JPH05285864A - Two-feet moving walking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve running stability through lowering of the center of gravity position by a method wherein driven rolling bodies capable of touching a ground when a knee is bent is arranged to at least one of the knee joints of two legs and are caused to touch the ground together with drive rolling bodies for the two legs. CONSTITUTION:A two-feet moving walking device suitable for an inspection maintenance work in an atomic power plant has a robot body 31 having an upper body mounted on a lower limb 59 through a waist joint 47. Legs 60R and 60L provided at a lower end with feet 61R and 61L are arranged to the lower limb 59. The legs 60R and 60L are provided with crotch joints 48R and 48L, knee joint 49R and 49L, elevation leg joints 50aR and 50aL, and right and left ankle joints 50bR and 50bL, respectively. Driven rolling bodies 62R and 62L capable of touching the ground when a knee is bent are arranged to the knee joints 49R and 49L. Drive rolling bodies 63R and 63L are arranged to the toe parts of the feet 61R and 61L. This constitution performs three-point support movement in a state that a waist bows and realizes stable high-speed running movement.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bipedal walking device equipped with inspection and monitoring equipment for performing inspection inspections and maintenance work at, for example, a nuclear power plant or a chemical plant, and particularly for transporting heavy objects at high speed. A bipedal walking device capable of

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a nuclear power plant or a chemical plant where it is difficult for people to enter and remote automation is desired, a method of moving inspection and inspection equipment for performing inspection inspection and maintenance work by a robot is adopted. However, a monorail type, a crawler type, a walking leg type, etc. have been proposed as the moving method.

By the way, since the monorail type travels on the track, there is little risk of the robot going out of control, but since it can only travel on the track, it is not possible to inspect and maintain a free place, and also to check a long distance. In the case of the route, there is a problem that the track laying cost increases.

Further, the crawler type is excellent in the ability to get over obstacles, but not only does not straddle pipes and weirs, but also has a slow moving speed and is a heavy body, so that the floor surface is easily damaged during traveling. At the same time, there is a problem that the volume is increased and a large occupying traveling cross-sectional area is required, which limits the plant application range.

On the other hand, the walking leg type is excellent in the function of overcoming obstacles and straddling pipes, weirs, etc., and it occupies a small occupying space. Therefore, it is a promising means for moving the inspection and monitoring equipment. Is.

FIG. 9 shows the structure of a robot main body of a conventional bipedal walking device in comparison with a human leg. The robot main body 1 has a body 2 corresponding to a body 12 of a person 11. ,
The hip joint 3 corresponding to the lumbar joint 13 and the lower limb 4 corresponding to the lower limb 14 are provided, and the lower limb 4 includes a hip joint 5 corresponding to the hip joint 15 of the person 11, a knee joint 6 corresponding to the knee joint 16, Two legs 8 each having a supine and ankle joint 7a corresponding to the ankle joint 17 and left and right ankle joints 7b are provided, and a foot 9 corresponding to a foot 19 of a person 11 is provided at the tip of each leg 8. Then, by alternately swinging out both legs 8, two legs can run on the floor surface 10.

FIG. 10 shows the details of the conventional robot body 1. The tip of each foot 9 is provided with a toe 9a for stabilizing the knee when it is bent.

[0008]

In the conventional bipedal walking device described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, an arm 20 holds a conveyed object 22 on a workbench 20 and transfers it to a workbench 23. In the case of considering the motion to perform, when the work starting point is a state in which the user bends down and holds the conveyed object 22,
It requires four steps: turning, moving, and sitting down. Therefore, there is a problem that the control of the robot body 1 is not easy.

Further, since the robot 22 is moved while the robot 22 is standing, the position of the center of gravity is high and unstable, the payload is small, the moving speed is slow, and the moving control is complicated. There is a problem, and there is a risk that the work cannot be fully accomplished within the defined regular inspection work time.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bipedal walking device capable of moving a large portable weight at high speed in a small occupied space.

[0011]

As a means for achieving the above-mentioned object, the present invention comprises two legs having a hip joint, a knee joint, an ankle joint and a leg, and the two legs are alternately shaken to allow bipedal walking. In a foot-moving walking device, at least one of the knee joints is provided with a driven rolling element that can be grounded when the knee is bent, and at the same time, a drive rolling element that is grounded at least when the knee is bent is provided on both feet. It is characterized in that each of them is provided and both of these driving rolling elements and the driven rolling elements are grounded to enable high speed movement.

[0012]

In the bipedal walking device according to the present invention, the driven rolling element provided on the knee joint and the driving rolling element provided on both feet are grounded to drive both driving rolling elements and to move the ankle joint. By steering with, high speed running becomes possible. Moreover, at this time, since the knee is bent, the position of the center of gravity is lowered, the traveling stability is improved, and the heavy object can be transported.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a bipedal walking device according to the present invention. This bipedal walking device comprises a robot body 31 and a control panel 3 for controlling the robot body 31.
2 and. The control panel 32 is provided between the operation unit 33 for operating the robot, the control unit 34 for controlling the robot, the display unit 35 for displaying the control state / inspection information of the robot / various kinds of plant information, and the robot body 31. It is composed of a signal transmission unit 36 that transmits and receives signals.

The robot main body 31 is also provided with a signal transmission section 37 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the control panel 32 and a control device 38. Then, the control device 38 has an overall unified control unit 39, a traveling drive control unit 40, a walking control unit 41, a manipulator control unit 42, and a pan head control unit 43, and each control unit 40, 41, 42, 43, Unified control is performed by the overall control unit 39.

The traveling drive control unit 40 includes a traveling drive unit 44,
The ground sensor 45 and the wheel control unit 46 are controlled, and the walking control unit 41 controls the hip joint 4
7, hip joints 48R, 48L on both sides, knee joints 49 on both sides
R, 49L, both the ankle and ankle joints 50aR, 50aL, and the left and right ankle joints 50bR, 50bL are respectively controlled. And the left and right ankle joints 5
0bR and 50bL are also controlled by the traveling drive control unit 40 during traveling.

Further, the manipulator control unit 42 includes the joints of the arms 51R and 51L on both sides and the hands 52R and 52L.
In addition to controlling the above, the state of the hands 52R and 52L is grasped based on the information from the composite sensors 53R and 53L having the tactile / pressure feeling and the slipping feeling of the hands 52R and 52L.

Further, the platform controller 43 controls the elevation / rotation shaft 55 of the platform 54, the lens control drive unit 56, and the external sensor 57, and the signal from the external sensor 57 is The signal is transmitted to the signal transmission unit 37.

1 and 2 show the robot body 31.
2, the reference numeral 58 in FIG. 2 is an upper body, and this upper body 58 is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
It is mounted on the lower limb 59 via the waist joint 47. The lower limb 59 is provided with legs 60R and 60L having legs 61R and 61L at the lower ends, respectively.

Each of the legs 60R and 60L has a hip joint 48.
R, 48L, knee joint 49R, 49L, depression and ankle joint 50a
R, 50aL and left and right ankle joints 50bR, 50bL are provided respectively, and two legs 60R, 60L are alternately shaken so that two legs can run.

Each of the knee joints 49R, 49L is provided with a driven rolling element 62R, 62L which can be grounded when the knee is bent, and a driving rolling element is provided at the toe portion of each foot 61R, 61L. 63R and 63L are provided, respectively. Both of the drive rolling elements 63R and 63L have a braking function, are attached to the feet 61R and 61L at eccentric positions, and can be stored so as not to hinder the bipedal walking.

Each of the driven rolling elements 62R and 62L is provided with a U-shaped ball wheel mounting frame 64 and a ball wheel 65 rotatably mounted on the ball wheel mounting frame 64 via a ground sensor 45. .. Then, the ball wheel mounting frame 64 has a knee joint 49 via a mounting bolt 66 so that the ball wheel 65 is grounded when the knee is bent.
It is attached to each of R and 49L.

Further, each of the drive rolling elements 63R, 63L is provided with a traveling drive unit 44 and wheels 67 which are rotationally driven in forward and reverse directions by the traveling drive unit 44, and the wheel 67 has left and right ankle joints 50bR, 50bL. It is designed to be steered by controlling.

FIG. 4 shows a carrier truck which cooperates with the robot body 31.
Is an electric suspension 71 having a visual device 72 and a hoist 73 at the tip, an antenna 74, a traveling recognition unit 75, a tool rack 76, a coupler 77, a steering wheel 78, a drive wheel 79, an obstacle sensor 80, and a fixture. 81.

The electric hoist 71 is capable of moving the hoist 73, which is driven up and down, in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. By this operation, the load of the transported object is applied to the manipulator of the robot body 31. There is no such thing.

Further, the antenna 74 is provided in the robot body 31.
The signal is transmitted to and from each of the signal transmission units 36 and 37 of the control panel 32, and is operated by a command from the operation unit 33 at the time of cooperative work with the robot body 31. The electric power to the antenna 74 is supplied to the carrier truck 70.
It is supplied from a battery (not shown) mounted on the.

A traveling confirmation unit 75 for automatically detecting an obstacle or a traveling mark on the access passage in the traveling direction using an ITV camera or an ultrasonic image device (neither is shown) is provided. The signal is input to the carrier vehicle 70 and the obstacle avoidance traveling is performed.

The tool rack 76 is provided on the carriage 70. The tool rack 76 accommodates the working tools of the manipulator of the robot main body 31, and some of the tools from the hands 52R, 52L. It is removable.

The connector 77 is provided at the front end of the carrier 70 in order to mechanically and electrically connect the carrier 70 and the robot main body 31. The connector 77 is used to connect the carrier 70 and the robot. By connecting with the main body 31,
No complicated control is required during the transfer work
It can be moved in synchronization. The coupling / uncoupling operation of the coupler 77 is performed by stopping one of the carrier 70 and the robot body 31 and running the other at a very low speed, as in the automatic coupler of a railway vehicle or the like.

Further, the steered wheels 78 are provided with a steering mechanism for controlling the traveling direction. The steering mechanism has a recognition result by the traveling recognition section 75 and the control section 3 of the control panel 32.
The steered wheels 78 are steered on the basis of a command from the vehicle. Then, while driving the drive wheels 79,
By steering the steered wheels 78, the carrier vehicle 70 is moved in a predetermined direction. Obstacles in the work space and the moving space around the carrier vehicle 70 are detected by the obstacle sensor 80, and the carrier vehicle 70 is detected. 70 safe driving is ensured.

Further, the fixture 81 is a conveyer 82 such as a valve.
Is structured so as to press the conveyed object 82 inward from three directions by springs or actuators so as not to fall and be damaged during the movement of the conveying cart 70. The fixture 81 is provided with a retainer (not shown) for limiting the pressing force during holding.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When the robot main body 31 is controlled by the control panel 32, first, the control section 34 is operated by the operation section 33, and an operation signal from the control section 34 is output via the signal transmission section 36. This operation signal is received by the control device 38 via the signal transmission unit 37, and under the control of the overall control unit 39, the control units 40, 41, 42, 43 are controlled. And each mechanism part operates by this.

On the other hand, contrary to the command, the operating states of the respective mechanical parts are collected in the overall unified control part 39 via the respective control parts 40, 41, 42 and 43, and then sent to the signal transmission part 37. Information from sensors such as the external sensor 57 is directly sent to the signal transmission unit 37. Then, these data are transmitted from the signal transmission unit 37 and the signal transmission unit 36.
And is sent to the control unit 34 and the display unit 35.

Here, the overall unified control unit 3 of the control device 38
The reference numeral 9 centrally controls the other control units 40, 41, 42, 43 and exchanges control information.

The traveling drive control unit 40 receives signals from the traveling drive unit 44 that drives the wheels 67, the ground sensor 45, and the wheel control unit 46 to control the traveling drive and to control the left and right ankle joints 50bR and 50bL. Steering of the wheels 67 is performed via the walking control unit 41 by utilizing the left and right degrees of freedom.

Further, the walking control unit 41 has the joints 48R, 48L, 49R, 49L, 50 required for walking and posture change.
In order to control the aR, 50aL, 50bR, and 50bL, and to move while keeping balance with the arms 51R and 51L, the manipulator control unit 42 as in the case of walking of a person.
And coordinate control with.

The manipulator control unit 42 includes an arm 51.
The joints of R and 51L and the hands 52R and 52L are controlled, and the states of the hands 52R and 52L are grasped based on the information from the composite sensors 53R and 53L. When a heavy object is gripped, the payload of each joint of the arms 51R and 51L and the working posture of the arm moment of the manipulator are calculated, and the movements of the arms 51R and 51L are limited and controlled.

Further, the camera platform control unit 43 controls the direction of the external sensor 57 based on the signal from the elevation / rotation axis 55 of the camera platform 54, and controls the zoom ratio / focus via the lens control drive unit 56. In addition, ON / OFF control of the power source of the external sensor 57 is performed.

The external sensor 57 is an ITV camera, an infrared camera, a microphone, a thermometer, a hygrometer, a radiation meter, a gas densitometer, a smoke sensor, according to the contents of the inspection and maintenance work in a nuclear power plant or a chemical plant. It is configured by combining various devices such as a sensor and a distance sensor.

Next, the operation of the robot body 31 according to this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the conveyed object 22 on the workbench 20 is gripped by the arms 51R and 51L, and the workbench 2 is held by this.
Consider the operation of transferring to 3. In this case, both legs 60
The wheels 67 on both sides and the ball wheel 65 on one side are grounded on the floor surface 10 by controlling R and 60L.

At this time, as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the hip joint 48L is formed so that the line connecting the two wheels 67 and the ball wheel 65 has a shape as close as possible to an isosceles triangle.
And each ankle joint 50aR, 50aL, 50bR, 50b
Control L.

In this state, if the work starting point is a state in which the user bends his / her waist and grips the conveyed object 22, two steps of movement by the traveling drive unit 44 and direction change by the waist joint 47 are required. It can be halved. Therefore, the control of the robot main body 31 is simplified, and the start-up operation is unnecessary, so that the legs 51R,
It is possible to reduce the size and weight of the drive unit of 51L.

Further, since the movement of the three-point support is performed with the waist bent down, the position of the center of gravity of the robot body 31 is lowered and the robot body 31 is in a stable posture, which is stable even when the conveyed object 22 is a heavy object. High-speed traveling movement is possible.

7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the driven rolling element 62 in the first embodiment is used.
Instead of R, 62L and driving rolling elements 63R, 63L, driven rolling elements 162R, 162L and driving rolling element 163.
R and 163L are used.

That is, each driven rolling element 162R, 162R
L includes a ball wheel mounting member 164 welded and fixed to the widthwise central portions of the knee joints 49R and 49L, and a ball wheel 165 mounted to the ball wheel mounting member 164 via a ground sensor (not shown). When the knee is bent, the ball wheel 165 comes into contact with the ground.

Further, each drive rolling element 163R, 163L
Is an air unit 16 attached to the legs 60R and 60L.
6 and wheels 16 attached to the portions of feet 61R and 61L
7, a stabilizer 168, and a frame 170 with a guide 169. The wheel 167 is expanded and opened into a wheel shape by the supply of air from the air unit 166, and the wheel 167 is reduced by bleeding air from the air unit 166 to be stored inside the guide 169. Then, in this stored state, as shown in FIG. 8, the stabilizer 168 is grounded on the floor surface 10 so that bipedal walking is possible.

In other respects, the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment and the operation is the same.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be expected.

In both of the above embodiments, the knee joint 4
9R, 49L driven rolling elements 62R, 62L, 162R,
Although the case where 162L is provided has been described, for example, a stabilizer / running wheel is provided at the bottom of the robot body 31, and the rolling elements and the wheels 67 and 167 of the feet 61R and 61L are provided.
You may make it possible to travel by combining and. Again arm 5
A rolling element may be provided on the elbows of the 1R and 51L, and the rolling element and the ball wheels 65 and 165 or the wheels 67 and 167 may be combined to allow traveling. In addition, the rolling element
The present invention is not limited to ball wheels and wheels, and crawlers, casters, and the like can also be used. Further, the number of support points during traveling is not limited to three-point support, and four or more points may be supported.

[0052]

As described above, according to the present invention, when moving a conveyed object, the driven rolling element provided on the knee joint and the driving rolling element provided on both feet are grounded to bend the knee. Since the center of gravity is lowered, sufficient traveling stability can be obtained, and a large payload can be moved at high speed in a small occupied space.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a main part of a robot main body of a bipedal walking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the robot body of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a bipedal walking device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a carrier truck used together with the robot body.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the robot main body when moving a conveyed object.

6A is an explanatory view showing a state of three-point support by a driven rolling element and a driving rolling element, and FIG. 6B is a configuration diagram of FIG. 6A viewed from above.

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 9 (a) is an explanatory view showing a lower limb structure of a human, (b).
Is an explanatory view showing a configuration of a conventional bipedal walking device.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a main part of a conventional bipedal walking device.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation when moving an article by a conventional bipedal walking device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 31 robot body 47 waist joint 48R, 48L hip joint 49R, 49L knee joint 50aR, 50aL supine ankle joint 50bR, 50bL left and right ankle joint 58 upper body 59 lower limb 60R, 60L leg 61R, 61L foot 62R, 62L, 162R, 162L driven body 63R, 63L, 163R, 163L Drive rolling element 65,165 Ball wheel 67,167 Wheel 168 Stabilizer

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location B25J 13/00 Z B62D 57/032 57/02 57/028

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A bipedal walking apparatus comprising two legs having a hip joint, a knee joint, an ankle joint, and a foot, and alternately swinging out the two legs to walk bipedally. At least one knee joint has a knee. A driven rolling element capable of grounding when bent is provided, and at the same time, a drive rolling element that is grounded when at least the knee is bent is provided on each of the both feet, and these both driven rolling elements and the driven rolling element are grounded. A bipedal locomotion device that enables high-speed movement.