CN114407036B

CN114407036B - Cluster robot and charging equipment thereof

Info

Publication number: CN114407036B
Application number: CN202210102671.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘雳宇; 王高
Original assignee: Wenzhou Research Institute Of Guoke Wenzhou Institute Of Biomaterials And Engineering
Current assignee: Wenzhou Research Institute Of Guoke Wenzhou Institute Of Biomaterials And Engineering
Priority date: 2022-01-27
Filing date: 2022-01-27
Publication date: 2024-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 2042-01-27
Also published as: CN114407036A

Abstract

The embodiment of the application relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a clustered robot and charging equipment thereof. The clustered robot includes: a first circuit board carrying a control circuit; a first laminate carrying a plurality of rechargeable batteries; at least one pair of hooks with conductivity; a second laminate carrying a drive mechanism; and a second circuit board provided with a plurality of color sensors on the bottom surface. The hook is connected to a charging terminal for charging the rechargeable battery so that the rechargeable battery can be charged through the hook; the drive mechanism is connected to a power supply terminal of the rechargeable battery so that the rechargeable battery can supply power to the drive mechanism. The cluster robots in a standby state can be conveniently hung on the cross rod of the charging equipment through the hooks at the top, and charging is completed while the cluster robots are stored.

Description

Cluster robot and charging equipment thereof

[ field of technology ]

The invention relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a clustered robot and charging equipment thereof.

[ background Art ]

The clustered robot is inspired by the biological clustering phenomenon in the nature, and aims to emerge complex clustering behaviors through the local interaction of a large number of simple robots, and the system is provided with a clustered intelligent robot system for completing complex tasks. The clustered robot system can enable the multi-robot system to efficiently complete complex tasks that cannot be completed by a single robot through a self-organizing cooperative control mode.

In the practical application process, how to make a system comprising a large number of simple robots emerge complex and macroscopic cluster behaviors through local and simple interaction, and cluster intelligence capable of completing complex tasks beyond the capabilities of individuals is the focus and key of research.

At present, the research mode of the clustered robot mainly comprises two modes of computer simulation and entity scene construction. The computer simulation refers to verifying and simulating an algorithm theory of a machine cluster by constructing a complex virtual environment on an electronic computing platform through a simulation program. The building of the physical scene is to respectively build the physical robot and the physical scene through complex physical or chemical sensors to explore and research the behavior of the robot in the actual scene.

However, the virtual environment based on the simulation program cannot restore the real scene, and it is difficult to satisfy the requirement for fidelity in the real application. And a plurality of complex sensors are needed for building the entity scene, so that the development of robot cluster experiments is severely limited.

[ invention ]

The embodiment of the application aims to provide a clustered robot and charging equipment thereof, which can solve one or more defects existing in the existing clustered robot research mode.

In one aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a clustered robot. The clustered robot includes: a first circuit board carrying a control circuit; a first laminate carrying a plurality of rechargeable batteries; at least one pair of hooks with conductivity, wherein the hooks extend upwards from the top surface of the first circuit board and are positioned at the top end of the clustered robot; a second laminate carrying a drive mechanism; and a second circuit board provided with a plurality of color sensors on the bottom surface. The first circuit board, the first layer board, the second layer board and the second circuit board are arranged in a stacked mode; the hook is connected to a charging terminal for charging the rechargeable battery so that the rechargeable battery can be charged through the hook; the drive mechanism is connected to a power supply terminal of the rechargeable battery to enable the rechargeable battery to power the drive mechanism.

Optionally, the clustered robot further includes: a plurality of infrared emission tubes arranged at the edge of the first circuit board; and a plurality of infrared receiving tubes arranged at the edge of the first circuit board. The infrared transmitting tube is used for transmitting infrared rays outwards, and the receiving port of the infrared receiving tube for receiving the infrared rays faces to the outer side of the first circuit board.

Optionally, the clustered robot further includes: and the baffle is arranged around the edge of the first circuit board, and the outer surface of the baffle has the capability of reflecting infrared rays. The baffle is provided with a plurality of notches so as to allow the infrared transmitting tube to transmit infrared rays outwards and the infrared receiving tube to receive infrared rays from the outside.

Optionally, the clustered robot further includes: at least one first display lamp capable of presenting a blue color; at least one second display light which may be green; at least one third display light which may appear red; and a lamp shade at least a portion of which is transparent. The first display lamp, the second display lamp and the third display lamp are arranged on the top surface of the first circuit board; the lampshade is sleeved on the first display lamp, the second display lamp and the third display lamp.

Optionally, the driving mechanism includes: a pair of motors disposed on the second layer; a pair of transmission assemblies disposed on the second ply; and a pair of wheels disposed on the second ply via a rotational axis. Wherein one of the motors drives one of the wheels to rotate in a forward direction or a reverse direction through one of the transmission assemblies; and a slot matched with the wheel is formed in the second circuit board, so that the wheel passes through the second circuit board and is positioned at the bottom end of the cluster robot.

Optionally, a pair of said wheels are symmetrically arranged along the center of the geometry of said clustered robot.

Optionally, the color sensor is provided with two pairs; each pair of color sensors is symmetrically arranged along the center of the geometric structure of the second circuit board; the same pair of color sensors has a preset interval therebetween.

Optionally, the clustered robot further includes: the plurality of supporting pieces are arranged on the bottom surface of the second circuit board and are provided with lengths matched with the ground clearance of the clustered robot.

Optionally, the rechargeable battery is provided with two or more. Wherein, in a charging state, the rechargeable batteries are connected in parallel; when the gear motor is powered, the rechargeable batteries are connected in series.

Optionally, the pair of hooks includes: a first hook connected with the positive charging terminal and a second hook connected with the negative charging terminal. The first hooks and the second hooks are symmetrically arranged along the geometric structure center of the clustered robot.

On the other hand, the embodiment of the application also provides charging equipment of the clustered robot. The charging device includes: an apparatus body made of an insulating material; at least one pair of crossbars made of electrically conductive material, and a power conversion device housed within the device body.

The cross rod is fixed on the equipment main body, so that a plurality of cluster robots are hung on the cross rod through hooks; and the cross bars are respectively and electrically connected with the positive electrode output end and the negative electrode output end of the power conversion device.

Optionally, the charging device further includes: a display screen arranged on the surface of the equipment main body and a plurality of control switches; each control switch is used for controlling the conduction and interruption of the electric connection between the pair of cross bars and the positive electrode output end and the negative electrode output end of the power conversion device.

Optionally, the pair of crossbars comprises: the first cross bar and the second cross bar are positioned at the same height and are arranged in parallel.

One of the advantageous aspects of the clustered robot of the embodiments of the application is: the cluster robot can sense the color condition of a specific site through a plurality of color sensors and sense the color gradient of the position of the robot, so that the virtual environment setting can represent the corresponding virtual environment by presenting a plurality of different color information, and complex and dynamic scenes required in the cluster robot experiment can be well met.

Another advantageous aspect of the clustered robot and the charging device thereof of the embodiments of the present application is: through the couple that is located the top, can be convenient hang a large amount of cluster robots that are in the state of waiting on the horizontal pole of battery charging outfit, cluster robots under the state of waiting can also accomplish the charge to rechargeable battery through couple and horizontal pole moreover. Therefore, great convenience is provided for the scientific research and application research of the clustered robots.

[ description of the drawings ]

One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which the figures of the drawings are not to be taken in a limiting sense, unless otherwise indicated.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an interaction system of a clustered robot and a virtual environment platform according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a virtual environment platform according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an interaction system of a clustered robot and a virtual environment platform provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a clustered robot provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a hook according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural view of a second laminate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a second circuit board according to an embodiment of the present application, which illustrates a bottom surface structure of the second circuit board;

fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a first circuit board according to an embodiment of the present application, which illustrates a top surface structure of the first circuit board;

fig. 9 is a functional block diagram of a clustered robot provided in an embodiment of the present application, showing a connection relationship between each functional module;

Fig. 10 is a functional block diagram of a clustered robot provided in another embodiment of the application, showing a connection relationship between each functional module;

fig. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a charging device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 12 is a functional block diagram of the charging device provided in the embodiment of the present application, showing a connection relationship between each functional module.

[ detailed description ] of the invention

In order that the invention may be readily understood, a more particular description thereof will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "fixed" to another element, it can be directly on the other element or one or more intervening elements may be present therebetween. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or one or more intervening elements may be present therebetween. The terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "bottom," and the like as used in this specification are used in an orientation or positional relationship based on that shown in the drawings, merely to facilitate the description of the invention and to simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and/or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In addition, the technical features mentioned in the different embodiments of the invention described below can be combined with one another as long as they do not conflict with one another.

In order to fully explain the clustered robot provided in the embodiments of the present application, an application scenario of the clustered robot is described in detail below in conjunction with an interaction system of the clustered robot and a virtual environment shown in fig. 1. Referring to fig. 1, the interactive system may include: a virtual environment platform 10, a clustered robot 20, an image acquisition device 30, and a data processing device 40.

Wherein the virtual environment platform 10 is a device that forms different virtual environments by presenting a plurality of color information. It may in particular be constituted by any suitable type of light emitting device, only having to be able to present a sufficient amount of color information.

"color information" refers to the color condition exhibited by the virtual environment platform 10 as a whole. It is possible to form rich and complex color information by a variety of controllable parameters such as the kind of display color, the position of the display color, the gray value of the display color, and the like. The specific parameter types contained in the color information may be determined by the specific implementation of the virtual environment platform 10.

In some embodiments, fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a virtual environment platform according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 2, the main body of the virtual environment platform 10 may be a rectangular plane with a specific size, so that the cluster robot 20 can walk on the rectangular plane 11 at will.

A lamp bead array consisting of a plurality of lamp beads 12 is laid under the rectangular plane 11. The beads can be uniformly arranged on the rectangular plane 11 with proper density according to the actual situation. Each of the beads 11 has a plurality of light sources (e.g., red, blue, and green light sources) integrated thereon, and can selectively transmit one or more of red light, blue light, or green light.

Thus, one virtual environment platform 10 can display a very rich amount of color information by changing the color displayed by each bead and the gray level of the color displayed by each bead, so as to correspond to different environments.

The cluster robot 20 has a basic movement function, and is capable of recognizing a color change and feeding back an environmental modification operation by specific color information. The clustered robots 20 are arranged above the virtual environment platform 10 and can perform corresponding actions based on the identified color information and interactions with surrounding clustered robots.

The image capture device 30 is a single-lens camera or other similar device for capturing a virtual environment platform 10 to obtain a color image containing color information (presented by the virtual environment platform 10) and color combinations (presented by the clustered robot 20). The specific implementation of the image capturing device 30 is not limited in this embodiment, and may be set according to the needs of practical situations, for example, setting a camera bracket adapted to the virtual environment platform, and selecting a specific model of camera or shooting parameters.

In some embodiments, the resolution of the color image captured by image capture device 30 may be determined based on the array of light beads of virtual environment platform 10 such that the color image contains pixels consistent in number and location with the light beads of the virtual environment platform.

Such a design may allow each bead in the virtual environment platform 10 to correspond to a pixel in the captured color image, thereby allowing the system to achieve pixel level control of the environment platform.

In other embodiments, referring to fig. 3, image capture device 30 may include an infrared camera 32 for capturing infrared images in addition to a single-lens 31 for capturing color images of a particular resolution. The infrared camera cooperates with the clustered robot 20 to help determine where the clustered robot 20 is located. In particular, the infrared camera may be a camera equipped with a specific filter that allows only infrared light of a specific wavelength band to pass. For example, an infrared filter allowing only a wavelength of around 940nm is mounted.

The data processing device 40 is an electronic computing platform for performing data processing and analysis. Which serves as a control hub for the overall interactive system. Which controls the color information presented by the virtual environment platform by receiving the color image and/or the infrared image provided by the image acquisition device 30 and outputting corresponding control instructions after corresponding data processing and analysis.

It should be noted that the electronic computing platform should be understood as a device integrated with various functions that meet the actual use needs, and is not limited to a single structural device. For example, referring to fig. 3, it may be composed of a host 41 for performing operations and data processing, and a screen controller 42 for controlling the bead array of the virtual environment platform 10.

In the interaction system shown in fig. 1, the interaction between the clustered robots and the environment is indirectly realized by taking rich color change as an intermediary, so that the deep coupling between the clustered robots and the environment is realized. In response to the need for the above-mentioned interactive system, the embodiment of the present application provides a clustered robot. The cluster robot can identify color change, meets the use requirement of the interaction system provided by the embodiment, and has the advantages of convenience in research and use and the like.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a cluster robot according to an embodiment of the present application. The cluster robot is of a laminated robot structure, can identify rich color changes and provides a hook structure convenient to store.

Referring to fig. 4, the clustered robot 20 may include: hook 210, first circuit board 220, first laminate 230, second laminate 240, and second circuit board 250.

Wherein the hook 210 is located at the top end of the clustered robot. Which may extend upward from the top surface of the first circuit board 220, at the top of the clustered robot.

The number of hooks 210 may be set according to the actual situation, and a pair of hooks is shown as an example in this embodiment. In some embodiments, referring to fig. 5, for ease of description, a pair of the hooks are referred to in this embodiment as "first hook 211" and "second hook 212", respectively. The hook openings of the first hook 211 and the second hook 212 are opposite in direction and are symmetrically arranged along the geometric center of the cluster robot.

The hook 210 is a conductive member. Where "conductive" means that at least a portion of the hook 210 is an electrical conductor capable of allowing current to pass from the hook 210. In particular, the hooks 210 may be provided with electrical conductivity by any type of specific structural design.

For example, the body of the hook 210 may be made directly from a conductive material (e.g., metallic copper or aluminum). Preferably, the outer surface of the hook 210 made of conductive material may be further coated with a protective layer made of non-conductive material to expose only a part of the contact points for protection.

In other embodiments, the hanger 210 may be made of a non-conductive material (e.g., plastic) and wires of a suitable radius embedded within the hanger 210 and extending through the hanger 210, thereby providing conductivity to the hanger 210 and similar protective effect.

Of course, the specific implementation structure of the hook 210 may be modified, replaced or combined according to the actual situation, and is not limited to the implementation described in the above embodiments.

One of the advantageous aspects of the hook provided by the embodiments of the present application at the top of a clustered robot is: the method can provide convenience for researchers to take out specific one or more cluster robots from the virtual environment platform. Researchers can conveniently take out the clustered robots through the hooking mode, especially under the condition that the area occupied by the virtual environment platform is large and the researchers are inconvenient to enter.

Another advantageous aspect of the hook provided by the embodiments of the present application at the top of a clustered robot is: the hook at the top end can enable the cluster robot to be conveniently hung on a cross rod or other similar structures, and great convenience is brought to researchers for accommodating the idle cluster robots.

Yet another advantageous aspect of the hooks provided by the embodiments of the present application at the top of a clustered robot is: under the condition that the hook at the top end has conductivity, the hook can be matched with equipment for accommodating the clustered robot, so that the charging operation can be conveniently completed in an idle state, and great convenience is brought to research experiments of the clustered robot.

The first circuit board 220 is a support structure for carrying control circuitry. It may in particular be of any suitable size or material, a carrier, such as a printed circuit board (PrintedCircuitBoard, PCB), which can be used to support and interconnect electrical components.

The "control circuit" may be implemented by any type of processor and its associated circuit modules, which have logic operation capabilities that meet the needs of the application. The method can be used as a control core of the whole cluster robot, and a series of logic judgment or calculation steps are executed by calling a pre-stored program instruction so as to realize interaction between the cluster robot and the environment.

Specifically, the control circuit may use an ATmega328P microcontroller as the overall control core. The microcontroller has both computing and storage capabilities, and the core processor is an AVR and has a32 KB flash memory capacity, 2 kbram and 1 kbeprom. Preferably, a UART interface of 5 wires can be led out from the microcontroller so as to conveniently program the robot repeatedly, and the actual use requirement of the clustered robot is met.

The first layer 230 is a support structure for carrying the rechargeable battery 231. It can be made of any suitable type of material, such as plastic with sufficient hardness, and can be formed into corresponding sizes and shapes according to practical requirements.

Rechargeable battery 231 refers to an energy storage assembly capable of storing electrical energy. The electric energy storage device has the characteristics of reusability, and can output electric energy in a use state and store electric energy from outside in a charging state.

Specifically, the number of the rechargeable batteries 231 may be set to two. Each rechargeable battery 310 has a capacity of 350mAh and is capable of providing a voltage of about 3.7V. Of course, the specific parameters of the number, capacity, type, etc. of the rechargeable batteries 231 can be adjusted by the skilled person according to the actual situation. All such adjustments to the specific parameters of the rechargeable battery 231 are within the scope of the present application.

Preferably, in order to increase the charging speed, in the case where a plurality of rechargeable batteries 231 are provided, the rechargeable batteries 231 may be charged simultaneously in parallel connection. In the operating state, the plurality of rechargeable batteries 231 are switched to be connected in series to provide a sufficient operation voltage to drive the driving mechanism.

With continued reference to fig. 4, the second deck 240 is a support structure for carrying the drive mechanism. Similar to the first laminate 230, it may be made of any suitable material and size as desired, so long as the support for the drive mechanism is achieved.

The driving mechanism is a generic name of a related mechanism for driving the cluster robot to correspondingly move on the virtual environment platform according to an instruction issued by the control circuit. Which is powered by rechargeable battery 231, using wheels, tracks, rollers, or other suitable types of running gear to move the clustered robot over the virtual environment platform.

In some embodiments, fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 6, the driving mechanism may include: motor 241, transmission assembly 242, and wheels 243.

Wherein the motor 241, the transmission assembly 242 and the wheels 243 are all arranged in pairs and symmetrically arranged along the geometric center of the second laminate 240, so that the rotation center of the cluster robot when rotation occurs coincides with the center of the geometric structure of the cluster robot.

The motor 241 may specifically be any suitable type of motor as may be desired. The transmission assembly 242 is a power transmission mechanism comprised of a series of gears and/or other transmission components. The specific composition thereof may be set as needed in the actual case, and is not particularly limited in this embodiment.

Specifically, the motor 241 may be a gear motor including a reduction gearbox. The transmission assembly 242 may be a transmission mechanism composed of a plurality of gears. The wheel 243 may be provided on the second circuit board by a bearing.

In actual operation, the motor 241 outputs power in accordance with a control command issued by the control circuit based on electric power supplied from the rechargeable battery. The transmission assembly 242 transmits the power output by the motor 241 to the wheels 243, so that the wheels 243 rotate forward or backward at a specific speed, and the cluster robot moves on the virtual environment platform.

One of the advantageous aspects of the drive mechanism provided by the embodiments of the present application is: the control circuit can independently control the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the two wheels, so that the robot can realize omnidirectional movement, and the research requirement of the clustered robot is met.

One of the advantageous aspects of the drive mechanism provided by the embodiments of the present application is: the two wheels are positioned at the central symmetrical position of the geometric structure of the cluster robot, so that the space position of the cluster robot can not be displaced when the cluster robot rotates, redundant dynamic variables are prevented from being introduced into the cluster robot system, and convenience is brought to the research and analysis of the cluster robot system.

With continued reference to fig. 4, the second circuit board 250 is a support structure carrying the color sensor. Similar to the first circuit board 220, it is also possible to select a carrier of a suitable size or material, such as a printed circuit board (PrintedCircuitBoard, PCB), according to the actual situation.

The color sensor is a sensor device for sensing color value information. Which can sense the color information within the specific area to which it is directed and feed it back to the control circuit. Specifically, a color sensor manufactured by AMS company and having a model number TCS3200 may be selected for use.

The color sensor firstly receives external light signals by using filters with three colors of red, green and blue respectively, and then converts the received current signals which are proportional to the light color intensity into square wave signals with certain frequencies by using a programmable frequency converter (the frequencies of the square wave signals are proportional to the color intensity). And finally, acquiring the output square wave frequency or counting square wave pulses within a certain time by the microcontroller to calculate the corresponding color intensity information.

In addition, the color sensor may be provided in plurality, respectively disposed at different positions of the second circuit board. The color sensors at different positions are arranged in such a way, so that the control circuit can obtain the color gradient of the position of the clustered robot based on the color changes detected by the color sensors at different positions, and the requirement of the clustered robot research is better met.

Preferably, fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a bottom surface of a second circuit board 250 according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 7, two pairs of color sensors 251 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the second circuit board 250. Both pairs of color sensors 251 are symmetrically arranged along the center of the geometry of the second circuit board. The same pair of color sensors 251 have a predetermined distance therebetween, and are located near the edge of the second circuit board 500.

Taking the circular second circuit board 250 shown in fig. 7 as an example, the up-down pitch and the left-right pitch of the color sensor 251 are each set to 55mm, and are symmetrically distributed in a cross shape.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 7, in adaptation to embodiments employing wheels as the running gear, the second circuit board 250 may further be provided with a slot 252 adapted to the wheel 243. The wheel 243 passes through the second circuit board 250 through the slot 252 and is located at the bottom end of the entire cluster robot.

In other embodiments, referring to fig. 7, a plurality of supporting members 253 may be provided on the bottom surface of the second circuit board 250 in addition to the color sensor 251.

The supporting piece 253 has a length matched with the ground clearance of the cluster robot, and can support the cluster robot to prevent the cluster robot from side turning or toppling over.

In particular, the support 253 may be a round head pin. Of course, the support pieces with other proper shapes can be selected and arranged according to the actual situation, and the support pieces only need to play a role in supporting and cannot damage the virtual environment platform.

With continued reference to fig. 4, the first circuit board 220, the first laminate 230, the second laminate 240, and the second circuit board 250 may be assembled by sequentially stacking and fixing them in the axial direction by any suitable fixing connection method, so as to form a complete clustered robot.

For example, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, four screws 254 may be inserted through the predetermined through holes of the second circuit board 250 and screwed into the screw holes 244 of the second laminate 240 at the corresponding positions to fix the second circuit board 250 to the second laminate 240.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a first circuit board 220 according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 8, in addition to the control circuit described in the above embodiments, the first circuit board 220 further includes: a plurality of infrared transmitting tubes 221 and a plurality of infrared receiving tubes 222.

The infrared transmitting tube 221 and the infrared receiving tube 222 are disposed at the edge of the first circuit board 220, and the transmitting port and the receiving port of the infrared transmitting tube are facing the outer side of the first circuit board 220, so as to transmit infrared rays outwards and receive infrared information from the outside.

Specifically, IR333C type IR transmitting tube may be selected for the IR transmitting tube 221. The infrared receiver 222 may be a PT333-3B infrared receiver, and in actual operation, the clustered robots may implement local communication with each other through a dedicated infrared communication protocol without setting an additional communication module.

The number of infrared transmitting tubes 221 and infrared receiving tubes 222 can be set by a skilled person according to the actual situation. Taking the first circuit board 220 shown in fig. 8 as an example, 8 infrared emitting tubes and 4 infrared receiving tubes may be provided. These infrared transmitting tube 221 and infrared receiving tube 222 may be uniformly disposed at the edge of the first circuit board 220.

One of the advantageous aspects of the infrared transmitting tube provided by the embodiments of the present application is: through a plurality of infrared transmitting tubes of evenly setting in first circuit board edge, can make the infrared ray of cluster robot outwards transmitting have great coverage, the cluster robot perception of periphery of being convenient for.

One of the advantages of the infrared receiving tube provided by the embodiment of the application is that: the infrared receiving tubes which are arranged at the edge of the first circuit board in a balanced mode can be independently controlled, can be used for receiving infrared signals, achieves interaction between adjacent cluster robots, can also be used for achieving infrared obstacle avoidance, and avoids collision.

Preferably, with continued reference to fig. 4, the clustered robot further includes: and a baffle 260 surrounding the edge of the first circuit board.

Wherein the outer surface of the baffle 260 is a surface having the ability to reflect infrared rays. This may be achieved by applying a coating having infrared reflection capability or other suitable means. Baffle 260 is also provided with a plurality of notches 261 which are matched with the infrared transmitting tube and the infrared receiving tube. Thus, infrared transmitting tube 221 may transmit infrared light outwardly through notch 261. The infrared receiving tube 222 may also receive infrared rays from the external environment via the notch 261.

One of the advantageous aspects of the baffle provided by the embodiments of the present application is: through the infrared reflection effect of the baffle, the infrared signal reflection intensity of the clustered robots can be enhanced, so that the infrared signals emitted outwards by the clustered robots can be perceived or acquired by other clustered robots more easily.

With continued reference to fig. 4 and 8, in accordance with some embodiments of the present application, the first circuit board 220 may further include, in addition to the control circuit described in the above embodiments: the first display lamp 223a, the second display lamp 223b, the third display lamp 223c, and the lamp cover 224.

Wherein the first, second and third display lamps 223a, 223b and 223c may independently represent blue, green and red LED lamps, respectively. Which can be independently controlled by the control circuit to light up or not to form different color combinations.

The lamp housing 224 is at least partially transparent and allows the lighting of the display lamp to be externally observed. The cover is sleeved on the first display lamp 223a, the second display lamp 223b and the third display lamp 223c, and plays roles of protecting and gathering light rays and the like,

specifically, the lampshade 224 may be a translucent lampshade structure obtained by direct printing through a 3D printing technology. Of course, the lampshade of any other suitable material, size and shape can be selected according to the actual situation.

One of the advantageous aspects of the display lamp and the lampshade thereof provided by the embodiment of the application is that: a plurality of display lamps on the top surface of the first circuit board 200 may form a plurality of different color combinations to represent the current state of the cluster robot. The lampshade sleeved outside can gather the light generated after the display lamp is lighted, so that the display lamp light is prevented from being dispersed, and the color combination of the display lamp can be better identified and observed.

Preferably, with continued reference to fig. 8, in addition to the three display lamps, the first circuit board 220 may be additionally provided with an infrared LED lamp 223d for emitting infrared rays (for example, 940 nm) with a specific wavelength. The infrared LED lamp 223d is also housed within the lamp housing 224.

One of the advantageous aspects of the infrared LED lamp provided by the embodiments of the present application is: the infrared LED lamp located on the top surface of the first circuit board 200 may emit specific infrared rays upwards, which can be distinguished from the color information of the virtual environment platform, providing great convenience for locating the position of the clustered robot.

It should be noted that 4 different LED lamps are respectively named 223a to 223d in fig. 8 for convenience of description. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above-mentioned four LED lamps may also be adjusted to any relative positional relationship according to the actual situation, and are not limited to the one shown in fig. 8.

In order to fully explain the operation principle of the clustered robot provided in the embodiment of the present application, the following describes in detail the movement control and charging control process of the clustered robot in conjunction with the functional block diagram of the clustered robot provided in the embodiment of the present application shown in fig. 9.

1) Referring to fig. 9, a rechargeable battery 231 mounted on a first laminate 230 is electrically connected to a charging terminal 232 and a power supply terminal 233.

Wherein, the positive and negative poles of the charging terminal 232 are electrically connected with the first and second hooks 211 and 212, respectively, so that an external power source can be connected to the rechargeable battery 231 through the first and second hooks 211 and 212. The positive and negative electrodes of the power supply terminal 233 are electrically connected to the motor 241 such that the rechargeable battery 231 can supply power to the motor 241.

2) With continued reference to fig. 9, a communication connection is established between the control circuit 221 and the motor 241, and a corresponding control command can be issued to the motor 241 to drive the wheels to rotate so as to realize movement control of the cluster robot.

Wherein, when the cluster robot needs to advance or retreat, the control circuit 221 may control the pair of wheels 243 to rotate in the same direction and speed. And when the cluster robot needs to turn, the control circuit 221 controls the pair of wheels 243 to rotate reversely or to have different rotation speeds. The specific control manner can be set by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and will not be described herein.

3) With continued reference to fig. 9, a plurality of color sensors 251 disposed on the second circuit board 250 are each communicatively coupled to the control circuit 221.

The control circuit 221 may obtain color information provided by the color sensors 251 and located at different positions of the clustered robot. Further, based on the spacing between the color sensors 251, the control circuit 221 may also calculate and obtain a color gradient of the current position of the clustered robot.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the functional modules of the clustered robot may be adjusted, replaced or integrated according to the actual situation, and are not limited to those shown in fig. 9. For example, referring to fig. 10, the clustered robot may further include: a power management module 222 and a motor drive module 223.

The power management module 222 is configured to implement charge and discharge management on the rechargeable battery 231, so as to ensure that the rechargeable battery 231 can be used efficiently and safely. The motor driving module 222 is used for enabling the microprocessor to effectively drive the motor to output target power.

In some embodiments, the motor drive module 222 may use a dual channel TB6612FNG dc motor drive chip. The MOSFET-H bridge structure can provide dual-channel high-current output, and meets the use requirement of directly driving the two motors 241.

In order to fully explain the practical application process of the clustered robot provided in the embodiment of the present application, a manner of the interactive system for realizing the perception of the clustered robot to the environment, the active transformation of the clustered robot to the environment, and the interaction between the clustered robot and the environment with low delay will be described in detail below with reference to the functional block diagram of the interactive system shown in fig. 3.

Referring to fig. 3, the environment (i.e. the corresponding relationship between the two) indicated by each color information, and the environment interaction mode (i.e. the corresponding relationship between the two) marked by each color combination can be preset and recorded in a specific storage space (identified by data 43 in the figure) through any suitable data format for the host 41 to call.

On the other hand, when controlling the color information required to be presented by the virtual environment platform 10, the host 41 may read the correspondence between the preset color information and the represented environment in the data 43, and determine the target color information corresponding to the environment that needs to be provided at present. Control instructions to present the target color information are then provided to the virtual environment platform 10 via the screen controller 42 to cause it to present the target color information.

Thus, the clustered robot 20 may sense color information (such as a displayed color and intensity of the displayed color) of the current position through the color sensor 251, thereby realizing sensing of the environment.

On the other hand, based on the received color images, the host 41 may determine the color combinations presented by the respective clustered robots 20, and determine the environmental interaction pattern marked by the current color combination by reading the environmental interaction pattern marked by each color combination preset in the data 43.

The host 41 can analyze and determine the influence on the environment caused by the environment interaction mode, and correspondingly update the color information by reading the corresponding relation between the preset color information and the indicated environment in the data 43. Finally, it may provide corresponding control instructions to the virtual environment platform 10 via the screen controller 42 to cause it to present updated color information.

Thus, the cluster robot 20 can perform active reconstruction of the environment indirectly through the form of optical signals (i.e. color combination).

In a preferred embodiment, the host 41 can also capture the obtained infrared image by means of the infrared camera 32, so as to quickly and conveniently obtain the position information of the clustered robots. Such a design is advantageous for achieving low latency of interactions between clustered robots and the environment.

Based on the clustered robot provided by the embodiment, the embodiment of the application also provides charging equipment matched with the clustered robot. The device can be used as a storage device for cluster robots which are not used temporarily, and can also charge the cluster robots stored therein. In the present embodiment, it is simply referred to as "charging device" for the sake of descriptive convenience.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a charging device according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 12 is a functional block diagram of a charging device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 11 and 12, the charging device 50 may include: a device body 510, pairs of crossbars 520, and a power conversion device 530.

Wherein the device body 510 is an insulating member as a device body structure. Which may be formed of wood or other suitable material and occupy a certain volume.

The cross bars 520 are members arranged in pairs. Similar to the hook 210 of the above embodiment, it is also a conductive member. For example, it may be formed by metallic copper, metallic aluminum, or other suitable type of conductive material.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 11, a plurality of pairs of cross bars 520 are sequentially fixed on the apparatus main body 510 at certain height intervals, and a plurality of different layers are formed to house the cluster robots.

Wherein each pair of crossbars may include: the first cross bar and the second cross bar are positioned at the same height in parallel. The first horizontal pole and the second horizontal pole that set up like this are located the first couple and the second couple looks adaptation on top with every cluster robot to make idle cluster robot can be stable hang on the horizontal pole, by neat accomodate in charging equipment.

The power conversion device 530 is an electrical apparatus for converting a power supply at an input terminal and outputting a target power supply at an output terminal. The specific implementation of the power conversion device 530 can be determined by those skilled in the art according to the needs of the actual situation, and will not be described herein.

With continued reference to fig. 12, the positive output and the negative output of the power conversion device 530 housed in the apparatus body 510 may be electrically connected to a pair of cross bars 520, respectively. The pairs of crossbars 520 may be connected in parallel and also connected to the outputs of the power conversion device 530.

In the actual operation process, the cluster robots which are idle and not needed to be used can be hung on the cross rod 520 through the hook 100, so that the cluster robots can be stored. At this time, an external power source (e.g., 220V mains) may be connected to the input of the power conversion device 530. After conversion by the power conversion device 530, a suitable dc voltage is formed and output from the output terminal. The dc voltage, after passing through the crossbar 520 and the hook 210 in sequence, may be fed to a rechargeable battery to charge the cluster robot.

With continued reference to fig. 11 and 12, the charging device may further include: a display 540 and a number of control switches 550.

Among them, a display screen 540 may be disposed on the surface of the apparatus body 510 to present one or more data information related to the charging state of the cluster robot, such as a current, a voltage, a charge amount of charging, whether an abnormality occurs, and the like, to the user.

The display 540 may alternatively be any suitable type of display device including, but not limited to, an LED screen, an LCD screen, or an electronic ink screen, as long as it is capable of presenting one or more data messages to a user.

The control switches 550 are switches disposed on the electrical connection path of each pair of rails 520 to the power conversion device 530. Which may be used to control the conduction or interruption of the electrical connection path so that a user may implement independent control of whether different rails 520 are charged.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 12, the control switch 550 may be implemented as a manual button, and is disposed on the device body at a position flush with each pair of crossbars, so that a user may independently control the connection or disconnection of a pair of crossbars according to his/her needs.

Of course, the control switch 550 may be implemented by touching a button or other interactive devices, and only needs to be capable of receiving a control instruction of a user to independently control the electrical connection between one or more pairs of cross bars and the power conversion device to be turned on or off.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solution of the present invention, and are not limiting; the technical features of the above embodiments or in the different embodiments may also be combined within the idea of the invention, the steps may be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of the different aspects of the invention as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity; although the invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: the technical scheme described in the foregoing embodiments can be modified or some technical features thereof can be replaced by equivalents; such modifications and substitutions do not depart from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A clustered robot comprising:

A first circuit board carrying a control circuit;

a first laminate carrying a plurality of rechargeable batteries;

at least one pair of hooks with conductivity, wherein the hooks extend upwards from the top surface of the first circuit board and are positioned at the top end of the clustered robot;

a second laminate carrying a drive mechanism; and

a second circuit board provided with a plurality of color sensors on the bottom surface;

the first circuit board, the first layer board, the second layer board and the second circuit board are arranged in a stacked mode;

the hook is connected to a charging terminal for charging the rechargeable battery so that the rechargeable battery can be charged through the hook;

the drive mechanism is connected to a power supply terminal of the rechargeable battery to enable the rechargeable battery to power the drive mechanism.

2. The clustered robot as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of infrared emission tubes arranged at the edge of the first circuit board; and

a plurality of infrared receiving tubes arranged at the edge of the first circuit board;

the infrared transmitting tube is used for transmitting infrared rays outwards, and the receiving port of the infrared receiving tube for receiving the infrared rays faces to the outer side of the first circuit board.

3. The clustered robot as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

the baffle is arranged around the edge of the first circuit board, and the outer surface of the baffle has the capability of reflecting infrared rays;

the baffle is provided with a plurality of notches so as to allow the infrared transmitting tube to transmit infrared rays outwards and the infrared receiving tube to receive infrared rays from the outside.

4. The clustered robot as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one first display lamp capable of presenting a blue color;

at least one second display light which may be green;

at least one third display light which may appear red; and

at least a portion of the transparent globe;

the first display lamp, the second display lamp and the third display lamp are arranged on the top surface of the first circuit board; the lampshade is sleeved on the first display lamp, the second display lamp and the third display lamp.

5. The clustered robot of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism includes:

a pair of motors disposed on the second layer;

a pair of transmission assemblies disposed on the second ply; and

a pair of wheels disposed on the second ply via a rotational axis;

Wherein one of the motors drives one of the wheels to rotate in a forward direction or a reverse direction through one of the transmission assemblies;

and a slot matched with the wheel is formed in the second circuit board, so that the wheel passes through the second circuit board and is positioned at the bottom end of the cluster robot.

6. The clustered robot of claim 5, wherein a pair of the wheels are symmetrically disposed along a center of the geometry of the clustered robot.

7. The clustered robot of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the color sensors are provided in two pairs; each pair of color sensors is symmetrically arranged along the center of the geometric structure of the second circuit board; the same pair of color sensors has a preset interval therebetween.

8. The clustered robot as defined in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:

the plurality of supporting pieces are arranged on the bottom surface of the second circuit board and are provided with lengths matched with the ground clearance of the clustered robot.

9. The clustered robot of claim 5, wherein the rechargeable battery is provided with two or more;

Wherein, in a charging state, the rechargeable batteries are connected in parallel; the rechargeable batteries are connected in series when the motor is powered.

10. The clustered robot of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a pair of the hooks comprises:

a first hook connected with the positive charging terminal; and

a second hook connected with the negative electrode charging terminal;

the first hooks and the second hooks are symmetrically arranged along the geometric structure center of the clustered robot.

11. The clustered robot as defined in claim 10, further comprising: charging equipment:

wherein, the charging device includes:

an apparatus body made of an insulating material;

at least one pair of crossbars made of electrically conductive material; and

a power conversion device housed in the device main body;

the cross rod is fixed on the equipment main body, so that a plurality of cluster robots are hung on the cross rod through the first hooks and the second hooks; and the cross bars are respectively and electrically connected with the positive electrode output end and the negative electrode output end of the power conversion device.

12. The clustered robot as defined in claim 11, wherein the charging apparatus further comprises:

A display screen arranged on a surface of the apparatus main body; and

a plurality of control switches; each control switch is used for controlling the conduction and interruption of the electric connection between the pair of cross bars and the positive electrode output end and the negative electrode output end of the power conversion device.

13. The clustered robot as defined in claim 11, wherein a pair of the crossbars includes:

the first cross bar and the second cross bar are positioned at the same height and are arranged in parallel.