阅读说明：本技术 一种连续体机器人 (Continuum robot ) 是由 陶波 侯立成 赵兴炜 凌青 于 2021-08-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种连续体机器人,包括：本体、预紧线轮、固定平台、舵机和牵引丝；其中,本体包括正交轴骨架和\或平行轴骨架,相邻两个所述正交轴骨架的转动轴相互正交,相邻两个所述平行轴骨架的转动轴相互平行；所述本体一端固定于固定平台上,牵引丝穿过本体将各正交轴骨架和\或平行轴骨架连接,并固定于本体末端；所述牵引丝、预紧线轮和舵机依次连接,通过舵机驱动预紧线轮转动,拉紧或放松牵引丝,从而带动所述本体末端到达预设位置。本发明通过连续体本体、牵引丝、预紧线轮、舵机、固定平台和控制组件的相互配合,拓展了灵活性,简化了运动学控制,提高精度与稳定性。(The invention discloses a continuum robot, comprising: the device comprises a body, a pre-tightening wire wheel, a fixed platform, a steering engine and a traction wire; the body comprises orthogonal shaft frameworks and/or parallel shaft frameworks, the rotating shafts of two adjacent orthogonal shaft frameworks are orthogonal to each other, and the rotating shafts of two adjacent parallel shaft frameworks are parallel to each other; one end of the body is fixed on the fixed platform, and the traction wire penetrates through the body to connect the orthogonal axis frameworks and/or the parallel axis frameworks and is fixed at the tail end of the body; the traction wire, the pre-tightening wire wheel and the steering engine are sequentially connected, the pre-tightening wire wheel is driven by the steering engine to rotate, and the traction wire is tensioned or loosened, so that the tail end of the body is driven to reach a preset position. According to the invention, through the mutual cooperation of the continuum body, the traction wire, the pre-tightening wire wheel, the steering engine, the fixed platform and the control assembly, the flexibility is expanded, the kinematics control is simplified, and the precision and the stability are improved.)

1. A continuum robot, comprising: the device comprises a body (1), a pre-tightening wire wheel (2), a fixed platform (3), a steering engine (4) and a traction wire;

the body (1) comprises orthogonal shaft frameworks (6) and/or parallel shaft frameworks (7), the rotating shafts of two adjacent orthogonal shaft frameworks (6) are orthogonal to each other, and the rotating shafts of two adjacent parallel shaft frameworks (7) are parallel to each other;

one end of the body (1) is fixed on the fixed platform (3), and a traction wire passes through the body (1) to connect each orthogonal axis skeleton (6) and/or parallel axis skeleton (7) and is fixed at the tail end of the body (1); the traction wire, the pre-tightening wire wheel (2) and the steering engine (4) are sequentially connected, the pre-tightening wire wheel (2) is driven to rotate through the steering engine (4), the traction wire is tensioned or loosened, and therefore the tail end of the body (1) is driven to reach a preset position.

2. The continuum robot of claim 1, wherein the orthogonal axis skeleton (6) is a hollow cylindrical structure, the orthogonal axis skeleton (6) comprises a first convex rotating part (601), a first concave connecting part (602) and a first hole (603), the first convex rotating part (601) and the first concave connecting part (602) are arranged on a column body at intervals, and the first hole (603) is used for leading a traction wire to pass through;

parallel shaft skeleton (7) are hollow columnar structure, parallel shaft skeleton (7) include protruding rotating part of second (701), second sunken connecting portion (702) and second hole (703), protruding rotating part of second (701) and second sunken connecting portion (702) are located the cylinder on the same straight line parallel with the center pin, second hole (703) are used for making the traction wire pass.

3. The continuum robot of claim 1, wherein the first convex rotating portion (601), the first concave connecting portion (602), the second convex rotating portion (701), and the second concave connecting portion (702) each have cylindrical surfaces of a size that fits together to enable rotation of either rotating portion in either connecting portion;

the axes corresponding to the cylindrical surface (601a) on the first convex rotating part (601) and the cylindrical surface (602a) on the first concave connecting part (602) are mutually orthogonal, and the axes corresponding to the cylindrical surface (701a) on the second convex rotating part (701) and the cylindrical surface (702a) on the second concave connecting part (702) are mutually parallel.

4. Continuum robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the maximum bending angle of the body (1) is: the maximum bending angle > when the body (1) only comprises the parallel axis frame (7) is greater than the maximum bending angle when the body (1) comprises the orthogonal axis frame (6) and the parallel axis frame (7) is greater than the maximum bending angle when the body (1) only comprises the orthogonal axis frame (6).

5. Continuum robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (1) is connected to the fixed platform (3) by a clamping bar (5), the clamping bar (5) being of hollow cylindrical structure.

6. The continuum robot of any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the pre-tensioning wheel (2) comprises an inner wheel (8), an outer wheel (9), a spring (10), a wheel securing plate (11) and a tow wire clamping plate (12);

the outer wire wheel (9) is sleeved on the inner wire wheel (8), and the wire wheel fixing piece (11) is used for limiting the axial displacement between the outer wire wheel (9) and the inner wire wheel (8); the spring (10) is arranged between the inner wire wheel (8) and the outer wire wheel (9) and used for limiting the relative rotation of the inner wire wheel and the outer wire wheel within a preset range, so that pretightening force is generated;

the traction wire clamping piece (12) is fixed on the outer wire wheel (9) through a fixing hole (901), the traction wire clamping piece (12) is used for clamping the traction wire on the outer wire wheel (9), and the traction wire is tensioned or loosened through rotation of the outer wire wheel (9).

7. Continuum robot according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixed platform (3) comprises a continuum clamp (13), a support beam (14) and a floor (15);

the continuum clamp (13) is fixed on the supporting beam (14), and the supporting beam (14) is arranged on the bottom plate (15); the continuum clamp (13) is used for clamping and fixing the clamping rods (5).

8. The continuum robot of any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pre-tensioning wheels (2) and the steering engines (4) are 4 and are connected with 4 traction wires respectively, and the 4 traction wires respectively pass through evenly distributed holes on the body (1) and are fixed at the end of the body (1).

9. The continuum robot according to claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is used for sending a control command, and the steering engine (4) receives the control command and drives the pre-tightening wire wheel (2) to rotate so as to tighten or loosen the traction wire, so that the tail end of the body (1) reaches a preset position.

10. The continuum robot of claim 9, further comprising a detection sensor disposed on the body (1) for detecting a degree of curvature of the body (1), the controller being further configured to adjust a position of the distal end of the body (1) based on the degree of curvature.

Technical Field

The invention belongs to the technical field of robots, and particularly relates to a continuum robot.

Background

The robot technology integrates the latest research results of various subjects such as mechanical structures, microelectronics, computers, automatic control and driving, sensing, information processing, artificial intelligence and the like, and is a typical optical-mechanical-electrical integration technology. With the continuous development of sensors, artificial intelligence, control theory and methods, the robot technology makes a rapid progress, the application field of the robot is continuously expanded, the concept is continuously expanded, the robot is not limited to industrial robots for carrying welding and large-scale operation, and people have successfully developed or are developing special robots for dangerous environment operation, ocean resource detection, nuclear energy utilization, military reconnaissance, space detection and surgical operation.

The existing design and manufacturing technology of robot manipulators, the control system hardware and software design technology, the kinematics and the trajectory planning technology can automatically process and manufacture key components of an industrial robot, but the reliability is low on the technical level, the application field is narrow, and the production line system technology is not high.

One type of the existing continuum mechanical arm has poor rigidity, difficult kinematics control and low precision; the other type has good rigidity, higher precision and poor flexibility; and the two types are poor in open loop control stability and greatly influenced by external environment.

Disclosure of Invention

Aiming at the defects or improvement requirements in the prior art, the invention provides a continuum robot, which aims to expand the flexibility, simplify the kinematic control and improve the precision and the stability by the mutual matching of a continuum body, a traction wire, a pre-tightening wire wheel, a steering engine, a fixed platform and a control assembly.

To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a continuum robot comprising: the device comprises a body, a pre-tightening wire wheel, a fixed platform, a steering engine and a traction wire; the body comprises orthogonal shaft frameworks and/or parallel shaft frameworks, the rotating shafts of two adjacent orthogonal shaft frameworks are orthogonal to each other, and the rotating shafts of two adjacent parallel shaft frameworks are parallel to each other; one end of the body is fixed on the fixed platform, and the traction wire penetrates through the body to connect the orthogonal axis frameworks and/or the parallel axis frameworks and is fixed at the tail end of the body; the traction wire, the pre-tightening wire wheel and the steering engine are sequentially connected, the pre-tightening wire wheel is driven by the steering engine to rotate, and the traction wire is tensioned or loosened, so that the tail end of the body is driven to reach a preset position.

Preferably, the quadrature axis skeleton is hollow columnar structure, quadrature axis skeleton includes first protruding rotating part, first sunken connecting portion and first hole, first protruding rotating part and first sunken connecting portion set up at the cylinder interval, first hole is used for making the pull wire pass.

Preferably, the parallel shaft skeleton is hollow columnar structure, the parallel shaft skeleton includes protruding rotating part of second, second sunken connecting portion and second hole, protruding rotating part of second and second sunken connecting portion are located the cylinder and are on the same straight line parallel with the center pin, the second hole is used for making the pull wire pass.

Preferably, the first convex rotating part, the first concave connecting part, the second convex rotating part and the second concave connecting part are provided with cylindrical surfaces with matched sizes, so that any rotating part can rotate in any connecting part;

the axes corresponding to the cylindrical surface on the first convex rotating part and the cylindrical surface on the first concave connecting part are mutually orthogonal, and the axes corresponding to the cylindrical surface on the second convex rotating part and the cylindrical surface on the second concave connecting part are mutually parallel.

Preferably, the maximum bending angle of the body is: the maximum bending angle > when the body only includes the parallel axis frame, the maximum bending angle > when the body includes the orthogonal axis frame and the parallel axis frame, the maximum bending angle > when the body only includes the orthogonal axis frame.

Preferably, the body is connected with the fixed platform through a clamping rod, and the clamping rod is of a hollow cylindrical structure.

Preferably, the pre-tightening wire wheel comprises an inner wire wheel, an outer wire wheel, a spring, a wire wheel fixing piece and a traction wire clamping piece;

the outer wire wheel is sleeved on the inner wire wheel, and the wire wheel fixing piece is used for limiting the axial displacement between the outer wire wheel and the inner wire wheel; the spring is arranged between the inner wire wheel and the outer wire wheel and used for limiting the relative rotation of the inner wire wheel and the outer wire wheel within a preset range so as to generate pretightening force; the traction wire clamping piece is fixed on the outer wire wheel through the fixing hole and used for clamping the traction wire on the outer wire wheel, and the traction wire is tensioned or loosened through rotation of the outer wire wheel.

Preferably, the fixed platform comprises a continuum clamp, a support beam and a floor; the continuum clamp is fixed on the supporting beam, and the supporting beam is arranged on the bottom plate; the continuum clamp is used for clamping and fixing the clamping rods.

Preferably, the number of the pre-tightening wire wheels and the number of the steering engines are 4, the pre-tightening wire wheels and the steering engines are respectively connected with 4 traction wires, and the 4 traction wires respectively penetrate through holes uniformly distributed in the body and are fixed at the tail end of the body.

Preferably, the continuum robot further comprises a controller, the controller is used for sending a control command, and the steering engine receives the control command and drives the pre-tightening wire wheel to rotate so as to tighten or loosen the traction wire, so that the tail end of the body reaches a preset position.

Preferably, the continuum robot further comprises a detection sensor, the detection sensor is arranged on the body and used for detecting the bending degree of the body, and the controller is further used for adjusting the position of the tail end of the body according to the bending degree.

In general, compared with the prior art, the above technical solution contemplated by the present invention can achieve at least the following advantages:

(1) the body comprises orthogonal axis frameworks and/or parallel axis frameworks, the rotating axes of two adjacent orthogonal axis frameworks are orthogonal, and the rotating axes of two adjacent parallel axis frameworks are parallel. That is, the main body may be constituted by at least two orthogonal axis frames, may be constituted by at least two parallel axis frames, or may be constituted by a combination of orthogonal axis frames and parallel axis frames. According to the invention, the different numbers of orthogonal axis frameworks or parallel axis frameworks or the combination of the orthogonal axis frameworks and the parallel axis frameworks in different numbers and different positions in series connection are adopted, so that the continuum robot bodies with different lengths and different bending degrees can be formed, and the different continuum robot bodies have different robot working spaces, thereby expanding the flexibility of the continuum robot.

(2) According to the invention, the first convex rotating part, the first concave connecting part, the second convex rotating part and the second concave connecting part are provided with cylindrical surfaces with matched sizes, so that any rotating part can rotate in any connecting part, and the connection of similar rotating shafts between any two frameworks (parallel-axis framework and parallel-axis framework, orthogonal-axis framework and orthogonal-axis framework, orthogonal-axis framework and parallel-axis framework, parallel-axis framework and orthogonal-axis framework) is realized, thereby simplifying a kinematics model.

(3) The orthogonal shaft framework, the parallel shaft framework and the clamping rods are all of hollow columnar structures, so that the outer diameter of the body is smaller, the inner diameter of the body is larger, the ratio of the inner diameter to the outer diameter can reach 60%, the body can enter a smaller cavity, and more devices can pass through the inner space.

(4) According to the invention, the pretightening force is provided by the structural cooperation of the inner wire wheel, the outer wire wheel and the spring, so that the control scheme is simplified.

(5) According to the invention, the detection sensor is arranged on the body, and can be a sensor capable of detecting the rotation angle between any two frameworks, so that the current actual position of the tail end of the continuum robot body is obtained, the position of the tail end of the body is adjusted according to the bending degree (actual position) through the controller, and further closed-loop control is realized, and higher precision is obtained.

(6) The body, the traction wire, the pre-tightening wire wheel, the steering engine and other components are integrated on the fixed platform, and the structure is compact.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a continuum robot provided by an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a body and a clamping rod connection in the continuum robot provided by the embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an orthogonal axis skeleton in a continuum robot provided by an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a parallel axis skeleton in a continuum robot provided by an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a pre-tightening reel in the continuum robot provided by the embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of connection of an inner wire wheel, an outer wire wheel and a spring in the continuum robot provided by the embodiment of the invention;

fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a fixed platform in the continuum robot provided in the embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements or structures, wherein:

1-continuum robot body, 2-pre-tightening reel, 3-fixed platform, 4-steering engine, 5-clamping rod, 6-orthogonal axis skeleton, 7-parallel axis skeleton, 8-inner reel, 9-outer reel, 10-spring, 11-reel fixing piece, 12-traction wire tightening piece, 13-continuum clamp, 14-support beam, 15-bottom plate;

601-first raised rotating part, 602-first recessed connecting part, 603-first hole, 701-second raised rotating part, 702-second recessed connecting part, 703-second hole, 801-raised stopper on inner wire wheel, 901-fixed hole, 902-tooth on outer wire wheel, 601 a-cylindrical surface on first raised rotating part, 602 a-cylindrical surface on first recessed connecting part, 701 a-cylindrical surface on second raised rotating part, 702 a-cylindrical surface on second recessed connecting part.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the present invention is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the embodiments of the present invention described below may be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a continuum robot, including: the device comprises a body 1, a pre-tightening wire wheel 2, a fixed platform 3, a steering engine 4 and a traction wire; the body 1 comprises orthogonal axis frameworks 6 and/or parallel axis frameworks 7, the rotating shafts of two adjacent orthogonal axis frameworks 6 are orthogonal to each other, and the rotating shafts of two adjacent parallel axis frameworks 7 are parallel to each other; one end of the body 1 is fixed on the fixed platform 3, and a traction wire passes through the body 1 to connect each orthogonal axis skeleton 6 and/or parallel axis skeleton 7 and is fixed at the tail end of the body 1; the traction wire, the pre-tightening wire wheel 2 and the steering engine 4 are sequentially connected, the pre-tightening wire wheel 2 is driven to rotate through the steering engine 4, the traction wire is tensioned or loosened, and therefore the tail end of the body 1 is driven to reach a preset position.

Specifically, the orthogonal axis skeleton 6 is a hollow columnar structure, the orthogonal axis skeleton 6 includes a first convex rotating part 601, a first concave connecting part 602 and a first hole 603, the first convex rotating part 601 and the first concave connecting part 602 are arranged on the column at intervals, and the first hole 603 is used for passing a traction wire; the parallel shaft skeleton 7 is a hollow columnar structure, the parallel shaft skeleton 7 comprises a second protruding rotating part 701, a second recessed connecting part 702 and a second hole 703, the second protruding rotating part 701 and the second recessed connecting part 702 are located on the same straight line parallel to the central axis on the column body, and the second hole 703 is used for enabling a traction wire to pass through.

The body 1 is connected with the fixed platform 3 through a clamping rod 5, and the clamping rod 5 is of a hollow columnar structure.

The first convex rotating part 601, the first concave connecting part 602, the second convex rotating part 701 and the second concave connecting part 702 are all cylindrical surfaces with matched sizes, so that any rotating part can rotate in any connecting part; the axes corresponding to the cylindrical surface 601a of the first convex rotating part 601 and the cylindrical surface 602a of the first concave connecting part 602 are orthogonal to each other, and the axes corresponding to the cylindrical surface 701a of the second convex rotating part 701 and the cylindrical surface 702a of the second concave connecting part 702 are parallel to each other. The connection of similar rotating shafts between any two frameworks (parallel-axis framework and parallel-axis framework, orthogonal-axis framework and orthogonal-axis framework, orthogonal-axis framework and parallel-axis framework, parallel-axis framework and orthogonal-axis framework) is realized, and the kinematics model is simplified. Correspondingly, the clamping rod 5 is also provided with a cylindrical surface connecting part matched with the size of any rotating part, so that the clamping rod 5 can be connected with the orthogonal shaft framework 6 or the parallel shaft framework 7, the connection is equivalent to a non-fixed hinge, and the two parts can rotate relatively around the rotating shaft of the hinge.

The maximum bending angle of the body 1 is: the maximum bending angle > when the body 1 only includes the parallel shaft frame 7, the maximum bending angle > when the body 1 includes the orthogonal shaft frame 6 and the parallel shaft frame 7, the maximum bending angle > when the body 1 only includes the orthogonal shaft frame 6.

The continuum robot body 1 is formed by serially connecting one clamping rod 5 with a preset number of orthogonal axis frameworks 6 and/or a preset number of parallel axis frameworks 7 according to a preset sequence, and the number of the orthogonal axis frameworks 6, the number of the parallel axis frameworks 7 and the serial sequence can be changed according to different actual requirements. For example, in the present embodiment, referring to fig. 2, a combination of one gripper bar 5 and 5 orthogonal axis frames 6 and 5 parallel axis frames 7 is used to form a continuum robot with a larger degree of end curvature. The traction wire passes through a wire hole of the continuum robot body 1 formed by serially connecting the clamping rod 5, the orthogonal axis skeleton 6 and the parallel axis skeleton 7, one end of the traction wire is fixedly connected with the tail end of the continuum robot body 1, and the traction wire can pull the continuum robot body 1 through specific displacement, so that each rotatable component can rotate at a specific angle.

In a feasible mode, the pre-tightening reel 2 comprises an inner reel 8, an outer reel 9, a spring 10, a reel fixing piece 11 and a traction wire clamping piece 12; the outer wire wheel 9 is sleeved on the inner wire wheel 8, and the outer wire wheel 9 can only rotate relative to the inner wire wheel 8 and axially displace through the matching of cylindrical surfaces. The wire wheel fixing plate 11 is used for limiting the axial displacement between the outer wire wheel 9 and the inner wire wheel 8, so that only relative rotation can be generated between the outer wire wheel 9 and the inner wire wheel 8.

Referring to fig. 6, the inner pulley 8 is arranged in the outer pulley, the protruding stop 801 on the inner pulley and the teeth on the outer pulley form a limit, and the spring 10 is arranged between the protruding stop 801 on the inner pulley and the teeth 902 on the outer pulley and is used for limiting the relative rotation of the protruding stop 801 and the teeth on the outer pulley within a preset range, so as to generate a pre-tightening force. Specifically, under the action of the spring 10, if the inner wheel 8 and the outer wheel 9 rotate relatively, the spring 10 deforms, so that a force acts between the inner wheel 8 and the outer wheel 9, a certain torque is generated, and a certain force acts on the traction wire, and due to structural limitation, a relative rotation angle is limited, and when the inner wheel 8 and the outer wheel 9 rotate to a limit position and no contact stress of a limiting structure exists between the inner wheel 8 and the outer wheel 9, the pre-tightening wheel 2 generates a set pre-tightening force; the traction wire clamping piece 12 is fixed on the outer wire wheel 9 through a fixing hole 901 by using a screw, and the traction wire clamping piece 12 is used for clamping a traction wire on the outer wire wheel 9, namely, the traction wire clamping piece 12 can firmly clamp the traction wire, so that one end of the clamped traction wire does not move relative to the outer wire wheel 9. Thereby tightening or loosening the traction wire by the rotation of the outer reel 9.

The fixed platform 3 comprises a continuum clamp 13, a support beam 14 and a bottom plate 15; the continuum clamp 13 is fixed on the support beam 14, and the support beam 14 is arranged on the bottom plate 15; the continuum clamp 13 is used for clamping and fixing the clamping rods 5. The fixed platform 3 makes the whole device small and compact.

Exemplarily, in this embodiment, the pretensioning reel 2 and the steering engine 4 are 4, and are respectively connected with 4 traction wires, and the 4 traction wires respectively pass through evenly distributed holes on the body 1 and are fixed at the tail end of the body 1.

In addition, the continuum robot further comprises a controller, the controller is used for sending a control command, the steering engine 4 receives the control command and drives the pre-tightening wire wheels 2 to rotate so as to tighten or loosen the traction wires, and therefore the tail end of the body 1 reaches a preset position. The continuum robot further comprises a detection sensor, the detection sensor is arranged on the body 1 and used for detecting the bending degree of the body 1, and the controller is further used for adjusting the position of the tail end of the body 1 according to the bending degree.

In conclusion, the closed-loop control of the continuum robot body, the controller and the detection sensor which can be configured by different framework structures according to actual conditions is adopted in the preferred embodiment of the invention, so that the flexibility and the control precision of the continuum robot arm are improved; the pre-tightening wire wheel provides pre-tightening force from the structural angle, so that the control scheme is simplified; the continuum robot body has smaller outer diameter and larger inner diameter, can enter a smaller cavity, and can pass more equipment in the inner space; the components of the continuum robot body, the traction wire, the pre-tightening wire wheel, the steering engine and the like are integrated on the fixed platform, and the structure is small and compact.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the invention, and that any modification, equivalent replacement, or improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.