JP2009120101A - Locomotive robot and its moving method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a locomotive robot and its moving method, achieving an improvement in travelling performance and shock absorption when the locomotive robot is moved by a wheel and achieving an improvement in leg tip positioning accuracy when the locomotive robot walks on legs. <P>SOLUTION: An articulated wheel 10 includes: a rotating leg portion 11 supported by a vehicle body 2 through a first revolute joint drive shaft 12 fixably turning; and a turning leg portion 20 having both end parts 20a at which fixably rotating drive wheels 13 are arranged and a center parts 20b supported by a rotating leg portion 11 through a second revolute joint drive shaft 15 fixably rotating. A suspension mechanism is provided which can change a shock absorbing mode allowing the turning movement of the rotating leg portion 11 to the vehicle body 2 and the turning movement of the turning leg portion 20 to the second revolute joint drive shaft 15 in a traveling stage of fixing the first and second revolute joint drive shafts 12, 15 and a fixing mode fixing the rotating leg portion 11 to the first revolute joint drive shaft 12 and fixing the turning leg portion 20 to the second revolute joint drive shaft 15 in a walking stage of turning the first and second revolute joint drive shafts 12, 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is suitable for use in transportation work, towing work, rescue activities, monitoring activities, and information gathering activities in areas where there are many elements that hinder driving such as rough terrain and disaster sites. The present invention relates to a mobile robot and its moving method.

Conventionally, the mobile robot as described above includes, for example, a vehicle body, a plurality of articulated legs disposed on the vehicle body, and wheels provided on each articulated leg. On flat ground, it moves at high speed using wheels, while on uneven terrain, it walks by using each articulated leg so as to overcome a high level difference (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-9-142347

However, in the conventional mobile robot described above, shock absorbing dampers are installed at the joints of the articulated legs in order to prevent the mechanical elements of the robot itself and the mounted equipment from being damaged by the impact when traveling using wheels. It is considered preferable to absorb the impact by absorbing the impact and controlling the motor output so that the joint is compliant and absorb the impact, but when installing the shock absorbing damper, When walking, the shock absorbing damper is bent by its own weight, the posture changes by the amount of the bending, and the joint bends in an unexpected direction, and the leg tip cannot be accurately controlled.
On the other hand, when giving compliance to the joint, if the motor has a reduction gear with a large reduction ratio, the reduction gear may not be able to follow the speed of the impact and may be damaged, and the reduction ratio is small. If a reduction gear is used or a reduction gear is not used, it is necessary to use a motor that can output a large torque at all times to support its own weight, which increases the weight and energy consumption. End up.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-described conventional problems, and does not damage its own machine elements or increase the weight or energy consumption. It is another object of the present invention to provide a mobile robot and a moving method thereof that can realize improvement in impact absorption and can also improve leg tip positioning accuracy during walking on rough terrain.

  The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is arranged at the vehicle body and at least four positions on the vehicle body in the front, rear, left and right directions, and the base end portion pivots in a horizontal direction and can be fixed at an appropriate position with respect to the vehicle body. A leg wheel having a rotating leg supported via a first joint driving shaft and a driving wheel supported by the vehicle body via the rotating leg and rotating forward and backward so as to be fixed at an appropriate position. The leg wheels arranged in at least one of the front part and the rear part of the vehicle body have the drive wheels arranged at both end parts and the central part in the horizontal direction with respect to the tip part of the rotating leg part. And a multi-joint having a swivel leg supported around a second joint drive shaft that can be fixedly fixed at an appropriate position, and swiveling around the first joint drive shaft by the rotation of the rotation leg. A leg wheel, and the first joint drive shaft and the A shock absorbing mode for allowing rotation of the pivot leg relative to the vehicle body and rotation of the pivot leg relative to the second joint drive shaft in a stage where the joint drive shaft is fixed, and the articulated leg wheel; The rotating leg is fixed to the first joint driving shaft and the swivel leg is fixed to the second joint driving shaft at the stage of walking while rotating the first joint driving shaft and the second joint driving shaft. A suspension robot capable of switching between a fixed mode and a fixed mode is provided for each of the first joint drive shaft portion and the second joint drive shaft portion of the articulated leg wheel. Is a means for solving the above-described conventional problems.

Further, the mobile robot according to claim 2 of the present invention is configured such that the leg wheels arranged at both the front part and the rear part of the vehicle body are the articulated leg wheels.
On the other hand, in the moving method of the mobile robot according to claim 3 of the present invention, when the mobile robot is moved, all the suspension mechanisms are set in the shock absorption mode and all the driving wheels are set in the travel mode using the leg wheels. The first joint drive shaft and the second joint drive shaft of the articulated leg wheel are fixed in a grounded state to operate all driving wheels, and all suspension mechanisms are fixed to each other when walking with the leg wheel. The swivel leg that is in a mode and is fixed at a suitable position while alternately rotating the swivel legs of the left and right articulated leg wheels having the swivel legs together with the first joint drive shaft is appropriately selected. The drive wheels are grounded in a fixed state.

  In the mobile robot according to the present invention, the mobile robot according to the present invention includes a swivel leg that turns a leg wheel disposed around at least one of the front part and the rear part of the vehicle body around the first joint drive shaft by turning the turn leg part. Since the second joint drive shaft that supports the swivel leg of the multi-joint leg wheel is disposed between the drive wheels disposed at both ends of the swivel leg, the drive wheel is grounded by its own weight. As a result, the followability to the ground is improved, and the running performance of the drive wheels is improved.

  In addition, since the suspension mechanism capable of switching between the shock absorption mode and the fixed mode is provided in each of the first joint drive shaft portion and the second joint drive shaft portion of the articulated leg wheel, the suspension mechanism is provided when traveling with the drive wheels. Actuation improves shock absorption, and the leg tip positioning accuracy is improved by fixing the suspension mechanism when walking with leg wheels.

  Further, since it is not necessary to perform compliance control on the first joint drive shaft and the second joint drive shaft of the multi-joint leg wheel, it is possible to avoid damage to its own mechanical elements and increase in weight and energy consumption. It will be.

  In the mobile robot and the moving method thereof according to the present invention, since it has the above-described configuration, it is needless to say that it does not damage its own mechanical elements or increase the weight or energy consumption. This provides an excellent effect that it is possible to improve the leg tip positioning accuracy when walking on rough terrain while improving the running performance and shock absorption during movement.

Hereinafter, a mobile robot according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 7 show an embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mobile robot 1 is arranged at a vehicle body 2, articulated leg wheels 10 arranged at two left and right positions in the front portion of the vehicle body 2, and two right and left positions at the rear portion of the vehicle body 2. Leg wheels 40 are provided.

  The articulated leg wheel 10 located at the front of the vehicle body 2 is supported via a first joint drive shaft 12 whose base end portion 11a rotates in a horizontal direction with respect to the vehicle body 2 and can be fixed at an appropriate position. A driving wheel 13 integrally including a rotating leg 11, a wheel main body 13a, and a driving mechanism 13b that rotates the wheel main body 13a in a forward and reverse direction so that the wheel main body 13a can be fixed at an appropriate position is disposed at both end portions 20a and 20a. The first joint is supported by the second joint drive shaft 15 that rotates in a horizontal direction and can be fixed at an appropriate position with respect to the distal end portion 11 b of the rotating leg 11. A turning leg 20 that turns around the drive shaft 12 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first joint drive shaft 12 of the articulated leg wheel 10 is rotated by the output transmitted from the motor 3 disposed in the vehicle body 2 via the gear group 4 and the speed reducer 5. On the other hand, the second joint drive shaft 15 of the articulated leg wheel 10 is transmitted from the motor 6 disposed in the vehicle body 2 through the gear group 7 and the belt 17 accommodated in the rotating leg portion 11. It is designed to rotate according to the output.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, motors 3 and 6 are fixed around the first joint drive shaft 12 of the articulated leg wheel 10 and are attached to the vehicle body 2 via a bearing 8 so as to be rotatable. A motor mounting base 9 having a shallow cylindrical shape, and a suspension mechanism in which a base end of a cylinder 31 is pivotally supported on the vehicle body 2 and a tip of a cylinder rod 32 is rotatably connected to a peripheral portion of the motor mounting base 9. And a return spring 38 constituting the same suspension mechanism with one end pivotally supported on the vehicle body 2 and the other end connected to the tip of the cylinder rod 32 on the motor mounting base 9. The same return spring 38 is arranged in line symmetry on the opposite side of the return spring 38 with the center of the motor mounting base 9 in between.

As shown in FIG. 7, the suspension damper 30 has variable orifices 35 and 35 disposed on a flow path 34 communicating with both sides of a piston 33 in a cylinder 31 so as to sandwich a pressure accumulator 37, and one variable orifice. The electromagnetic valve 36 is arranged between the cylinder 35 and the cylinder 31.
That is, the suspension mechanism described above is configured to select the shock absorption mode in which the cylinder rod 32 operates by opening the electromagnetic valve 36 of the suspension damper 30 when traveling with the first joint drive shaft 12 fixed. As a result, the motor mounting base 9, that is, the rotation of the first joint drive shaft 12 is allowed while allowing the slight rotation about the first joint drive shaft 12 through the bearing 8 of the entire rotation leg 11. When walking, the electromagnetic valve 36 is closed and the fixing mode in which the cylinder rod 32 is fixed is selected to rotate the entire rotating leg 11 integrally with the first joint drive shaft 12. I try to move it.

In the above suspension mechanism, even if the cylinder rod 32 of the suspension damper 30 extends or contracts to the stroke end in the shock absorbing mode, the return springs arranged on both sides with the center of the motor mounting base 9 in between. 38 allows the cylinder rod 32 to be always returned to the neutral position.
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the turning leg 20 supported by the second joint drive shaft 15 holds a drive wheel that is rotatably attached to the second joint drive shaft 15 via a bearing 21. A suspension damper having a frame 22, an arm 23 fixed to the second joint drive shaft 15, and a suspension damper in which the base end of the cylinder 31 is pivotally supported by the drive wheel holding frame 22 and the tip of the cylinder rod 32 is rotatably connected to the arm 23. (Suspension mechanism) 30 is provided.

  Also in this case, the suspension mechanism selects the shock absorption mode in which the cylinder rod 32 operates by opening the electromagnetic valve 36 of the suspension damper 30 when the second joint drive shaft 15 is fixed and the vehicle is driven by the drive wheel 13. By doing so, a slight rotation around the second joint drive shaft 15 via the bearing 21 of the drive wheel holding frame 22, that is, the swivel leg 20 as a whole, is allowed, while the second joint drive shaft 15 In the case of walking with the rotation of the second joint drive shaft 15 by selecting the fixing mode in which the electromagnetic valve 36 is closed and the cylinder rod 32 is fixed, the arm 23 and the suspension are rotated. By reliably transmitting to the drive wheel holding frame 22 via 30, the entire turning leg 20 is rotated integrally with the second joint drive shaft 15. I have to so that.

Further, the leg wheel 40 located at the rear portion of the vehicle body 2 is supported by a first joint drive shaft 42 that rotates so that the base end portion 41a can be fixed to the vehicle body 2 in the horizontal direction and at an appropriate position. A moving leg 41 and a driving wheel 13 which is disposed at the tip end portion 41b of the rotating leg 41 and rotates in the forward and reverse directions so as to be fixed at an appropriate position are provided.
When moving the mobile robot 1 described above, when traveling with the leg wheels 10 and 40, the shock absorber mode in which the cylinder rods 32 of all the suspension dampers 30 arranged on the articulated leg wheel 10 side are respectively operated, The first joint drive shaft 12 and the second joint drive shaft 15 of the multi-joint leg wheel 10 and the first joint drive shaft 42 of the leg wheel 40 are fixed with the drive wheel 13 in contact with the ground, and all the drive wheels 13 are fixed. Is activated.

During traveling by the leg wheels 10, 40, between the drive wheels 13, 13 in which the second joint drive shaft 15 that supports the swivel leg 20 of the articulated leg wheel 10 is disposed at both end portions 20 a, 20 a of the swivel leg 20. Therefore, the driving wheels 13 and 13 follow the ground by their own weight. As a result, the followability to the ground is improved and the running performance is improved.
Further, when traveling with the leg wheels 10 and 40, the shock absorption mode is selected and the suspension damper 30 and the return spring 38 in the suspension mechanism are operated, so that the shock absorption is improved.

  On the other hand, at the time of walking with the leg wheels 10 and 40, after setting the cylinder rods 32 of all suspension dampers 30 arranged on the articulated leg wheel 10 side, respectively, as shown in FIG. The left and right articulated leg wheels 10 are turned upright, and the left and right articulated leg wheels 10 are turned. The appropriately selected drive wheels 13 of the swivel leg 20 fixed at appropriate positions while alternately rotating the legs 11 together with the first joint drive shaft 12 are grounded in a fixed state.

When walking with the leg wheels 10 and 40, the fixing mode is selected and the cylinder rod 32 of the suspension damper 30 is fixed, so that the leg tip positioning accuracy is improved.
When walking over the leg wheels 10 and 40, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), when the step A is crossed, the rotating leg portions 11 of the left and right articulated leg wheels 10 are moved to the first joint drive shaft. 12, and the drive wheel 13 selected as appropriate of the turning leg 20 is grounded on the step A in a fixed state as shown by the phantom line in FIG. If the portion 11 is rotated or the driving wheel 13 is rotated, the vehicle body 2 can be lifted onto the step A. If necessary, as shown in FIG. If both the turning leg portion 11 and the turning leg portion 20 of the wheel 10 are made upright, the stepping performance with respect to high steps and steep slopes that cannot be moved only by wheel running or normal walking will be improved.

In the mobile robot 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the articulated leg wheels 10 are arranged at the two left and right positions of the front part of the vehicle body 2 and the leg wheels 40 are arranged at the two right and left positions of the rear part of the vehicle body 2. The articulated leg wheel 10 may be arranged at the rear part of the vehicle body 2 and the leg wheel 40 may be arranged at the front part of the vehicle body 2.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the articulated leg wheels 10 are arranged at two left and right positions in the front part of the vehicle body 2, and single joint leg wheels 40 are arranged at the two right and left positions in the rear part of the vehicle body 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 10, the mobile robot 1 in which the articulated leg wheels 10 are arranged at all four positions on the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle body 2 can be provided.

Furthermore, in the mobile robot 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the drive wheel 13 integrally includes the wheel body 13a and the drive mechanism 13b that rotates the wheel body 13a forward and backward so that the wheel body 13a can be fixed at an appropriate position. However, it is not limited to this, The wheel main body 13a and the drive mechanism 13b may comprise the separate body.
Furthermore, in the mobile robot 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the driving wheels 13 and 13 disposed at both end portions 20a and 20a of the swiveling leg portion 20 of the articulated leg wheel 10 and the tip end portion of the rotating leg portion 41 of the leg wheel 40 are provided. Although the case where the drive wheels 13 arranged on 41b have the same size is shown, the present invention is not limited to this, and the diameters of the drive wheels 13 and 13 of the swivel leg portion 20 may be different from each other. The diameters of the drive wheels 13 of the joint leg wheels 10 and the drive wheels 13 of the leg wheels 40 may be different from each other.

It is side explanatory drawing of the driving | running | working state which laid down the turning leg part in the articulated leg wheel which shows simply one Embodiment of the mobile robot which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view partially showing the mobile robot in FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional explanatory view of the vicinity of a base end portion of a rotating leg portion in the articulated leg wheel of the mobile robot shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged explanatory view of a suspension mechanism arranged around a base end portion of a rotating leg portion in the articulated leg wheel of the mobile robot shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional explanatory view of a turning leg portion in the articulated leg wheel of the mobile robot shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional explanatory view of a turning leg portion in the articulated leg wheel of the mobile robot shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration explanatory diagram of a suspension damper in the articulated leg wheel of the mobile robot shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view of the walking state in which the swivel leg portion of the articulated leg wheel of the mobile robot shown in FIG. . It is side surface explanatory drawing of the state which made the rotation leg part and turning leg part in the articulated leg wheel of the mobile robot shown in FIG. 1 stand upright. Side explanatory drawing (a) of the running state which laid down the turning leg in the articulated leg wheel which shows other embodiments of the mobile robot concerning the present invention simply, and the side explanatory view of the walking state which made the turning leg stand upright (B).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile robot 2 Car body 10 Articulated leg wheel 11 Rotating leg 12 First joint drive shaft 13 Drive wheel 15 Second joint drive shaft
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Rotating leg 20a Both ends of slewing leg 20b Central part of slewing leg 30 Suspension damper (suspension mechanism)
38 Return spring (suspension mechanism)
40 leg wheel 41 rotating leg 42 first joint drive shaft

Claims (3)

The car body,
Rotating legs disposed at least at four locations on the front, rear, left and right sides of the vehicle body and supported by first joint drive shafts whose base end portions rotate in a horizontal direction and fixed at appropriate positions with respect to the vehicle body. And a leg wheel including a drive wheel that is supported by the vehicle body via the rotating leg portion and rotates forward and backward so that it can be fixed at an appropriate position.
A leg wheel arranged at at least one of the front part and the rear part of the vehicle body, the drive wheel is arranged at both end parts, and the central part is in a horizontal direction with respect to the tip part of the rotating leg part. A multi-joint leg provided with a swivel leg supported around a second joint drive shaft that can be fixedly fixed at an appropriate position and swiveling around the first joint drive shaft by the rotation of the turn leg. With wheels,
When the first joint drive shaft and the second joint drive shaft of the multi-joint leg wheel are fixed and traveled, the rotation leg portion rotates with respect to the vehicle body and the swivel leg portion with respect to the second joint drive shaft. A shock absorbing mode that allows rotation; and a step of rotating the first joint drive shaft and the second joint drive shaft of the multi-joint leg wheel in the step of walking with respect to the first joint drive shaft. Suspension mechanisms capable of switching between fixing and fixing mode for fixing the swivel leg with respect to the second joint drive shaft are provided on the first joint drive shaft portion and the second joint drive shaft portion of the multi-joint leg wheel, respectively. A mobile robot characterized by that.   The mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein both of the leg wheels arranged on both the front part and the rear part of the vehicle body are the articulated leg wheels. In moving the mobile robot according to claim 1 or 2,
When traveling with the leg wheels, all suspension mechanisms are set to the shock absorption mode, and the first joint drive shaft and the second joint drive shaft of the articulated leg wheels are fixed with all the drive wheels in contact with the ground. And actuate all the drive wheels,
When walking with the leg wheels, all suspension mechanisms are set to the fixed mode, and the rotating leg portions of the left and right articulated leg wheels having the swivel leg portions are alternately rotated together with the first joint drive shaft. A moving method of a mobile robot, characterized in that an appropriately selected drive wheel of the swivel leg fixed at an appropriate position is grounded in a fixed state.

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