JP2004291215A - On-vehicle type and traveling type operation arm/hand device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To elongate the working time by reducing the power energy consumption and to allow a working tool to perform a prescribed work by a remote control command on an uneven ground. <P>SOLUTION: This on-vehicle type and traveling type operation arm/hand device is provided with first and second arm elements 44 and 45, which are formed by extending two links 30 and 36 of a pantograph type link structure 30 mounted on an autonomous traveling vehicle 8. The hand 50 in the tip of the first arm element 44 is detachably attached with a working tool 60, and the tip of the second arm element 45 is attached with a counter weight W so as to have a dead weight compensating function. A remote control command signal is transmitted between a communication device 22 of a worker P staying in a remote part and communication devices 20 and 21 mounted on the device so as to control the operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an on-vehicle type and a traveling type working arm / hand device, and in particular, to surely countless landmines buried in battlefields, conflict areas, and the like in the world where urgent measures and treatments have recently been requested. It relates to a work arm and hand device that can be used to detect buried positions safely and excavate and remove it with a high probability of safety, and especially to run through irregular areas such as battlefields. The vehicle is mounted on a wheeled vehicle such as an autonomous traveling buggy vehicle that can reach the destination point, and the exploration work is continued remotely near the mine embedding point and with a small power consumption for an appropriate continuous time The present invention relates to a weight-compensated on-vehicle type and traveling type work arm / hand device capable of performing and excavating a discovered mine from underground.
The on-vehicle type and traveling type working arm and hand device according to the present invention are not intended to be exclusively used for exploring the mine burial position and excavating after exploration, and are not intended to be exchanged with the tip of the hand. It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to various industrial uses depending on the work function of the work implement that can be attached.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, many minefields have been scattered around the world, especially in Asia, and inhabitants in those areas have been hit by landmines and exploded in many cases, causing over 100 million buried landmines. Exploration and excavation and removal are urgently needed.
Conventionally, the main means of such landmine exploration work is to use a large bulldozer-type roller or other equipment to blast the minefield beforehand, and then to mine the remaining landmine directly by the explorer. A method has been adopted in which a user goes to an expected point and conducts exploration work with a metal detector or the like to detect land mines. Each time it is detected, it is performed by digging the soil carefully with the tip of a sharp blade so as not to touch the fuse. Therefore, the availability of equipment is not always easy, and there is a constant danger, and efficient exploration and removal are difficult to achieve.
[0003]
In view of the above situation, many engineers have already proposed safe and efficient mine exploration and removal means. For example, Literature 1 proposes a robot-type vehicle, that is, a vehicle in which a laser sensor, an infrared camera, a work manipulator, and the like are mounted so that the vehicle can enter a suitable area and perform landmine removal. However, the document 1 is intended for large-scale work including not only demining but also bomb disposal and treatment of irregular terrain, etc. In that respect, minefields laid in rough and uneven terrain in various areas in that respect are disclosed. In terms of decisive equipment that combines the simplicity and low cost that can be used for transportation and transportation, and that can achieve safe and efficient mine exploration and removal, it is satisfactory. There are problems that cannot be obtained.
[0004]
On the other hand, Literature 2 uses a hydraulic shovel as a basic machine equipped with a rotary cutter, a known mine disposal machine, and the like as a mine disposal machine used for the processing of antipersonnel mines, and firstly cuts down bushes and shrubs attached to mine disposal. Disclosed is that if it is executed, leveled and then found by mine exploration, it will be blasted if found.
However, this document 2 is also developed on the basis of existing relatively large-scale equipment, and the minefield is first leveled mainly by bushing and shrub cutting so that mine exploration can be easily performed first. It has been developed with an emphasis on remote control, and it cannot be said that it is satisfactory in terms of remote controllability and ease of carrying in and operation. In addition, it cannot be said that sufficient measures are taken from the viewpoint of labor saving.
Thus, from the viewpoint of safety, it has a function to perform the desired mine exploration and excavation work at a stretch according to the remote operation by the operator, and it is easy and long work even in an area where it is difficult to secure power energy. There is a need to provide a device that can perform landmine exploration and removal operations continuously over time.
[0005]
Minefields are often under environmental conditions where power sources such as electric power cannot be used, such as in degraded areas and battlefields, and yet they have a high degree of reliability due to the nature of their work, and are subject to remote control by workers. It is essential to have full adaptability to ensure that landmine detectors and excavation tools attached to the equipment can operate reliably even in rough environments and in bad environments such as dust. In other words, it can be easily transported to dangerous work sites and used, and has a traveling function that can move by itself on the ground surface of degraded land. When a mine is explored and found by exploration, it has a function that can be compared with a human arm and hand due to the requirement that the exploration equipment be excavated and replaced with a work tool and the mine can be excavated immediately. There is a need for an on-vehicle or traveling arm / hand device, which can also operate under energy-saving conditions.
[0006]
[Non-patent document 1]
At "INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED ROBOTICS PROGRAMME" held in Toulouse, France on September 16, 1998.
A paper on a presentation at the International Working Group on "Robotics for Humanitarian Deming".
[0007]
[Non-patent document 2]
On April 10, 2001, in the auditorium of the Science Council of Japan, a collection of lectures "Workshop on Humanitarian Detection and Treatment of Anti-personnel Landmines", co-hosted by the Science Council of Japan, co-hosted by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Japan Society of Resources and Materials, and the Robotics Society of Japan.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to remotely perform land mining exploration and excavation removal while ensuring the safety of workers and avoiding damage to equipment on uneven terrain or degraded land under energy saving (power saving). Another object of the present invention is to provide an on-vehicle or traveling arm / hand device formed to have a moving ability capable of autonomous traveling so as to be able to perform as long as possible.
It is a further object of the present invention to achieve energy saving by adopting a self-weight compensation mechanism, and to perform various operations including traveling, exploration, excavation, etc. using only a power source such as a mounted battery. It is an object of the present invention to provide a possible vehicle-mounted or traveling arm / hand device.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pantograph-type link mechanism disposed in an upright plane, wherein two links of the pantograph-type link mechanism are respectively formed as expansion / reduction drive links, and two pantograph-type link mechanisms extending from the pantograph-type link mechanism are provided. A hand for holding a work tool is provided at one end of the extension arm of the extension arm, a counterweight for self-weight compensation is provided at the other end of the arm, and a drive source for expansion and contraction of the pantograph-type link mechanism and a rotation drive source around the vertical axis. Are disposed along the pivot axis of the two expansion / contraction drive links and the longitudinal axis, respectively, and these pantograph-type link mechanisms, two extension arms, expansion / reduction drive sources, turning drive sources, etc. are mounted on the autonomous vehicle. And an on-vehicle type working arm / hand device in which the hand, the enlarging / reducing drive source, and the turning drive source are formed so as to be remotely controllable from outside the vehicle.
[0010]
Since the vehicle-mounted working arm / hand device having such a configuration has a pantograph-type link mechanism that compensates for its own weight by the counterweight and two extending arms, two expansion / contraction drive links are required. When the extension arm having the hand is extended by the expansion / contraction drive source in the direction away from the vehicle, the contraction operation in the direction approaching the vehicle can also reduce the load on the enlargement / reduction drive source as much as possible, At the same time, the load on the turning drive source for turning the pantograph-type link mechanism around the vertical axis can be reduced, and the hand can be easily turned through the pantograph-type link mechanism. Therefore, a combination of the perspective operation and the turning operation of the hand is used to perform a desired operation by using the work tool attached to the tip of the hand to perform a work in a scanning mode with respect to a certain area or to position the work tool at a predetermined position. At this time, by remotely controlling the above-mentioned enlargement / reduction drive source and turning drive source from outside the vehicle, the worker can use the arm and hand of the vehicle-mounted work arm / hand device while being away from the vehicle. By operating the working tool via the, it is possible to perform a desired target work safely even in a dangerous work, that is, while ensuring the safety of the worker.
As described above, since the load on each drive source is sufficiently reduced by the counterweight for self-weight compensation, irregular terrain is required when the vehicle is moved to move the arms and hands to different points. Even if the vehicle runs, the vehicle can move and run stably without losing the balance of the vehicle.
[0011]
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an on-vehicle type working arm / hand device, wherein the autonomous traveling vehicle further includes a power source unit which constitutes all energy sources such as a driving source for driving, an enlarging / reducing driving source and a turning driving source. I do.
[0012]
In the on-vehicle work arm / hand device having the above-described configuration, as described above, the load on the various driving sources is inevitably reduced by the action of the counterweight for self-weight compensation. The load on the source energy source, i.e., the power source comprising a battery, is also reduced. As a result, the life of the power source can be extended, and the work of the in-vehicle work arm / hand device can be easily continued for a long time, ultimately improving the work efficiency of the device. it can.
[0013]
Further, in order to achieve the object of the invention described above, the present invention pivotally couples two angled pairs of a chevron and a valley, and extends the two links forming the chevron, respectively, so that the first link is formed. A pantograph-type link structure having an arm element and a second arm element,
A work tool holding hand that is provided at a tip of the first arm element and holds a work tool;
A weight locking hand provided to lock a counterweight at the tip of the second arm element,
First drive means attached along or near a pivot axis of the two links forming the valley-shaped pair, for expanding and contracting the pantograph-type link structure to move the first and second arm elements in a distance direction;
Second drive means for pivoting and driving the pantograph-type link structure about a longitudinal axis substantially orthogonal to the pivot axis of the two links forming the valley-shaped couple;
Remote control means of the first and second drive means,
A vehicle capable of autonomous traveling with the pantograph-type link structure mounted thereon,
The present invention provides a traveling-type work arm / hand device configured with:
[0014]
The traveling-type work arm / hand device having the above-described configuration carries a pantograph-type link structure to a desired destination by traveling of an autonomously traveling vehicle, and places a balance at that point with a counterweight. The working tool held at the tip of the first arm element was operated by driving the first and second driving means controlled by the remote control means, and was found in a desired work, for example, landmine exploration or exploration. Workers can perform operations such as mining excavation safely and with high reliability while remotely operating and monitoring the workers from a remote location.
Because the balance is taken by the counter weight, even when the vehicle travels on degraded land or uneven terrain, it can run stably without loss of balance due to the uneven weight of the pantograph type link structure. The pantograph-type link structure can be moved to the destination, and operations such as landmine exploration and excavation can be performed using an exploration device or excavation tool at the tip of the first arm element. Of course, if the working tools are properly selected, not only mine exploration and mine excavation work, but also other hazardous work such as unexploded bomb disposal and removal of buried toxic chemicals, etc. Can be achieved.
[0015]
Further, in the present invention, preferably, a ratio of a length from an axis of a pivot shaft of the two links forming the valley to the tip of the first arm element to a tip of the second arm element. Is approximately equal to the ratio of the length of the link and the length of the second arm element with respect to a point lowered from the axis of the pivot shaft to one link connected to the second arm element in the two links of the angled pair. A traveling work arm / hand device to be set is provided.
[0016]
With this configuration, as long as the above ratio is maintained, the length of the first arm element is restricted by the length of the link member forming the pantograph-type link structure according to the target work type. Without having, it is also possible to have a work tool holding hand at a position considerably away from the stop position of the vehicle, for example, it is possible to remotely operate the work tool while the operator is in the vehicle Become.
[0017]
Preferably, the work tool holding hand provided at the tip of the first arm element includes a detachable holding mechanism that allows the work tool to be replaced according to a work type.
According to such a configuration, one traveling type work arm / hand device can sequentially perform various types of work to complete a target operation, and a large number of traveling type work arm / hand devices can be mounted on a work site. It is possible to avoid the trouble of carrying in the vehicle.
[0018]
Further, in the present invention, the work tool holding hand is a linear motion actuator which is inserted between the mounting plate to which the work tool is detachably attached and the tip of the first arm element. It is preferable to provide a traveling-type working arm / hand device configured to include a two-degree-of-freedom operating mechanism around two orthogonal axes formed including a rod end, a universal joint, and a universal joint.
[0019]
The traveling-type working arm / hand device configured as described above has a two-degree-of-freedom movement function also in the work implement itself, so that it is three-dimensionally combined with the expansion / contraction movement and the turning movement of the first arm element and the traveling movement of the vehicle. In a space, a desired operation can be performed while always maintaining the mounting plate in a parallel posture with respect to the running surface of the vehicle or in other various postures, and the usefulness of the device is remarkably improved.
[0020]
Preferably, if the work implement is constituted by a mine exploration sensor means or a mine excavation tool means, the apparatus can be applied to exploration of a buried mine in a minefield and excavation after discovery.
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings showing preferred embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the overall configuration of a vehicle-mounted or traveling-type working arm / hand device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is provided with the arm / hand device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a mechanism diagram for explaining a self-weight compensation structure of a provided pantograph-type link mechanism.
[0022]
Referring first to FIG. 1, an on-vehicle type or traveling type working arm / hand device according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle 8 having a vehicle body 10, and the vehicle body 10 of the vehicle 8 includes a pair of front wheels or a single vehicle. A wheel 12 constituting one front wheel and a pair of rear wheels is provided at a bottom portion, and a suitable drive mechanism 14 is configured to freely move forward and backward through a wheel suspension and a steering device 16. The drive mechanism 14 includes a drive source including a fossil fuel or an electric motor and a reduction gear, and preferably includes an electric motor using a battery 18 as a power energy source. Further, the vehicle 8 is preferably capable of controlling the operation of a human being on board. The vehicle 8 further has an autonomous traveling function of autonomously traveling by receiving a remote control command signal from a remote point by the communication device 20. It is good to be. A person skilled in the art can easily realize such a vehicle 8 by appropriately adapting or directly diverting a so-called buggy vehicle which is conventionally commercially available or widely used. In particular, since the vehicle 8 is required to have a function of running through degraded land such as a minefield or irregular terrain, an effective vehicle 8 can be obtained by applying a buggy vehicle. The battery 18 and the drive mechanism 14 mounted on the vehicle 8 have a proper sealing structure using a sealing member so as not to cause a functional failure due to dust or the like even when traveling on a deserted land such as a desert. It is preferable to provide a suitable heat-resistant structure.
[0023]
Now, on the vehicle 8, there is provided a link mechanism having a pivot axis in a vertical plane, that is, a pantograph-type link structure 30 formed by pivotally connecting four links forming four round pairs. It is installed. This pantograph-type link structure 30 has four links 35, 36, 37, 38 pivotally connected at four pivot points 31, 32, 33, 34 in the vertical plane as described above. The links 36 and 37 forming a mountain shape therein are provided as driven links, and the links 35 and 38 forming a valley shape are provided as drive links. The pivot point 31 at which the two drive links 35 and 38 pivotally couple is located at the lowermost position. When the drive links 35 and 38 are turned around the pivot point 31, the driven links 36 and 37 are also rotated. It pivots at pivot points 32, 33, 34, which results in a pantograph action of the pantograph link structure 30, ie, a scaling action. The movable mechanisms including the pivot points 31 to 34 have a structure in which dust and the like are prevented from entering from outside by using an appropriate sealing material or the like.
[0024]
Further, in the present embodiment, the above-described pivot point 31, that is, the horizontal pivot axis at the lowest pivot point at which the drive links 35 and 38 forming a valley form a pivoting operation (perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1). A drive unit for turning and driving the drive link 35 and a drive unit for turning and driving the drive link 38 are provided coaxially on the (axial center). Each of these turning drive means is formed by a structure in which electric motors M1 and M2, which are schematically shown, and a reduction gear (not shown), for example, a coaxial reduction gear such as a well-known harmonic drive are connected. I have.
The pivot point 31 is a single point based on a configuration in which the drive link 35 and the drive link 38 are provided in a circling pair structure having the same pivot axis. It should be noted that even if the pivot shaft and the pivot shaft of the drive link 38 are substantially separated from each other and provided in parallel at two points close to each other, no inconvenience arises from the viewpoint of construction and operation. There is.
[0025]
Further, in the present embodiment, the drive motor M3 is provided below the pivot point 31 in a suitable case 40, and the same harmonic drive coaxial reduction gear means as described above connected to the drive motor M3. A turning drive means is provided to turn the pantograph-type link structure 30 about an axis perpendicular to the turning axis of the drive links 35 and 38 (the vertical axis of the arrow shown in the figure). The vertical axis ψ does not need to be an orthogonal axis passing through the pivot axes of the drive links 35 and 38, and may be arranged at a close position at right angles.
[0026]
The drive motors M1. M3 and its control circuit (not shown) are both supplied with operating power from a battery 18 mounted on the vehicle 10 via an appropriate connector. Of course, it is obvious that a configuration in which a generator device is mounted and supplied from the generator device is not excluded at all.
[0027]
On the other hand, as a feature of the present embodiment, an arm element that extends the two links 36 and 37 of the pantograph-type link structure 30 described above is provided. That is, a first arm element 44 extending from the link 37 extends from the pivot point 34, and a second arm element 45 extending from the link 36 extends from the pivot point 32. The first arm element 44 has a work tool holding hand 50 at the tip thereof, and a work tool 60 is detachably attached to the tip of the hand 50.
[0028]
The second arm element 45 has a counterweight W for self-weight compensation attached to the tip thereof, and is firmly fixed so as not to be detached during operation of the apparatus. However, if necessary, another counterweight having a different weight is used. It is also possible to exchange with.
When such a counterweight W is provided at the tip of the second arm element 45, the weight and arm length of the hand 50 or the work tool 60 to which the tip of the other first arm element 44 is attached to the pantograph-type link structure 30 are set. This makes it possible to balance the load applied to the lowest pivot point 31. That is, the load moment of the counter weight W with respect to the pivot point 31 of the pantograph link structure 30 via the first arm element 44 is applied to the pivot point of the pantograph link structure 30 via the second arm element 45. Acting as a counterbalancing moment with respect to 31, the pantograph-type link structure 30 mounted on the vehicle 8 and the link mechanism comprising the first and second arm elements 44, 45 always balance at the pivot point 31. Is secured, the fear that an eccentric load that may cause the vehicle 8 to overturn is eliminated, and the driving electric motors M1. It is possible to reduce the load on M3 and reduce the amount of power consumed by the battery 18, thereby prolonging the use time of the arm / hand device.
[0029]
That is, referring now to FIG. 2, with respect to the pivot point 31, the lengths of the first arm element 44 and the second arm element 45 extending from both pivot points 34 and 32 of the pantograph-type link structure 30 are illustrated. If a predetermined ratio n: 1 is selected in advance as described above, by setting the load of the counter weight W to nF with respect to the load F applied to the hand 50, an equilibrium state in which the unbalanced load is eliminated can be obtained. This makes it possible to smooth the pivoting operation at each of the pivot points 31 to 34 by the weight compensation.
[0030]
Note that the arm lengths of the first and second arm elements 44 and 45 are the same as those of the link 36 and the first arm element 44 in the mountain-shaped link mechanism, and the link 37 and the second arm element 45 have the same length. The length is chosen to be equal, but is not limited to such an embodiment.
As clearly shown in FIG. 3, when it is necessary to make the length of the first arm element 44 longer than the length of the link 36 as necessary, the length of the second arm element 45 is reduced to the lowest pivot. As shown in the drawing, a fixed ratio m: 1 is formed through the pantograph-type link structure 30 with respect to the landing point 31, so that the balance is achieved in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIG. Function can be obtained. More specifically, the length ratio between the link 36 and the second arm element 45 is the horizontal distance between the tip of the first arm element 44 with respect to the lowest pivot point 31 to the hand 50 and the horizontal distance to the counter weight W. What is necessary is just to select so that it becomes equal to the ratio to the distance length and each becomes m: 1.
[0031]
Here, referring again to FIG. 1, the on-vehicle type or traveling type arm / hand device according to the present embodiment includes, as an example, a suitable mounting means (shown in FIG. 1) at a position holding the counterweight W at the tip of the second arm element 45. A communication device 21 different from the previous communication device 20 is attached via the communication device 21. A remote control command signal is received via the communication device 21 and a mine detection signal or the like described later from the arm / hand device side is received. The communication with the communication device 22 held by the worker P located at a position distant from the vehicle 8 by executing the transmission is enabled.
In this case, the remote control command signal received by the communication device 21 includes the drive motors M1. This controls the rotational drive control of the M3 and the operation of the electric drive type devices provided on the hand 50 and the work implement 60 held by the hand 50.
[0032]
Conversely, the communication device 22 held by the worker P can perform remote communication with the communication device 20 mounted on the vehicle 8, thereby remotely controlling the operation of the drive mechanism 14 of the vehicle 8. It is also possible to control the traveling while monitoring the vehicle 8 from a distant point.
[0033]
That is, the on-vehicle type or traveling type arm / hand device of the present embodiment has not only a flat ground surface shown in FIG. 1 but also, as shown in FIG. It is configured so that it can be operated unattended and from a remote location. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the worker p transmits a remote control command signal via the communication device 22 on a rough terrain state, the arm / hand device causes the vehicle 8 to first autonomously respond to the command. The vehicle travels to the destination, and the pantograph-type link structure 30 is enlarged or reduced at the destination by a remote control command. At this time, the scaling operation is smoothly performed by the function of the self-weight compensation function by the counter weight W. Then, the first arm element 44 is lowered to the ground surface, and the hand 50 is held at an appropriate height position. After setting in this manner, the desired work can be further performed by remotely using the work tool 60 held by the hand 50.
[0034]
For example, when the working tool 60 is a landmine exploration probe buried in a minefield, the communication device 21 receives the remote control command signal from the communication device 22 to perform the scaling operation of the pantograph-type link structure 30. While constantly controlling the height of the work implement 60 from the ground plane to a constant height, the work implement 60 is moved from a point away from the vehicle 8 to a point close thereto, and the pantograph-type link structure 30 is moved around the vertical axis. When the driving means having the driving motor M3 is turned at an appropriate speed as indicated by "ψ", a scanning motion is performed to detect the presence or absence of a mine in the ground. Moreover, if the vehicle 8 is driven by the remote control command signal received by the communication device 20, the exploration work over a wide area can be continued continuously.
At this time, as described above, since the load on the battery 18 included in the apparatus is sufficiently reduced by the self-weight compensation function, the life of the battery 18 is ensured sufficiently long without power supply from the outside. You can.
[0035]
Here, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the counterweight W of the self-weight compensation type pantograph type link structure 30 and the first and second arm elements 44 and 45 provided in the arm / hand device of the present invention is set to 12 kg. Considering the self-weight compensation effect by setting the load applied via the hand 50 to 4 kg, respectively, the pivotal movement of the drive links 35 and 38 of the pantograph-type link structure 30 from the horizontal posture of the former drive link 35 is considered. The power consumption when the turning angle φ is fixed and the latter drive link 38 is turned and fluctuated from the horizontal position over the angle “+ .θ” [deg] by the driving means having the driving motor M1 is represented by DC24. Measured via the measurement of the amount of current "I" from the battery 18 comprising a volt supply, at most I = 0.3.0.5 amps, as evidenced by the graph of FIG. It has been experimentally confirmed that it can be driven with a low power of about [A], and it has been proved that the contribution of the self-weight compensation effect is extremely high.
[0036]
Next, referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the present embodiment is an example of an in-vehicle work arm / hand device having an elongated first arm element 44 a, and the hand 50 has two degrees of freedom. It has a structure with a mechanism, and has a configuration in which the working tool 60 is mounted on a holding plate at the tip of the hand 50.
As described above with reference to FIG. 3, between the first arm element 44a and the second arm element 45a in this embodiment, the drive links 35 and 38 of the pantograph-type link structure 30 form the lowermost pair that forms a pair. It is clear from the standpoint of obtaining the self-weight compensation effect that it is formed so as to have a constant length ratio m: 1 with respect to the pivot point 31. In FIG. 7, a hand 50 attached to the distal end of the first arm element 44a is provided in a structure in which a two-degree-of-freedom mechanism 52 is interposed between the distal end position and the holding plate 54. The work tool 60 is detachably attached to the plate 54.
[0037]
FIG. 8 illustrates a detailed configuration example of an example of the two-degree-of-freedom mechanism 52 provided in the hand 50.
In FIG. 8, the hand 50 has a coupling portion 51 attached to an appropriate gripping tool such as a chuck mechanism or a screwing mechanism provided at the tip of the first arm element 44a at an upper portion thereof. A cylindrical storage case 53 is provided below the portion 51, and two direct-acting actuator devices 54 forming driving means of the two-degree-of-freedom mechanism 52 are held in the storage case 53 by an appropriate holding mechanism. ing. The two linear motion actuator devices 54 each have a linear motion rod 55, and the distal ends of the linear motion rods 55, 55 protrude from the end surface of the storage case 53 and have drive ends having rod ends 56 at both ends. It is connected to the work implement mounting plate 58 via 57 and 57.
[0038]
On the other hand, a universal joint device 62 is further disposed between the end face of the cylindrical storage case 53 and the work implement mounting plate 58. At this time, the two drive rods 57, 57 having the rod ends 56 at both ends and the universal joint device 62 are set at three points on the upper surface of the work implement mounting plate 58. Thus, when the linear motion rods 55, 55 of the two linear motion type actuator devices 54, 54 simultaneously extend or contract, the work tool mounting plate 58 is interposed by the rod end 56 or the universal joint device 62. Swings about a predetermined axis, and when the two linear motion rods 55 perform different linear motions such that one of them extends and the other expands and contracts, the work implement mounting plate 58 Swings around an axis different from the center of the axis, and eventually, a swing mechanism having two degrees of freedom, that is, a two-degree-of-freedom mechanism 52 is formed. Such a two-degree-of-freedom mechanism gives the working tool 60 two degrees of freedom when the working tool 60 is detachably attached to the working tool mounting plate 58 with an appropriate mounting tool. It is possible to control the posture to an appropriate posture.
[0039]
Therefore, if the work tool 60 is constituted by, for example, a mine detecting device, it is possible to perform posture control such as keeping the posture of the mine detecting device always parallel to the surface of the ground to be searched. In this case, the direct-acting actuator devices 54 of the two-degree-of-freedom mechanism 52 in the hand 50 are connected to the communication provided at the tip of the second arm element 45 in the pantograph-type link structure 30 (see FIG. 1) described above. The operation control is performed by a remote control command signal received by the device 21, and the worker P can remotely control the communication device 22 (see FIG. 1).
[0040]
Further, the working tool 60 may be constituted by a digging knife tool for mining excavation, for example. In other words, when the underground mine is explored and found in the minefield, if the exploration equipment is dug and replaced with a knife tool, the mine can be dug immediately and the detoxification process can be performed. When the digging knife tool is attached to the hand 50 at the tip of the first arm element 44, the expanding / contracting operation of the pantograph-type link structure 30 is controlled so as to remotely apply the digging action to the digging knife tool. Just do it.
The above description has been described in relation to the case where the vehicle-mounted or traveling-type working arm / hand device according to the present invention is mainly applied to land mine exploration and excavation work, but, of course, other work applications, for example, unexploded ordnance It is also possible to apply the method to applications involving dangers such as processing and excavation of buried harmful chemicals. In such a case, the vehicle 8 is moved and traveled to reach a work destination, and a desired operation is performed according to a remote control command. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that they can accomplish the task.
[0041]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention has been described by taking the preferred embodiment as an example. However, the present invention is configured such that the hand is connected to one of the first and second arm elements provided on the pantograph type link structure mounted on the vehicle and capable of expanding and contracting. The pantograph-type link structure mounted on the vehicle, because the work implement can be held by the other, and on the other hand, the pantograph-type link structure is maintained at an equilibrium state by holding a counterweight for self-weight compensation. It has become possible to sufficiently reduce the load on the expansion / contraction drive means, the turning drive means, and the power source battery for supplying power to these drive means. As a result, it is possible to obtain an effect that the work can be continued for a long time while saving energy even in work in a desolate area where it is difficult to obtain electric energy or the like of the power source.
[0042]
Moreover, the operation of the first arm element and the hand performed through the running of the vehicle and the expansion / contraction operation of the pantograph-type link structure can be remotely controlled by an operator from a region outside the vehicle by a remote control command. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an effect that the safety of the work can be surely guaranteed, and therefore, it is possible to ensure the safety particularly in the mine exploration work and the excavation work in the minefield.
In addition, the vehicle itself is configured to be able to autonomously travel by remote control, and the work arm and hand mechanism mounted on the vehicle has a self-weight compensation function, so it can reach even work sites in degraded areas, irregular terrain, etc. Thus, it is also possible to perform a desired operation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a configuration of a vehicle-mounted and traveling-type work arm / hand device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a mechanism diagram illustrating a self-weight compensation function provided in a pantograph link structure and an arm element of the on-vehicle type and traveling type work arm / hand devices.
FIG. 3 is a mechanism diagram illustrating requirements for achieving a self-weight compensation function in another form of a pantograph-type link structure and an arm element.
FIG. 4 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating a working state of a vehicle-mounted and traveling-type working arm / hand device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a mechanism used for experimentally explaining that the self-weight compensation function between the pantograph-type link structure and the arm element according to the present invention can contribute to reduction of required energy of the power source and labor saving. .
FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a power reduction effect as a result of an experiment performed by the mechanism.
FIG. 7 is a schematic front view showing a configuration of a vehicle-mounted and traveling work arm / hand device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a mounting structure of a hand and a working tool provided in a vehicle-mounted and traveling-type working arm / hand device according to another embodiment, and an example of a two-degree-of-freedom mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
8: Vehicle,
10: Body,
12 wheels,
14: drive mechanism,
16: rudder device,
18: Battery,
20: communication equipment,
21: communication equipment,
22: communication equipment,
30: Pantograph type link structure,
31, 32, 33, 34: pivot point,
35, 38: drive link,
36, 37: Link,
40: Case,
44, 44a: first arm element,
45, 45a: second arm element,
50: Hand,
51: a coupling portion, a cylindrical storage case 53 is provided below the coupling portion 51, and two 52-degree-of-freedom mechanisms are provided therein, and two direct-acting actuators 53 serving as driving means: a storage case;
54: linear motion type actuator device,
55: Linear rod,
56: Rod end,
57: drive rod,
58: work implement mounting plate,
60: work tools,
M1. M3: drive motor,
P: worker,
W: Counter weight.

Claims (7)

The two links of the pantograph-type link mechanism disposed in the vertical plane are respectively formed as expansion / reduction drive links, and the working tool is held at the tip of one of two extending arms extended from the pantograph-type link mechanism. A hand for compensating its own weight at the tip of the other arm, and connecting the expansion / contraction drive source of the pantograph-type link mechanism and the turning drive source about the vertical axis to the pivot shafts of the two expansion / contraction drive links and the Arranged along each of the vertical axes, these pantograph-type link mechanisms, two extending arms, an expansion / reduction drive source, a turning drive source, etc. are mounted on an autonomous traveling vehicle, and the hand and the expansion / reduction drive source are mounted on the vehicle. An on-vehicle work arm / hand device, wherein the turning drive source is formed so as to be remotely controllable from outside the vehicle. The on-vehicle work arm / hand device according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous traveling vehicle further includes a power source unit that constitutes all energy sources such as a traveling drive source, the enlarging / reducing drive source, and the turning drive source. . A pantograph-type link structure in which two surrounding pair mechanisms of a mountain shape and a valley are pivotally connected and two links forming the mountain shape pair are respectively extended to provide a first arm element and a second arm element,
A work tool holding hand that is provided at a tip of the first arm element and holds a work tool;
A weight locking hand provided to lock a counterweight at the tip of the second arm element,
First drive means attached along or near a pivot axis of the two links forming the valley-shaped pair, for expanding and contracting the pantograph-type link structure to move the first and second arm elements in a distance direction;
Second drive means for pivoting and driving the pantograph-type link structure about a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis of the two links forming the valley pair;
Remote control means of the first and second drive means,
A vehicle capable of autonomous traveling with the pantograph-type link structure mounted thereon,
A traveling-type work arm / hand device configured with: The ratio of the length from the axis of the two-link pivot axis forming the valley pair to the tip of the first arm element to the tip of the second arm element is the axis of the pivot axis. And a ratio between the length of the link and the length of the second arm element with respect to a point lowered to one link connected to the second arm element in the two links of the angled pair. Item 3. An arm / hand device for traveling work according to item 2. 5. The traveling work arm according to claim 3, wherein the work tool holding hand provided at the tip of the first arm element includes a detachable holding mechanism that allows the work tool to be exchangeable according to a work type. 6. Hand device. The work implement holding hand, a mounting plate on which the work implement is detachably attached,
A two-degree-of-freedom operating mechanism interposed between two orthogonal axes, which is interposed between the mounting plate and the tip of the first arm element and includes a linear motion actuator, a rod end, and a universal joint. The traveling-type work arm / hand device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, which is configured. The traveling work arm / hand device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the work implement comprises a mine exploration sensor means or a mine excavation tool means.

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