JP4319974B2 - Humanoid robot head support structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a humanoid robot head support structure, and more particularly to a humanoid robot head support structure capable of tilting the head in the front-rear direction.

  In the humanoid robot head support structure, it is desired to increase the movable angle of the head in order to widen the recognition range of an audiovisual device such as a camera provided in the head. In addition, the humanoid robot head support structure is also desired to move more like a human being in order to express a human expression such as a bow.

As a head support structure of a humanoid robot having a large movable angle of the head, a structure including two rotation shafts that rotate in the front-rear direction has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). This humanoid robot head support structure has two pivot shafts that pivot in the front-rear direction on the head side and the body side of the head support structure, and projects the head forward with respect to the body part. It is configured so that it can operate as if looking down.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-200366 (paragraphs 0009 and 0080, FIG. 11)

  However, the head support structure of the humanoid robot provided with the two rotating shafts requires two driving devices, and also requires a control device for driving the two driving devices in association with each other. In addition, it is difficult to express the movement of the human neck composed of many joints with the two rotation axes, and the operation is unnatural.

  Furthermore, with humanoid robots with thick torso and humanoid robots with a control device on the back, when the head is tilted, the lower part of the head hits the torso and control device, and the movable angle of the head is limited There is also.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described problem, and is a head support structure that can move the head in a large angle and can move like a human, and the head is tilted back and forth by one drive device. An object of the present invention is to provide a humanoid robot head support structure.

In order to solve the above-described problem, in the invention according to claim 1, the head support structure that connects the head and the trunk of the humanoid robot is configured by a four-bar linkage mechanism. The four-joint link mechanism includes a lower link attached to the body, an upper link opposed to the lower link and attached to the head, and a left first connecting the upper link and the lower link on the left side. A connection link and a second connection link, and a right first connection link and a second connection link that connect the upper link and the lower link on the right side are provided. The lower link includes a left front section and a rear section connecting one end side of the left first connection link and the second connection link, and one end side of the right first connection link and the second connection link. The right and left sections are connected to each other. Further, the upper link includes a left front joint and a rear joint connecting the other ends of the left first connection link and the second connection link, and the other ends of the right first connection link and the second connection link. It was assumed to have a right front section and a rear section connecting the sides. The four bar linkage is attached a direction across said postganglionic and the previous section in the left and right sides of the lower link or said upper link to the head as the front and rear, the first connecting link of the left side and The second connection link connects the front and rear sections of the upper link on the left side and the rear and front sections of the lower link in an intersecting state, and the first connection link and the second connection on the right side. The link is configured to connect the front and rear sections of the upper link on the right side and the rear and front sections of the lower link in an intersecting state .

  In addition, attaching the upper link to the head with the direction in which both nodes are connected as front and rear does not mean that the head is horizontal, in the sense that it is directed toward the front and rear rather than the left and right of the head. That is, the direction in which both nodes are connected may be inclined downward or upward. Further, both nodes of the upper link are nodes provided on the front side and the rear side of the upper link.

In the invention according to claim 2, wherein the upper link in the previous section and the first connecting link connecting the nodes after the lower link, the second connecting the previous section sections and the downlink after said upper link Shorter than the link .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the head support structure of the humanoid robot is configured by the four-bar linkage mechanism, the head can be tilted in the front-rear direction with one drive device.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the lower link constituting the four-bar linkage mechanism is attached to the trunk portion, and the upper link opposite to the lower link is attached to the head with the direction in which both nodes are connected as front and rear. Since the pair of connecting links that connect the upper link and the lower link are connected in an intersecting state, the upper link can be swung in conjunction with the rotation of the connecting link. For this reason, the head is tilted downward while moving forward, so that the movable angle of the head can be increased. Furthermore, since a movable angle larger than the rotation angle of a driving device such as a motor can be obtained, the movement of the head can be made faster.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the connecting link connected to the front side of the upper link is shorter than the connecting link connected to the rear side of the upper link, the direction opposite to the case where the connecting link rotates in the forward direction. The movement of the upper link can be changed according to the case of rotating to. Specifically, the head can be tilted downward while moving the head forward. As described above, when the head is tilted forward, the head moves forward. Therefore, even if the head is tilted downward, the head is less likely to hit the trunk, and the movable angle of the head can be increased. Moreover, since the movement of the head is similar to the movement of a human, the humanity can be expressed by the movement of the head.

  On the other hand, when the head is tilted rearward, the upper link can be tilted rearward by turning the connecting link slightly, so the head can be moved upward without moving the head backward. Can be directed. Moreover, since the movement of the head is similar to the movement of a human, the humanity can be expressed by the movement of the head.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. FIG. 1 is an external view of a humanoid robot to which a head support structure according to the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the humanoid robot R includes a head R1, a trunk R2, an arm R3, and a leg R4. This humanoid robot R includes an audiovisual device such as a camera on the head R1, and the head R1 is rotatably attached to the trunk R2 by a neck R5. Further, the humanoid robot R includes a control device mounting portion R6 that houses a control device for controlling the operation of the leg portion R4 and the like on the back.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper joint structure of the humanoid robot R. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the humanoid robot R is configured to include left and right shoulder joints 31 that move the arm portion R3 and a neck joint 51 that moves the head portion R1. Among these, the neck joint 51 includes a first neck joint 51a that tilts the head R1 in the front-rear direction and a second neck joint 51b that swings the head R1 left and right. The head support structure according to the present invention relates to the first neck joint 51a.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the head support structure according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, as shown by the arrows, the left front side of FIG. 3 is the front side of the humanoid robot R, and the right back side is the rear side of the humanoid robot R. The head support structure 1 connects a head R1 and a trunk R2 (not shown) by a four-bar linkage mechanism. The four-bar linkage mechanism includes a lower link 2 attached to the trunk portion R2, an upper link 3 facing the lower link 2 and attached to the head R1, and a pair of connections for connecting the upper link 3 and the lower link 2. It is configured with links 4 and 5.

  The lower link 2 has a cylindrical joint member 2a connected to the second neck joint 51b at the center, an extension plate 2b extending from the side surface of the joint member 2a, and both sides of the extension plate 2b. And a node support member 2c erected. The node support members 2 c on both sides are formed with nodes 6 on the front side and the rear side, and can be connected to the connection links 4 and 5. The front nodes 6 and the rear nodes 6 are both aligned in the front-rear and top-bottom positions in a side view, so that when the nodes 6 are connected to the connection links 4 and 5, the connection links 4 , 5 can rotate smoothly.

  The upper link 3 is formed by forming a plate member in a frame shape, and has four nodes 6 on both sides, two on the front side and two on the rear side for connecting to the connection links 4 and 5. The audiovisual device mounting member 3a for mounting an audiovisual device such as a camera is provided on the front side. The front and rear nodes 6 and the rear nodes 6 have the same front and rear and top and bottom positions in a side view.

  The connecting links 4 and 5 are rod-shaped members. The connecting links 4 and 5 include a first connecting link 4 having a short length and a second connecting link 5 having a long length. The first connection link 4 connects the front node 6 on both sides of the upper link 3 and the rear node 6 on both sides of the lower link 2, and the second connection link 5 is on both sides of the upper link 3. The joint 6 on the rear side is connected to the joint 6 on the front side on both sides of the lower link 2. That is, the upper link 3 and the lower link 2 are connected in a state where the first connection link 4 and the second connection link 5 intersect each other. In the present embodiment, the head R1 is firmly supported by connecting the both side portions of the upper link 3 and the both side portions of the lower link 2 by the two sets of connecting links 4 and 5.

  In the four-joint link mechanism configured as described above, the upper link 3 and the lower link 2 are arranged substantially in parallel. The lower link 2 is attached to a trunk portion R2 (not shown) so that the direction connecting the nodes 6 is substantially horizontal and the front-rear direction. Therefore, the direction connecting both the nodes 6 of the upper link 3 is also substantially horizontal, and the head R1 is attached to the upper link 3 by aligning the front and rear of the head R1 (not shown) in the direction connecting the both links 6. . In order to realize a human-like movement of the head R1, it is desirable that the lower link 2 and the upper link 3 are arranged so as to be in a range of ± 10 degrees from parallel to each other.

  Moreover, the 1st connection link 4 is arrange | positioned substantially perpendicularly with respect to the downward link 2, and angle (theta) (refer FIG. 4) of the 1st connection link 4 with respect to the downward link 2 is an angle of 85 degree | times with this embodiment. Is arranged in. This angle θ is also preferably set to 75 degrees to 95 degrees in order to realize a human-like movement of the head R1.

  In the head support structure 1, the motor 7 is disposed at the position of the node 6 a on the rear side of the upper link 3 in order to rotate the connecting links 4 and 5. The output shaft 7a (front side in FIG. 3) provided at one end of the motor 7 is fixed to the upper link 3 at the position of the node 6a, and the housing 7b of the motor 7 is connected to the upper end of the second connecting link 5. It is fixed. The other end of the motor 7 (the back side in FIG. 3) is rotatably supported by the upper link 3 by a bearing (not shown).

  FIG. 4 is a side view showing the operation of the head support structure 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4A shows an upright state, FIG. 4B shows a state where the head R1 is tilted forward, and FIG. 4C shows a state where the head R1 is tilted rearward. As shown to (a) of FIG. 4, in the upright state, the upper link 3 and the lower link 2 are hold | maintained substantially parallel, and head R1 has faced the front.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, when the head R1 is tilted forward, the upper link 3 is tilted downward with respect to the front with the upper link 3 protruding forward. Therefore, even if the head portion R1 is tilted downward, it is difficult to hit the trunk portion R2, so that the movable angle of the head portion R1 can be increased. Furthermore, since the head R1 is tilted forward and the head R1 is tilted downward, the movable angle of the head R1 can be further increased. Also, since the movement from the upright state to the state where the head R1 is tilted forward is similar to the human movement such as pulling the chin while tilting the head forward, the humanity is expressed by the movement of the head R1. Can do.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4C, in the state where the head R1 is tilted rearward, the upper link 3 is tilted upward with respect to the front with the upper link 3 slightly moved rearward. . Thus, since the head R1 is tilted upward without moving the position of the head R1 backward, the head R1 is less likely to hit the control device mounting portion R6, and the movable angle of the head R1 can be increased. Further, since the center of gravity of the head R1 does not shift backward, the humanoid robot R does not lose its balance and fall. Furthermore, the movement from the upright state to the state where the head R1 is tilted rearward is similar to the human movement of raising the chin and facing upward without changing the position of the head. Can express humanity.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. For example, the structure of each link can be appropriately changed so that it can be easily attached to the head R1 or the like. Further, the mounting position of the motor 7 is not limited to the position of the node 6a, and may be disposed at the position of another node 6, the lower link 2, or the like.

1 is an external view of a humanoid robot to which a head support structure according to the present invention is applied. It is the perspective view which showed the joint structure of the upper part of the humanoid robot to which the head support structure which concerns on this invention is applied. It is a perspective view of the head support structure concerning the embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a figure which shows an upright state among the side views which showed operation | movement of the head support structure which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (b) is a figure which shows the state which inclined the head ahead. (C) is a figure which shows the state which inclined the head back.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Head support structure 2 Lower link 3 Upper link 4 1st connection link 5 2nd connection link 6 section 7 Motor R Humanoid robot R1 Head R2 Torso

Claims (2)

A head support structure that connects the head and torso of a humanoid robot by a four-bar linkage mechanism,
The four-joint link mechanism includes a lower link attached to the body, an upper link facing the lower link and attached to the head, and a left first connecting link that connects the upper link and the lower link on the left side. And a second connecting link, and a right first connecting link and a second connecting link that connect the upper link and the lower link on the right side,
The lower link connects a left front section and a rear section that connect one end side of the left first connection link and the second connection link, and one end side of the right first connection link and the second connection link. With right front and back sections,
The upper link includes a left front section and a rear section that connect the other end sides of the left first connection link and the second connection link, and a second end section of the right first connection link and the second connection link. With right and left front sections to be joined,
The lower link or the upper link is attached to the head with the front and back directions in the left and right sides of the upper link as front and rear,
Wherein the first connecting link and the second connecting link of the left side, the previous section and the rear section of the upper link in the left, and a section and the previous section after the downlink, as well as connected by crossed state, right wherein the first connecting link and said second connecting link, humanoid, characterized in the previous section and the rear section of the right side of said upper link, a node and the preceding section after the downlink, and a connecting child with crossed state Robot head support structure. Characterized in that the upper link of the previous section and the first connecting link connecting the nodes after the lower link is shorter than the second connecting link connecting the previous section sections and the downlink after said upper link The humanoid robot head support structure according to claim 1.

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