KR20210019174A - Disaster relief robot including working arm - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a disaster relief robot including working arm, which enables self-driving in a wireless signal disconnection section for responding to a situation at a disaster site, enables work in a high temperature environment such as a fire, comprises a heterogeneous walking means to improve ability to break through obstacles, and comprises a robot arm capable of various kinds or work to improve ability to handle the situation at the disaster site.

Description

Disaster rescue robot with working arm {DISASTER RELIEF ROBOT INCLUDING WORKING ARM}

The present invention relates to a disaster rescue robot having a working arm. In particular, it is possible to self-operate in a wireless signal disconnection section to cope with the situation of a disaster site, and to work in a high temperature environment such as a fire. , It relates to a disaster rescue robot having a working arm that improves the ability to break through obstacles by providing a heterogeneous walking means, and improves the ability to respond to situations at a disaster site by providing a robot arm capable of various operations.

Efforts have been made to put robots on behalf of humans in disaster sites where risk factors such as fire, collapse, and explosives exist for a long time. These robots are driven by remote control means such as wireless control means to move to the destination of the disaster site, collect and transmit the status information of the site, or are used to proceed with desired work.

For this reason, these robots are required to have various capabilities such as moving in an area with many obstacles such as a disaster site, capable of working in a poor environment such as fire, operating in a wireless disconnected environment, and performing various functions or tasks.

In order to accommodate this demand, various forms such as a caterpillar type, a multi-wheel type, and a multi-legged walking robot have been developed, but the form using a caterpillar or wheel still has limited movement, and the multi-pedal walking robot has a too slow movement speed. There was a downside.

Moreover, the existing robots have a limitation in that it is difficult to actively cope with the situation at the disaster site with the limited work capability of the robot arm. Specifically, since only one robot arm is usually provided and a work tool is generally fixedly installed, there is a problem in that the work that can be performed at a disaster site is limited.

In addition, in a situation in which remote control may be disconnected, such as a disaster site, the operation is frequently stopped when wireless signal reception is not performed, resulting in damage and loss of the robot.

Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-1530843 (Registration date June 17, 2015) "Fire fighting robot with excellent waterproof performance and heat resistance"

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to enable self-driving in a wireless signal disconnection section in order to cope with the situation of a disaster site, to enable work in a high temperature environment such as fire, and to provide a heterogeneous walking means to prevent obstacles. It is to provide a disaster rescue robot having a working arm that improves breakthrough ability and has a robot arm capable of various operations to increase the ability to respond to situations at a disaster site.

In order to achieve the above object, the disaster rescue robot according to the present invention includes a heat-resistant body; A tool changer installed on the heat-resistant body and provided with one or more tools; A robot arm installed in a plurality on one side of the heat-resistant body, provided with a tool coupling portion, and selectively coupled to the tool provided in the tool changer; Moving means coupled to the heat-resistant body and including wheels and legs; An information collection means installed on the heat-resistant body to capture an image around the heat-resistant body or collect information about the heat-resistant body to generate environmental information; Location recognition means for generating location information of the heat-resistant body; A wireless communication means for performing communication with the outside, transmitting the environmental information collected by the information collecting means to the outside, and receiving a control signal for driving the robot arm or the moving means from the outside; And a control unit that requests the control signal from the outside through the wireless communication unit and controls driving of the robot arm or the moving unit according to the control signal.

The disaster rescue robot having a working arm according to the present invention is capable of self-driving in a line signal disconnection section, enabling work in a high temperature environment such as a fire, and improving the ability to break through obstacles by providing a heterogeneous walking means. It is equipped with a robot arm capable of various operations to improve the ability to respond to situations at a disaster site, so that it can be efficiently operated in various types of disaster site situations.

1 is an exemplary view schematically showing the configuration of a disaster rescue robot and a system for controlling it according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of each component of the disaster rescue robot in block form.
3 is an exemplary view for explaining the movement of the disaster rescue robot according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is an exemplary view for explaining the robot arm installed in the disaster rescue robot of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can easily implement them. It should be noted that the reference numbers indicated in the configurations in the accompanying drawings use the same reference numbers as much as possible when indicating the same configuration in other drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or a known configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, certain features presented in the drawings are enlarged or reduced or simplified for ease of description, and the drawings and their components are not necessarily drawn to scale. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand these details.

1 is an exemplary diagram schematically showing the configuration of a disaster rescue robot and a system for controlling it according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a disaster rescue robot and a system for controlling the same according to the present invention include a remote controller 10, a repeater 20, and a disaster rescue robot 30.

The remote controller 10 transmits a control signal for remotely controlling the disaster relief robot 30, outputs environmental information transmitted from the disaster relief robot 30, and transmits it to other devices. To this end, the remote controller 10 may further include a repeater 20 that relays communication with the disaster rescue robot 30 as necessary.

To this end, the remote controller 10 is provided with an input means for controlling the functions of the disaster rescue robot 30. The input means may be provided with a control stick such as a joystick for operating the robot arm 60 or the moving means 50, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The repeater 20 relays communication between the remote controller 10 and the disaster rescue robot 30. The repeater 20 may be a bidirectional repeater, and may be configured in plural as necessary.

The disaster rescue robot 30 is controlled by wireless communication with the remote controller 10, and is operated by being put into the disaster site. The disaster rescue robot 30 is driven by its own power source and is connected to the remote controller 10 by wireless communication to receive a control signal.

The disaster rescue robot 30 is equipped with a number of information collection means for transmitting the situation of the disaster site to the remote controller 10, and generates environmental information by collecting information by this information collection means, and the generated environmental information To the remote controller 10. Such environmental information may include images of visible light/heat/infrared/ultraviolet rays along with information such as temperature, humidity, vibration, and gas concentration.

In particular, the disaster rescue robot 30 is provided with moving means of different driving methods, and includes a robot arm 60 capable of performing a task by selectively attaching and detaching a plurality of tools.

This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of each part of the disaster rescue robot in block form.

1 and 2, the disaster rescue robot 30 of the present invention includes a body 40, a moving means 50, a robot arm 60, and a control means 70.

The body 40 is provided with a moving means 50, a robot arm 60 and a control means 70. This body 40 is made of a heat-resistant structure and a heat-resistant material that can withstand high heat and protect the storage inside.

The body 40 may be composed of a frame 41 and a cap 42 coupled to the frame 41. The frame 41 structurally supports the moving means 50 and the robot arm 60, and serves to couple with them, and the cap 42 controls the control means 70 by coupling with the frame 41. It can play a role of storing.

The moving means 50 is provided to move the disaster rescue robot 30. In particular, the moving means 50 of the present invention is provided with a plurality of moving mechanisms to select the moving means 50 depending on whether there is an obstacle. Specifically, the moving means 50 of the present invention is composed of a plurality of wheels 52 and legs 53 for walking.

The wheel 52 is coupled to the frame 41 and is selected and driven by the moving means driving unit 51. The wheels 52 are provided in plural on the frame 41, and are coupled to the frame 41 to enable steering and rotation. At this time, the shaft of the wheel 52 is connected to the shaft of the electric motor (not shown) provided in the moving means driving unit 51. The shaft of the wheel 52 and the shaft of the electric motor (not shown) may be connected by a gear, a chain or a belt. Alternatively, the wheel 52 may be configured as an integral electric motor, and the present invention is not limited to any one. Here, the wheel 52 can be replaced with a caterpillar moving means.

A plurality of walking legs 53 are provided on the frame 41. And the walking darin 53 is selected and driven by the moving means driving unit 51. That is, when the wheel 52 is selected, the walking leg 53 is kept in close contact with the frame 41 in a folded state, and when the walking leg 53 is selected, the driving of the wheel 52 is stopped. This walking leg 53 is provided with three or more legs, and moves the disaster rescue robot in an area where it is impossible to be driven by the wheels 52. For example, the walking leg 53 may be installed adjacent to the wheel 52 and may be installed adjacent to the edge boundary of the frame 41.

This walking leg 53 is constituted by a plurality of joints and rotating shafts. Such a walking leg 53 may allow the motor to be installed directly on the joint and the rotating shaft, or may be bent or rotated at a required angle by a hydraulic cylinder, a chain, or a wire. This walking leg 53 may serve as a support for supporting and fixing the body 40 when the disaster rescue robot performs a task by the robot arm 60.

One or more robot arms 60 are provided on one side of the frame 41. This robot arm 60 is provided for rescue work at a disaster site. For this purpose, although it is shown that a pair is provided in the present invention, this does not limit the present invention. However, when more than one pair is provided, there is an advantage that various tasks can be performed compared to the case where only one is provided. Hereinafter, it is assumed that a pair is provided.

The robot arm 60 is provided with a pair adjacent to one side of the frame 41. In addition, the robot arm 60 is provided with a coupling portion 62 so that the tool, which is a work tool, can be replaced according to the working situation. The coupling part 62 is configured in a shape for coupling various work tools such as hooks, tongs, and bolts to the robot arm 60. Here, the bolt is provided to be rotated by power such as a motor, and a hole corresponding to the screw or threaded hole may be provided in the tool.

The robot arm 60 supports the tool, moves the tool to a working position, and serves to bring the tool into contact with the object in a direction in which work is possible. And, the power for the operation of the tool may be configured to be supplied through the body 40. To this end, the robot arm 60 may be configured to have a plurality of joints and rotational axes. Like the walking leg 63, the robot arm 60 may also have a motor installed on the joint and the rotating shaft, or the power unit may be separately installed, and the joint and the rotating shaft may be connected and operated by means such as cylinders, chains, and wires. However, the robot arm 60 may be manufactured with a mechanically stronger structure and a longer length than the walking leg 53 for work in a disaster site.

In addition, the robot arm 60 is configured to include a tool changer 80. The tool changer 80 is provided on the body 40 within the movable range of the robot arm 60 and includes a plurality of tools 81. For example, the tool 81 may be a device such as tongs, a cutter, a cutting machine, a perforator, a polishing machine, or a sprayer. The tool 81 can operate using power such as hydraulic, pneumatic, and electricity, and is connected to the coupling part 62 of the robot arm 60 to operate at the working position.

To this end, the tool changer 80 supplies power to the tool 81 by a power transmission means such as a hose or an electric wire. That is, the robot arm 60 only serves to perform the work by moving the tool 81 to the work position. And, the power for the operation of the tool 81 is supplied by the tool changer (80). To this end, the power transmission means is allocated to and connected to each of the tools 81. In addition, power is supplied by the tool changer 80 only when the tool 81 is coupled to the robot arm 60 to perform the operation, so that the tool 81 is operated.

Through this, the structure of the robot arm 60 can be simplified, and a process of connecting the tool 81 and the power transmission means in the field is not performed, so that a fast and efficient operation can be achieved. The operation of the robot arm 60 and the tool changer 80 is performed by the master controller 61. This will be described in more detail while describing the control means 70 below.

The control means 70 controls the disaster rescue robot 30 to operate in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the remote controller 10, and collects environmental information around the disaster rescue robot 30 so that the remote controller 10 It serves to convey to. To this end, the control means 70 includes a control unit 71, an output unit 72, a power supply unit 73, an information collection unit 74, a storage unit 75, a wireless communication unit 78, and a location recognition unit 79. It can be configured to include.

The control unit 71 performs a series of processes for realizing the operation target transmitted through the control signal of the remote controller 10, and controls the operation of the necessary components during the process. To this end, the output unit 72, the information collection unit 74, the storage unit 75, and the wireless communication unit 78 are controlled to perform a series of actions. This will be described through the description of each part below.

In addition, the controller 71 controls the driving of the moving means 50 according to a control signal to move the disaster rescue robot 30, and performs a rescue operation by driving the robot arm 60 on a target position or a progress path. To this end, when the control signal is received, the control unit 71 transmits the control signal to the moving means driving unit 51 or the master controller 61, or converts it to a secondary control signal capable of controlling them and transmits it.

At this time, the control unit 71 transmits a selection command to select the moving means 50 or the tool 81 suitable for the moving target or work target included in the control signal to the moving means driving unit 51 or the master controller 61. I can.

In particular, when disconnection of communication or disconnection of control signal transmission occurs, the control unit 71 continues to perform the operation according to the previous control signal and a corresponding protocol stored in advance, or selects and proceeds with a process of returning. Specifically, when movement target information such as a moving distance and a direction is transmitted through a control signal, the control unit 71 autonomously moves to the target position even if communication with the remote controller 10 is disconnected. At this time, if the control signal does not include a command to select the moving means, the state of the driving route is determined according to a predetermined procedure, the moving means is selected, and the driving is performed according to the selected method.

Likewise, when the control signal includes a work target such as a work content or a work target, the control signal operates according to whether or not the remote controller 10 communicates with the remote controller 10, or the work is performed by a predetermined method.

In this situation, the control unit 71 determines that the communication disconnection with the remote controller 10 occurs, and when a certain time elapses, the control disconnection is determined, and the process of automatically returning to the initial starting point along the entered path proceeds.

The output unit 72 outputs sound or video for search of personnel and transmission of warning contents. To this end, the output unit 72 receives data for output from the control unit 71.

The power supply unit 73 supplies power for the operation of the disaster rescue robot 30. The power supply unit 73 may be composed of an electrical storage medium such as a battery or fuel cell capable of charging and discharging.

The information collection unit 74 collects various types of information on the surrounding environment in which the disaster rescue robot 30 is located and transmits the information to the control unit 71 or the wireless communication unit 78. The information collection unit 72 detects factors such as temperature, humidity, vibration, and gas around the disaster rescue robot 30, captures an image in the infrared, ultraviolet or visible light band, or collects sound generated at the disaster site. And record. Then, the information collection unit 74 writes this as environmental information.

To this end, the information collection unit 74 may include a variety of sensors for detecting various indicators around the disaster rescue robot 30, a plurality of sensors, a camera for photographing images, and a microphone for recording sound. Here, for image capturing by the camera, it may be configured to further include illumination that emits infrared, ultraviolet, or visible light, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The storage unit 75 stores information for the operation of the disaster relief robot 30 or a result of the activities of the disaster relief robot 30 or collected information. Information for operation includes the operation target included in the control signal. Operational goals include movement goals and work goals. The movement target includes information such as coordinates, direction, distance, and selection of means of movement. The work goal may include information such as an object, a tool to be used, and a procedure of a work using the tool. In addition, a protocol defining an operation method in a situation in which the disaster relief robot 30 may be faced, for example, a wireless communication disconnection, may be stored.

The wireless communication unit 78 communicates with the remote controller 10. Through this, the wireless communication unit 78 transmits the environmental information collected by the disaster relief robot 30 to the remote controller 10 and receives a control signal from the remote controller 10. The wireless communication unit 78 may be configured to include a communication module using various methods or various frequency bands to cope with the disconnection of wireless communication in a disaster environment. For example, in addition to a frequency band for direct communication (eg, 2.4 GHz), it may be configured to use a plurality of communication methods such as wireless LAN, mobile communication, and satellite communication.

The location recognition unit 79 serves to detect the location of the disaster rescue robot 30, convert it to coordinates, and transmit it to the control unit 71. To this end, the location recognition unit 79 may include a GPS module. In addition to this, the location recognition unit 79 may receive radio waves received around the disaster rescue robot 30 and triangulate them to calculate a location, or an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor provided in the information collection unit 74. Location information can also be calculated using sensor information. Alternatively, the location recognition unit 79 may calculate location information by using a plurality of location information calculation or location information collection methods, and location information calculation is performed periodically.

3 is an exemplary view for explaining the movement of the disaster rescue robot according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the disaster rescue robot 30 of the present invention includes a wheel 52 and a walking leg 53 operated by the master controller 61 as described above. The moving means driving unit 51 is configured by selecting any one of the wheel 52 and the walking leg 53 according to the movement control signal transmitted from the control unit 71.

Specifically, as shown in (a), when the floor surface 98 is in a state in which driving by the wheel 52 is advantageous, the walking leg 53 remains folded, and movement is made by driving the wheel 52 .

On the other hand, as shown in (b), when an obstacle 99 exists, a movement to the target point X is made by the walking leg 53.

To this end, the moving means driving unit 51 transforms the movement control signal transmitted from the control unit 71 into a shape suitable for the wheel 52 and the walking leg 53, respectively, and the wheel 52 and the Controls the driving of the walking leg 53. At this time, the moving means driving unit 51 controls the connection with the power supply unit 73 to supply power to the motor driving the wheel 52 or to supply power to the motor or actuator driving the walking leg 53. .

The disaster rescue robot 30 of the present invention operates by receiving a control signal from the remote controller 10 connected by wireless communication in a general state. This control signal includes information and commands that allow the disaster rescue robot 30 to move to the destination X. For example, a direction, a speed, and a moving means to be used may be transmitted, or coordinate or route information, which is location information of a target point, may be further included and transmitted.

When the disaster rescue robot 30 is connected to the remote controller 10, it operates by a control signal continuously transmitted from the remote controller 10, but due to the nature of the disaster environment, communication with the remote controller 10 is temporarily interrupted, or It can be completely stopped.

In this case, the control unit 71 of the disaster rescue robot 30 checks information such as the location, path, direction, speed, and distance of the target point from the control signal transmitted immediately before, and moves without the control signal 71. First judge if it is possible. In addition, when the movement is possible, even if there is no continuous transmission of the control signal, the movement proceeds to the target point of the received and stored control signal 71.

On the other hand, there may be a case in which the control signal 71 does not contain information such as the location of the target point and the movement path, or the communication with the remote controller 10 is not resumed even though a predetermined time has elapsed since reaching the target point. At this time, the control unit 71 returns to the initial starting position. To this end, the control unit 71 records information on the route, speed, and moving means used for movement from the initial starting position to the current position, and using this in reverse to return to the initial starting position.

At this time, when communication is resumed during the return process, the controller 71 transmits the result of moving to the target point to the remote controller 10 and environmental information collected in the process of moving the target point to the remote controller 10. In addition, after such information is transmitted, the control unit 71 requests the remote controller 10 for a command on whether to continue the restoration or to start another operation, and receives a control signal accordingly to operate.

4 is an exemplary view for explaining a robot arm installed in the disaster rescue robot of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 4, the disaster rescue robot 30 of the present invention is configured to include a robot arm 60 for work in addition to the walking leg. The robot arm 60 may be configured as a pair for efficiency and convenience of work, but the number of robot arms 60 may be increased or decreased as needed.

The robot arm 60 is configured using a plurality of joints so as to perform work in response to various situations in the disaster site. The robot arm 60 operates according to a control signal from the remote controller 10. To this end, as described above, the remote controller 10 is provided with a control means for controlling the robot arm 60 like a joystick.

A control signal for controlling the robot arm 60 is transmitted to the master controller 61 through the control unit 71. The master controller 61 converts the control signal into a signal for driving the robot arm 60 and controls the robot arm 60 through this. More specifically, a work tool may be selected through a control signal, and items such as a position and an angle to which the selected work tool will be applied may be transmitted. When such a control signal is transmitted, the master controller 61 converts each joint constituting the robot arm 60 into a signal for movable, through which the robot arm 60 performs the required operation through the control signal. Control.

The robot arm 60 of the present invention is configured to replace and use the tool 81 to respond to the situation of the disaster site. To this end, the robot arm 60 is provided with a coupling portion 62 for coupling with the tool 81, and each of the tools 81 is also provided with a coupling portion in a form capable of coupling with the coupling portion 62. Since the specific form of such a combination can be modified in various ways, a detailed description thereof will be omitted in the present invention.

The robot arm 60 is selectively coupled with a plurality of tools 81 to perform work according to a control signal. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when a pair of robot arms 60 are provided, different tools 81a and 81b may be combined and used for each robot arm.

To this end, the tool 81 is accommodated in or withdrawn from the tool changer. At this time, the tool 81 of the present invention receives power for operation by a power transmission means 83 connected to each of the tools 81. The power transmission means 83 varies depending on the type of the tool 81, such as an electric wire or a high-voltage hose. And, at the end of the body 40 side of the power transmission means 83, a device such as a motor, a pump, and a compressor is operated to transmit power to each tool 81.

Through this, the robot arm 60 of the present invention can replace and use the tool 81 without installing a power transmission means corresponding to the various tools 81 on the robot arm 60, and as a result It becomes possible to improve.

Although shown and described as a specific example in order to illustrate the technical idea of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the same configuration and operation as the specific embodiment as described above, and various modifications within the scope of not departing from the scope of the present invention Can be implemented. Therefore, such modifications should be regarded as belonging to the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention should be determined by the claims to be described later.

10: remote controller 20: repeater
30: disaster rescue robot 40: body
41: frame 42: cap
50: vehicle 52: wheel
53: walking leg 60: robot arm
62: coupling portion 70: control means
80: tool changer 81: tool

Claims (5)

Heat-resistant body;
A tool changer installed on the heat-resistant body and provided with one or more tools;
A robot arm installed in a plurality on one side of the heat-resistant body, provided with a tool coupling portion, and selectively coupled to the tool provided in the tool changer;
Moving means coupled to the heat-resistant body and including wheels and legs;
An information collection means installed on the heat-resistant body to capture an image around the heat-resistant body or collect information about the heat-resistant body to generate environmental information;
Location recognition means for generating location information of the heat-resistant body;
A wireless communication means for performing communication with the outside, transmitting the environmental information collected by the information collecting means to the outside, and receiving a control signal for driving the robot arm or the moving means from the outside; And
And a controller configured to request the control signal from the outside through the wireless communication means and to control the driving of the robot arm or the moving means according to the control signal. The method of claim 1,
The control unit
A disaster rescue robot, characterized in that when the communication with the outside is disconnected, the movement means or the driving of the robot arm is controlled to be driven according to a work target or movement target received immediately before the communication disconnection. The method of claim 2,
The control unit
Disaster rescue robot, characterized in that the disaster rescue robot automatically returns to the initial starting point when communication is not resumed for more than a predetermined time after attaining the work target after the communication with the outside is disconnected or after moving to the movement target. In claim 3,
The task target included in the control signal is an instruction set including a plurality of commands sequentially inputting an operation sequence of the moving means or the robot arm. The method of claim 1,
The control unit
Disaster rescue robot, characterized in that when the movement of the heat-resistant body does not occur in the driving state of the wheel during movement by the wheel or by stopping the driving of the wheel and driving the leg by external control .

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