implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented by any one or a combination of the following technologies known in the art: a logic gate circuit with a logic gate circuit for implementing a logic function on a data signal. Discrete logic circuits, application specific integrated circuits with suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGA), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), etc.

In the above description of this specification, reference to the description of the terms "one embodiment/example", "another embodiment/example" or "certain embodiments/examples" etc. is meant to be described in connection with the embodiment or example A specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and modifications can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present application. The scope of the application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

The above is a detailed description of the preferred implementation of the present application, but the present application is not limited to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can also make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without violating the spirit of the present application. These equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims (10)

1. A pneumatic soft robot for a spatially constrained unstructured environment, comprising:

the load platform, the front anchoring unit, the telescopic unit, the rear anchoring unit, the gas-electricity integrated pipeline, the gas source and the controller are sequentially arranged; the front anchoring unit comprises a front anchoring unit electromagnetic valve, PAM and a connecting piece; the rear anchoring unit comprises a rear anchoring unit electromagnetic valve, PAM and a connecting piece; the front anchoring unit is connected with the telescopic unit through the electromagnetic valve of the front anchoring unit to realize gas circuit connection; the front anchoring unit is connected with the air source through the electromagnetic valve of the rear anchoring unit and the gas-electricity integrated pipeline; the air source and the controller are used for jointly adjusting the volumes and the shapes of the front anchoring unit, the telescopic unit and the rear anchoring unit through the gas-electricity integrated pipeline.

2. A pneumatic soft robot for use in a spatially constrained unstructured environment according to claim 1, wherein said gas-electric integrated pipeline comprises a fusiform smooth surface foam block; the fusiform smooth foam blocks are arranged on the gas-electricity integrated pipeline at intervals.

3. The pneumatic soft robot for a space-constrained unstructured environment of claim 1, wherein the front and rear anchoring units each further comprise a protective layer, a balloon, and a friction pad; the protective layer wraps the balloon and is used for protecting the balloon from being damaged by the environment; the friction pad is arranged on the protective layer; the balloon is for receiving gas inflation itself to inflate the front and rear anchoring units; the friction pad is used for increasing the surface friction of the front anchoring unit and the rear anchoring unit.

4. The pneumatic soft robot for a spatially-constrained unstructured environment of claim 1, wherein the load platform comprises a thermal imaging module, a gas sensor, a temperature and humidity sensor, a camera, and a microphone module.

5. A pneumatic soft robot for spatially constrained unstructured environments according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the front and rear anchoring units in the axial direction when unexpanded is smaller than the maximum diameter of the load platform in the axial direction.

6. The pneumatic soft robot for a space-constrained unstructured environment of claim 5, wherein the telescoping unit comprises a bellows, a first air path joint, and a second air path joint; the first air passage joint is used for being connected with the electromagnetic valve of the rear anchoring unit; the second gas circuit joint is used for being connected with the front anchoring unit electromagnetic valve.

7. The pneumatic soft robot for a space-constrained unstructured environment of claim 1, wherein the rear anchor unit solenoid valve and the front anchor unit solenoid valve each comprise a normally closed end, a normally open end, and an air intake end.

8. A pneumatic soft robot for use in a space-constrained unstructured environment according to claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a microprocessor, a micro-screen, a configuration panel, and a solid state relay.

9. A pneumatic soft robot for use in a spatially-constrained unstructured environment according to claim 3, wherein the material of the protective layer is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers.

10. A method for controlling a pneumatic soft robot for a spatially-constrained unstructured environment, characterized in that it comprises:

the controller is opened, the electromagnetic valve of the anchoring unit is controlled by the air source to expand the anchoring unit and obtain first detection data of the robot;

according to the first detection data, the controller determines a first detection result of the obstacle detection unit; the first detection result is used for a controller to judge whether the first anchoring of the robot is successful or not; the first sensed data includes a relationship between air pressure and time during inflation of the rear anchoring unit;

when the first anchoring of the robot is successful, the controller closes the electromagnetic valve of the rear anchoring unit and the electromagnetic valve of the front anchoring unit, controls the air source to inflate the telescopic unit and controls the telescopic unit to axially extend for a preset distance, so that the first gravity center of the soft robot moves forwards;

the controller opens the electromagnetic valve of the front anchoring unit, and controls the air source to inflate the front anchoring unit to expand the front anchoring unit and obtain second detection data of the robot;

According to the second detection data, the controller obtains a second detection result of the obstacle detection unit; the second detection result is used for a controller to judge whether the robot is successfully anchored for the second time; the second detection data includes a relationship between air pressure and time during inflation of the pre-anchor unit;

when the second anchoring of the robot is successful, the controller closes the electromagnetic valve of the front anchoring unit and controls the air source to output negative pressure, so that the front anchoring unit is restored to the state before expansion.