JP2003266336A - Multileg walking robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multileg walking robot excellent in obstacle avoiding performance making the best use of the characteristics of walking and running and high in a drive energy transmission efficiency and capable of effecting high speed walking and especially widening a utilizing field by realizing animal and quick movement characteristics. <P>SOLUTION: In the multileg walking robot constituted that subsidiary leg parts disposed longitudinally, laterally, and vertically of a machine body through joints are walked by a drive force, converted into reciprocating movement by leg drive parts, from a power transmission part, leg parts 9-16 of the leg drive parts 5, 6, 7, and 8 are revolvably constituted. In addition to the advantage of the walking robot capable of avoiding an obstacle by walking striding it, through combination of the revolving angles of the leg parts 9-16 and selection of a kick-out direction, crab crawling in an advancing reversing and horizontal revolving, and oblique and lateral direction of a machine body, and crab crawling in a circular shape centering around one point in the advancing direction of a machine body, and further pivotal brake turn and the like are practicable, and animal quick walking performance far exceeding the running characteristics of a vehicle can be realized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention walks on subordinate legs arranged in front, rear, left and right of a body via joints by a driving force from a power transmission unit converted into a reciprocating motion by a leg driving unit. The present invention relates to a multi-legged walking robot configured to perform.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a traveling device suitable for traveling on rough terrain, a work vehicle equipped with large tires capable of reducing the ground contact pressure, an endless track zone, a snow vehicle, etc. have been known. However, when these endless ground-based traveling bodies encounter obstacles on the road surface such as undergrowth and rocks in mountainous areas, they ride on them or make detours to avoid them. In particular, when the obstacle is a dangerous object such as a land mine, the vehicle cannot be ridden, and depending on the vehicle, a large turning operation is required and traveling control is troublesome. Because of that,
You can walk over obstacles even on soft ground such as snow, tidal flats, and sand, and you can increase the ground contact area of the legs relatively freely by replacing it and reduce the ground contact pressure. The advantages of legged walking machines, which can be easily restored by replacement, have been reviewed.

In such a flow, a humanoid legged robot in which a joint drive motor is built in each joint has been proposed, which realizes a high degree of freedom in movement performance. Is complicated and difficult to control. In addition, each motor of the leg is required to have contradictory performance such as high torque and high speed rotation. Therefore, most of the robots of this type are aimed at realization of toys or walking itself, It was poor in practicality. From such a situation, a link mechanism from a central power source is used as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 (from “How to make a fun competition robot” by Mitsuyo Yunomo, published by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, pages 49 and 80, 81). A walking type multi-legged robot that drives the legs has been proposed.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an eight-legged walking robot. FIG. 7 (A) is an overall plan view, FIG. 7 (B) is an overall perspective view, and FIG.
7C is an overall side view, and FIG. 7D is an overall front view.
Inside the main body 130, there is provided a drive motor or an internal combustion engine, which constitutes a power transmission section, and a speed reducer including a gear unit driven by these power sources.
The output shaft of the speed reducer causes a pair of left and right leg drive units 105, 106 and 107, 108 to convert the driving force into reciprocating motion, and the joint link 36 (FIG. 9 to be described later) is used to drive the airframe. The subordinate leg portions (110 and 112 illustrated in FIG. 7C) arranged on the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle are configured to walk.

The walking principle of this walking robot will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. Since FIG. 8 has a behavior characteristic that the contact time, that is, the stroke can be taken relatively long,
It is an explanatory view of a Chebyshev link mechanism frequently used in this type of walking robot. In FIG. 8 (A), the crank is rotated by the rotating drive shaft, and the link 1 is pivotally supported by the joint at one end of the crank.
The other end of the link 2, which reciprocates around a shaft whose one end is positionally fixed, is pivotally supported by the intermediate joint of the link 1.
In such a link structure, the ratio of the lengths of the respective members is crank: 1, the distance between the drive shaft and the position fixing shaft:
2, link 2: 2.5, joint distance: 2.5, distance between the intermediate joint and the other end of the link 1 is 2.5, and the link locus a at the other end of the link 1 is 2 points. It is formed by a straight line and an arc portion like a chain line.

FIG. 8 (B) is a detailed plot of the behavior of the other end of the link 1 as the crank rotates.
As can be understood from this, a curved portion having a large speed is drawn between the crank rotation angles of 1 to 5 and about 90 degrees, and the speed is drawn between the crank rotation angles of 6 to 12 and about 270 degrees. The small straight part of is drawn. The behavior of the other end of the link 1 is linked to the movement of the leg of the walking robot. The curved part with a high speed is used for the returning motion of the walking leg (foot) after taking off, and the linear part with a low speed is used for the walking with the walking leg grounded.

FIG. 9 illustrates the behavior of the outer leg drive unit 106 of the pair of left and right inner leg drive units 105 and 106 of the machine body 130 shown in FIG. 7A.
The rotational driving force from the drive shaft, which is the output shaft of the reduction gear, is transmitted via the timing belt to the Chebyshev link drive shaft 3
1 is transmitted. The other end portion 35 of the first link 33, in which the swing end portion of the second link 34 that reciprocally swings around the position-fixed shaft by the rotation of the crank 32 is pivotally supported by the intermediate joint, is the link of FIG. It reciprocates between a straight line portion and a curved line portion such as a locus a (Chebyshev link locus). Foot 1 in which one end is pivotally supported by the other end 35 of the first link 33 and the other end is a leg
The joint link 36 connected to 12 is provided with a shaft portion 37 in the vicinity of the other end portion 35 of the first link, and the shaft portion 37 moves back and forth in the linear elongated hole 38 of the leg drive portion. Configured to slide.

In the Chebyshev link locus, the foot 112 walks while touching the ground at the straight portion having a low speed, and at the curved portion having a high speed, the foot 11 like a chain double-dashed line.
A quick return movement after taking off 2 is performed. actually,
Since walking by linear motion has a low ability to climb a step, the link becomes a little complicated, but by incorporating a circular movement in foot feeding, it is configured to enhance the step climbing ability.

[0009]

By adopting such a Chebyshev link mechanism, it becomes possible to ground the walking leg for a long time and a stroke, and the ratio of the time in which one of the feet touches the ground increases, which increases the number of times. Stable running as a legged robot is possible, and in spite of the simple link mechanism, agile motion is possible and motion characteristics similar to those of a tracked vehicle are obtained. However, due to the above-mentioned characteristics, it was not out of the range of motion performance equivalent to that of a tracked vehicle. Therefore, the field of use was also limited.

Therefore, the present invention solves the problems of the conventional multi-legged walking robot, takes advantage of the characteristics of walking and excels in obstacle avoidance performance, and has high driving energy transmission efficiency and high-speed walking. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-legged walking robot which is capable of achieving animal-like and agile motion characteristics and can be used in a wide range of fields.

[0011]

Therefore, according to the present invention, the driving force from the power transmission portion converted into reciprocating motion by the leg driving portion is arranged in the front-rear, left-right and up-down directions of the body via joints. In a multi-legged walking robot configured to walk a typical leg, the leg of the leg drive unit is configured to be rotatable. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the distance from the turning center axis of the leg to the reciprocating range of the leg is extended according to the turning angle of the leg. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the leg is turned by a turning motor arranged near a turning central axis. Further, the present invention is characterized in that a power unit for auxiliary power is installed on the leg portion. Further, according to the present invention, by arranging the leg driving units having a plurality of rows arranged on the left and right and the upper and lower sides of the machine body so as to be offset from each other in the front and rear, the swingable range of the legs restricted by mutual interference between the swinging legs is set. It is characterized in that it is configured to be changed arbitrarily. Further, according to the present invention, in the leg drive unit in which a plurality of rows are arranged on the left, right, top and bottom of the airframe, the length of the leg drive unit up to the dependent joint of at least one pair is made different from that of the other pairs. The swingable range of the legs, which is limited by mutual interference between the swiveling legs, is arbitrarily changed. Further, according to the present invention, in a leg drive unit arranged in a single row or a plurality of rows on the front, rear, left, right, and up and down sides of the machine body, the length of the leg drive section to at least one dependent joint is made different from other lengths. Due to
The present invention is characterized in that the swingable range of the legs, which is limited by mutual interference between the swinging legs, is arbitrarily changed. Further, the present invention is characterized in that only the legs which are not grounded are controlled to turn. Further, the present invention is characterized by being provided with a function of detecting or deriving the ground contact of the leg. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the operation of the upper leg portion of the leg portion can be restricted. Further, according to the present invention, the phases of subordinate leg portions arranged on the front, rear, left, right, and up and down sides of the body are controlled, and grounding, takeoff, and turning are controlled so that the walking motion can be performed by turning motion. Is characterized by. Further, the present invention controls the phases of the dependent legs arranged in the front, rear, left, right, and up and down of the body, and in plan view, the inside of the polygon formed from the leg grounding points,
Alternatively, in the case of a two-leg ground contact, the center of gravity is located between the ground contact points, or in the case of a one-leg ground contact, the center of gravity is located on the ground contact point. Further, according to the present invention, by controlling the phases of the dependent leg portions arranged on the front, rear, left, right, and up and down sides of the airframe, the outer side of the polygon constituted by the leg grounding points or the two-legged grounding is seen in a plan view. In this case, the center of gravity is located between the ground contact points outside the leg contact point or outside the ground contact point in the case of a one-leg contact point, and is configured to enable high-speed dynamic walking with dynamic balance. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the kicking directions of the dependent leg portions arranged at the front, rear, left, right and up and down of the body can be controlled separately. Further, according to the present invention, all the dependent legs arranged on the front, rear, left, and right of the body are turned in the same phase direction, and the left and right legs are kicked in the same direction, so that the body remains forward. It is characterized in that it has a control means capable of walking obliquely. Further, according to the present invention, among the dependent legs arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides of the airframe, the front and rear legs are turned in opposite phase directions, and the left and right legs are kicked in the same direction, thereby making a turning walk. It is characterized by having a control means capable of Further, according to the present invention, among the dependent legs arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides of the body, the front leg is rotated 90 degrees, the rear leg is -90 degrees or the front leg is -90 degrees and the rear leg is 90 degrees. In addition to that, it is characterized by having a control means that enables lateral walking by kicking out the left and right legs or the front and rear legs in the opposite direction. Further, according to the present invention, among the dependent legs arranged in the front, rear, left, and right of the body, the front leg is rotated 90 degrees or less, the rear leg is rotated -90 degrees, and the left and right legs are kicked in the opposite directions. Accordingly, it is characterized by having a control means capable of walking and walking in an arc shape centered on one point in the traveling direction of the machine body. Further, the present invention makes it possible to rotate the front leg and the rear leg out of the subordinate legs arranged in the front, rear, left, and right of the machine body to the inside of the machine body, and kick out the left and right legs in the opposite direction, thereby It is characterized in that it has a control means that enables a turning walk. Further, the present invention, by turning the front leg and the rear leg to the inside of the fuselage among the dependent legs arranged in the front, rear, left, and right of the fuselage, by stopping either one of the left and right legs, The present invention is characterized in that it has a control means that enables a turning turn walking, and these are means for solving the problems.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a multi-legged walking robot of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 6
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of a multi-legged walking robot of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the multi-legged walking robot of the present invention,
2 is a model view of the leg drive unit, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the leg unit, FIG. 4 is an explanatory perspective view of the turning state of the leg unit, FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view of the turning form of the leg unit, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between turning and kicking of a leg and a walking direction of a body. The present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, uses the driving force from the power transmission units 2, 3, 4, and 5 converted into reciprocating motions by the leg drive units 5, 6, 7, and 8 through the joints to cause the machine body 30. In the multi-legged walking robot configured to walk the dependent leg portions 9 to 16 arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides, the leg portions 9 in the leg drive units 5, 6, 7, 8
It is characterized in that ˜16 can be turned.

The details will be described below. In FIG. 1, the left side of the drawing is the front part (F) of the machine body 30, and the right side is the rear part (R). A body 30 of a walking robot constituted by an appropriate frame
Inside, a power transmission unit is provided, in which the left and right are independently driven. A right electric motor 1 (which may be an internal combustion engine) as a power source and a right gear unit 3 as a speed reducer are arranged in combination on the left side of the center of the machine body 30 (lower side in the drawing), and are arranged on the right side of the center line. Is provided by combining the left electric motor 2 and the left gear unit 4. The output from these speed reducers is transmitted to the drive shaft of the Chebyshev link mechanism that performs the walking motion of the leg described above through a timing belt or the like, which will be described in detail later. A pair of inner and outer leg drive units 5 and 6 are disposed on the left side of the machine body 30, and inner and outer leg units 9, 10 and 1 are arranged in front of and behind each of them.
1, 12 are provided. A pair of inner and outer leg drive units 7 and 8 are disposed on the right side of the machine body 30, and inner and outer leg units 13, 14 and 15, 16 are disposed in front of and behind each of them.

According to FIG. 2, one of these leg drives is shown.
The structure of the left outer leg drive unit 6 will be described as an example. The driving force is transmitted from the output shaft of the speed reducer 3, which is a power transmission unit, to the inner and outer Chebyshev links 17 and 18 on the left. The left inner Chebyshev link 17 is the left inner leg drive unit 5.
, But the left outside Chebyshev link 18 will be described here. The ends of the links (corresponding to the first links 33 in FIG. 9) of the left outer Chebyshev link 18 are connected to the front and rear legs 10 via the push and pull of the joint link 6L.
The walking motions of B and 12B are performed. The power transmission unit is arranged on the body 30 side, and the Chebyshev link is arranged in the leg drive unit. A turning motor 6M is fixed to a rear end portion (right side in the drawing) of the frame 6B of the left inner leg drive unit 5. One ends of the swing links 6A, 6A are pivotally supported above and below the rear end of the frame 6B, and the leg frame 12A of the leg portion 12 is pivotally supported by the other ends of the swing links 6A, 6A. A rear leg 12B is pivotally supported on the leg frame 12A by a leg shaft 12C.

Three joints, that is, a first link joint 6P1, a second link joint 6P2 and a leg joint 6P3 are provided between the link end of the left outer Chebyshev link 18 and the left rear outer leg 12B (the same applies to the 10B side). The first joint link 6L1 and the large second joint link 6L2 are connected to each other. At the same time, a joint link extends from the link end of the left outer Chebyshev link 18 to the front, and a left front outer leg 10 similar to the left rear outer leg 12 is provided. Therefore, it is understood that the front and rear legs 10B and 12B driven by the same one left outer Chebyshev link 18 have the same phase. The same leg drive is performed on the left inner leg drive unit 5 side (not shown), which is driven by the left inner Chebyshev link 17. In that case, preferably, Chebyshev links 17 and 1 inside and outside
By making the phase different from that of 8 by 180 degrees, one of the legs on one leg of the machine body 30 is always grounded, and stable walking can be performed on both left and right sides.

The most characteristic configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an essential part of the leg drive unit on the left side of the body 30 of the walking robot shown in FIG. Leg frames 11A and 12A are pivotally supported at the rear ends of the frames 5B and 6B of the left and right leg drive units 5 and 6 via pivot links 5A and 6A, respectively. Legs 11B and 12B are provided on the rear ends of the lower ends of the leg frames 11A and 12A, respectively.
And 12C. In the illustrated example, the leg 11
B and 12B are substantially S-shaped when viewed from the side when touching down, and have an axial fulcrum that constitutes a knee joint (only 12D is shown) in the upper part. The part corresponding to the lower leg is formed into a substantially arcuate surface,
Composed of a slightly elastic and non-slip material. At the leg joint 6P3 between the knee joint (12D) of each leg and the foot, the joint link 6L connected to the above Chebyshev link is connected. In addition, the leg 1 in the leg portion 12 is configured so that the load of the leg 12B at the time of grounding can be borne by the leg frame 12A side.
The operation of the upper part of 2B can be configured to be restricted.
For example, the leg shaft 12C may be locked with respect to the leg frame 12A, or may be restricted via a suspension mechanism.
As a result, the load on the drive mechanism such as the joint link can be reduced.

The joint link 6L oscillates laterally via a first joint link 6L1 that reciprocates and swings in the frame 6B in accordance with a substantially straight line and an arc motion of the end of the Chebyshev link, and the first link joint 6P1. Flexible second joint link 6
L2 and the leg joint 6P via the second link joint 6P2
And a third joint link 6L3 pivotally supported by the shaft 3. The second joint link 6L2 and the third joint link 6L3
And are allowed to move in a twisting direction. That is, leg 1
With respect to the walking motion surface of 2B, the axis of the second link joint 6P2 can not only be in the same plane but also can intersect with each other, and as the turning angle of the leg increases, the surface of the leg drive link and the leg turning are increased. Since the walking motion surface depending on the part is not only the same surface but also needs to intersect while twisting, smooth link drive is performed while effectively absorbing this twist. Moreover,
Even when an external force acts in a direction intersecting the motion plane of the leg during the walking motion of the leg, the motion of the leg is smoothly performed and damage to the leg is also prevented.

FIG. 4 is a main part perspective view showing a turning state of a part of the leg drive section of the body 30 of the walking robot shown in FIG. To simplify the description, the turning operation of the leg will be described by taking the right inner leg drive unit 7 as an example. A leg frame 15A is rotatably supported at the rear end of the frame 7B of the leg drive unit 7 via a swing link 7A. The turning link 7A has a front portion pivotally supported by the first pivot shaft 22 at the rear end portion of the frame 7B and a rear portion pivotally supported by the second pivot shaft 23 near the front end portion of the leg frame 15A. On the other hand, a turning motor (right inside turning motor) 7M is fixed to a portion where a part of the frame 7B is extended rearward (front side in the drawing).

The shaft center 21 of the turning motor 7M is such that the leg portion 15 moves straight, that is, the leg portion frame 15A is the turning frame 7.
When both A are in line with the frame 7B, they are closer to the first turning shaft 22 than the second turning shaft 23. That is, the turning motor 7M is arranged near the turning center axis of the leg frame 15A at the initial turning position. The most characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the leg frame 15A in the leg drive unit 7 is changed to the frame 7B when the turning motor 7M is rotationally driven by an operation of a turning joystick or the like in a wireless remote control device (not shown). On the other hand, it is configured so as to turn, that is, turn through the turning link 7A. The distance from the turning center axis of the leg 15 to the reciprocating range of the leg 15B is configured to be extended according to the turning angle of the leg 15B.

That is, the slider 20 is fixed to the upper end of the rotary shaft of the turning motor 7M so as to rotate together with the rotary shaft. On the other hand, on the upper plate of the leg frame 15A, a rail portion 19 is provided in front of the second turning shaft 23 (rightward in the drawing after turning in FIG. 4).
Fits the slider 20 slidably. Thus, as the turning angle of the turning motor 7M increases (the turning angle increases), the rail portion 19 of the leg frame 15A with respect to the slider 20 of the turning motor 7M comes out with the inclination of the turning link 7A. Revolving axis (position on frame 7B to which revolving motor 7M is fixed) 21
And the distance between the second turning shaft 23 on the leg frame 15A increases. That is, the distance from the turning center axis of the leg 15 to the reciprocating range of the leg 15B is extended according to the turning angle of the leg 15B.

In this way, since the leg portion 15 turns away from the turning shaft 21 while turning, the joint link 7L connected to the Chebyshev link follows the turning of the leg portion 15,
The first link joint 7P1, the second joint link 7L2, and the second link joint 7P2 are sufficiently bent as shown in the figure, and the angle of the dependent leg 15 with respect to the walking motion plane can be reduced. Thus, it becomes possible to smoothly perform the walking motion of the leg 15B in the turning position which has turned (when the second turning shaft 23 on the leg frame 15A does not move with respect to the turning shaft 21, the leg 15B moves 90 degrees. When it is in the turning position, even if it is bent to some extent, it becomes extremely difficult for the leg to move by the joint link 7.) In the upper right plan view of FIG.
It gradually turns and turns away from the turning axis as it turns to 12 ', 12 ". It is to be noted that a separate power unit for auxiliary power is installed on the leg of the leg. It is also possible to install a motor, engine, etc. for specific work while stopped regardless of walking. The legs may be rod-shaped with a high contact surface pressure, or only the contact surface may be a bowl shape to allow contact with the contact surface pressure. It is also possible to attach a ski as an attachment for the purpose of climbing or descending on the snow.

Further, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, leg drive parts 5, 6, 7, 8 having a plurality of rows arranged on the left and right sides of the machine body 30.
By arranging the legs so as to be offset from each other in the front-rear direction, it is possible to arbitrarily change the swingable range of the legs that is restricted by mutual interference between the swinging legs. For example, the front portions of the inner leg drive units 5 and 7 are connected to the outer leg drive units 6 and 8 respectively.
By arranging them so that they are offset from the front part of the front part, the inner leg parts 9 and 13 are also swung 90 degrees outward without being interfered with by the outer leg parts 10 and 14 (9 ", 1
0 ", 13", 14 ") becomes possible, and when turned in the opposite direction (9 ', 10', 13 ', 1
In the 4'state), they interfere with each other, and it is impossible to make a turning turn inward by about 45 degrees or more. Legs 11, 1 on the rear side of the fuselage
In Nos. 2, 15 and 16, since the outer leg drive units 6 and 8 are arranged so as to be displaced rearward, it is impossible to perform a turning turn to a predetermined outer side (11 ′, 12 ′, 15 ′). 1
6'state). These configurations allow attachment of accessories to the front of the fuselage 30.

Further, according to the present invention, in the leg drive section in which a plurality of rows are arranged on the left and right sides of the machine body, the length of the leg drive section up to the dependent joint of at least one pair is made different from that of the other pair. With this configuration, the swingable range of the legs, which is limited by mutual interference between the swinging legs, is arbitrarily changed. In other words, in addition to the above-described displacement arrangement in the front-rear direction between the inside and outside of the leg drive units in a plurality of rows, by making the length of the leg drive unit of a specific one different from the other, the range in which the leg drive can rotate is set arbitrarily. It is configured to change to. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the length to the subordinate joints of the pair of leg drive units 7 and 8 on the right side on the rear side of the body 30 is configured to be long. As a result, when the respective legs 11, 12, 15, 16 of the rear part of the body 30 are to be turned 90 degrees inward, the left rear inner and outer legs 11 ″, 1
The legs 15 ″ and 16 ″ on the right rear inside and outside do not interfere with the 2 ″, and the turning turn of 90 degrees can be easily performed.

Further, according to the present invention, in the leg drive section arranged in a single row or a plurality of rows in the front, rear, left, right and up and down of the body, the length of the leg drive section to at least one dependent joint is different from that of the other leg drive sections. By making them different, it is possible to arbitrarily change the swingable range of the legs that is limited by mutual interference between the swinging legs. Although this example is not shown, in the case where more than eight legs are arranged so as to be able to cope with a more complicated road surface as a walking robot, leg drive units are arranged at positions separated from each other. Even in such a case, it is possible to arbitrarily change the swingable range of the legs, which is limited by mutual interference between the swinging legs.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that only the legs which are not in contact with the ground are controlled to turn. In other words, by adding the function of detecting or deriving the ground contact of the leg, it is possible to configure the turning operation of the leg portion only when the leg takes off and is not in contact with the ground. The energy consumed can be reduced. This means that the swing motor or the like can be an electric motor or the like having a small capacity, and the leg drive unit can be made compact, leading to weight reduction and cost reduction. A surface pressure gauge, an optical sensor, or the like may be used to detect the ground contact of the leg, and the ground may be derived by detecting the takeoff of the leg in conjunction with the Chebyshev link trajectory. Alternatively, it is possible to mechanically forcibly cancel the turning switch when the legs are grounded.

Next, possible walking states of the multi-legged walking robot having the above configuration will be described. Although not illustrated and described, a control signal is transmitted as a radio wave by operation of a joystick for speed control and turning in the wireless remote control device, and the control signal is received by a receiving device installed in the body 30, It goes without saying that the control means for controlling the power source of the power transmission section in the machine body 30, the turning motor, etc. is constituted by an appropriate means such as a microcomputer, but these control means can use existing ones. Appropriate control software can be prepared.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the turning range of the legs of the multi-legged walking robot of FIG. 1 in which two rows are arranged in front, back, left and right of the machine body. As shown on the left side of FIG. The motor can be moved forward and backward and stopped, respectively. Regarding the legs, each pair on the front side is capable of turning 45 degrees inward and 90 degrees outward, and each pair on the rear side is capable of turning 90 degrees inward and 45 degrees outward. It As shown on the right side of FIG. 5, what can be done as a special basic walking of the multi-legged walking robot capable of turning and turning according to the present invention is to walk diagonally without changing the direction of the body and to walk laterally in the left-right direction ( It is possible to walk to a crab), walk in a circular arc centered on one point in the traveling direction of the body, and perform super-inclined turning walk.

The walking mode of the multi-legged walking robot of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, a white arrow indicates a kick in the forward rotation direction, and a black arrow indicates a kick in the reverse rotation direction. The large white arrow indicates the direction of flight of the aircraft. Fig. 6 (A) shows that all the legs arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides of the machine are turned in the same phase direction, and the left and right legs are kicked out in the same direction, so that the machine can be tilted while facing forward. It shows the state of walking. FIG. 6 (B) shows a state of turning walking by turning the front and rear legs in opposite phase directions among the legs arranged on the front and rear and right and left sides of the body, and kicking the left and right legs in the same direction. Is shown. Fig. 6 (C) shows that the front leg is turned 90 degrees outward and the rear leg is turned 90 degrees inward, and the left and right legs are kicked out in the opposite direction. , Shows the state of lateral walking.

In FIG. 6D, of the legs arranged at the front, back, left and right of the machine body, the front leg is 90 degrees or less outside and the rear leg is inside 90 degrees.
By turning the left and right legs and kicking out the left and right legs in the opposite direction, the state of walking in an arc shape around a point in the traveling direction of the machine is shown. Fig. 6 (E) shows that the front leg and the rear leg are turned inside the fuselage (the rear leg may be -90 degrees) among the legs arranged in the front, rear, left, and right of the fuselage, and the left and right legs are By kicking in the opposite direction, the state of super-trust turning walking is shown. FIG. 6 (F) shows that the front leg and the rear leg are turned inside the fuselage (in the example shown, the rear leg is -90 degrees) among the legs arranged in the front, rear, left, and right of the fuselage, and By stopping either one of the legs, the state of walking on a turning circle is shown.

Further, FIGS. 6 (G) to 6 (I) are those of the embodiment shown in the above with respect to the swingable range of the legs which is limited by mutual interference between the swinging legs. 6 (G) is a modification different from that of FIG. 6 (G), in which the front leg can be turned inward by −90 degrees and the rear leg can be turned outward by 90 degrees. In this example, the leg is kicked in the opposite direction to walk sideways. In FIGS. 6 (H) and 6 (I), the kicking directions of the legs arranged on the front, rear, left and right (or on the upper and lower sides not shown) of the machine can be controlled separately (the Chebyshev link output shaft 6 (H) is an example in which both the front and rear legs can be turned 90 degrees outside or −90 degrees inside. This is an example in which the front part and the rear leg are turned 90 degrees outside, and the kicking directions are reversed in the left, right, front, and rear directions (small arrows indicate the rotation direction of the corresponding drive part), and walking is performed laterally. FIG. 6 (I) shows an example in which the front leg and the rear leg are turned inward by −90 degrees to walk in the same lateral direction.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the shape of the body of the walking robot, the shape, the form, and the arrangement of the leg drive parts (with the output shaft of the speed reducer in the body and The distance between the Chebyshev link and the drive shaft in the machine width direction may be configured to be slidable so that only the outer leg drive unit is widened in the machine width direction. Even if a ski is attached to the lower part of the leg in an inverted C shape with an edge effect, it is possible to walk smoothly without interference between the inner and outer legs.) The shape, type, joint shape, type of the power transmission part including the types of reduction gears and related configurations between them (not only the articulated link but also the Chebyshev link and the leg are connected by a flexible push-pull rod). It is also possible to add a proper accessory that grounds the legs by excluding the deceleration part at the end of the constant velocity motion part in the link output part trajectory, which is also called the weak point of Chebyshev link, so that smooth walking is possible. (Although it can be configured), the arrangement of the leg in the leg drive unit via the swing link, the form of movement of the leg from the center axis of rotation during turning, the shape and type of the swing motor, and the arrangement on the frame. Form, shape, form and arrangement of the power unit for auxiliary power in the leg, utilization form, shift form of the leg drive unit before and after or up and down, leg drive that makes the length of the leg drive unit up to the dependent joint different Selection of parts, landing of legs, detection form of takeoff state, etc. can be appropriately adopted.

As a control mode of the leg drive section including the leg section, the phase of subordinate leg sections arranged on the front, rear, left, right, and up and down of the body, and the grounding, takeoff, and turning are controlled to perform a turning operation. In a plan view, the inside of the polygon composed of the ground contact points or between the ground contact points in the case of two-leg ground contact Or, in the case of one-leg grounding, take a static gait (assuming a biped or quadruped animal walks at a low speed, and do not fall even if it stops while moving) where the center of gravity is above the grounding point. It can also be configured to be possible. Furthermore, in plan view, the outside of the polygon composed of the ground contact points of the legs, or 2
High-speed dynamic walking with a balanced center of gravity that is outside the ground contact point for landing with the legs or outside the ground contact point for the one-leg grounding (for example, when a biped or quadruped animal runs at high speed) Assuming that it is dynamically balanced,
If you stop it during operation, it will fall. ) Is possible, or the kicking direction of the leg can be controlled separately. In addition, the field of use of walking robots (running in mountainous areas, mud, snow, desert sands, snow removal robots, demining robots, forestry support robots, toys, etc.)
Etc. can be appropriately selected. It should be noted that the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be limitedly interpreted.

[0033]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the driving force from the power transmission unit converted into the reciprocating motion by the leg driving unit causes the front, rear, left, right, and up and down of the body through the joints. In the multi-legged walking robot configured to walk the arranged dependent legs, the leg of the leg drive unit is configured to be turnable, which is an advantage of the walking robot capable of avoiding over an obstacle. Based on the combination of the turning angle of the leg and the selection of the kicking direction, the robot can walk forward / backward / left / right and skew, and walk to the side, centering on one point in the direction of travel of the aircraft. It becomes possible to walk in a circular arc shape and to make super-spinning turns, and realize animal-like and agile walking performance that far exceeds the running characteristics of the vehicle.

When the distance from the center axis of rotation of the leg portion to the reciprocating range of the leg is extended according to the turning angle of the leg portion, when the leg portion turns at a large angle. Also enables smooth walking motion. Further, when the turning of the legs is performed by a turning motor provided near the turning center axis, the turning motor is provided at a position where the turning can be performed directly by the turning motor, and an extra member is provided. Is unnecessary, the structure is simplified, and the turning motor is not housed in the frame or the like and is not exposed to the outside and does not collide with an obstacle or the like. Furthermore, when a power unit for auxiliary power is installed on the leg, it is possible to perform various work by adjusting the trajectory of the leg and using the auxiliary power unit, for example, using the leg as a manipulator while walking is stopped. .

Further, by disposing the leg drive units having a plurality of rows arranged on the left and right sides and the upper and lower sides of the machine body so as to be offset from each other in the front and rear direction, the swingable range of the leg portions which is limited by mutual interference between the swiveling leg portions can be set. When configured to change arbitrarily, the inside and outside legs can turn 90 degrees in one direction without interfering with each other, and the turning in the opposite direction can be performed without installing a special turning angle regulation member or the like. In addition, the turning of the pair of legs beyond an arbitrary position can be suppressed, and the configuration is simplified. Furthermore, in the leg drive unit in which a plurality of rows are arranged on the left and right and the upper and lower sides of the airframe, by making the length of the leg drive unit up to the dependent joint of at least one pair different from that of the other pairs,
When the swingable range of the legs, which is limited by mutual interference between the swinging legs, is arbitrarily changed,
By simply changing the lengths of the leg driving parts up to the subordinate joints of one pair, it is possible to freely pivot to the maximum angle without being bothered by the interference of the leg parts of the other pair. .

Furthermore, in the leg drive section arranged in a single row or a plurality of rows in front, rear, left, right and up and down of the body,
By varying the length of the leg drive unit up to at least one dependent joint from the others, it is possible to arbitrarily change the pivotable range of the leg limited by mutual interference between the pivoting legs. In the case of the above configuration, the multi-legged robot having more than eight legs is arranged so that it can cope with a more complicated road surface as a walking robot. Also in this case, it is possible to arbitrarily change the turning range of the turning leg. Further, when the swing control is performed only for the legs that are not grounded, the energy consumed for the swing motion can be reduced, so that the swing motor or the like may be an electric motor or the like having a small capacity. Can be made compact, lightweight and low cost.

Further, when the function of detecting or deriving the ground contact of the leg is provided, the turning operation by the low load can be surely performed, and the reliability is improved and the cost is realized. Furthermore, in the case where the operation of the upper leg part in the leg part can be restricted, and in the case of complete locking of the leg shaft to the leg frame, the load at the time of grounding of the leg is passed to the leg frame to bear the load. In addition to reducing the load on the drive mechanism such as joint links, if the suspension mechanism of the leg shaft to the leg frame is restricted, the ground load of the legs can be buffered appropriately to reduce the impact on the aircraft. Is possible.

Further, in the case where the phase of subordinate leg portions arranged at the front, rear, left, right and up and down of the body, and the grounding, takeoff and turning are controlled to allow the walking motion by the turning motion. Uses the normal leg drive link and auxiliary power for vertical movement of the leg without relying on the Chebyshev link,
Walking can be performed by the turning motion of the legs, and a walking form similar to a robot having a motor for each joint is possible. Further, by controlling the phases of the dependent leg portions arranged in the front, rear, left, right, and up and down of the body, the inside of the polygon composed of the leg grounding points in plan view, or the legs in the case of two-leg grounding In the case of static walking, there is a center of gravity between ground points, or in the case of one-leg grounding, each has a center of gravity on the ground point.
When the walking is interrupted for some reason or the walking is stopped, the aircraft does not fall down and the stable stopped state can be maintained. Furthermore, by controlling the phases of the dependent legs arranged in front, rear, left, right, and up and down of the body, in plan view, the outside of the polygon composed of the leg grounding points, or in the case of two legs grounding, If you have configured to enable high-speed dynamic walking with a dynamic balance where the center of gravity is outside the ground contact points between the ground contact points or outside the ground contact points in the case of one-leg ground contact,
Although the stability of the aircraft is impaired when walking or stopping,
In particular, the characteristics of Chebyshev link can be utilized to enable agile and high-speed walking.

By properly combining the front / rear / left / right leg turning modes and the leg kicking directions, various walking modes can be realized, and the animal-like agile walking far exceeding the running characteristics of the vehicle can be realized. Performance can be realized. Further, when the kicking directions of the dependent legs arranged in the front, rear, left, right, and up and down of the body can be controlled separately, a more complicated walking pattern can be selected in combination with the turning form of the legs. , The degree of freedom in design is improved. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize high-speed walking even with high driving energy transfer efficiency while taking advantage of the characteristics of walking and running, and to realize animal and agile motion characteristics, and also to be used in a wide range of fields of use. It is possible to provide a multi-legged walking robot that can be expanded to any area.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a multi-legged walking robot of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a model diagram of the leg drive unit.

FIG. 3 is a leg perspective view of the same.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory perspective view of a turning state of the legs.

FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a swivel form of the legs.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the turning of the legs and the kicking of the legs and the walking direction of the aircraft.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a conventional multi-legged walking robot.

FIG. 8 is a principle diagram of a Chebyshev link mechanism.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of behavior of legs in a conventional multi-legged walking robot using a Chebyshev link mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Power source (right electric motor) 2 power source (left electric motor) 3 Reduction gear (right gear unit) 4 Reduction gear (left gear unit) 5 Left inner leg drive 5A turning link 5B frame 6 Left outer leg drive 6A turning link 6B frame 6L1 1st joint link 6L2 2nd joint link 6P1 1st link joint 6P2 2nd link joint 6P3 leg joint 7 Right inner leg drive 7A turning link 7B frame 8 Right outer leg drive 8A turning link 8B frame 9 Left front inner leg 10 Left front outer leg 10A leg frame 10B leg 10C leg shaft 11 Left rear inner leg 11A leg frame 11B leg 11C pedestal 12 Left rear outer leg 12A leg frame 12B leg 12C pedestal 12D knee joint 13 Right front inner leg 14 Right front outer leg 15 Right rear inner leg 15A leg frame 15B leg 15C leg shaft 16 Right rear outer leg 16A leg frame 16B leg 17 Chebyshev Link on the left inside 18 Chebyshev Link on the left outside 19 Rail section 20 sliders 21 swivel axis 22 1st turning link shaft 23 Second turning link shaft 30 aircraft

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Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. A structure in which a subordinate leg portion arranged in front, rear, left, right and up and down of a body is made to walk through a joint by a driving force from a power transmission unit converted into a reciprocating motion by a leg driving unit. In the multi-legged walking robot described above, the leg portion of the leg drive unit is configured to be turnable. 2. The multiple according to claim 1, wherein the distance from the center axis of rotation of the leg to the range of reciprocating motion of the leg is extended according to the turning angle of the leg. Leg walking robot. 3. The multi-legged walking robot according to claim 1, wherein the leg is turned by a turning motor arranged near a turning center axis. 4. The multi-legged walking robot according to claim 1, wherein a power unit for auxiliary power is installed on the leg. 5. The swingable range of the legs is restricted by mutual interference between the swinging legs by arranging the leg driving units having a plurality of rows arranged on the left and right and on the upper and lower sides of the machine body so as to be shifted forward and backward. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the multi-legged walking robot is configured to be arbitrarily changed. 6. In a leg drive unit in which a plurality of rows are arranged on the left, right, top and bottom of the airframe, by making the length of the leg drive unit up to the dependent joint of at least one pair different from that of the other pairs. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the swingable range of the legs restricted by mutual interference between the turning legs is arbitrarily changed. 7. In a leg drive unit arranged in a single row or a plurality of rows in front, rear, left, right and up and down of the airframe, the length of the leg drive section to at least one dependent joint is made different from other lengths. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the swingable range of the legs restricted by mutual interference between the turning legs is arbitrarily changed. 8. The multi-legged walking robot according to claim 1, wherein only the legs that are not grounded are controlled to turn. 9. The multi-legged walking robot according to claim 1, further comprising a function of detecting or deriving the ground contact of the leg. 10. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein movement of the upper part of the leg of the leg can be restricted. 11. The structure is such that the phase of subordinate leg portions arranged on the front, rear, left, right, and up and down sides of the body, and the grounding, takeoff, and turning are controlled to enable walking and walking by a turning motion. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 10. 12. The plane of subordinate legs arranged in front, rear, left, right, and up and down of the body is controlled so that, in plan view, the inside of a polygon composed of the ground contact points of the legs or the ground contact of two legs. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the robot has a center of gravity between the ground contact points of the legs, or has a center of gravity on the ground contact points in the case of a one-leg ground contact, and is configured to allow static walking. 13. The plane of subordinate legs arranged in front, rear, left, right, and up and down of the body is controlled so that, in plan view, the outside of a polygon formed of the leg grounding points or the grounding of two legs. 12. A high-speed dynamic walk with a dynamic balance, in which the center of gravity is outside the ground contact point in the case of a leg contact or outside the ground contact point in the case of a one-leg contact, is configured to enable high-speed dynamic walking. Multi-legged walking robot. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the kicking directions of the dependent leg portions arranged on the front, rear, left, right, and up and down sides of the machine body are separately controllable. A multi-legged walking robot. 15. All the dependent legs arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides of the body are turned in the same phase direction, and the left and right legs are kicked out in the same direction, so that the body remains forward. 15. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a control unit that enables the oblique walking. 16. A turning walk by swinging the front and rear legs in opposite phase directions among the dependent legs arranged in the front, rear, left and right of the airframe and kicking the left and right legs in the same direction. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a control unit that enables the robot. 17. Among the dependent legs arranged on the front, rear, left and right of the aircraft, the front leg is 90 degrees, the rear leg is -90 degrees, or the front leg is -90 degrees and the rear leg is 90 degrees. 15. The multi-legged vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a control means that enables lateral walking by turning the left and right legs or kicking out the front and rear legs in opposite directions. Walking robot. 18. Among the dependent legs arranged in the front, rear, left and right of the airframe, the front leg is rotated 90 degrees or less, the rear leg is rotated -90 degrees, and the left and right legs are kicked in the opposite directions. 15. The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising control means capable of walking in an arc shape centered on a point in the traveling direction of the machine body. 19. Among the dependent legs arranged in the front, rear, left and right of the aircraft, the front legs and the rear legs are turned inside the aircraft, and the left and right legs are kicked in the opposite directions.
The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a control unit that enables super-spinning turning walking. 20. By pivoting the front leg and the rear leg of the subordinate legs arranged on the front, rear, left, and right of the airframe to the inside of the airframe, and stopping either one of the left and right legs, The multi-legged walking robot according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a control unit capable of turning to a turning circle.