JP2003266340A - Leg type moving robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an excellent leg type moving robot constituted that moving legs are coupled to a body. <P>SOLUTION: A handle is situated at an upper end of the rear of a body. During walking, a leg type work, and reckless walking, an operator chases a robot from the rear of a machine and easily catches the robot by grasping the handle. Further, even when foot parts and arm parts effect reckless motion during operation of the handle, there is no worry that a injury is inflicted on the arm of the operator grasping the robot arm. Further, the grasping part of the handle is combined with an emergency stop mechanism, it is detected that the operator grasps the handle, the joint actuators of a whole body are decreased in a power. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot having a large number of joint degrees of freedom, and more particularly to a legged mobile robot constituted by connecting movable legs to a body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A mechanical device that makes a motion similar to a human motion by using an electrical or magnetic action is called a "robot". The origin of the robot is the Slavic word "ROBO".
It is said that it is derived from "TA (slave machine)." In Japan, robots began to be popular since the end of the 1960s, but most of them are automation of production work in factories.
It was an industrial robot such as a manipulator and a transfer robot for the purpose of unmanned operation.

Recently, a model of the body mechanism and movement of a pet robot that imitates the body mechanism and movement of a four-legged animal such as a dog or cat, or an animal that walks upright on two legs such as a human. A robot called "humanoid" or "humanoid" designed by
Research and development on legged mobile robots such as manoid robots have progressed, and expectations for their practical application are increasing.

A legged mobile robot that emulates the human biological mechanism and movement is referred to as "humanoid",
Or it is called a "humanoid robot". The humanoid robot can perform, for example, life support, that is, support for human activities in various situations in the living environment and other daily life.

One of the uses of legged mobile robots is to perform various difficult tasks on behalf of industrial activities and production activities. For example, maintenance work in nuclear power plants, thermal power plants, and petrochemical plants, parts transportation / assembly work in manufacturing plants, cleaning in high-rise buildings, agency of dangerous work / difficult work such as rescue at fire sites and the like. .

Further, as another application of the legged mobile robot, it is more closely related to life, that is, "symbiosis" or "entertainment" with humans, rather than the above-mentioned work support.
There are uses. This kind of robot faithfully reproduces the motion mechanism of humans, dogs (pets), bears and other relatively intelligent legged walking animals and the rich emotional expression using the limbs. In addition to simply faithfully executing the pre-entered motion pattern, it also dynamically responds to the words and attitudes received from the user (or other robot) (such as "praise", "scrib", "hit", etc.). It is also required to realize corresponding and lively response expressions.

In the conventional toy machine, the relationship between the user operation and the response motion is fixed, and the motion of the toy cannot be changed according to the user's preference. As a result, the user eventually gets tired of the toy that repeats only the same operation. On the other hand, the intelligent robot autonomously selects actions such as dialogues and body movements, so that it is possible to realize realistic communication at a higher intellectual level. As a result, the user feels deep attachment and familiarity with the robot.

[0008]

A bipedal robot such as a humanoid has a high center of gravity and its posture in a standing posture during walking is unstable. For this reason, much of the research on bipedal walking robots is directed to posture stability control in a standing posture. In other words, few suggest clear design methods for other parts of the airframe.

For example, the body portion is arranged at the center of the body,
It has a sufficient volume and connects movable limbs such as legs and arms, and it is thought that it should play an important role in the structure of the aircraft, but there are not many clear guidelines for its design.

The present invention has been made in view of the above technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an excellent legged mobile robot constituted by connecting a movable leg to a body.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and a first side surface thereof is a leg type moving device having a body and movable legs connected to the body. In the robot, the movable leg has a composite degree of freedom about a roll axis and a pitch axis with respect to the body, and a waist cover body fixed to the movable leg at a connecting portion between the body and the movable leg. A first connecting cover body attached to the movable leg rotatably only around the roll axis, and rotatable about the pitch axis with respect to the first connecting cover body and movable. At least one second connecting cover body rotatably attached to the leg about the roll axis and the pitch axis; and rotatable about the pitch axis with respect to the first connecting cover body. On the movable leg It is a legged mobile robot, characterized by comprising a body cover body to cover the torso rotatably mounted in the roll axis and the pitch axis, a.

In the legged mobile robot according to the present invention, the movable leg has a composite degree of freedom about a roll axis and a pitch axis with respect to the body. In such a case, the connecting part between the body and legs will have a considerable degree of movable area, so it is necessary to devise a cover structure that hides the inside of the aircraft so that no gap is created in the outer shell of the aircraft during driving. There is.

According to the present invention, the waist cover body, the first connecting cover body, the second connecting cover body, and the body cover body are used to connect the body portion and the movable legs. Also, in the trunk, when driving around the trunk roll axis, without limiting the degree of freedom around the trunk pitch axis, and when driving around the trunk pitch axis, the degree of freedom around the trunk roll axis Without limitation, the internal structure can be concealed in the maximum movable range in each degree of freedom, in which the body bends forward in the trunk and swings in the left-right direction in the trunk.

The second aspect of the present invention is a legged mobile robot comprising a body and a movable leg connected to the body, the movable leg performing a walking motion in a predetermined walking direction.
In the legged mobile robot, a grip portion is provided on a substantially upper end edge of a surface of the body opposite to the walking direction.

The legged mobile robot according to the second aspect of the present invention is provided with a grip portion for an operator to grip and lift the machine body from the viewpoint of operability during transportation and storage.

This gripping portion is arranged at the upper end at the rear of the body, and the operator can chase the robot from the rear of the machine to walk through the gripping portion even during walking, leg work, or runaway. Can be used and easily caught. In addition, since the main movable parts such as the legs and arms are basically given the degree of freedom of joints that face the front of the fuselage, even if the legs or arms runaway while operating the grip, There is little danger of hitting the operator's arm and causing harm.

For example, in a posture on the floor such as on the back,
Since the grip portion faces the floor side, it is difficult for the operator to reach. According to the present invention, the grip portion has a predetermined gap with the floor surface in the on-floor posture in which the body is in contact with the surface on the side opposite to the walking direction,
The operator can easily put his / her hand in the grip portion.

Further, in order for the operator to grab the grip, it is necessary to go around the rear of the machine, so that the operator's hand or figure is in the visual field of the visual recognition unit such as a camera, which affects the action plan of the machine. Never give.

The grip portion also serves as an emergency stop mechanism for the robot in the event of a runaway. A pressure sensor is attached to the grip portion of the grip portion, and when the operator detects that the grip portion is gripped, the operation control unit of the aircraft responds to the detection result by the joint actuator of the whole body. Equipped with a weakening mechanism for weakening the. For example, the weakened state can be realized by setting the minimum gain to each joint actuator or setting the output torque to the minimum value. Alternatively, the weakened state can be realized by stopping the power supply to all or some of the joint actuators.

Since the weakening operation is performed in response to the operation of the grip portion, the operator will not be injured even if the robot suddenly runs out while the machine body is being transported. Further, even if the operation of the machine body is stopped by gripping the grip portion, the machine body is supported by the grip portion, so that the robot does not fall down.

A third aspect of the present invention is a legged mobile robot having a body and movable legs connected to the body, and a front cover attached to the front of the body so as to be opened and closed. A legged mobile robot, comprising: an internal access means provided inside and covered with a front cover of the body.

The legged mobile robot according to the third aspect of the present invention uses the body to realize the internal access means. More specifically, a PC card slot, a memory stick slot, a battery accommodating port, etc. are provided on the front of the body to enable internal access. In addition, a front cover is attached to hide these from the outside during normal operation to improve the aesthetics of the aircraft design, and to prevent falling and prohibit removal during aircraft operation.

If the parts mounted on the internal access means are accidentally removed during the operation of the machine, the equipment may malfunction or be damaged. For example, if the battery pack, which is the main power source, is removed, the robot loses drive power for posture maintenance or posture stabilization control. Further, if the memory stick or the PC card is removed during the memory access, there is a risk of malfunction or runaway because the next processing step of the operation being executed is lost.

Therefore, according to the present invention, there is provided means for prohibiting the opening operation of the front cover during the operation of the airframe,
The removal and replacement of these attached parts during the operation of the aircraft are restricted.

Still other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are as follows.
It will be apparent from the embodiments of the present invention described later and the more detailed description based on the accompanying drawings.

[0026]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

A. Mechanical Configuration of Legged Mobile Robot FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show front and rear views of a “humanoid” or “humanoid” legged mobile robot 100 used for carrying out the present invention. It shows the view from above. As shown in the figure, the legged mobile robot 100 is composed of a body, a head, left and right upper limbs, and two left and right lower limbs that perform legged movement. For example, a control unit built in the body. By (not shown), the operation of the airframe is comprehensively controlled.

The left and right lower limbs have a thigh, a knee joint, and
It is composed of a shin, an ankle, and a foot, and is connected by a hip joint at approximately the lowermost end of the trunk. Each of the left and right upper limbs is composed of an upper arm, an elbow joint, and a forearm, and is connected by shoulder joints at the left and right side edges above the trunk. The head is connected to the center of the uppermost end of the trunk by a neck joint.

The control unit is a controller (main control unit) for controlling the drive of each joint actuator of the legged mobile robot 100 and an external input from each sensor (described later), a power supply circuit and other peripheral devices. It is a case that is equipped with various types. The control unit may also include a communication interface and a communication device for remote operation.

The legged mobile robot 1 configured as described above
00 is 2 by the whole-body cooperative operation control by the control unit.
It is possible to realize foot walking. Such bipedal walking is generally performed by repeating a walking cycle divided into the following operation periods. That is,

(1) Single leg support period with left leg with right leg lifted (2) Both legs support period with right foot grounded (3) Single leg support period with right leg lifted, right leg (4) Left leg supported Grounded both legs support period

Walking control in the legged mobile robot 100 is realized by planning the target trajectory of the lower limb in advance and correcting the planned trajectory in each of the above periods. That is, in the two-leg support period, the correction of the lower limb trajectory is stopped, and the hip height is corrected to a constant value using the total correction amount for the planned trajectory. In the single-leg support period, a corrected trajectory is generated so that the corrected relative positional relationship between the ankle and the waist of the leg is returned to the planned trajectory.

In order to control the attitude of the airframe such as the trajectory correction of the walking motion, generally, interpolation using a quintic polynomial is performed so that the position, velocity and acceleration are continuous in order to reduce the deviation with respect to ZMP. It is calculated. ZMP
(Zero Moment Point) is used as a criterion for determining the walking stability. The stability discrimination criterion by ZMP is "Durhamber's principle" that gravity and inertial force from the walking system to the road surface, and these moments balance with the floor reaction force and floor reaction force moment as a reaction from the road surface to the walking system. based on. As a result of mechanical reasoning, the supporting polygon formed by the plantar ground contact point and the road surface (ie, ZMP stable region)
On the side of or inside the point where the pitch axis and roll axis moments are zero, that is, "ZMP (Zero Moment
Point) ”exists.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a joint degree-of-freedom structure of the legged mobile robot 100. As shown in the figure, the legged mobile robot 100 connects an upper limb including two arms and a head 1, a lower limb composed of two legs for realizing a moving motion, and an upper limb and a lower limb. It is a structure having a plurality of limbs, which is composed of a trunk.

The neck joint (Neck) that supports the head has four degrees of freedom: the neck joint yaw axis 1, the first and second neck joint pitch axes 2A and 2B, and the neck joint roll axis 3. There is.

Further, each arm has, as its degrees of freedom, a shoulder joint pitch axis 4 at the shoulder (Shoulder), a shoulder joint roll axis 5, an upper arm yaw axis 6, and an elbow joint pitch axis 7 at the elbow (Elbow). , A wrist joint yaw axis 8 in the wrist (Wrist) and a hand portion. The hand is
The multi-joint / multi-degree-of-freedom structure including a plurality of fingers will be described in detail later.

The trunk portion (Trunk) has two degrees of freedom: a trunk pitch axis 9 and a trunk roll axis 10.

Each leg constituting the lower limb has a hip joint yaw axis 11 in a hip joint (Hip), a hip joint pitch axis 12, a hip joint roll axis 13, and a knee joint pitch axis 14 in a knee (Knee). Ankle joint pitch axis 15 and ankle joint roll axis 16 in the ankle
And a foot part.

B. Body structure of legged mobile robot B-1. Waist Structure The legged mobile robot 100 according to the present embodiment has abundant joint freedom even in the upper half of the body, and can realize more natural and realistic body movements.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a hip joint pitch shaft 12 and a trunk pitch shaft 9 are provided, and a forward bending motion can be performed. Furthermore, the hip roll shaft 13 and the trunk roll shaft 10 are provided, and the body can be swung in the left-right direction with respect to the standing leg. Further, in the waist, both the hip joint and the trunk have the degree of freedom of the pitch axis and the roll axis. Therefore, the complex operation using these four joint degrees of freedom causes the connecting portion of the body and the leg to be considerably equivalent. It has a movable area of a degree.

On the other hand, at each joint, it is necessary to hide the internal structure of the machine body while ensuring a movable angle. This is because if a gap is formed in the outer shell of the machine during driving, it may cause a failure due to the user's fingers being caught or foreign matter entering from the gap.

When one joint part has only a single degree of freedom of joint, a cover structure that appears along the degree of freedom is provided to facilitate the internal structure of the body while ensuring a movable angle. Can be hidden. On the other hand, in the case of having two or more joint degrees of freedom, it is not easy to conceal the internal structure without limiting the degree of freedom of the other joint axis when driving one joint axis.

The legged mobile robot 100 according to the present embodiment.
In the case of, as described above, the hip joint and the trunk have two degrees of freedom of the pitch axis and the roll axis, and the concealing mechanism also performs the complex operation of simultaneously driving around each axis. Must correspond to.

First, FIG. 4 shows a composite degree of freedom structure in the hip joint and the trunk of the legged mobile robot 100.
~ It demonstrates, referring FIG. 8 and FIG.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 29 are a rear view, a left side view, and a left front perspective view, respectively, of the body with the outer casing (outer shell or cover) removed to expose the internal structure. ing. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the body portion of the legged mobile robot 100 according to the present embodiment includes a left and right shoulder joint pitch axis actuator A ₄ for connecting and driving the left and right arm portions, and a body portion. A trunk roll axis actuator A ₁₀ for swinging the body in the left-right direction near the trunk and a trunk pitch axis actuator A ₉ for allowing the trunk to bend in the front-back direction, that is, forward bending motion near the trunk. , A hip joint yaw axis actuator A ₁₁ for connecting the left and right legs to give a rotation around the yaw axis, that is, for giving a direction of the foot, and a left and right swinging motion for connecting the left and right feet. A hip roll axis actuator A ₁₃ for providing the force is mounted. Further, a handle 110 is formed at a substantially upper edge of the rear of the body (described later).

6 and 7 show from the front and the back, respectively, how the trunk is swinging rightward in the trunk due to the drive of the trunk roll axis actuator A ₁₀ . Further, FIG. 8 shows a state in which the trunk is bent forward in the trunk by driving the trunk pitch axis actuator A ₉ .

As described above, the legged mobile robot 100 according to this embodiment has the two degrees of freedom of the pitch axis and the roll axis in the torso portion, and the complex operation of simultaneously driving around each axis. Can be done. In such a case, in the maximum movable range in each degree of freedom in which the trunk bends forward in the trunk and further swings in the left and right directions in the trunk, the degree of freedom of the other joint axis is driven when one joint axis is driven. There is a need to hide the internal structure without limiting. For example, trunk roll axis 10
When driving around, the internal structure must be hidden without limiting the degree of freedom around the trunk pitch axis 9. Similarly, when driving around the trunk pitch axis 9, the internal structure must be hidden without limiting the degree of freedom around the trunk roll axis 10.

In this embodiment, the waist cover body 121,
The first connecting cover body 122 and the second connecting cover body 12
3 and the body cover body 124, four types of covers are used, in the connecting portion of the body portion and the movable leg and the trunk portion,
When driving around the trunk roll axis 10, the degree of freedom around the trunk pitch axis 9 is not limited, and when driving around the trunk pitch axis 9, the degree of freedom around the trunk roll axis 10 is limited. Without doing so, the internal structure is concealed in the maximum movable range in each degree of freedom, in which the body bends forward in the trunk and swings in the left and right directions in the trunk.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the waist cover member 121. The waist cover body 121 is a molded body having a substantially U-shaped cross section that covers the lower end of the body, and an opening for inserting the hip joint yaw axis actuators A ₁₁ of the left and right movable legs is formed on the bottom surface thereof. Waist cover body 1
A curved surface is formed on the back side of 21 in accordance with the rotation around the trunk roll shaft 10.

10 and 11, the waist cover body 121 is shown in FIG. 4 to FIG.
00 is attached to the body. The hip joint cover body 121 is inserted through the hip joint yaw axis actuators A ₁₁ of the left and right movable legs, is fixed to the left and right movable legs, and acts on either the trunk pitch axis 9 or the trunk roll axis 10. Is not affected.

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the first connecting cover body 122. First connection cover body 122
Is a cover immediately above the waist cover 121, and is a substantially cylindrical structure having an opening for accommodating the waist cover 121 on its bottom surface. Further, on the back surface side of the first connection cover body 122, a curved surface having a substantially rotational shape around the trunk roll shaft 10 is formed, following the back surface of the waist cover body 121. Notches 122 </ b> A for opening the movement around the trunk pitch axis 9 are formed on the left and right side surfaces of the first connection cover body 122. Further, an engaging portion 122B for engaging with the body frame side is provided at the end edge of the cutout portion 122A.

In FIG. 13, the first connecting cover body 12 is shown.
2 is attached to the body of the legged mobile robot 100 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. First connection cover body 1
22 has the bottom cover body 121 inserted through the bottom surface thereof, and the movement of the trunk pitch shaft 9 is open at the left and right cutout portions 122B. Is given, and is not affected by the movement of the trunk pitch axis 9.

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of the second connecting cover body 123. Second connection cover body 123
Is a cover immediately above the first connection cover body 122, and is substantially formed with a curved surface having a substantially rotational shape around the trunk roll shaft 10 following the back surface of the first connection cover body 122. It is a U-shaped molded body. Mounting portions 123A that are rotatably supported with respect to the trunk pitch shaft 9 are provided at the substantially left and right leading edges of the U-shape.

FIG. 15 shows this second connecting cover body 12.
3 is attached to the body of the legged mobile robot 100 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. Second connection cover body 1
23 is inserted into the bottom surface of the first connection cover body 122 and is supported rotatably around the trunk pitch axis 9 in the left and right mounting portions 123B. The degree of freedom around the trunk pitch axis 9 and the trunk roll axis 10 is given.

FIG. 16 shows a state in which the body cover body 124 is further attached to the body of the legged mobile robot 100 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. The trunk cover body 124 has the bottom surface thereof inserted through the second connection cover body 123 and has the left and right arm portions attached thereto, so that the trunk cover body 124 moves integrally with the trunk body above the trunk and the left and right movable legs. On the other hand, degrees of freedom around the trunk pitch axis 9 and the trunk roll axis 10 are given.

FIG. 17 shows the legged mobile robot 100 according to this embodiment in a basic standing posture. In this state, the first connection cover body 122 and the second connection cover body 123 have the body cover body 124.
It is housed inside and hidden from the outside world.

Further, FIG. 18 shows a legged mobile robot 10.
The figure shows that 0 is bent forward by driving around the trunk pitch axis 9.

As described above, the first connecting cover body 12
No. 2 gives the left and right movable legs only the degree of freedom around the trunk roll axis 10, does not follow the movement around the physique pitch axis 9 as shown in the figure, and Stay in the same relative position. On the other hand, both the second connection cover body 123 and the body cover body 124 are provided with the degree of freedom of rotation about the trunk pitch axis 9 with respect to the movable legs. Therefore, when a forward bending posture is taken by driving around the trunk pitch axis 9, each of the movable legs moves around the trunk pitch axis 9. As a result, as shown in the figure,
The first connection cover body 122 and the second connection cover body 123, which were accommodated in the body cover body 124, appear,
Cover the waist. That is, the internal structure of the airframe can be hidden in the maximum movable range around the trunk pitch axis 9.

FIG. 19 shows a state in which the connecting cover bodies 122 and 123 operate in the forward tilted posture as described above, while further swinging to the left with respect to the legs by driving around the trunk roll shaft 10. Is shown from the back side. Also,
FIG. 28 shows a state of the legged mobile robot 100 from the back side when the robot is swinging to the left side with respect to the legs by driving around the trunk roll axis 10 in the forward leaning posture as described above. .

As described above, the first connecting cover body 12
In the second example, the left and right movable legs are given only the degree of freedom around the trunk roll axis 10. Further, both the second connecting cover body 123 and the body cover body 124 are provided with the degree of freedom of rotation of both the trunk pitch shaft 9 and the trunk roll shaft 10 with respect to the movable leg. Therefore, the first connecting cover body 12 that has already emerged from the body cover body 124
2 and the second connection cover body 123, the body cover body 12
4, the movable leg can be operated around the trunk roll axis 10 to hide the internal structure of the machine body. At this time, it should be fully understood that, when driving around the trunk roll axis 10, the internal structure is hidden without limiting the degree of freedom around the trunk pitch axis 9.

B-2. Carrying and Storing the Airframe Like the other mechanical devices, the legged mobile robot 100 also needs to be transported or stored in a predetermined storage location when not in use. Many mechanical devices are provided with a handle or a handle from the viewpoint of operability during transportation and storage.

Legged mobile robot 100 for autonomous work
The present inventors consider that the handle should be attached to the handle while paying attention to the following matters.

(1) It is easy to grasp in any posture such as a standing posture and a floor posture (supine, prone). (2) It should be easy to grip even during legged work such as walking, and even during runaway. (3) Do not injure the operator even if the robot suddenly runs out while being gripped by the handle. (4) There is no risk of the robot tipping over even if you try to grab the handle during leg work such as walking. (5) The operator's hand or figure trying to grab the handle should not be in the visual field of the visual recognition unit such as a camera, and should not affect the action plan of the aircraft.

Due to these considerations, the legged mobile robot 100 according to the present embodiment has the handle 110 formed at the upper end edge at the rear of the body (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

By arranging the handle 110 on the upper end at the rear of the body, the operator can chase the robot from the rear of the machine and grasp the handle 110 even during walking, leg work, or runaway. Can be easily caught by. In addition, since the main movable parts such as the legs and arms are basically given the degree of freedom of joints that face the front of the machine, even if the legs or arms run away while the handle 110 is being operated, There is little concern that the operator may hit the arm of the handle 110 and be injured.

For example, in the posture on the floor such as on the back,
Since the handle 110 faces the floor side, it is difficult for the operator to reach it. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20, by forming the handle 110 lower than the back, a gap is provided between the handle 110 and the floor surface even in the supine posture, and the operator can easily handle the handle 110. Can be inserted.

Further, in order for the operator to grab the handle 110, it is necessary to go around the back of the machine, so that the operator's hand and figure are in the visual field of a visual recognition unit such as a camera, which affects the action plan of the machine. Never give.

In the present embodiment, the handle 110 also serves as an emergency stop mechanism for the robot in the event of a runaway. A pressure sensor is attached to the grip portion of the handle 110, and when the operator detects that the handle 110 is gripped, the operation control unit of the machine body responds to the detection result.
It is equipped with a force-relieving mechanism that de-energizes the joint actuator of the whole body (see FIG. 21). For example, the weakened state can be realized by setting the minimum gain to each joint actuator or setting the output torque to the minimum value. Alternatively, the weakened state can be realized by stopping the power supply to all or some of the joint actuators.

Since the weakening operation is performed in response to the operation of the handle of the handle 110, the operator will not be injured even if the robot suddenly runs out while carrying the machine body. Further, even if the operation of the machine body is urgently stopped by gripping the handle 110, since the machine body is supported by the handle 110, there is no risk of the robot tipping over.

Further, as another use of 110, protection of the back of the head can be mentioned. As shown in FIG. 3, the legged mobile robot according to the present embodiment includes first and second neck joint pitch axes 2A and 2B, and the head is moved in the front-back direction of the machine body by driving both pitch axes. It has a wide movable range.

FIG. 21 shows how the head moves in the front-back direction of the machine body. As shown in the figure, the head has a front position in which the head is bent forward, a basic position in which the head faces the front, and a rear position in which the head hangs behind the body. In this rear position, the back of the head is the handle 110.
It is housed inside the rearmost position defined by.

For example, when the airframe falls backward, the first and second neck joint pitch axes 2A and 2B passively operate due to the external force received at the time of collision with the floor surface, and the original posture is restored. However, the head moves to the rear position. At this time, if the occipital region collides with the floor surface, there is a risk that the head and the neck joint pitch axis actuator will be damaged. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, the back of the head is protected by the rearmost position defined by the handle 110.

B-3. Internal access to the aircraft Many information devices have access to the inside of the device. For example, it has a card slot, a connector, and the like, and accommodates and connects an external storage device and other peripheral devices for function expansion. Further, in battery-powered equipment, it is essential to remove and replace the battery.

The legged mobile robot 100 according to the present embodiment.
Uses the body to implement the internal access mechanism.
More specifically, a PC card slot, a memory stick slot, a battery accommodating port, etc. are provided on the front of the body to enable internal access. In addition, a front cover is attached to hide these from the outside during normal operation to improve the aesthetics of the aircraft design, and to prevent falling and prohibit removal during aircraft operation.

FIG. 23 shows the front of the body with the front cover 101 closed. Further, FIG. 24 shows the front of the body with the front cover 101 opened. Further, FIG. 25 shows the side surface of the body with the front cover 101 opened. As shown in each figure, the front cover 10
1 is rotatably hinged to the front side of the body at its substantially lower edge so that the body 1 can be opened and closed. A latching portion (not shown) such as a latch is provided at a substantially upper end inside the front cover 101, and when the front cover 101 is closed, it engages with a corresponding portion on the front side of the body to close it. It is designed to maintain a good condition.

As shown in FIG. 24, on the front of the body covered by the front cover 101, a battery replacement port 102,
Memory stick slot 103 and PC card
Internal access means such as slot 104 are provided.

A battery pack as a power source for driving the machine body can be detachably accommodated in the battery exchange port 102. Battery used in this embodiment
A handle for preparing a replacement operation for the battery replacement port 102 is attached to the Hagaku (FIG. 26).
checking). Further, a memory stick storing a program for controlling the operation of the machine and motion data in which the operation pattern of the machine is stored can be exchangeably inserted into the memory stick slot 103. On the robot body side, these programs and motion data are installed from the memory stick, or loaded from the memory stick to the main memory to execute the machine action. The PC card slot 104 has a PCMCIA / JEI such as a memory card, a hard disk card, and a wireless LAN card.
Various PC cards according to the usage specified in DA can be exchangeably inserted. In addition, a display unit 105 for indicating the internal state of the machine body is also provided.

If the parts mounted on the internal access means are accidentally removed during the operation of the machine, the equipment may malfunction or be damaged. For example, if the battery pack, which is the main power source, is removed, the robot loses drive power for posture maintenance or posture stabilization control. Further, if the memory stick or the PC card is removed during the memory access, there is a risk of malfunction or runaway because the next processing step of the operation being executed is lost.

In this embodiment, the front cover 101 has a function of restricting the removal and replacement of these mounted parts during the operation of the machine. That is, the opening operation of the front cover 101 is prohibited during the aircraft operation,
Make it impossible to remove the battery or memory stick.

FIG. 27 schematically shows a functional structure for prohibiting the replacement work of parts.

The opening / closing portion 111 comprises a front cover 101 which is hinged to the body so as to be rotatable. A locking portion such as a latch is provided at the other end of the opening / closing portion 111, and the opening / closing operation portion 112 releases the latch in response to a user operation.

The opening prohibiting unit 113 is composed of, for example, a component such as a solenoid, and prohibits the opening and closing of the opening and closing unit 111 regardless of the user's operation on the opening and closing operation unit 112 so that the opening and closing unit 111 is not opened. While the machine body operation control unit 114 that controls the machine body operation is in operation, the opening prohibition unit 113 is energized and the opening / closing unit 111 is not opened. As a result, the removal of parts such as the battery and the memory stick housed inside is prohibited.

[Supplement] The present invention has been described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments. However, it is obvious that those skilled in the art can modify or substitute the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The subject matter of the present invention is not necessarily limited to products called "robots". That is, as long as it is a mechanical device that performs a motion similar to a human motion by using an electric or magnetic action, even if it is a product belonging to another industrial field such as a toy, the present invention is similarly applied. Can be applied.

In short, the present invention has been disclosed in the form of exemplification, and the contents described in this specification should not be construed in a limited manner. To determine the gist of the present invention,
The claims section mentioned at the beginning should be taken into consideration.

[0086]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide an excellent legged mobile robot configured by connecting a movable leg to a body.

According to the invention, it is arranged in the center of the airframe,
With sufficient volume, you can get clear guidelines for the design of the body connecting the movable limbs, such as legs and arms.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a legged mobile robot used for implementing the present invention is upright as viewed from the front.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which a legged mobile robot used for implementing the present invention is upright, as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a joint degree of freedom configuration of a legged mobile robot.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a composite degree of freedom configuration in a hip joint and a trunk of the legged mobile robot 100.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a composite degree of freedom configuration in a hip joint and a trunk of the legged mobile robot 100.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a composite degree of freedom configuration in a hip joint and a trunk of the legged mobile robot 100.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a composite degree of freedom configuration in a hip joint and a trunk of the legged mobile robot 100.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a composite degree of freedom configuration in a hip joint and a trunk of the legged mobile robot 100.

9 is a perspective view of a waist cover body 121. FIG.

10 is a rear view showing a state in which a waist cover body 121 is attached to the body of the legged mobile robot 100 shown in FIGS. 4 to 5. FIG.

11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a waist cover body 121 is attached to the body of the legged mobile robot 100 shown in FIGS. 4 to 5. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a perspective view of a first connection cover body 122.

13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first connection cover body 122 is attached to the body of the legged mobile robot 100 shown in FIGS. 4 to 5. FIG.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a perspective view of a second connection cover body 123.

15 is a rear view showing a state in which a second connection cover body 123 is attached to the body of the legged mobile robot 100 shown in FIGS. 4 to 5. FIG.

16 is a diagram showing a state in which a body cover body is attached to the body of the legged mobile robot 100 shown in FIGS. 4 to 5. FIG.

FIG. 17 is a left side view showing the legged mobile robot 100 according to the present embodiment in a basic standing posture.

FIG. 18 is a left side view showing a state in which the legged mobile robot 100 bends forward by driving around the trunk pitch axis 9.

FIG. 19 shows how the connecting cover bodies 122 and 123 operate when the legged mobile robot 100 in the forward bending posture is further swung to the left side with respect to the legs by driving around the trunk roll axis 10. It is a rear view.

20 is a diagram showing a state in which a gap is provided between the handle 110 and the floor surface when the legged mobile robot 100 is in the supine posture by forming the handle 110 lower than the back.

FIG. 21 is a diagram schematically showing a weakening mechanism that weakens the joint actuators of the whole body according to the gripping operation of the handle 110.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing how the head moves in the front-rear direction of the machine body.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the front of the body with the front cover 101 closed.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing the front of the body with the front cover 101 open.

FIG. 25 is a view showing a side surface of the body with the front cover 101 opened.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a battery pack having a handle attached thereto.

FIG. 27 is a diagram schematically showing a functional configuration for prohibiting replacement work of parts.

FIG. 28 is a rear view showing a state in which the legged mobile robot 100 in a forward bending posture is further swung to the left side with respect to the legs by driving around the trunk roll axis 10.

FIG. 29 is a diagram for explaining a composite degree-of-freedom configuration in a hip joint and a trunk of the legged mobile robot 100.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Neck joint yaw axis 2A ... 1st neck joint pitch axis 2B ... Second neck joint (head) pitch axis 3 ... Neck joint roll axis 4 ... Shoulder joint pitch axis 5 ... Shoulder joint roll axis 6 ... Upper arm yaw axis 7 ... Elbow joint pitch axis 8 ... Wrist joint yaw axis 9 ... Trunk pitch axis 10 ... Trunk roll axis 11 ... Hip joint yaw axis 12 ... Hip joint pitch axis 13 ... Hip roll axis 14 ... Knee joint pitch axis 15 ... Ankle joint pitch axis 16 ... Ankle joint roll axis 30 ... Head unit, 40 ... Trunk unit 50 ... Arm unit, 51 ... Upper arm unit 52 ... Elbow joint unit, 53 ... Forearm unit 60 ... Leg unit, 61 ... Thigh unit 62 ... knee joint unit, 63 ... shin unit 80 ... Control unit, 81 ... Main control unit 82 ... Peripheral circuit 91, 92 ... Grounding confirmation sensor 93, 94 ... Acceleration sensor 95 ... Attitude sensor 96 ... Acceleration sensor 100 ... Legged mobile robot 101 ... Front cover 102 ... Battery exchange port 103 ... Slot for memory stick 104 ... PC card slot 105 ... Display 110 ... handle 121 ... waist or bar 122 ... First connection cover body 123 ... Second connection cover body 124 ... Body cover

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2C150 CA01 DA04 DA24 DA26 DA27                       DA28 EB01 EC03 EC15 EC25                       EC29 ED10 ED42 ED52 EF07                       EF16 EF17 EF22 EF23 EF29                       EF33 EF36                 3C007 AS27 AS32 AS36 CS08 CY29                       MT14 WA03 WA13 WC21

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A legged mobile robot comprising a body and a movable leg connected to the body, wherein the movable leg has a composite degree of freedom about a roll axis and a pitch axis with respect to the body, In a connecting portion between the body and the movable leg, a waist cover body fixed to the movable leg, a first connecting cover body attached to the movable leg rotatably only around the roll axis, One or more second connection cover bodies that are rotatable about the pitch axis with respect to the first connection cover body and that are attached to the movable leg so as to be rotatable about the roll axis and the pitch axis. A body which is rotatable with respect to the first connecting cover body around the pitch axis and is rotatably attached to the movable leg around the roll axis and the pitch axis to cover the body. Legged mobile robot, characterized by comprising a bar body. 2. A legged mobile robot comprising a body and a movable leg connected to the body, the movable leg performing a walking motion in a predetermined walking direction, the surface of the body opposite to the walking direction. A legged mobile robot, characterized in that a grip portion is provided at substantially the upper edge of the. 3. The grip portion has a predetermined gap between the grip portion and a floor surface when the body is in an on-floor posture in which the body is in contact with the surface on the side opposite to the walking direction. Legged mobile robot. 4. The legged mobile robot according to claim 2, further comprising an arm attached to the body so as to have a degree of freedom mainly in a walking direction of the machine body. 5. A grip detection unit that detects that an operator grips the grip unit, and an operation control unit that weakens the motion of the machine body in response to a detection result of the grip detection unit. The legged mobile robot according to claim 2, wherein the mobile robot is a legged mobile robot. 6. A legged mobile robot comprising a body and movable legs connected to the body, the front cover being openably operable on the front of the body, and covered with the front cover of the body. A legged mobile robot. 7. The internal access means includes at least an insertion opening for a main power supply for operating the machine body and / or an insertion opening for replacing a memory or other expansion device. The legged mobile robot described in. 8. The legged mobile robot according to claim 6, further comprising an opening prohibition unit for prohibiting an opening operation of the front cover during operation of the machine body.