JP2006247819A - Articulated walking device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an articulated walking device capable of reproducing motion of joint action of a person or the like by obtaining sufficient torque and being mainly applied to a multi-legged walking robot. <P>SOLUTION: The articulated walking device 1 is constituted by six leg parts 4 extended from a frame body 3 of an approximately hexagonal prism shape while retaining an equal angle; and a leg part control part for controlling the leg parts 4 in order to reproduce the joint action. Further, the leg parts 4 are constituted so as to have four movable shafts. A wire laid between a pair of balloons opposed to each other and a pair of disc joint parts having a disc surface abutted on it is utilized and drawn/expanded according to inflation/contraction of the balloons. A mutual joint angle of respective frames 7 or the like connected to the disc joint part can be displaced by turning the disc joint part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an articulated walking device, and more particularly to an articulated walking device that is employed as a walking mechanism for a multi-legged robot or the like and is capable of walking on a rough road or the like having a step.

  Conventionally, various robots have been developed, such as industrial robots working in automobile factories, practical robots active in disaster relief, and entertainment robots imitating animals. And most of the robots are provided with moving means so that they can run or walk, except for industrial robots that work in one place.

  For example, as a general example of such moving means, a plurality of wheels (tires, rollers, etc.) are provided at the lower part of the robot body, and the wheel connected to the wheels is rotated using the driving force of the motor. Things are known. This is a common thing found in vehicles such as current automobiles. In addition, there is a crawler type in which a plurality of wheels are bridged with a belt material to improve transportability such as rough roads. This is currently used in special work machines (excavators, cranes, etc.) or tanks used at construction sites. On the other hand, many robots also employ walking-type moving means configured to simulate the structure of human and animal (including insect) leg portions and include a plurality of arms and joints connecting the arms. These moving means are properly used according to the usage environment and application of the robot.

  The above technique is naturally carried out by those skilled in the art, and the applicant has no particular knowledge of the document describing the above technique at the time of filing this application.

  However, in the case of a practical robot that plays an active role in places where it is difficult for humans to directly enter, such as a disaster rescue site, the above-described wheel type or biped walking type moving means (walking device) cannot be adopted. In other words, there was almost no flat ground (floor surface) in these places, and it was necessary to pile up debris of collapsed buildings or to run through large steps. Therefore, the wheel falls into the gaps or grooves between the rubble, making it impossible to move, there is a risk of puncture, etc., so it is difficult to adopt the wheel type, and the biped walking type walking device is It has been difficult to recognize the movement of the center of gravity during the walking motion and to control the balance (walking stability). Therefore, it still took a lot of time to put it into practical use.

  Therefore, many of the practical robots employ a walking device having the above-described crawler mechanism or a multi-legged walking device that has less center of gravity movement and higher walking stability than biped walking. In particular, a multi-legged walking device that imitates the leg of small animals such as insects and moths demonstrates high walking performance on rough roads and has a small turn in a small space. Has an excellent advantage.

  However, in the case of a robot equipped with the above-described multi-legged walking device, usually three joint portions (corresponding to an ankle joint, a knee joint, and a hip joint) are provided similar to a joint of a leg of a human or an insect. It was necessary to reproduce the walking motion by controlling each movement in cooperation with each other. When these joints are controlled, for example, when an insect type multi-legged walking robot having six legs is constructed, it is “six legs × three joints”. It was necessary to control the axes simultaneously. On the other hand, when a saddle type multi-legged walking robot having eight legs is constructed, it becomes “eight legs × three joints”, and it is necessary to control 24 axes in cooperation. As a result, the robot body is provided with a servo motor that is provided at each joint portion and generates a driving force for reproducing the movement of the leg portion, and an arithmetic processing unit that has a high processing ability to link and control the servo motors. Had to be built in. In addition, the use of a plurality of servo motors necessitates an increase in weight and cost of a multi-legged walking robot. Furthermore, for example, when moving a robot (or robot body) having a weight of about 60 kg to 100 kg, it is difficult to quickly generate a sufficient torque for the movement with a conventional mechanism using the above-described servo motor or the like. There was a case that walking motion became very slow. For this reason, a robot that employs a multi-legged walking device may have a movement speed limited compared to a robot that employs a wheel-type or crawler-type moving means. Limitations that slow down travel speeds may not be appropriate for activities in disaster sites that require urgency.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention can be adopted mainly as a walking device of a multi-legged walking robot that is formed so that the movement of a joint motion of a person or the like can be precisely reproduced and can obtain a sufficient and quick torque. It is an object to provide a simple articulated walking device.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the articulated walking device of the present invention includes a main frame having a longitudinal shape and a main frame that is pivotally connected to one end of the main frame via a rotation shaft, along the outer periphery. A disc-shaped disc joint having a recessed wire groove, and a longitudinal axis attached to the disc joint and capable of displacing the frame angle with the main frame in accordance with the axial rotation of the disc joint. A sub-frame having a shape, a support frame disposed in a substantially orthogonal direction in the vicinity of the upper end of the main frame, and attached to the support frame, with the deformation direction restricted to a predetermined direction in accordance with the supplied air At least a pair of balloons formed of an elastic material capable of inflating and contracting deformation, and both ends are connected to one end of the balloon, respectively, and the wire of the disk joint portion is located near the center. Controlling the amount of air supplied by the air supply means, the wire that is stretched in contact with the section, the air supply means that supplies the air independently to the pair of balloons, respectively. And a disk rotating means for measuring the tension generated in the wire in response to the inflation of the balloon, increasing the frictional resistance between the wire and the wire groove, and rotating the disk joint. Consists mainly of.

  Therefore, according to the articulated walking device of the present invention, a disk joint portion that is pivotally supported on the main frame by the tension generated in the wire in response to the inflation of the balloon, using a pair of balloons and a wire connected to the balloon. Can be rotated. Thereby, the frame angle between the sub-frame attached to the disc joint and the main frame can be displaced. As a result, it is possible to reproduce joint movements of humans and animals (particularly walking movements by the leg hip, knee, and ankle joints). At this time, the direction in which the balloon is deformed by expansion is restricted to a predetermined direction (for example, a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the wire stretched over the balloon and the disk joint portion) by the supplied air. Therefore, a state in which the wire is attracted by the expansion of the balloon is created, and a strong tension is generated on the wire. As a result, the degree of adhesion between the wire groove portion of the disk joint portion and the wire increases. In other words, the frictional resistance between the disk joint and the wire is increased, and in this state, the wire is further pulled toward one of the balloons so that the disk joint supported by the main frame cooperates therewith. Rotate. Therefore, the frame angle of the sub-frame with respect to the main frame changes, and it becomes possible to reproduce the joint movement as described above. Here, when the pair of balloons is a person or the like, the function of “muscle”, and the wire performs the function of “tendon”. Here, it is sufficient that the balloons have at least one pair, and the rotation of the disk joint portion may be controlled by a larger number of balloons.

  Furthermore, the articulated walking device according to the present invention has, in addition to the above-described configuration, “The disc joint portion includes a pair of a first disc portion and a second disc portion that are in contact with each other, and the first disc The balloon, the wire, and the air supply means are provided for the part and the second disk part, respectively, and the disk rotation means controls the supply amount of the air supplied by the air supply means, You may provide the independent rotation means to rotate the said 1st disc part and said 2nd disc part each independently.

  Therefore, according to the multi-joint walking device of the present invention, the disk joint connected to the main frame and the sub-frame is constituted by the pair of the first disk part and the second disk part, and the disk surfaces are in contact with each other. It is formed with. Further, a balloon, a wire, and an air supply means are individually provided for each disk portion, and the disk rotation means for controlling the rotation of the disk joint portion is also controlled so as to independently rotate each disk portion. Is done. As a result, the above-described rotation control by the disk joint portion can be performed in more detail.

  Furthermore, the articulated walking device of the present invention includes, in addition to the above configuration, “the balloon is attached by a turnbuckle mechanism that finely adjusts the tension generated in the wire by rotating the balloon”. It does not matter.

  Therefore, according to the articulated walking device of the present invention, at least one of the vertical directions over which the balloon is bridged is connected via the turnbuckle mechanism. Thereby, the length of the wire spanned over the disk joint portion can be adjusted by rotating the balloon and changing the screwing amount (screwing amount) with the screw provided in the turnbuckle mechanism. That is, it is possible to adjust the tension applied to the wire, and it is possible to prevent disengagement (removal) from the rotation transmission mechanism such as a pulley and a guide roller during a walking operation or assembly. The balloon may have an expansion regulating means for regulating the inflation of the balloon within a predetermined range. For example, a mesh-like mesh material that covers the outer surface of the balloon can be used. This mesh material can be easily restored to its original state when its mesh shape is freely deformed according to the stress and the stress is released. Then, by using the mesh material as a restricting member, the mesh material is expanded while the interval of the mesh is increased along with the balloon that expands in response to air. At this time, when the regulating member is stretched and the mesh interval is widened, a reaction force to return to the original state is applied to the surface of the regulating member, and a force to suppress the balloon that is to be spread in multiple directions by air acts. As a result, the balloon shape at the time of inflation can be made a predetermined shape, and the tension generated in the wire according to the inflation can be made constant. As a result, the control of the frame angle of the sub-frame with respect to the main frame is stabilized, and the accuracy in controlling the walking motion of the robot is improved.

  On the other hand, the articulated walking device according to the present invention has, in addition to the above configuration, “the disc joint portion includes a disc-shaped inner disc portion pivotally supported on the main frame and the wire groove portion on an outer peripheral edge. A substantially annular outer disk part inscribed in the inner disk part and slidably fitted along a circumferential direction of the inner disk part, the outer disk part being attached to the wire A resistance adjusting means for adjusting the frictional resistance against the inner disk portion by changing the disk ring diameter in accordance with the generated tension may be provided.

  Here, the resistance adjusting means is, for example, a notch formed in a part of the outer disk part formed in a substantially ring shape, and when the wire is tensioned, the inner disk part is made to reduce the disk ring diameter by the wire. The thing etc. which can deform | transform so that it may squeeze toward the side are illustrated. Therefore, the outer disk portion needs to be formed of a metal material or the like having some flexibility or a hard plastic that can be elastically deformed so that the deformation can be performed.

  Therefore, according to the articulated walking device of the present invention, the disc joint portion is formed so as to be separable by the two configurations of the outer disc portion and the inner disc portion. Here, as described above, the outer disk portion has a notch as a resistance adjusting means, and by tightening the outer disk portion by the tension of the wire, the frictional resistance between the inner disk portion and the outer disk portion increases, The inner disk portion rotates so as to cooperate with the rotation of the outer disk portion. Thereby, it is possible to reproduce a joint motion similar to that described above. At this time, the inner disk part is brought into a so-called “crimped state” by the outer disk part, so that a slight sliding occurs between the outer disk part and the inner disk part at the start and stop of the rotation, and The movement can be made smoother. Thereby, control close to natural joint motion performed by an actual person or the like can be performed.

  Further, the articulated walking device according to the present invention has, in addition to the above-described configuration, “adjacent to the disk joint and pivotally supported by the main frame, and is supported between the pair of balloons and the disk joint. A guide roller for guiding the wire to be passed in a predetermined direction; and when the wire is passed from one balloon to the other balloon via the disc joint, the guide roller and the disc joint It may be “crossed between parts”.

  Therefore, according to the articulated walking device of the present invention, the direction of the wire is guided by the guide roller provided in the vicinity of the disc joint, and is crossed between the guide roller and the disc joint. . Thereby, the contact area between the wire groove part of the disk joint part and the wire is increased by the crossing of the wires, and further, the tension generated in the wire can be reliably transmitted to the disk joint part. As a result, the force for rotating the disc joint is stabilized, and the accuracy of control of the joint operation is further increased.

  As an effect of the present invention, by using a multi-joint walking device, a function corresponding to a muscle is reproduced by at least a pair of balloons, and a joint motion of a leg portion of a human or the like (for example, a motion between a hip joint and a thigh) Etc.) can be easily reproduced with a simple configuration. Furthermore, by instantly inflating the balloon in a state close to an explosion, it is possible to reproduce joint motions faster than conventional motors, and to provide sufficient torque to move the relatively heavy robot body. It can also be obtained.

  Hereinafter, an articulated walking device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. Here, FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a robot 2 using the articulated walking device 1 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are explanatory diagrams showing leg portions 4 of the articulated walking device 1. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example of the walking motion of the leg portion 4, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the balloon 15a and the like, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the rotation mechanism portion. .

  Here, the articulated walking device 1 of the present embodiment is employed as a walking device for the robot 2 capable of running on rough roads, as mainly shown in FIG. More specifically, the articulated walking device 1 is held at an equal angle from the side surface of the hexagonal column-shaped frame body 3 and is provided on the six leg portions 4 and the frame body 3 that are disposed, It is comprised by the leg part control part (not shown) which consists of a control unit for reproducing the walk operation | movement by the part 4. FIG. Here, one leg portion 4 is provided with movable shafts corresponding to three positions of a hip joint (two degrees of freedom), a knee joint (one degree of freedom), and an ankle joint (one degree of freedom) in the case of a person. It has been. Therefore, the robot 2 having the leg portion 4 adopting the multi-joint walking device 1 of the present embodiment is constructed so as to reproduce a walking motion by controlling a total of 24 movable axes with “6 legs × 4 degrees of freedom”. Has been. Therefore, for these controls, a leg control unit using an FPGA capable of various processes in microseconds or nanoseconds is provided, and fine control of the supply amount of air 6 and the like is performed.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the leg portion 4 includes a first frame 7 disposed so as to protrude from the side surface of the frame body 3, one end of the first frame 7, and the rotation shaft 8. And is attached to a pair of disk-shaped first disk joint portions 10a and 10b having a wire groove portion 9 that is recessed along the outer peripheral edge, the first disk joint portion 10a, etc. The second frame 11 in which the first joint angle α between the first frame 7 and the first frame 7 changes with respect to the first frame 7 relative to the first frame 7 in accordance with the rotational movement of the one disk joint portion 10a and the like. The rod-shaped first support frame 12 arranged in the orthogonal direction and the first support frame 12 arranged respectively are attached to the first support frame 12, and the deformation direction (expansion direction) is changed according to the supplied air 6. Mesh shape that regulates in the direction perpendicular to the direction Two sets of first balloons 15a and 15b (some of which are not shown) whose outer surfaces are covered by the restricting member 14 and both ends thereof are connected to the first balloons 15a and 15b, respectively, and the first disk joint portion 10a is located near the center. A wire 13 stretched in contact with the wire groove 9 such as a pair of guide rollers 16 which are close to the first disk joint 10a and are pivotally supported by the first frame 7 It is mainly comprised. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the first disk joint 10a is composed of two disks (corresponding to a first disk part and a second disk part) with which the disk surfaces are in contact with each other. . Two pairs of first balloons 15a and 15b and wires 13 are provided so as to correspond to the respective disks (in charge of independent rotation means). Here, the first balloons 15 a and 15 b are accommodated inside the frame body 3.

  Here, the wire 13 is connected to one end of one of the first balloons 15 a, bent in the crossing direction by the roller surface 16 a of the guide roller 16, and on the opposite side across the first balloon 15 a and the first frame 7. The roller surface 16b of the guide roller 16 is again brought into contact with the wire groove portion 9 of the one disk joint portion 10a, 10b, and then substantially circles around the wire groove portion 9 of the first disk joint portion 10 (the side opposite to the roller surface 16a). Is bent in the crossing direction and connected to the other first balloon 15b. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the wire 13 is bridged in a state where it intersects between the first disk joint portions 10 a and 10 b and the guide roller 16. Here, the first frame 7 corresponds to the main frame in the present invention, the second frame 11 corresponds to the sub-frame in the present invention, the first disk joint portions 10a and 10b correspond to the disk joint portion of the present invention, The restricting member 14 corresponds to the expansion restricting means in the present invention, and the first balloons 15a and 15b correspond to the balloon in the present invention. Here, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the first balloon 15a and the like are connected to the wire 13 and the like by adopting a turnbuckle mechanism 40, and the length or tension of the wire 13 is increased by rotating the balloon 15a and the like. Can be adjusted. Thereby, the force transmitted through the wire 13 can be easily changed. In FIG. 3, in order to explain the turnbuckle mechanism 40, a state in which a part of the screw is loosened is illustrated, and adjustment is possible by rotating in the arrow R direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the first balloon 15a and the like to be stretched are adjusted to have a slightly expanded shape (elliptical shape) when air is not supplied. Therefore, when the leg portion 4 is assembled, tension is generated in the wire 13 by the mutual balloons 15a and 15b. As a result, it is possible to prevent a risk that the wire 13 is detached (derailed) from a rotation transmission mechanism such as a pulley. In order to form the balloon 15a in the above-described elliptical shape, air of about 0.3 MPa is supplied to the balloon 15a and the like to expand it, and the surface is further coated with latex and then dried. Yes. Thereby, the slip between the net-like regulating member 14 and the balloon 15a described above can be eliminated, and the initial shape can be an expanded elliptical shape. Although not shown, the turnbuckle mechanism 40 has a screw part, a seal washer for preventing air leakage, and a frame part attached to the balloon 15a and the like, and is formed by fixing the frame part with a double nut. ing.

  Further, a specific configuration of the first disk joint portions 10a and 10b is exemplified. The first inner disk portion 17 is formed in a disk shape and is pivotally supported on the first frame 7 by the rotation shaft 8. The wire groove portion 9 is inscribed in the first inner disk portion 17 and contacts the wire 13 described above along the outer peripheral edge, and is slidably fitted along the circumferential direction of the first inner disk portion 17. And a substantially annular first outer disk portion 18. Here, the first outer disk portion 18 has a notch 19 in part, and when the outer disk portion 18 is tightened by the tension generated in the wire 13, the portion of the notch 19 is reduced so that the disk ring diameter R is reduced. It is formed with flexibility so as to approach each other. For this reason, if the deformation of the disk ring diameter is reduced by the tension of the wire 13, the frictional resistance between the first outer disk part 18 and the first inner disk part 17 increases, and the notch 19 This corresponds to the resistance adjusting means in the present invention. The first inner disk portion 17 corresponds to the inner disk portion in the present invention, and the first outer disk portion 18 corresponds to the outer disk portion in the present invention.

  Furthermore, the articulated walking device 1 includes an air supply unit configured by an air cylinder, an air valve, and the like for supplying air 6 to each of the first balloons 15a and 15b, a supply amount of air 6 by the air supply unit, and A disk rotation control unit for controlling the supply timing and the like, generating tension on the wire 13, rotating the first disk joint 10 with respect to the first frame 7, and changing the first joint angle α; It comprises. Here, the air supply unit and the disk rotation control unit are placed on the upper surface of the main body of the frame main body 3, and the disk rotation control unit functions as a part of the leg control unit. The air supply unit corresponds to the air supply unit in the present invention, and the disk rotation control unit corresponds to the disk rotation control unit in the present invention. Note that the air supply unit and the disk rotation control unit (leg control unit) are not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity.

  Here, four movable shafts are provided in the leg portion 4, and the other three movable shafts are the first frame 7, the first disk joint portions 10 a and 10 b, the second frame 11, and the like described above. It is comprised from the substantially same thing except having changed the size and rotation direction with what was comprised by. Therefore, the detailed description will be omitted, and the description will be made with reference to only the configuration of each part.

  That is, a pair of disk-shaped second disk joint portions 23a and 23b having a wire groove portion 9 and rotatably connected to one end of the second frame 11 via a rotation shaft 22, and a second disk joint portion. A third frame 24 attached to 23a, 23b and capable of displacing a second joint angle β between the second frame 11 and a second support frame 25 provided orthogonal to the vicinity of the upper end of the second frame 11. The pair of second balloons 26a and 26b attached to the second support frame 25, the wire 13 stretched between the second balloons 26a and 26b and the second disk joint 23, and the second disk joint 23 And a pair of guide rollers 16 pivotally supported by the second frame 11 so as to be rotatable. In addition, the wire 13 is connected so that it may cross between the 2nd disc joint part 23 and the guide roller 16 similarly to the above-mentioned. In this case, the second frame 11 corresponds to the main frame in the present invention, the second disk joint portion 23 corresponds to the disk joint portion in the present invention, and the third frame 24 corresponds to the sub frame in the present invention. The second balloons 26a and 26b correspond to the balloons in the present invention.

  The second disk joint portion 23 is formed in the same configuration as the first disk joint portion 10 described above, and is connected to the second inner disk portion 27 and the second inner disk portion 27 that are pivotally supported by the rotation shaft 22. A second outer disk portion 28 that is inscribed and changes the disk ring diameter by the notch 19 is provided. Here, the second inner disk portion 27 corresponds to the inner disk portion in the present invention, and the second outer disk portion 28 corresponds to the outer disk portion in the present invention. The air supply means for supplying the air 6 to the second balloons 26a and 26b and the disk rotation control means for changing the second joint angle β share the air supply section and the disk rotation control section described above. Yes.

  Further, the multi-joint walking device 1 of the present embodiment is attached to a pair of disk-shaped third disk joint portions 29a and 29b having a wire groove portion 9 at one end of the third frame 24, and the third disk joint portions 29a and 29b. A fourth frame 30 capable of displacing a third joint angle γ between the third frame 24, a third support frame 31 provided orthogonal to the vicinity of the upper end of the third frame 24, and a third support frame A pair of third balloons 32a and 32b attached to 31; a wire 13 spanned between the third balloons 32a and 32b and the third disk joint portion 29; A pair of guide rollers 16 rotatably supported on the three frames 24 is mainly configured. In addition, the wire 13 is connected so that it may cross between the 3rd disc joint part 29 and the guide roller 16 similarly to the above-mentioned. In this case, the third frame 24 corresponds to the main frame in the present invention, the third disk joint portion 29 corresponds to the disk joint portion in the present invention, and the fourth frame 30 corresponds to the sub frame in the present invention. The third balloons 32a and 32b correspond to the balloons in the present invention.

  The third disc joint portion 29 is formed in the same configuration as the first disc joint portion 10a and the second disc joint portion 23a and the like described above, and is supported by a third inner disc portion 34 supported by a rotating shaft. And a third outer disk part 34 that is inscribed in the third inner disk part 33 and changes the disk ring diameter by the notch 19. Here, the third inner disk portion 33 corresponds to the inner disk portion in the present invention, and the third outer disk portion 34 corresponds to the outer disk portion in the present invention. The air supply means for supplying the air 6 to the third balloons 32a and 32b and the disk rotation control means for changing the third joint angle γ share the air supply section and the disk rotation control section described above. Yes.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the leg portion 4 is configured to include two sets of fourth balloons 41 a and 41 b, fourth disk joint portions 42 a and 42 b, and a wire 13 similar to those described above. A rotation mechanism 43 is provided for rotating the portion ahead of the disk joints 10a and 10b in the direction of the arrow δ (see FIG. 1). The fourth disk portions 42a and 42b are arranged along each side of the hexagonal frame body 3 (see FIG. 6). Moreover, in order to guide the wire 13 connected to the fourth balloons 41a and 41b to the fourth disk portions 42a and 42b, a bent portion 44 that bends the direction of the wire 13 is provided. Accordingly, the leg portion 4 can have two degrees of freedom similar to that of a human hip joint by the α direction by the first disk joint portions 10a and 10b and the rotation direction δ (see FIG. 1 or 6) by the fourth disk joint portions 42a and 42b. Can reproduce the movement. The fourth disk joint portions 42a and 42b are constituted by an inner disk portion and an outer disk portion, similarly to the disk joint portion 10 described above. In FIG. 6, in order to simplify the description, illustration of a part of the configuration such as the wire 13 and the air supply unit is omitted.

  Further, the configuration of each part in the multi-joint walking device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. The balloons 15a, 15b and the like are configured in a rubber tube shape that can be elastically deformed, as mainly shown in FIG. A balloon body 37 having an inlet 35 for introducing the air 6 supplied from the air supply unit at one end and closed at the other end by a wire coupling fitting 36 for connecting the wire 13; And a mesh-like (mesh-like) regulating member 14 that covers and covers the outer surface. Here, the regulating member 14 extends so as to widen the mesh interval in accordance with the balloon body 37 that is inflated when the air 6 is supplied. At this time, when the regulating member 14 expands and expands, the balloon body 37 needs to be inflated with a force that resists the regulating force of the regulating member 14. Therefore, the balloon body 37 is restrained from being unnecessarily expanded by the regulating member 14, and the shape due to the expansion is held in a predetermined shape. As a result, the amount of rotation of the disk joints 10, 23, and 29 is constant due to the tension of the wire 13. Here, the balloon main body 37 formed in a tube shape expands in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the balloon main body 37 during expansion. That is, it contracts in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the wire 13 is drawn toward the balloon body 37 and the above-described tension is generated. 1 to 5, the illustration of the configuration related to the tube that guides the air 6 from the air supply unit to the introduction port 35 such as each balloon 15a is omitted.

  Next, an example of the joint motion by the multi-joint walking device 1 of the present embodiment will be described mainly based on FIGS. 2 and 4. In order to simplify the description, the control related to the rotation between the third frame 24 and the fourth frame 30 will be described in a limited manner.

  First, an instruction to determine and control the supply amount of the air 6 to each of the balloons 32a and 32b is given from the leg control unit constructed by the FPGA to the disk rotation control unit. At this time, the instruction sent from the leg control unit is a direct instruction from the user (operator) by remote operation or the like, or a camera for recognizing the surrounding situation installed in the frame body 3 The frame main body 3 may make a judgment by itself based on pre-programmed steps based on the imaging means or detection means such as various sensors, and control the joint operation of the leg 4. As a result, the air supply unit is controlled by the disk rotation control unit, and the amount of air 6 defined in one of the two pairs of third balloons 32a and 32b (in this case, the third balloon 32a) is supplied. The Thereby, the air 6 is introduced from the introduction port 35 into the balloon main body 37 of the third balloon 32a. The tube-shaped balloon main body 37 whose one end is closed by the wire coupling metal 36 stores the air 6 in the internal space and pushes the outer surface of the balloon main body 37 in all directions. As a result, the third balloon 32a is inflated. At this time, as described above, the expansion of the first balloon 15b is restricted by the restricting member 14 so as to maintain a predetermined shape, and the expansion is limited to a direction orthogonal to the crossing direction of the wire 13. Therefore, the first balloon 15b contracts in the longitudinal direction and expands in the short direction. Along with this, tension acts so that the wire 13 is pulled toward the first balloon 32a (see arrow C in FIG. 4). The first balloon 32b slightly expands in the longitudinal direction when the wire 13 is pulled in the direction of the third balloon 32a (see FIG. 4).

  Then, due to the tension generated in the wire 13, the third disk joint portions 29 a and 29 b that are in contact with the wire groove portion 9 rotate about the rotation shaft 38 by frictional resistance (see arrow D in FIG. 4). At this time, the third disk joint portions 29a and 29b are forces that reduce the disk ring diameter of the third outer disk portion 34 by the tension of the wire 13 that intersects between the guide roller 16 and the third disk joint portions 29a and 29b. Acts to increase the frictional resistance with the third inner disk portion 33. As a result, the third outer disk portion 34 and the third inner disk portion 33 are united and rotated in accordance with the rotation shaft 38 by the displacement of the wire 13. As a result, the third joint angle γ (see FIG. 2) between the third frame 24 and the fourth frame 30 is displaced to the third joint angle γ ′ (see FIG. 4). In order to rotate the fourth frame 30 in the reverse direction, the air 6 is supplied to the third balloon 32b to be inflated so that the wire 13 is drawn toward the third balloon 32b. There is a need. Thereby, a joint motion of a person or the like can be accurately reproduced.

  At this time, in the multi-joint walking device 1 of the present embodiment, the third disk joint portions 29a and 29b are formed by a pair of disk joint portions 29a and 29b in which the disk surfaces are in contact with each other. 13 and third balloons 32a and 32b are provided. Therefore, by performing the above-described operation in cooperation with the two sets of third disk joint portions 29a and 29b, it is possible to exert a stronger torque and stabilize the walking motion. In addition, by shifting the timing of the rotation control of the third disk joint portions 29a and 29b by the leg control unit, the walking operation by the leg 4 becomes smooth, and depending on the control, a high obstacle or the like is stabilized. Can be overcome.

  Further, in the multi-joint walking device 1 of the present embodiment, the third disk joint portions 29 a and 29 b are configured by two members, a third outer disk portion 34 and a third inner disk portion 33, and A third outer disk portion 34 is slidably fitted along the disk, and the disk ring diameter is changed according to the tension of the wire 13 by a notch 19 provided as a resistance adjusting means, so that the frictional resistance can be freely adjusted. Can do. As a result, the “play” of the disk portions 33 and 34 that slide slightly against the frictional resistance makes the start and stop of the joint motion smooth, and more closely approximates the behavior of a person, an animal, or the like. Further, since the balloons 32a and the like are connected by the turnbuckle mechanism 40, the tension of the wire 13 can be easily changed by rotating the balloons 32a and the like to set a predetermined screwing amount. . For this reason, there is no problem such as derailment in which the wire 13 is detached from the disk joint 10 or the like during a walking motion or the like. Further, by setting the balloon 32a in an inflated state in the initial state, a certain amount of tension is always applied even when the air 6 is not supplied, so that the above-described wheel removal does not occur further.

  The supply of the air 6 to the first balloon 15a described above is instantaneously performed by the leg control unit, and is performed in a state close to an explosion. Therefore, as compared with a walking device using a conventional servo motor or the like, the behavior of each frame 7 or the like can be performed quickly and a sufficient torque can be generated. Therefore, even if the frame body 3 is formed with a relatively large amount of weight, by providing the six legs 4 as shown in the present embodiment, a sufficient force that does not hinder the movement can be obtained. Obtainable.

  The present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as described below. And design changes are possible.

  That is, in the multi-joint walking device 1 of the present embodiment, the construction of the multi-legged walking robot 2 that supports the frame body 3 using the six legs 4 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It can be employed as a robot walking mechanism such as quadruped walking or biped walking. However, for example, in the case of a disaster rescue robot, considering the walking stability on rough roads where rubble is scattered, it is desirable that the number of legs 4 be as large as possible, while the control of each movable axis and the legs If the load of the processing capacity of the control unit is taken into consideration, it is preferable that the number of leg portions 4 is as small as possible. Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned requirements, it is desirable to construct a multi-legged robot having about 4 to 8 robots. Also, two disk joints 10 and the like are arranged with respect to one movable shaft so that the disk surfaces are orthogonal to each other, and the main frame and the sub-frame are connected, so that “bending” of the joint operation of humans and the like can be achieved. The operation of “twisting” can be reproduced simultaneously with the operation. Thereby, it can be made closer to the joint motion of an actual person or the like.

  Furthermore, in the articulated walking device 1 of the present embodiment, the materials for constructing the frames 7 and the like and the balloons 15a and the like are not particularly limited. However, in order to support and walk the heavy frame main body 3, the frame 7 needs to have a certain level of strength, and is preferably made of a metal material such as steel or aluminum. On the other hand, the balloons 15a, 15b and the like may be formed of a material that can be freely expanded by the supplied air 6, and may be any one that can obtain a sufficient torque.

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the robot using the articulated walking apparatus of this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing explaining the leg part of an articulated walking apparatus. It is explanatory drawing explaining the leg part of an articulated walking apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the joint operation | movement of a leg part. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a balloon. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a rotation mechanism part.

Explanation of symbols

1 Articulated walking device 2 Robot 3 Frame body 4 Leg 6 Air 7 First frame (main frame)
8, 22, 38 Rotating shaft 9 Wire groove portion 10 First disc joint portion (disc joint portion)
11 Second frame (main frame, subframe)
12 First support frame (support frame)
13 Wire 14 Restricting member (Expansion restricting means)
15a, 15b First balloon (balloon)
16 Guide roller 17 First inner disk part (inner disk part)
18 First outer disk part (outer disk part, resistance adjusting means)
19 Notch (resistance adjustment means)
20 Air supply section (air supply means)
21 Disc rotation control unit (disc rotation control means)
23 Second disc joint (disc joint)
24 Third frame (main frame, sub-frame)
25 Second support frame (support frame)
26a, 26b Second balloon (balloon)
27 Second inner disk part (inner disk part)
28 Second outer disk part (outer disk part)
29 Third disc joint (disc joint)
30 Fourth frame (main frame)
31 Third support frame (support frame)
32a, 32b Third balloon (balloon)
33 Third inner disk part (inner disk part)
34 Third outer disk part (outer disk part)
40 Turnbuckle mechanism α First joint angle β Second joint angle γ, γ 'Third joint angle δ Direction of rotation

Claims (5)

A main frame having a longitudinal shape;
A disc-shaped disc joint having a wire groove that is pivotally coupled to one end of the main frame via a pivot shaft and is recessed along the outer periphery;
A sub-frame that is attached to the disk joint and has a longitudinal shape that can displace a frame angle with the main frame in accordance with the axial rotation of the disk joint;
A support frame disposed in a substantially orthogonal direction near the upper end of the main frame;
At least a pair of balloons attached to the support frame and formed of an elastic material capable of inflating and contracting in a state where the deformation direction is regulated in a predetermined direction according to the supplied air; and
Both ends are respectively connected to one end of the balloon, and a wire stretched in a state where the vicinity of the center is in contact with the wire groove portion of the disk joint portion;
Air supply means for supplying the air independently to each of the pair of balloons;
The amount of the air supplied by the air supply means is controlled, the tension generated in the wire according to the expansion of the balloon is utilized, the frictional resistance between the wire and the wire groove is increased, and the disk A multi-joint walking device comprising disk rotating means for rotating a joint portion. The disc joint is
Consists of a pair of first and second disk portions arranged in contact with each other's disk surfaces,
The balloon, the wire, and the air supply means are provided for the first disk portion and the second disk portion,
The disk rotating means is
The apparatus further comprises independent rotation means for controlling the supply amount of the air supplied by the air supply means and independently rotating the first disk portion and the second disk portion. The articulated walking device according to claim 1. The balloon is
The articulated walking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the articulated walking device is attached by a turnbuckle mechanism that finely adjusts a tension generated in the wire by rotating the balloon. The disc joint is
A disc-shaped inner disk portion pivotally supported by the main frame;
The outer peripheral edge has the wire groove portion, inscribed in the inner disk portion, and comprises a substantially annular outer disk portion slidably fitted along the circumferential direction of the inner disk portion,
The outer disk portion is
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a resistance adjusting unit that adjusts a frictional resistance with respect to the inner disk portion by changing a disk ring diameter according to a tension generated in the wire. The articulated walking device described. A guide roller that is close to the disk joint and pivotally supported by the main frame and guides the wire spanned between the pair of balloons and the disk joint in a predetermined direction;
The wire is
The cross section between the guide roller and the disk joint when crossing from one balloon to the other balloon via the disk joint. The articulated walking device according to any one of the above.

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