JP2021049795A - Rover - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a rover which can achieve sufficient traveling performance in uphill travelling on a regolith sediment slope.SOLUTION: A rover includes: a vehicle body (10); left and right wheels (20, 30); left and right axles (114, 124) which are supported by the vehicle body and respectively coupled to the left and right wheels; a rotation driving part (10B) for rotating the left and right axles; and a stabilizer (40) for preventing co-rotation of the vehicle body occurring in conjunction with rotation of the wheels. The left and right wheels are respectively coupled to the left and right axles in an eccentric (306) manner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "rover") suitable for traveling on sandy ground such as surface exploration of the moon and Mars.

Many rover have already conducted surface exploration of the moon and planets. A wheel mechanism, a crawler mechanism, a leg mechanism, a leg wheel mechanism, etc. are being studied as a movement mechanism for traveling on the surface of the moon / planet, which is covered with rocks and loose sand and has an inclined surface near the crater. The wheel mechanism is mainly adopted in the conventional rover missions. However, there is a problem that the wheels tend to slip on soft ground. As the amount of wheel subsidence increases due to increased slip, the traction force decreases. As a result, the rover cannot move forward and the wheels are stuck (wheels slip). In fact, the Opportunity and spirit wheels got stuck during the mission. In June 2006, Opportunity accelerated the wheels to escape from the stack, but in January 2010, Spirit abandoned mobile exploration and decided to observe the area around Rover ( See Non-Patent Document 1).

Since the crust of craters and cliffs is exposed on the lunar surface, it is highly scientifically impressed, and future rover missions require mobile exploration of such steep terrain. In addition, sand called regolith is thickly deposited on the surface of the moon, which may affect the running of the wheeled robot. Therefore, the next-generation wheel-type robot is required to have high running performance when running on the moon surface. Therefore, it has been proposed to utilize the elastic properties of a metal material in order to realize a wheel having a contact area parallel to the traveling surface. A wheel utilizing this elastic property can be continuously grounded in parallel with the traveling surface due to elastic deformation of the surface material, and as a result, a low normal stress can be maintained (see Non-Patent Document 2). ..

A circular wheel with a large number of lugs protruding from the contact patch, a substantially pentagonal wheel with five contact patches as curved concave surfaces, and a wheel that combines these two features, each of which is a mutual wheel and sand when traveling on a slope. Studies on action models are also known (see Non-Patent Documents 3 and 4).

In the field of hand-throwing robots for security and military use, left and right hemispherical shells that also serve as wheels are attached to the left and right axles protruding from the vehicle body, and when hand-throwing, the left and right hemispherical shells are attached. While the body is closed to make the whole spherical, when traveling on the ground or on the floor, the hemispherical shells are separated and photographed by the camera of the vehicle body, and further from the vehicle body to the rear. A technique for preventing the vehicle body from rotating around by using an extending rod-shaped stabilizer has been conventionally known (see Patent Document 1).

Further, in the field of hand-throwing robots for security and military use, each of the left and right hemispherical drive wheels is further divided into two to provide a pair of left and right sub drive wheels, and the rotation shaft and sub of the main drive wheels. A technique for improving stability during traveling by eccentricity with the rotating shaft of a drive wheel has been conventionally known (see Patent Document 2).

Furthermore, in the field of toys, there is a technology that realizes comical vertical swing when traveling on a flat surface by eccentricizing the center of a wheel composed of a pair of hemispherical shells and the center of its rotation axis. , Conventionally known (see Patent Document 3).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-229813 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-264555 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-079078

Noriaki Mizukami, 2 outsiders, "Proposal of wheel model based on teramechanics taking dynamic subsidence into consideration", [online], April 2012, Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, [Search on July 22, 1991 ], Internet <URL: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kikaic/78/788/78_788_1109/_pdf/-char/ja> Kojiro Iizuka, 2 outsiders, "Study of wheel shape of lunar exploration wheel type robot for soft sand ground running considering elastic characteristics", [online], December 2008, Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, [Reiwamoto Searched on July 22, 2014], Internet <URL: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kikaic1979/74/748/74_748_2962/_pdf/-char/ja> Kojiro Iizuka, 3 outsiders, "Study of driving performance considering the wheel shape of the lunar and planetary exploration rover", [online], December 2008, Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, [Search on July 22, 1945], Internet <URL: https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110006153475> Kojiro Iizuka, 1 outsider, "Verification of running system for lunar exploration rover for running on soft sand ground", Scientific and Technical Research, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2012

In the rover described in Non-Patent Documents 1 to 4 described above, although the running performance is improved by paying attention to the shape and material of the wheel, the propulsive force thereof is limited, and in particular, the regolith sedimentary slope Sufficient driving performance is not exhibited in the uphill driving in.

The present invention has been made under the above-mentioned technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rover capable of exhibiting sufficient running performance even in uphill running on a regolith sedimentary slope. is there.

Still other objects of the invention, as well as effects, will be readily understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the following description of the specification.

It is considered that the above-mentioned technical problem can be solved by a rover having the following disclosure contents.
That is, the rover according to the present disclosure is
With the car body
Left and right wheels and
The left and right axles that are supported by the vehicle body and are connected to the left and right wheels, respectively.
A rotary drive unit for rotating each of the left and right axles,
It has a stabilizer to prevent the vehicle body from rotating with the rotation of the wheels.
Each of the left and right wheels and each of the left and right axles are designed so that the distance between the contact patch of the wheels and the axles varies greatly depending on the rotation angle of the wheels.

As a method for realizing such a mechanism, for example, as shown in FIG. 31 (a), the axle P is arranged at the center of a flat polygonal wheel including an ellipse or an oval, and FIG. 31 (b). ), It can be mentioned that the axle P is arranged by shifting (eccentrically) the center of the polygonal wheel including the circle.
As shown in FIG. 31 (a), in a state where the axle P is arranged at the center of a flat polygon (elliptical in the illustrated example), for example, when the wheel is rotated clockwise as shown by the arrow, it is on a diagonal line. In the two angular regions A1 and A2 located in, a large pressure contact pressure and a large thrust act on the legoris in front of the traveling direction, whereas in the other angular regions, the wheel advances. Since a small pressure contact pressure and a small scraping force act on the legoris in the forward direction, the rover is a legoris by periodically applying strong pressure welding and scraping force twice per wheel rotation. Even on the surface of the moon where the wheels are piled up, it is possible to periodically obtain a strong thrust and move forward without causing a stack. The above-mentioned angle regions A1 and A2 can also be defined as angle ranges during the transition from a state in which the distance between the axle P and the outer circumference of the wheel is long to a short state, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 31 (b), when the axle P is arranged at the center of the polygon (circle in the illustrated example), for example, when the wheel is rotated clockwise as shown by the arrow, one angle is obtained. In region A3, a large pressure contact pressure and a large thrust act on the legoris in front of the traveling direction, whereas in other angular regions, a large pressure contact force and a large thrusting force act on the legoris in front of the traveling direction. Since a small pressure welding force and a small thrusting force act, the rover is on the lunar surface where the logoris is deposited by periodically applying a strong pressure welding and thrusting force once per wheel rotation. However, it is possible to periodically obtain a strong thrust and move forward without causing a stack. The above-mentioned angle region A3 can also be defined as an angle range during the transition from a state in which the distance between the axle P and the outer circumference of the wheel is long to a short state.

According to the rover having such a configuration, the running operation and the steering operation are realized only by operating the rotary drive unit, although the structure is as simple as attaching two left and right wheels and a stabilizer to the vehicle body. be able to. In addition, since each of the left and right wheels and each of the left and right axles have the above-mentioned predetermined relative relationship, even if the vehicle is traveling uphill on a soft ground such as the moon surface where the legoris is deeply deposited. When the left and right wheels extend upward, the wheels do not float and sink by scraping while pressing the front legoris, so the vehicle body intermittently obtains a large thrust and advances with each rotation of the wheels. That is, unlike an axle concentric wheel that seeks thrust solely by relying on the friction between the wheel and the ground, it does not sink deeply into the regolith as the wheel rotates and fall into a stuck state.

Here, the side contour shape of the wheel is not particularly limited, and may be not only circular but also polygonal. Further, the three-dimensional shape may be not only hemispherical but also cylindrical or disk-shaped like a wheel of an ordinary automobile. Further, the left and right axles are preferably aligned in a straight line, but may be parallel and eccentric to each other. Further, the stabilizer is not limited to a tail-shaped stabilizer whose tip touches the ground, and may be a stabilizer that achieves a stabilizing function without contact with the ground by using a gyro.

In a preferred embodiment,
A second rotation in which the rotation drive unit includes a first rotation drive unit including a first motor for rotating one of the axles and a second motor for rotating the other of the axles. It may have a drive unit.

According to such a configuration, various traveling modes and steering modes can be realized by having a dedicated motor for each of the left and right wheels.

In a preferred embodiment,
It may have a rotation control unit for interlockingly controlling the rotation of the first motor and the second motor.

According to such a configuration, various traveling modes and steering modes can be realized by appropriately interlocking and controlling the left and right motors depending on the control specifications of the rotation control unit.

In a preferred embodiment,
The rotation control unit interlocks and controls the rotations of the first motor and the second motor so that each of the left and right wheels rotates in imitation of the rotation of both arms in the butterfly swimming method. It may be.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to periodically acquire a strong propulsive force by realizing a wheel rotation mode similar to the butterfly stroke method.

In a preferred embodiment,
The rotation control unit interlocks and controls the rotation of the first motor and the second motor so that each of the left and right wheels rotates in imitation of the rotation of both arms in the crawl swimming method. It may be.

According to such a configuration, by realizing a wheel rotation mode similar to the crawl swimming method, it is possible to travel straight while scraping the ground with high frequency.

At this time, the wheel rotation mode similar to the butterfly swimming method and the wheel rotation mode similar to the crawl swimming method can be realized by controlling the rotation speeds or phases of the left and right wheels in an interlocking manner.

In a preferred embodiment,
The stabilizer may be formed of a rigid material, extend rearward from the rear portion of the vehicle body by a predetermined length, and its tip may be a tail portion in contact with a traveling surface.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to enable stable walking while resisting the backward movement of the vehicle body in a state of three-point support by two left and right wheels and one rigid tail grounding point. it can.

In a preferred embodiment,
It may further have left and right fins extending diagonally rearward from the tip of the tail.

According to such a configuration, even when the vehicle rolls over, the left and right fin portions can easily support the rising motion.

In a preferred embodiment,
The upper part of the vehicle body may have an observatory portion provided with a camera.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to acquire an image of a predetermined field of view from a relatively high position in combination with a stepping motion that periodically extends upward.

In a preferred embodiment,
The camera may include a first camera having a field of view forward in the traveling direction and a second camera having a field of view rearward in the traveling direction.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to easily approach the target object included in the image of the field of view in front of the traveling direction while confirming the past traveling locus from the rut of the wheel included in the image of the field of view behind in the traveling direction. be able to.

In a preferred embodiment,
The car body
A vehicle body housing that accommodates the rotary drive unit and has left and right axle insertion holes on the left and right side surfaces thereof is provided.
The left and right wheels
The outer shell body surrounding the entire circumference of the vehicle body housing is divided into two left and right outer shell halves, and the inside of the vehicle body housing is further divided.
When the predetermined start-up conditions are satisfied, the left and right outer shell halves are brought out from the left-right combined state by projecting each of the left and right axles from the vehicle body housing by a predetermined amount through each of the left and right axle insertion holes. It may have an axle protrusion mechanism that shifts to a left-right separated state.

According to such a configuration, before the predetermined start-up condition is satisfied, the left and right axles are immersed in the vehicle body housing, and the left and right outer shell halves are in a left-right coupled state, and the entire circumference of the vehicle body housing is formed. The left and right axles are outside the vehicle body housing due to the action of the axle protrusion mechanism after the predetermined start-up conditions are satisfied, while the outer shell body surrounding the vehicle protects the vehicle body. The left and right outer shell halves are separated from each other, and the vehicle body housing is made to face through the gaps between them, and the left and right outer shell halves function as the left and right wheels to enable traveling. To do.

In a preferred embodiment,
The axle protrusion mechanism
Left and right sliding guide members that slidably guide each of the left and right axles through the left and right axle insertion holes of the vehicle body housing.
The left and right driven gears that are fixed to each of the left and right axles,
Left and right drive gears that are fixed to each of the left and right drive shafts that extend parallel to each of the left and right axles, and continue to mesh with the driven gear while each of the left and right axles extends from the initial position to the protruding position. When,
Left and right springs that urge each of the left and right axles in a direction protruding from the left and right insertion holes of the vehicle body housing,
The non-circular hole formed by the axle insertion hole is used as a keyhole, and the large non-circular diameter formed by the tip of each of the axles is used as a key. It may include the left and right locking mechanisms that create the unlocked state of the.

According to such a configuration, before the predetermined starting condition is satisfied, each of the left and right axles is urged by the left and right springs in the direction of protruding from the left and right axle insertion holes. Since the protrusion is prevented by the action of the left and right locking mechanisms, when a predetermined activation condition is satisfied, the locking mechanism is locked by the relative rotation of the key and the keyhole by the rotation of the left and right drive shafts. By simply changing from the locked state to the unlocked state, the left and right axles are projected from the left and right axle insertion holes by the action of a spring, and the left and right outer shell halves are separated from the left and right coupled state. Can turn to.

In a preferred embodiment,
A modified cross section in which the left and right drive gears have a circular gear portion having a circular cross section that meshes with the driven gear at the protruding position and a fan-shaped gear portion having a wide cross section that meshes with the driven gear on the way from the initial position to the protruding position. It may be a drive gear.

According to such a configuration, the locking mechanism meshes only within a slight rotation angle range from the locked state to the unlocked state, and immediately after unlocking, the locking mechanism slides in a wide range while being linked with the protruding motion of the axle. Since the irregular cross-section drive gear is formed from the cross-section fan-shaped gear portion and the cross-section circular gear portion that meshes after the axle protrusion is completed, the weight of the drive gear can be reduced by reducing the volume.

In a preferred embodiment,
At a position along the left and right neutral lines of the vehicle body housing, a rod-shaped tail portion corresponding to the stabilizer and an observatory portion with a camera may be foldably attached against the urging force in the deployment direction.

According to such a configuration, in the left-right combined state of the left and right outer shell halves, the rod-shaped tail portion and the camera-equipped observatory portion are folded and housed together with the vehicle body in the outer shell body. On the other hand, in the left-right separated state of the left and right outer shell halves, the rod-shaped tail portion and the camera-equipped observatory portion were expanded and projected from the gap between the left and right outer shell halves. It can be in the expanded state.

At this time, the rod-shaped tail portion may have left and right fin portions that are branched and extended diagonally rearward from the tip portion and can be folded.

According to such a configuration, the folded state of the left and right fins can be included in the accommodation state, and the unfolded fins can also be included in the unfolded state.

In a preferred embodiment,
Each of the left and right outer shell halves is formed as a substantially hemispherical outer shell halves made of plastic or light metal (for example, aluminum), and in the left-right combined state, surrounds the vehicle body housing. It may be one that forms a substantially spherical outer shell.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to secure cushioning property when it is released on the lunar surface, and since it has good rolling property, it rolls on the slope of the lunar surface while remaining in the left-right combined state. As a result, it is possible to secure the moving distance on the lunar surface without wasting energy.

In a preferred embodiment,
A large number of openings may be dispersedly arranged in each of the left and right outer shell halves over the entire circumference thereof. At this time, among the large number of openings, the pair of left and right openings located at the opening edge of the outer shell half body are adjacent to each other when the outer shell half body is in the combined state, so that one image can be taken. A window may be formed to allow the camera to capture an ambient image in a folded state of the observatory.

According to such a configuration, the center of gravity of the spherical outer shell is arranged on the equator to ensure directivity at the time of rolling, and the inner peripheral edge of these openings functions as a non-slip or scraper for propulsion. Contribution to acquisition, natural discharge of regolith that enters the inside of the outer shell while driving, and opening of those openings (photographing window) by operating the camera even with the spherical outer shell in the stored state It has the effect of being able to obtain peripheral images through the image.

In a preferred embodiment,
Recesses or ribs may be arranged at appropriate distances from the outermost peripheral bands of the left and right outer shell halves.

According to such a configuration, these depressions or ribs can firmly grip the lunar surface on which the regolith is deposited and exert a non-slip effect.

In a preferred embodiment,
Extreme protrusions may be formed at both poles of the left and right outer shell halves.

According to such a configuration, the center of gravity of the spherical outer shell is arranged on the equator to ensure the directivity at the time of rolling, and the rolling direction is regulated so as to roll around the equator. There is also an effect.

In a preferred embodiment,
The diameter of the substantially sphere that appears in the left-right combined state of the left and right outer shells may be in the range of 50 mm to 200 mm.

Multiple spheres of this size can be mounted in the limited internal space of the lunar module, and can withstand impacts even if they are released onto the lunar surface from the lunar module just before landing or after landing. It is expected that it will operate effectively.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a traveling operation and a steering operation only by operating the rotary drive unit, although the structure is as simple as attaching two left and right wheels and a stabilizer to the vehicle body. In addition, each of the left and right wheels and each of the left and right axles are designed so that the distance between the ground contact surface of the wheel and the axle varies greatly depending on the rotation angle of the wheel. Therefore, even when climbing a slope on soft ground such as the moon surface where the regolith is deeply deposited, the left and right wheels extend upward and rotate while strongly pressing the front regolith. (A large pressure contact pressure and a large scraping force act). Therefore, as a reaction of the scraping operation, the vehicle body intermittently obtains a large thrust for each rotation of the wheel and moves forward. That is, unlike an axle concentric wheel that seeks thrust solely by relying on the friction between the wheel and the ground, it does not sink deeply into the regolith as the wheel rotates and fall into a stuck state.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rover (stored state). FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rover (expanded state) viewed from diagonally forward. FIG. 3 is a perspective view seen from diagonally rearward of the rover (expanded state). FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the rover (main component). FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the vehicle body (axle protruding state). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the mounting position of the axle on the wheel. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the shape of the mechanism holding plate. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the vehicle body (housing on one side removed). FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vehicle body (housings on both sides removed). FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a power transmission system from the motor to the axle. FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing the shape of the deformed drive gear. FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing the shape of the axle insertion hole. FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing the relationship between the axle insertion hole and the non-circular cross-sectional shaft portion. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the entire contents contained in the housing. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an assembly of photographing sections. FIG. 16 is a side view of the rover (expanded state). FIG. 17 is a side view of the tail portion and the fin portion (expanded state). FIG. 18 is a rear view of the rover (expanded state). FIG. 19 is an explanatory view of a support structure at the base of the tail. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of a fin portion in an unfolded state and a folded state. FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram of a running state due to concentric wheel rotation on a regolith uphill. FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram of a butterfly running state due to wheel eccentric rotation on a regolith uphill. FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the rover in a crawl running state (phase difference 180 degrees). FIG. 24 is a side view of the rover in a crawl running state. FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing the electrical hardware configuration of the rover. FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit. FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a stabilizer (modification example). FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view of the stabilizer (modification example). FIG. 29 is a projection drawing of a stabilizer (modification example). FIG. 30 is an explanatory view showing a mounting state of the stabilizer (deformed example). FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram showing that the distance between the ground contact surface of the axle and the axle fluctuates greatly depending on the rotation angle of the axle.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the rover according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings (FIGS. 1 to 30). Incidentally, the embodiment described below is one of the results of joint research at JAXA's Space Exploration Innovation Hub.

<< Outline explanation of the overall configuration >>
As shown in FIG. 4, the rover 1 according to this embodiment includes a vehicle body 10, left and right wheels 20, 30, a stabilizer 40 including left and right tail portions 401, 403, and left and right fin portions 402, 404, and a camera. It is roughly configured from the observation deck 50 including the above, and by operating the left and right axle protrusion mechanisms (details will be described later), from a predetermined storage state (see FIG. 1) to a predetermined deployment state (see FIGS. 2 and 3). It is said that it can be migrated to.

Here, the "stored state" means that the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 are connected to each other to form a spherical outer shell, and the vehicle body 10, the stabilizer 40, and the observatory 50 are contained therein. It is in a state where and is stored. At this time, the left and right tail portions 401 and 403, the left and right fin portions 402 and 404, and the observatory portion 50 are in a predetermined folded state (details will be described later) urged in the restoration direction. Is housed in.

Further, the "deployed state" means that the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 are separated from each other by a predetermined distance to form a gap S between them, and the left and right tails 401 and 403 and the left and right tails 401 and 403 and the left and right tails 401 and 403 are formed from the gap S. The left and right fin portions 402 and 404 and the observatory portion 50 are expanded and projected. In this deployed state, the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 also function as the left and right wheels 20 and 30.

The left and right axles 114 and 214 can be projected from the left and right axle insertion holes 11b and 12b provided on the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle body housing 10A (see FIGS. 5 and 9). Left and right wheels 20 and 30 are attached to the tips of the axles 114 and 214. The important point here is that the left and right axles 114 and 214 and the left and right wheels 20 and 30 are not concentric but are mounted eccentrically with each other (see FIG. 6).

According to such an eccentric mounting structure, the left and right wheels 20 and 30 do not extend upward even when traveling uphill on soft ground such as the lunar surface where regolith (fine sand) is deeply deposited. , The regolith in front is strongly pressed and rotated as if it is scraped (a large pressure contact pressure and a large scraping force act), so as a reaction of the scraping operation, the vehicle body 10 makes one rotation of the wheels 20 and 0. Every time, a large thrust is obtained intermittently to move forward (see FIG. 22). That is, like a wheel with an axle concentric coupling that tries to obtain thrust only by relying solely on the friction between the wheels 10 and 20 and the ground, it sinks deeply into the regolith as the wheels 20 and 30 rotate and falls into a stuck state. (See FIGS. 21, 22, and 23).

<< Detailed explanation of the car body >>
The vehicle body 10 has a drive unit assembly 10B (see FIG. 10) including an axle protrusion mechanism in the vehicle body housing 10A (see FIGS. 5 and 7) formed by connecting the left and right housing halves 11 and 12 and the bottom plate 13. Consists and consists. Left and right axle insertion holes 11b and 12b are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle body housing 10A. As shown in FIG. 12, the inner peripheral edges of the axle insertion holes 11b and 12b have, for example, a circle facing a pair of rectangular recesses 12d and 12d facing each other in the axle insertion hole 12b on the right side surface. It is a non-circular hole surrounded by arcuate recesses 12c and 12c. This non-circular hole functions as a key hole in the locking mechanism described later. The same applies to the axle insertion hole on the left side.

As shown in FIG. 10, the drive unit assembly 10B is configured by integrally connecting various components of the drive unit assembly via a support plate 14. As shown in FIG. 7, the support plate 14 is fixed to the vehicle body housing 10A by being sandwiched between the left and right vehicle body housing halves 11 and 12.

The support plate 14 has three through holes 14a, 14b, 14c, as shown in FIG. The through hole 14a is for inserting and holding a rod-shaped motor 111 (see FIG. 10) for driving the left wheel, and a boss portion 14a'for holding the front end portion of the motor 111 extends at the outlet of the hole. Is done. As shown in FIG. 8, the through hole 14b is for inserting and holding the rod-shaped motor 121 for driving the right wheel, and the boss portion 14b'(for holding the front end portion of the motor 121 at the outlet of the hole) ( (See FIG. 9) is postponed. A guide rod 101 (see FIG. 8) for guiding the concentric linear motion of the left and right axles 114 and 124 is inserted and held in the through hole 14c. Since the guide rod 101 is inserted into the center holes of the left and right axles 114 and 124, the left and right axles 114 and 124 are inserted into the left and right axle insertion holes 11b (see FIG. 5) and 12b (see FIG. 5) by the action of the guide rod 101. It becomes possible to slide linearly through (see 14).

As the motors 111 and 121 shown, a DC motor capable of forward and reverse rotation is adopted, and the rotational force obtained from the rotor of the motor is decelerated via a planetary gear incorporated in the motor, and then the motor shaft 111a, It is output from 121a. In FIG. 10, reference numerals 111b and 121b are encoders incorporated in the motors 111 and 121 for detecting the rotation of the motors 111 and 121. Note that these encoders 111 and 121 may be separate parts independent of the motor.

As shown in FIG. 10, left and right deformed drive gears 112 and 122 are attached to the motor shafts (drive shafts) 111a and 121a (see FIG. 11) of the left and right rod-shaped motors 111 and 121. As shown in FIG. 11, each of the deformed drive gears, for example, for the right deformed drive gear 122, is continuous from the circular gear portion 122a having a circular cross section located at the tip portion and the circular gear portion 122a having a cross section in the axial direction. It has a fan-shaped wide gear portion 122b in cross section. The same applies to the left deformed drive gear. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, driven gears 113 and 123 having a circular cross section are attached to the rear ends of the left and right axles 114 and 124, respectively.

When the left and right axles 114 and 124 are in the initial positions not protruding from the axle insertion holes 11b and 12b, the left and right circular driven gears 113 and 123, respectively, have fan-shaped wide gear portions 112b in cross section of the left and right deformed drive gears 112 and 122. , 122b, and contributes to a substantially half-rotation operation for shifting the relative angle between the key and the keyhole from the mismatched angle to the matched angle. On the other hand, when the left and right axles 114 and 124 are in the protruding positions protruding from the axle insertion holes 11b and 12b to the limit, the left and right circular driven gears 113 and 123 have the left and right deformed drive gears 112, respectively. It meshes with the circular gear portions 112a and 122a having a circular cross section of 122, and contributes to the rotational operation for traveling. Further, from the initial position to just before the protrusion limit position, the deformed drive gears 112 and 122 and the left and right circular driven gears 113 and 123 are maintained in a meshed state while sliding with each other.

According to such deformed drive gears 112 and 122, the shape of the drive gear required to transmit the rotation of the drive shafts 114 and 124 of the motor to the driven gears 113 and 123 of the slidable axles 114 and 124 is cylindrical. By providing wide cross-sectional fan-shaped gears 112b and 122b, the gear teeth are left only in the approximately half-turn part required for unlocking the locking mechanism, and the other parts are removed. It is possible to achieve a significant weight reduction of the drive gear, which is a heavy component manufactured by the manufacturer. Of course, if the vehicle is mounted on a lander having a thrust at which the weight of the drive gear does not matter, a normal wide cylindrical gear can be adopted instead of the irregular drive gears 112 and 122.

Left and right coil springs 116 and 126 are reduced between the driven gears 113 and 123 and the support plate 14. These coil springs 116 and 126 provide an urging force for projecting the left and right axles 114 and 124 from the left and right axle insertion holes 11b and 12b.

Next, the locking mechanism will be described. In the lock mechanism, the non-circular holes formed by the left and right axle insertion holes 11b and 12b are used as keyholes, and the non-circular cross-sectional shafts formed by the tips of the left and right axles 114 and 124 are used as keys for relative rotation between the key and the keyhole. As a result, a locked state in which both are inconsistent and cannot be inserted and a locked state in which both are matched and cannot be inserted are realized.

In this example, with respect to the above-mentioned non-circular cross-sectional shaft portion, as shown in FIG. 9, a pair of protrusions 114a, 114b, 124a from the outer peripheral surface near the tip portions of the left and right axles 114, 124, respectively. , 124b are projected from each other at an interval of 180 degrees. On the other hand, with respect to the non-circular hole, as shown in FIG. 12, the inner peripheral edges of the left and right axle insertion holes 11b, 12b are paired with a pair of arcuate recesses 11c, 11c, 12c, 12c. It is realized by forming so as to be surrounded by the rectangular recesses 11d, 11d, 12d, and 12d of.

According to such a locking mechanism, as shown in FIG. 13, a pair of protrusions 114a, 114b, 124a, 124b and left and right axle insertion holes 11b constituting the non-circular cross-sectional shaft portions of the left and right axles 114, 124 and the left and right axles 114, 124. , 12b of the pair of rectangular recesses 11d, 11d, 12d, 12d are inconsistent with each other, so that the left and right axles 114 and 124 are locked so that the axle insertion holes 11b and 12b cannot be inserted. can do. On the other hand, a pair of protrusions 114a, 114b, 124a, 124b forming a non-circular cross-sectional shaft portion of the left and right axles 114, 124 and a pair of rectangular recesses 11d, 11d, of the left and right axle insertion holes 11b, 12b, By setting the 12d and 12d to match, it is possible to realize an unlocked state in which the left and right axles 114 and 124 can insert the axle insertion holes 11b and 12b, respectively.

Therefore, if the above-mentioned locking mechanism is locked while the left and right axles 114 and 124 are pushed into the axle insertion holes 11b and 12b against the repulsive force of the left and right coil springs 116 and 126, the left and right axles 114 and 124 are locked. Within half a turn of the axle immediately after the motors 111 and 121 are started, the locking mechanism switches from the locked state to the unlocked state, and the left and right axles 114 and 124 are left and right due to the repulsive force of the left and right springs 116 and 126, respectively. The engagement partners of the driven gears 113 and 123 having a circular cross section attached to the axle are engaged with the driven gears 113 and 123 having a circular cross section, which protrude from the axle insertion holes 11b and 12 and out of the vehicle body housing 10A. By switching from the gears to the circular gear portions 112a and 122a, the left and right wheels 20 and 30 can be rotationally driven by the left and right motors 111 and 121.

In the vehicle body housing 10A, in addition to the various mechanical components described above, as shown in FIG. 14, a circuit board 15 on which electronic circuits including various electronic components are mounted, motors 111, 121, and the above-mentioned electrons are contained. It houses, for example, 2-3 1.5V batteries 16, 16, 16 that serve as a power source for the circuit. The details of the electrical hardware composed of various electronic components mounted on the circuit board 15 will be described in detail later with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 25 and the flowchart of FIG. 26.

<< Detailed explanation of wheels >>
As shown in FIG. 4, the left and right wheels 20 and 30 have a substantially spherical outer shell body (for example, a wall thickness of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm in the case of resin and a wall thickness of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm in the case of aluminum) surrounding the housing 10A of the vehicle body 10. It is composed of left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301, such that the wall thickness is 0.7 mm to 1.0 mm and the diameter is 50 mm to 200 mm). The materials of the hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 are lightweight and have a certain degree of elasticity for the purpose of alleviating the impact at the time of landing (for example, a light metal such as aluminum or a resin such as polyimide). Is adopted.

An important point in relation to the present invention, the hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 and the left and right axles 114 and 124 are attached so as to be eccentric to each other as shown in FIG. In other words, the left and right axles 114 and 124 are attached to the back surfaces of the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 with the centers of the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 shifted by a predetermined amount.

More specifically, the left and right brackets 115 and 125 are attached to the tips of the left and right axles 114 and 124 as shown in FIG. Each of the brackets 115 and 125 is provided with a pair of screw holes 115a, 115b, 125a and 125b. On the other hand, on the back surface of the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301, as shown in FIG. 6, slightly thick annular ribs 206 and 306 are formed so as to surround the centers of the halves 201 and 301. Is provided. Then, the left and right axles 114 and 124 are screwed to a part of the annular ribs 206 and 306 on the back surface of the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 via the left and right brackets 115 and 125. As a result, the left and right wheels 20 and 30 are eccentrically and firmly attached to the left and right axles 114 and 124. At this time, the amount of eccentricity between the center of the axle and the center of the wheel may be determined in consideration of the maximum turning radius of the wheel required for climbing a slope in the assumed regolith state.

As shown in FIG. 1, a large number of openings are symmetrically distributed in the hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301. That is, in the illustrated example, the hemispherical outer shell half body 201 on the left side is provided with the pole protrusion 202, and the first circumference zone 203, the second circumference zone 204, in the order closer to the pole collision portion 202, The third lap zone 205 is defined. In each of the three orbital zones 203, 204, 205, a large number of openings (windows) 203a, 204a, 205a are separated by appropriate distances in the circumferential direction so as to avoid continuity between adjacent orbital zones. Is arranged. In addition, the recess 205b and the rib 205b'are arranged in the third peripheral zone 205 so as to fill the gap between the adjacent openings 205a. Similarly, the first to third orbital zones 303, 304, 305 are defined in the hemispherical outer shell half body 301 on the right side, and a plurality of openings (windows) 303a, are also defined in each of these orbital zones. 304a and 305a are arranged, and in addition to the opening, a recess 305b and a rib 305b'are arranged in the third peripheral zone thereof (see FIG. 18).

The openings 203a to 205a and 303a to 305a are symmetrically arranged around the equator of the spherical outer shell, and the left and right extreme protrusions 202 and 302 are arranged in both local parts. Therefore, the center of gravity of the sphere in the retracted state (see FIG. 1) is distributed almost on the equator, and the left and right extreme protrusions 202 and 302 also function as balancers in the left-right direction. .. Therefore, the spherical rover 1 that lands on the inclined surface in the stored state (see FIG. 1) initially depends on the posture at the time of landing, but finally, the straight line connecting the two protrusions 202 and 302 is the horizontal rotation axis. Therefore, it is possible to move a relatively long distance while rolling while maintaining the posture of mainly landing on the equator of the sphere. The left and right extreme collision portions 202 and 302 not only function as left and right balancers, but also function as gripping portions of a discharger (not shown) when the spherical rover 1 is released from the lunar module, for example. ..

The left and right openings 205a and 305a arranged in the third peripheral zone 205 (305) together form a large horizontal shooting window. This photographing window is provided for photographing the surroundings with a camera from the spherical rover 1 in the stored state (see FIG. 1). That is, by providing this relatively large horizontally long shooting window, even when the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 are closed, the surrounding image by the camera (for example, a wide-angle camera or a 360-degree camera) Can be obtained.

On the other hand, in the unfolded state (see FIGS. 2 and 3) in which the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 are opened, the recessed portion 205b or the rib 205b'existing mainly in the third peripheral zone 205 is a regolith. Functions as a non-slip to grip. In addition, the openings 204a and 205a existing in the second lap zone 204 and the third lap zone 205 also function as scrapers whose inner peripheral edges scrape the regolith. In addition, the openings 203a and 204a existing in the first lap zone 203 and the second lap zone 204 naturally discharge the regolith that has invaded the inside during traveling to the outside of the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301. It also functions as an outlet for.

<< Detailed explanation of stabilizer >>
As shown in FIG. 4, the stabilizer 40 includes left and right tail portions 401 and 403 and left and right fin portions 402 and 404. The left and right tails 401 and 403 are made of relatively hard plastic (eg, polyamide resin) or light metal (eg, aluminum) to form a downwardly convex hinge, the base of which is shown in FIGS. 17 and 17. As shown in FIG. 19, it is rotatably attached to the rear portion of the vehicle body housing 10A via the horizontal hinge shafts 11e and 12e. Then, during traveling, as shown in FIG. 22, the abdomen to the rear part, which is convex downward, is mainly configured to proceed while being in contact with the sand.

The left and right tails 401 and 403 are urged in the deployment direction by an urging tool such as a spring (not shown). Therefore, in the accommodation state (see FIG. 1) in which the two hemispherical outer shells 201 and 301 are combined, the two hemispherical outer shells 201 and 301 are folded inside the spherical outer shell and the two hemispherical outer shells 201 and 301 are combined. In the separated unfolded state (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the unfolded state is unfolded by itself by the urging force and protrudes from the gap S between the two halves 201 and 301.

The left and right fin portions 402 and 404 are branched and extended diagonally rearward from the rear ends of the left and right bowed tail portions 401 and 403, and are formed of, for example, a light metal such as aluminum or a resin such as polyamide. And it is foldable. More specifically, these fin portions 402 and 404 are hinged to each of the rear end portions of the left and right tail portions, as shown by virtual lines in FIG. 18, due to the elastic rebound force of a spring (not shown). It is designed to change its posture by itself from the folded state shown by the solid line in the figure to the unfolded state shown by the virtual line in the figure. Then, in the unfolded state, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 in the unfolded state are extended to the left and right to almost the same width as the left and right widths. When the rover 1 is in a rollover state, it is bent and its repulsive force supports the rising motion of the left and right wheels 20 and 30 of the rover 1. In fact, in an experiment conducted by the applicant in collaboration with JAXA, it was confirmed that the left and right fin portions 402 and 404 are effective for restoration from the rollover state.

The left and right fin portions 402 and 404 are also folded into the spherical outer shell when the two hemispherical outer shells 201 and 301 are combined (see FIG. 1). In the deployed state in which the two hemispherical outer shells 201 and 301 are separated (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the two hemispherical shells 201 and 301 are independently deployed by the urging force together with the two tails 401 and 403, and both hemispheres 201 and 301, It is in a state of protruding from the gap S of 301.

By the way, in the stabilizer 40 described above, the left and right tails 401 and 403 may be realized by one tail in which they are integrated. An example (modification example) of a stabilizer using such a single tail is shown in FIGS. 27 to 30.

As shown in FIG. 27, the stabilizer 40A has one tail portion 411 formed by integrally forming the left and right tail portions 401 and 403 described above, and left and right fin portions 421 attached to the rear portion of the tail portion 411. It is equipped with 413.

As shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the tail portion 411 is located at the base end of the main body portion 411a, which is a downwardly convex bow-shaped plate piece, and the main body portion 411a, and corresponds to the rear bracket of the main body housing 10A. It has an end-side mounting portion and a tip-side mounting portion at the tip of the main body portion 411a and corresponding to the left and right fin portions. In the illustrated example, the base end side mounting portion is composed of a pair of left and right boss portions 411b and 411b each having a lateral shaft hole through which the hinge shaft should be inserted.

The stabilizer 40A is rotated into the bracket at the rear of the main body housing 10A by inserting a long screw 421 which should be a hinge shaft into those boss portions 411b and 411b via nuts 422 and 422. It is fixed so that it can move freely.

The tip side mounting portion should have a pair of left and right boss portions 411c and 411c having oblique shaft holes through which the left and right hinge shafts should be inserted, and the left and right hinge shafts should be inserted at the center in the left and right direction, respectively. It is composed of a central boss portion 411d having an oblique shaft hole.

In this stabilizer 40A, with the intention of reducing sand resistance during turning (during lateral movement), as shown in FIG. 29 (c), the cross-sectional contour shape of the tail 411 is vertically flat on the left and right. It has a contour shape surrounded by three flat surfaces: a side surface, a relatively narrow and horizontal flat bottom surface located in the center, and a left and right inclined flat bottom surface connecting them. However, if priority is given to the difficulty of being buried in sand, instead of the relatively narrow flat bottom surface, a wide and horizontal flat bottom surface that covers almost the entire width of the bottom surface should be adopted, and the left and right sides should be used. It may be a curved side surface that bulges outward.

The left and right fin portions 421 and 413 are the base ends of the main body portions 412a and 413a, which are slightly twisted bow-shaped plate pieces, and the base end side mounting portions corresponding to the rear portions of the tail portion 411. Has. In the illustrated example, the base end side mounting portion is composed of a pair of left and right boss portions 412b, 412b, 413b, 413b each having a lateral shaft hole.

The left and right fin portions 421 and 413 are formed with the hinge shaft holes after aligning the hinge shaft holes of the base end side mounting portions (412b, 413b) with the hinge shaft holes of the tip side mounting portions (411c, 411d) of the tail portion 411. By inserting the long screws 431 and 441 that should be, they are rotatably fixed to the rear end of the tail 411 while turning diagonally.

When assembling the tip portions of the left and right fin portions 421 and 413 to the rear portion of the tail portion 411, springs 432 and 442 for urging the left and right fin portions in the developing direction are incorporated. Therefore, as described above, when shifting from the stored state (see FIG. 1) to the expanded state (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the tail 411 is formed from the gap S between the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301. And the left and right fins 421 and 413 will expand and protrude by themselves.

<< Detailed explanation of the observatory >>
As shown in FIG. 4, the observatory portion 50 is configured by accommodating a camera assembly (not shown) in a housing formed by connecting the left and right housing halves 51 and 52, and in the left and right hinge holes 51a and 52a. By inserting and fitting the hinge shafts 11a and 12a (see FIG. 5) on the vehicle body housing side, the hinge shafts 11a and 12a (see FIG. 5) are rotatably attached to the vehicle body housing 10A. The housing of the observatory portion 50 is foldable in a state of being urged in the deployment direction by an urging mechanism (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, the housing of the observatory 50 includes a front light receiving window composed of a light receiving window left half 51b and a light receiving window right half 52b, and FIG. As shown in (a) and (c), a rear side light receiving window composed of a light receiving window left half body 51c and a light receiving window right half body 52c is provided, and a front side substrate 53c is provided from the front side light receiving window. The front side light receiving portion 53a mounted on the rear side light receiving portion 53a is configured so that the back side light receiving portion 53b mounted on the back side substrate 53d faces from the back side light receiving window (see FIGS. 15B and 15C). The front side light receiving portion 53a and the back side light receiving portion 53b are configured by integrally coupling a lens and an image sensor, as is well known to those skilled in the art. The front side substrate 53c and the back side substrate 53d are integrally connected with the support substrate 53d interposed therebetween, thereby forming a camera assembly. Here, the camera assembly may be configured as a 360-degree camera as well as a normal wide-angle camera.

According to the above configuration, in the stowed state of the rover 1 (see FIG. 1), the observatory portion 50 is folded and stored inside the spherical outer shell, but the light receiving portion 53b on the back side thereof. Since a horizontally long shooting window formed by connecting the left and right openings 205a and 305a is located in front of the above, an image around the rover can be obtained by taking a picture through this shooting window, for example, with a wide-angle camera or a 360-degree camera. Can be obtained. As a result, as will be described later, it is also possible to acquire a surrounding image (for example, an image including the appearance of the lunar module during or after landing) from the time it is released from the rover to the time it lands on the moon surface.

On the other hand, in the unfolded state of the rover 1 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the observatory portion 50 is restored from the folded state to the unfolded state by itself, and the left and right hemispherical outer shell halves 201 and 301 It projects upward from the vehicle body housing 10A through the gap S formed between them. Therefore, in this expanded state, images in a predetermined field of view in the front and rear of the rover 1 in the traveling direction can be simultaneously acquired via the front light receiving portion 53a and the back light receiving portion 53b, for example. Based on the rut image included in the rear image, it is possible to efficiently reach the target object included in the front image while checking the past traveling trajectory and appropriately correcting the traveling direction.

<< Detailed explanation of electrical hardware configuration and software configuration >>
The electrical hardware configuration mounted on the circuit board 15 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 25. As shown in FIG. 25, the electrical hardware configuration of the rover 1 includes a drive unit 601, a communication unit 602, an input / output unit 603, a control unit 604, a storage unit 605, and a photographing unit 606. It consists of connecting via a bus. These control elements are powered by the battery 16.

The drive unit 601 includes the left and right motors 111 and 121, their drive circuits, and the like, and is eccentrically attached to the axle by individually driving the left and right motors 111 and 121 via the drive unit 601. The wheel will rotate by drawing a rotation locus similar to the butterfly swimming method and a rotation locus similar to the crawl swimming method.

The communication unit 602 is configured to include a wireless transmitter / receiver, and transmits / receives to / from, for example, a communication unit mounted on a lunar module (not shown). At this time, the received data includes various control commands sent from the lunar module, and the transmitted data is obtained from the front and rear cameras (front side light receiving unit 53, rear side light receiving unit 53b). Video data is included.

The input / output unit 603 is for controlling the exchange of input / output data for various setting operations, and exchanges various data with the built-in input / output unit or the remotely connected input / output unit. It is for doing.

The control unit 604 is mainly composed of a microprocessor (MPU) for controlling the entire rover and an image processor (GPU) for processing camera images, and responds to control commands sent from the lunar lander. The process of processing the image obtained from the camera or processing the image obtained from the camera for transmission is executed.

The storage unit 605 is an image for temporarily storing an image of a RAM or a camera used as a work area when executing a ROM for storing various system programs to be executed by the MPU or GPU of the control unit 604 or a system program. It is configured to include memory and so on.

The image pickup unit 606 includes an image sensor included in the front and rear cameras (front side light receiving unit 53, back side light receiving unit 53b), a drive circuit thereof, and the like.

Next, the configuration of the system program executed by the microprocessor (MPU) included in the control unit 604 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 26. In the figure, when the process is started, first, in the initialization process (step 101), various flags, counters, and registers required for the calculation are initialized. This initialization process also includes initialization of the rotation position detection counters of the left and right encoders 111b and 121b.

In the following step 102, continuous shooting by the front and rear cameras (front side light receiving unit 53a, back side light receiving unit 53b) is activated. As a result, the rover 1 starts shooting with the camera in the stored state (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the camera on the rear surface side (light receiving unit 53b on the rear surface side) can acquire an image of a predetermined field of view around the rover through the horizontally long photographing windows (openings 205a and 305a) of the spherical outer shell.

In the following step 103, various data are transmitted and received via communication with the lunar module. Here, the transmission data includes video data taken by the front and rear cameras (front side light receiving unit 53a, rear side light receiving unit 53b) and encoders (encoders 111b, 121b) of the left and right motors.
Detected data etc. are included. Further, the received data includes various control commands (for example, start command, various travel mode designation commands, etc.) from the lunar module.

In the following step 104, the content of the command received from the lunar module is deciphered. In the figure, only two typical decoding results (“crawl running” and “butterfly running”) are drawn, but it goes without saying that there are various other decoding results. That is, when the result of decoding the received command does not mean that the left and right motors 111 and 121 are started, the rover 1 is in the retracted state while repeating steps 103 and 104 without doing anything thereafter (see FIG. 1). It goes into a standby state as it is.

After that, when the start command is decoded and a running mode similar to the butterfly swimming method is specified as the running mode (step 105 “butterfly running”), the process proceeds to step 106, and the left and right motors 111 and 121 are started. Then, as described above, while the left and right axles 114 and 124 rotate half a turn, the locking mechanism switches from the locked state to the unlocked state, and the repulsive force of the left and right springs 116 and 126 causes the left and right axles to move to the left and right. The axles 114 and 124 protrude from the left and right axle insertion holes 11b and 12b of the vehicle body housing 10A, and in conjunction with this, the rover 1 changes from the stored state (see FIG. 1) to the expanded state (see FIGS. 2 and 3). To do.

Subsequently, in step 107, a predetermined butterfly running servo control is executed. In this servo control for butterfly running, the left and right wheels 20 and 30 are rotated at the same speed and in the same phase based on the detection signals from the left and right encoders 111b and 121b. (See FIG. 22) is realized. After that, as long as butterfly travel is specified, the above operations (steps 103, 104, 105 (“butterfly travel”), 106, 107, 110 NO) are repeated until a predetermined stop condition is satisfied.

On the other hand, as a result of decoding the received command (step 104), if it is an activation command and the traveling mode designation is crawl traveling (step 105 “crawl traveling”), the process proceeds to step 108. The left and right motors 111 and 121 are activated. Then, as described above, while the left and right axles 114 and 124 rotate half a turn, the locking mechanism switches from the locked state to the unlocked state, and the urging forces of the left and right springs 116 and 126 cause the left and right axles to move. The axles 114 and 124 protrude from the left and right axle insertion holes 11b and 12b of the vehicle body housing 10A, and in conjunction with this, the rover 1 changes from the stored state (see FIG. 1) to the expanded state (see FIGS. 2 and 3). To do.

Subsequently, in step 109, a predetermined servo control for crawl running is executed. In this servo control for crawl running, the left and right wheels 20 and 30 are rotated at the same speed and 180 degrees different phases based on the detection signals from the left and right encoders 111b and 121b, so that the wheels are similar to the human crawl swimming method. Achieve running (see FIGS. 23 and 24). After that, the above operations (steps 103, 104, 105 (“crawl running”), 108, 109, 110NO) are repeated as long as the crawl running is specified until the predetermined stop condition is satisfied.

Then, while the above operation is repeated, if it is determined that the predetermined stop condition is satisfied (step 110YES), the process proceeds to step 111, and the left and right motors 111 and 121 stop their rotations to cause the rover 1 to stop rotating. The run stops. There are various stop conditions such as receiving a predetermined stop command as a receive command, reducing the remaining amount of the battery 16 as a power source to a predetermined value, and the preset timer reaching the specified time. The condition exists.

<< Rover operation example or detailed explanation of operation >>
An example and operation of the operation of the Rover 1 will be described in detail. As an example of the operation of the Rover 1, it is conceivable to mount it on a lunar lander (manned or unmanned) that is separated from the mother ship flying in the lunar orbit and heads for the lunar surface. In that case, since the rover 1 of the embodiment can be configured to be lightweight and compact, it is conceivable to mount a plurality of rover 1s preferably. The Rover 1 mounted on the lunar module in this way has a predetermined posture and a predetermined position from the lunar module, for example, in the horizontal direction after landing on the lunar module or immediately before landing on the lunar module (for example, at an altitude of 1 m to 2 m). It is released at the initial speed of. Immediately after the release, the rover 1 released from the lunar module in this way, for example, continuously photographs with a 360-degree camera (light receiving unit 53b on the rear side) and wirelessly communicates with the lunar module, so that the release attitude and release speed are appropriately set. By doing so, it is possible to acquire a self-portrait image of the lunar module itself and send it to the lunar module. The transmitted image of the lunar module is sent to the control center on the earth via the mother ship in the orbit, and is used, for example, to confirm whether the lunar module has landed normally. can do.

On the other hand, each of the plurality of rover 1 emitted from the lunar module is under the gravity of 1/6 of the earth, draws a predetermined parabola, and gently lands on the deeply deposited lunar surface of the regolith. It rolls naturally at a speed corresponding to the slope of the landing, and then hits an obstacle or reaches a place with a gentle slope, while remaining in a housed state (see FIG. 1) having a substantially spherical appearance. By doing so, it stops rolling. As explained earlier, the center of gravity of the rover 1 is distributed on the equator, and the left and right extreme protrusions 202 and 302 may act as balancers, so ideally, a certain posture is achieved. Rover 1 is expected to stop at.

After that, the predetermined start conditions (for example, the start command is received from the lunar module, the preset timer setting time has elapsed, and the environmental conditions obtained by the sensor separately built in the rover itself are the specified values. When the above is established, the left and right motors 111 and 121 are activated, and while the left and right axles 114 and 124 rotate half a turn, the locking mechanism switches from the locked state to the unlocked state. , The rover changes its state from the stored state (see FIG. 1) to the expanded state (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and is in a state in which it can travel.

Here, since the left and right axles 114 and 124 of the rover are eccentrically attached to the left and right wheels 20 and 30 (see FIG. 6), the radius to the farthest point on the outer circumference of the wheel is R1, up to the latest point. Rotate by drawing a rotation locus with the radius of R2 (see FIG. 16). Then, as explained earlier, even if the regolith is running uphill on a soft ground such as the deeply deposited lunar surface, the left and right wheels 20 and 30 will extend upward and make the front regolith powerful. Since it rotates as if it is pressed against the wheel (a large pressure contact pressure and a large thrusting force act), the vehicle body 10 intermittently rotates every rotation of the wheels 20 to 30 as a reaction to the scraping operation. Get a big thrust and move forward. That is, unlike an axle concentric wheel that seeks thrust solely by relying on the friction between the wheel and the ground, it does not sink deeply into the regolith as the wheel rotates and fall into a stuck state (for example, in the figure). 23).

Considering the gravity on the lunar surface and the physical properties of regolith, a slope surface with sand similar to regolith is created on the earth, and in that state, running with conventional concentric coupling wheels and eccentric coupling wheels of the present invention The results of comparison with the running according to are shown in FIGS. 21 and 22.

According to the rover 1 having the same structure using concentric wheels, as shown in FIGS. 21 (a), 21 (b) and 21 (c), the thrust is obtained by relying on the friction between the wheels and the ground. Although the wheels rotate, they slip, so sufficient thrust cannot be obtained, and the rover 1 stays in place and can hardly move forward.

On the other hand, according to the rover 1 using the eccentric coupling wheel of the present invention, the left and right wheels 20 and 30 extend upward as shown in FIGS. 22 (a), 22 (b) and 22 (c). Because it rotates while strongly pressing the front legoris while scraping it (a large pressure contact pressure and a large scraping force act), the scraping operation regardless of whether it is a butterfly run or a crawl run. As a reaction to this, it was confirmed that the vehicle body 10 intermittently obtains a large thrust every one rotation of the wheels 20 and 30 to move forward.

In particular, in the case of butterfly running, as shown in FIG. 22, a strong propulsive force can be obtained by simultaneously scraping the front regolith with the left and right wheels 20 and 30, while in the case of crawl running. As shown in FIG. 23, although the left and right are alternated, the front regolith can be scraped more frequently, so that the propulsive force can be efficiently obtained depending on the viscosity and the amount of accumulation of the regolith. It is thought that it can be done.

According to the Rover 1 according to the embodiment, the left and right tails 401 and 403, which are made of a relatively hard material, are integrated to prevent slipping to the reverse direction during the extension operation during climbing. , Effectively support the stretch movement.

Further, the left and right fin portions 402 and 404 extending diagonally rearward from the rear ends of the left and right tail portions 401 and 403 flex and bend appropriately when the rover 1 rolls over, while the wheels 20 and 30 Combined with the forward rollover motion, the repulsive force effectively supports the rising motion.

Further, according to the rover 1 according to the embodiment, since it is possible to take a picture from a high position by the camera when the rover 1 is greatly extended, it is expected that a wide range of images can be acquired even when traveling on the moon.

<< Other >>
The gist of the present invention is that each of the left and right wheels and each of the left and right axles is designed so that the distance between the ground contact surface of the wheel and the axle varies greatly depending on the rotation angle of the wheel. For other configurations, the features of the previous lunar wheels could be combined arbitrarily.

Therefore, the three-dimensional shape of the wheel is not limited to a hemispherical shape, and may be a cylindrical wheel adopted in a normal passenger vehicle. Further, a lug for preventing slipping may be appropriately projected from the ground contact surface of the wheel. Further, the side surface shape of the wheel is not limited to a circular shape, and may be a polygonal shape having an arbitrary number of angles.

Further, the rover 1 according to the embodiment described above alternates between two states, such as a stored state (see FIG. 1) → an expanded state (see FIGS. 2 and 3) → a stored state (see FIG. 1). It can also be configured to be automatically switchable. In that case, as a mechanism for automatically infesting the left and right axles 114 and 124, a so-called ball screw mechanism can be adopted instead of the left and right springs 116 and 126.

That is, this ball screw mechanism moves in opposite directions while being screwed with one ball screw having a reverse screw cut in about half of the total length, and is idle with the axles 114 and 124. It could be realized from an axle holder that holds this and a single motor that can rotate the ball screw in the forward and reverse directions. As the above-mentioned motor, either the left or right motor 111 or 121 may be diverted by interposing an appropriate gear train. Further, in order to fold the protruding tail, fins, and observatory, the tip of the tail, fin, and observatory may be folded while being pulled in by an appropriate pulling string winding mechanism.

The present invention can be widely used, for example, in the space industry for developing and producing rover for lunar exploration.

1 Rover 10 Car body 10A Car body housing 10B Drive unit assembly 11 Housing left half body 11a Axle shaft 11b Axle insertion hole 11e Axle shaft 12 Housing right half body 12b Axle insertion hole 12c Arc-shaped recess 12d Rectangular recess 12e Hinge shaft 13 Housing bottom plate 14 Support plate 14a Through hole 14b Through hole 14c Through hole 14a'Boss part 15 Circuit board 16 Battery 20 Left wheel 30 Right wheel 40 Stabilizer 40A Stabilizer 50 Observatory part 51 Holder left half body 51a Hinge hole 51b Light receiving window Left half Holder right half body 52a Hinge hole 52b Light receiving window Right half body 53 Optical element mounting board 53a Front side light receiving part 53b Back side light receiving part 53c Front side board 53d Back side board 53e Support plate 51a Hinge hole 52a Hinge hole 111 Left wheel motor 111a Motor shaft 112 Deformed drive gear 112a Circular cross-section gear 112b Wide cross-section fan gear 113 Driven gear 114 Left axle 114a Protrusion 114b Protrusion 115 Bracket 115a Screw hole 115b Screw hole 116 Coil spring 111b Encoder 121 Right wheel motor 121b Encoder 121a Shaft 122 Deformed drive gear 122a Circular cross-section gear 122b Cross-section fan-shaped wide gear part 123 Driven gear 124 Right axle 124a Protrusion 124b Protrusion 125 Bracket 125a Screw hole 125b Screw hole 126 Coil spring 201 Hemispherical outer shell half body 202 Extreme protrusion 203 1st lap 203a opening 204 2nd lap 204a opening 205 3rd lap 205a opening 205b dent 301 hemispherical outer shell half body 302 pole protrusion 303a opening 304a opening 305a opening 305b dent 401 left tail part 402 left fin 403 Right tail part 404 Right fin part 411 Single tail part 411a Main body part 411b Boss part that becomes the base end side mounting part 411c, 411d Boss part that becomes the tip side mounting part 412 Left fin part 412a Main body part 412b Base end side mounting part Boss part 413 Right fin part 413a Main body part 413b Boss part to be the base end side mounting part 421 Screw to be the hinge shaft 431,441 Screw to be the hinge shaft

Claims (22)

With the car body
Left and right wheels and
The left and right axles that are supported by the vehicle body and are connected to the left and right wheels, respectively.
A rotary drive unit for rotating each of the left and right axles,
It has a stabilizer to prevent the vehicle body from rotating with the rotation of the wheels.
Each of the left and right wheels and each of the left and right axles is a rover that is designed so that the distance between the ground contact surface of the wheel and the axle varies greatly depending on the rotation angle of the wheel. The rover according to claim 1, wherein the left and right wheels are polygonal including a circle, and each of the left and right wheels and each of the left and right axles are eccentrically connected to each other. The first aspect of claim 1, wherein the left and right wheels are flat polygons including an oval or elliptical shape, and each of the left and right wheels and each of the left and right axles are concentrically connected to each other. Rover. A second rotation in which the rotation drive unit includes a first rotation drive unit including a first motor for rotating one of the axles and a second motor for rotating the other of the axles. The rover according to claim 1, further comprising a drive unit. The rover according to claim 4, further comprising a rotation control unit for interlockingly controlling the rotation of the first motor and the second motor. The rotation control unit controls the rotation of the first motor and the second motor in an interlocking manner so that each of the left and right wheels rotates by imitating the movement of both hands in the butterfly swimming method. The rover according to 4. 4. The rotation control unit controls the rotations of the first motor and the second motor in an interlocking manner so that the left and right wheels rotate by imitating the movements of both hands in the crawl swimming method. The listed rover. According to claim 6 or 7, the rotation control unit interlocks and controls the rotations of the first motor and the second motor so that the left and right wheels rotate at a predetermined rotation speed and phase. The listed rover. The rover according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizer extends from the rear portion of the vehicle body to the rear by a predetermined length, and the tip thereof is a tail portion in contact with a traveling surface. The rover according to claim 9, further comprising left and right fin portions extending diagonally rearwardly from the tip of the tail portion. The rover according to claim 1, further comprising an observatory portion provided with a camera on the upper portion of the vehicle body. The rover according to claim 11, wherein the camera includes a first camera having a field of view forward in the traveling direction and a second camera having a field of view rearward in the traveling direction. The car body
A vehicle body housing that accommodates the rotary drive unit and has left and right axle insertion holes on the left and right side surfaces thereof is provided.
The left and right wheels
The outer shell body surrounding the entire circumference of the vehicle body housing is divided into two left and right outer shell halves, and the inside of the vehicle body housing is further divided.
When the predetermined start-up conditions are satisfied, the left and right outer shell halves are brought out from the left-right combined state by projecting each of the left and right axles from the vehicle body housing by a predetermined amount through each of the left and right axle insertion holes. The rover according to claim 1, further comprising an axle protrusion mechanism for shifting to a left-right separated state. The axle protrusion mechanism
Left and right sliding guide members that guide each of the left and right axles in a linear slidable manner through each of the left and right axle insertion holes of the vehicle body housing.
The left and right driven gears that are fixed to each of the left and right axles,
Left and right drive gears that are fixed to each of the left and right drive shafts that extend parallel to each of the left and right axles, and continue to mesh with the driven gear while each of the left and right axles extends from the initial position to the protruding position. When,
Left and right springs that urge each of the left and right axles in a direction protruding from the left and right insertion holes of the vehicle body housing,
The non-circular hole formed by the axle insertion hole is used as a keyhole, and the non-circular shaft formed by the tip of each of the axles is used as a key. 13. The rover according to claim 13, comprising a locking mechanism that creates an insertable unlocked state of both matching. At a position along the left and right neutral lines of the vehicle body housing, a bow-shaped tail corresponding to the stabilizer and an observatory with a camera are attached so as to be foldable against the urging force in the deployment direction. Item 13. The rover according to item 13. The rover according to claim 15, further comprising left and right fin portions that are branched left and right from the rear end portion of the rod-shaped tail portion to the left and right and are foldable. Each of the left and right outer shell halves is formed as a substantially hemispherical outer shell half body, and in the left-right combined state, a substantially spherical outer shell body surrounding the vehicle body housing is formed. Item 13. The rover according to item 13. The rover according to claim 13, wherein a large number of openings are dispersedly arranged on each of the left and right outer shell halves over the entire circumference thereof. Of the large number of openings, the pair of left and right openings located at the opening edge of the outer shell half body form one shooting window by adjoining the outer shell half bodies when they are in the combined state. The rover according to claim 18, wherein the camera allows the camera to take a picture of the surrounding image in the folded state of the observatory. The 17th aspect of the present invention, wherein a recess or a rib is arranged in the outermost peripheral band portion of the left and right outer shell halves according to an angle range in which a large pressure contact force and a large scraping force act. Rover. The rover according to claim 17, wherein a pole protrusion is formed at the poles of the left and right outer shell halves. The rover according to claim 17, wherein the diameter of the substantially sphere that appears in the left-right combined state of the left and right outer shells is in the range of 50 mm to 200 mm.

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