WO2020222570A1

WO2020222570A1 - Stackable module robot

Info

Publication number: WO2020222570A1
Application number: PCT/KR2020/005779
Authority: WO
Inventors: 고두열; 김정중; 박진성; 최상규; 하창완; 임재원; 김창현; 이종민; 한형석; 박도영
Original assignee: 한국기계연구원
Priority date: 2019-04-30
Filing date: 2020-04-29
Publication date: 2020-11-05
Also published as: KR102464411B1; KR20200126774A; DE112020002223T5; KR102468856B1; KR20210148035A

Abstract

A stackable module robot according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a base module disposed at the lowermost portion of the module robot; a top module disposed at the uppermost portion of the module robot; and at least one intermediate module disposed between the base module and the top module, wherein the base module, the at least one intermediate module and the top module can be attached or detached so as to be selectively coupled to each other, are stacked in a perpendicular direction and coupled, and are electrically connected in a coupled state.

Description

Stacked module robot

The present disclosure relates to a stacked module robot in which module components performing different functions are stacked and coupled.

Robots are widely used in various industrial fields including manufacturing, production, distribution, and logistics.

In recent years, in accordance with the trend of automation in the industrial field, interest in a mobile manipulator combining a robot arm and a mobile robot is gradually increasing in order to be able to perform various tasks simultaneously with work capability and mobility capability.

However, in the case of the current mobile manipulator, it has been developed as a stand alone device that has all the functions with its own device without the help of any other robot device, etc., and replaces the function of the robot device according to the changed work environment. There is a problem in that adaptability such as change or expandability is insufficient.

Moreover, in the case of a robot developed with such a stand-alone device, there is a problem that a considerable cost is required to maintain and repair a part of the device to have a specific function.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a module robot with improved expandability and adaptability by allowing easy assembly, fastening, or coupling between module components to enable selection of module components according to user needs.

A module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is a stacked module robot, comprising: a base module disposed at a lowermost portion of the module robot; A top module disposed on the top of the module robot; And at least one intermediate module disposed between the base module and the top module, wherein the base module, the at least one intermediate module, and the top module are detachable to be selectively coupled to each other, and are stacked in a vertical direction. And connected, and electrically connected in the combined state.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one intermediate module may include a power control unit connected to the base module and the top module to supply and control power and communicate with the outside.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one intermediate module includes a sensor unit provided with a sensor for detecting a peripheral state of the module robot, and a binding protrusion for binding and electrically connected to at least one other module robot or Further comprising a coupling portion having a binding groove, the power control unit is connected to the sensor unit and the coupling unit to supply and control power, and the power control unit, the sensor unit and the coupling unit are vertically positioned above the base module. It may be detachably coupled in a stacked state in the direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the base module may be a driving unit including a moving means for moving the module robot, and the top module may be a manipulator unit including a manipulator that performs a robot hand function of the module robot. .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a connector provided in the base module, the at least one intermediate module, and the top module may further include a connector for electrically connecting to each other.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connector may include a first connector provided on an upper surface of the base module; Second connectors provided on each of the at least one intermediate module; And a third connector provided on a lower surface of the top module, wherein the second connector includes a second upper connector provided on an upper surface of each of the at least one intermediate module and a second lower connector provided at a lower surface thereof, , As the at least one intermediate module is stacked and coupled to an upper portion of the base module, any one of the second lower connectors of the at least one intermediate module is connected to the first connector, and an upper portion of the at least one intermediate module As the top modules are stacked and coupled to each other, any one of the second upper connectors of the at least one intermediate module may be connected to the third connector.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second upper connector and the second lower connector may be electrically connected directly.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first connector and the second upper connector are formed in the shape of a male fastening part, and the third connector and the second lower connector are female fastening parts corresponding to the shape of the male fastening part. It can be made in shape.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connector may include a transmission/reception connector for transmitting and receiving an electrical signal of the power control unit and a power supply connector for supplying power to the power control unit.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power control unit includes a first power supply unit that supplies the power, and at least one second power supply unit that additionally supplies the power, and the second power supply unit It can be selectively added to the module robot according to the power requirement.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coupling portion has a shape including four side surfaces, and at least one binding protrusion and a binding groove may be provided on the side surfaces.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a binding protrusion may be provided on one side of the side surfaces, and a binding groove may be provided on the other side.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a binding protrusion and a binding groove may be alternately provided on one side of the side surfaces, and a binding projection and a binding groove may be alternately provided on the other side.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the manipulator has a hinge fastening portion that is hingedly fastened at a relatively angle with respect to the manipulator, and one end is connected to the hinge fastening portion, and the other end is for gripping an object. It includes an articulated arm provided with a grip unit, wherein the articulated arm is composed of a plurality of actuators and connecting members connecting the actuators to perform multi-degree of freedom movement.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the driving part, the power control part, the sensor part, the coupling part, or the manipulator part includes a guide step part formed to be stepped from the circumference of the upper surface inward, and the guide step part A guide extension portion extending downward along a circumferential portion is provided at a lower end of the power control unit, the sensor unit, the coupling unit, or the manipulator unit facing each other. have.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit, the coupling unit, the manipulator unit, and the power control unit each have a fastening hole formed on the upper surface, a fastening member is built in the lower side of the fastening hole, and the lower surface is formed by the lower end of the fastening member. Can be penetrated.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, since each of the module components constituting the module robot is combined in a stacked manner, it is easy to attach and detach according to the needs of the user, and accordingly, the structure is changed to include only the necessary module components according to the work environment. I can.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3 are conceptual diagrams in which module components constituting the module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention are changed.

4 is an exploded configuration diagram of a module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a view as viewed in the direction A in FIG. 4.

6 is a perspective view of the module robot of FIG. 4.

7 is a plan view of an upper end of a driving part provided with a first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a portion of the first connector of FIG. 5.

9 is a plan view showing a top surface of a module component provided with a second connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a second connector of FIG. 7.

11 is an enlarged perspective view of a third connector part of a module configuration part provided with a third connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connection relationship between module components according to an embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a view showing a fastening member provided in the module configuration unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

14 is a view showing an arrangement of fastening holes in a driving part according to an embodiment of the present invention.

15 is a view showing a state in which a plurality of module robots are bound to lift an object according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art may easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" with another part, this includes not only the case of being "directly connected" but also the case of being "indirectly connected" with another member interposed therebetween.

In addition, when a part "includes" a certain component, it means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram in which module components constituting the module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention are changed.

Referring to FIG. 1, a module robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base module 20, at least one intermediate module 30, and a top module 40. The base module 20 is a module configuration unit disposed at the bottom of the module robot 10, the top module 40 is a module configuration unit disposed at the top of the module robot 10, and the intermediate module 30 is a base module. It is a module configuration unit disposed between 20 and the top module 40.

In this specification, elements constituting the module robot such as the driving unit 100, the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, and the manipulator unit 500 shown in FIG. It is described by defining it as'.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the base module 20, at least one intermediate module 30, and the top module 40 are detachable to be selectively coupled to each other, stacked in a vertical direction to be combined, and Can be electrically connected in the state.

Accordingly, the module robot may be configured as a combination between the base module 20 and the top module 40, or may be configured as a combination between the base module 20 and the intermediate module 30 (see FIG. 3). That is, at least one intermediate module 30 and the top module 40 may be selectively stacked on top of the base module 20 to be combined. However, in this specification, a module robot mainly composed of a combination between the base module 20, the intermediate module 30, and the top module 40 will be described as an example.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the base module 20 may be configured as a driving unit 100, and the top module 40 may be configured as a manipulator unit 500. At least one intermediate module 30 may include a power control unit 200 connected to the base module 20 and the top module 40 to supply and control power. The power control unit 200 may be connected to other module components constituting at least one intermediate module 30 to supply and control power. In addition, the at least one intermediate module 30 may further include a sensor unit 300 and a coupling unit 400.

For example, the module robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is composed of a driving unit 100, a power control unit 200, a sensor unit 300, a coupling unit 400, and a manipulator unit 500. I can. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the base module 20, at least one intermediate module 30, and the top module 40 may be formed of various module components. In the following description, for convenience of understanding, a case where the module robot 10 is composed of a driving unit 100, a power control unit 200, a sensor unit 300, a coupling unit 400, and a manipulator unit 500 is illustrated. Explain as an enemy.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, examples in which the module components constituting the module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention are partially changed can be confirmed.

First, referring to FIG. 2, the first module robot 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a driving unit 100, a power control unit 200, a sensor unit 300, and a manipulator unit 500. I can.

Referring to Figure 3, the second module robot 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be composed of a driving unit 100, a power control unit 200, a sensor unit 300, and a coupling unit 400. have.

In this way, it is possible to combine the module components constituting the module robot differently, in the module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the module components constituting it is configured to be detachable and a simple stacking method between them. This is because it can be selectively attached and detached according to the needs of the user.

That is, in the stacked module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, module components constituting it may be combined and combined in various ways according to the needs of a user, and may be arranged and combined in various orders. Therefore, it can have improved scalability and adaptability.

Therefore, in the module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the combination and arrangement order between the module components as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the combination and arrangement order between the module components may be variously changed to suit the needs of the user. have. Hereinafter, a detailed configuration of the stacked module robot according to an embodiment will be described.

4 is an exploded configuration diagram of the module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a view viewed from the direction A in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the module robot of FIG. 4.

4 and 5 together, the module robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a driving unit 100, a power control unit 200, a sensor unit 300, a coupling unit 400, and a manipulator unit. The module components of 500 and connectors 610 and 620 (refer to FIGS. 7 to 11) electrically connecting the module components to each other may be included.

The module robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a stacked module robot that operates as a unit by combining module components performing different functions in a stacking manner in which layers are stacked.

For example, in a state in which the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, and the manipulator unit 500 are stacked on the top of the driving unit 100 performing a driving function, they are mechanically coupled to each other. , Are electrically connected to each other by connectors, so they can operate as a module robot.

In such a stacked-type module robot, since each of the module components is configured to be detachable, it is very easy to assemble, fasten, or couple between the module components. It is possible to configure a module robot that includes only the module components selected according to the user's needs, and the position where the module components are stacked, that is, the arrangement order of the module components, can be selectively adjusted, thereby increasing the expandability of the module robot, or Or, it is possible to improve the adaptability of the module robot according to the work environment.

In addition, in the stacked-type module robot as described above, since the module components are configured to be detachable, respectively, it is possible to easily separate or replace only specific module components during maintenance and repair, thus reducing working time and reducing costs. I can.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, a power control unit 200, a sensor unit 300, a coupling unit 400, and a manipulator unit 500 are located above the driving unit 100. It can be stacked sequentially.

Although not shown in the drawings, the present invention may include a case in which the order of the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, or the manipulator unit 500 is changed as well as the case that they are sequentially stacked. .

However, in the following description, for convenience of understanding, the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, and the manipulator unit 500 are sequentially stacked in a vertical direction (z-axis direction). It will be described by way of example.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the module robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a driving unit 100 is disposed under the driving unit 100, and a power control unit 200 and a sensor unit ( 300), the coupling part 400, and the manipulator part 500 may be sequentially disposed.

The traveling unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention performs a traveling function of the module robot 10 and includes a main body 110 and a moving means 120 provided on the main body 110. I can.

The main body 110 may include a hexahedral portion having a predetermined height in the z-axis direction.

The moving means 120 may include a plurality of

wheels

120A and 120B. When the front (direction in which the driving unit moves forward) of the driving unit 100 is defined as the x-axis direction, the

wheels

120A and 120B are respectively located at the lower left and right sides of the driving unit 100 It may be provided, and only the moving means 120A and 120B provided at the lower left are shown on this drawing, but those skilled in the art can fully understand the configuration in which the moving means is provided at the lower right.

The moving means 120 is electrically connected to the power control unit 200 to be supplied with power, as described later, and the movement may be controlled according to a control signal by a user or a program command.

For example, as a result of the sensor unit 300 detecting the surrounding state, the moving means 120 may move by avoiding an obstacle in the driving path of the module robot 10, or another module robot It can be controlled to adjust the position for engagement with.

The power control unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be seated on the upper end of the driving unit 100.

The power control unit 200 is electrically connected to the driving unit 100, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, and the manipulator unit 500 through

connectors

610 and 620 to supply power, and each module It can send and receive signals to and from the components and control the operation.

The power control unit 200 is connected to other module robots or external devices through wired or wireless communication to enable communication, thereby transmitting and receiving various control signals and command signals to and from each other.

The power control unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a first power supply unit 210 for supplying power, and at least one second power supply unit 220 for additionally supplying the power ( 1).

The second power supply unit 220 may be selectively added to the module robot 10 to supply additional power when it is difficult to handle the amount of power required by the module robot 10 with only the first power supply unit 210. For example, the second power supply unit 220 may be added as a single module component, and may be stacked together with other module components on the driving part. In this case, the second power supply unit 220 does not require that the first power supply units 210 are sequentially stacked, and may be disposed at various positions. This is because the upper connector and the lower connector provided in each of the module components (excluding the base module and the top module) have a structure that is directly connected to each other, which will be described in the corresponding section.

In this way, power can be additionally supplied through the second power supply unit 220 because it is easy to add a module configuration unit according to the user's needs.

The sensor unit 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the power control unit 200 and may detect an environment, a state around the module robot, and an operation state of the module robot.

For example, the sensor unit 300 detects whether there is an obstacle (structure, person) around the module robot 10 or on the movement path, and whether there is a possibility of colliding with the obstacle, and binds with other module robots. For this, it is possible to detect the operating state of the module robots in the process of adjusting the relative positions between the module robots.

The sensor unit 300 transmits a detection signal to the power control unit 200, and the power control unit 200 that receives it controls the operation of the driving unit 100 so that the module robot can move by avoiding an obstacle. And, the position of the module robot can be adjusted so that it can bind with other module robots.

To this end, the sensor unit 300 is square on the xy plane, and includes four side surfaces of a front, a rear, and left and right sides, and a sensor on the front, rear, left, or right side of the sensor unit 300, respectively. (S) is provided so that the surrounding conditions can be detected.

The coupling part 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention is seated on the upper end of the sensor part 300 and includes a binding protrusion 410 and a binding groove 420 for binding with one or more other module robots. I can.

Since the binding protrusion 410 of one module robot and the binding groove 420 of another module robot are bound to each other, electrical connection may be made between different module robots. That is, the binding protrusion 410 and the binding groove 420 may each function as a docking pin and a docking groove coupled thereto. Through the connection between the binding protrusion 410 and the binding groove 420, power and electrical signals can be exchanged between different module robots, and mutual synchronization may be possible (see FIG. 14).

The coupling part 400 is square on the xy plane, has a predetermined height in the z-axis direction, is formed in a shape including four sides, and is bound with a binding protrusion 410 on the front, rear, left and right sides. A groove 420 may be formed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the binding protrusion 410 may be formed to protrude from the front surface of the coupling portion 400, and the binding groove 420 may be formed by being recessed in the left side of the coupling portion 400.

Although not shown in the drawing, a binding groove may be recessed to form a rear surface of the coupling part 400, and a binding protrusion may protrude on a right side.

Since the binding protrusion 410 and the binding groove 420 are structures for binding between other module robots disposed on the front and rear, left and right sides of the module robot 10, the binding projection 410 and the binding groove 420 are The position to be formed can be changed.

Although not shown in the drawing, binding protrusions and binding grooves may be alternately formed on one side of the coupling portion, and binding projections and binding grooves may be formed alternately on the other side of the coupling portion.

The manipulator unit 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be disposed on the top of the module robot 10 and may be mounted on the top of the coupling unit 400.

The manipulator part 500 may include a plate or hexahedral body 510 having a predetermined height in a z-axis direction and a manipulator 520 provided in the body 510.

The manipulator 520 is a component for transporting, lifting, and supporting an object according to a command of a user or a program, and may include a hinge fastening part 521 and an articulated arm 522.

The hinge fastening part 521 may be a member that is hinged so as to be rotatable at an angle relative to the main body 510, and the articulated arm 522 connected to the hinge fastening part 521 is based on the rotation axis of the hinge. The body 510 can be rotated at various angles.

The articulated arm 522 may have one end connected to the hinge fastening part 521 and a grip part 525 for gripping an object at the other end.

The articulated arm 522 is composed of a plurality of actuators 523a, 523b, 523c, 523d and connecting

members

524a, 524b, 524c connecting the

actuators

523a, 523b, 523c, and 523d to enable translational and rotational movements. Since the movement of the degree of freedom system is possible, the grip part 525 can be moved to an arbitrary position.

The

connectors

610, 620, 650 (refer to FIGS. 7 to 12) according to an embodiment of the present invention may electrically connect the base module, the intermediate modules, and the top module to each other. For example, the connector electrically connects the above-described module components, that is, the driving unit 100, the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, or the manipulator unit 500 to each other to provide an electrical signal. It enables transmission and reception of power and power supply.

Connectors

610, 620, and 650 according to an embodiment of the present invention are provided in the driving unit 100, the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, and the manipulator unit 500, respectively. I can.

Specifically, the

connectors

610, 620, 650 include a first connector 610 provided on the upper surface of the base module, for example, the driving unit 100, and module components constituting the intermediate module, for example, a power supply. The control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, and a second connector 620 provided on the coupling unit 400, and a third connector 650 provided on the lower surface of the top module, for example, the manipulator unit 500 It may include.

In this regard, FIG. 7 is a plan view of an upper end of a driving part provided with a first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the first connector of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a module configuration part provided with a second connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the second connector of FIG. 9. In FIG. 10, for convenience of understanding, a part of the module component is shown transparently so that the inside is confirmed.

11 is an enlarged perspective view of a third connector part of a module configuration part provided with a third connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11, for convenience of understanding, a part of the module component is shown transparently so that the inside is confirmed.

Referring to FIG. 7, the first connector 610 may be provided at the front and rear sides of the upper surface of the driving unit 100 in the x-axis direction, respectively.

In this case, the first connector 610A provided in the front may be a transmission/reception connector for transmitting and receiving electrical signals such as a command signal, a detection signal, and a control signal with the power control unit 200. For example, the transmission/reception connector is configured as a pair, and may be a communication connector and an I/O connector, respectively. The first connector 610B provided at the rear may be a power supply connector receiving power from the power control unit 200. For example, the power supply connector is configured as a pair, and may be a power unit (+) connector and a power unit (-) connector, respectively. The positions of the transmission/reception connector and the power supply connector of the first connector 610 may be changed, for example, a power supply connector in the front and a transmission/reception connector in the rear may be provided.

Meanwhile, the first connector 610A provided at the front and the first connector 610B provided at the rear may have different shapes. For example, a separation distance between a pair of first connectors 610A provided at the front may be different from a separation distance between a pair of second connectors 610B provided at the rear.

Accordingly, the driving unit 100 may be structurally facilitated to distinguish between the front and the rear, and thus, it may be advantageous for a user to handle or distinguish between a power supply connector and a transmission/reception connector. Likewise, module components other than the driving unit 100, for example, a second connector 620A provided in front of the power control unit 200 and the like as shown in FIG. 9 and a second connector 620B provided at the rear have a separation distance. The same features may be applied, such as being set differently. That is, it is possible to prevent a problem in which the front and rear of the module components are confusingly coupled.

9, the second connector 620 may be provided in each of the module components constituting the intermediate module, the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400 is Any one of the second connectors 620 may be connected to the first connector 610 by stacking and bonding on the top.

In the following description, for convenience, a case in which the second connector 620 is provided in the power control unit 200 is described, but the second connector 620 may be provided in all module configuration units constituting the intermediate module.

Referring to FIG. 9, the second connector 620 may be provided at the front and rear sides of the power control unit 200, respectively, so as to correspond to the position of the first connector 610.

At this time, the second connector 620A provided at the front may be a transmission/reception connector that is electrically connected to the driving unit 100 or other module components to transmit and receive electrical signals, and a second connector 620B provided at the rear May be a power supply connector for supplying power. The transmission/reception connector is composed of a pair, and may be a communication connector and an I/O connector, respectively. In addition, the power supply connector is configured as a pair, and may be a power unit (+) connector and a power unit (-) connector, respectively. The positions of the transmission/reception connector and the power supply connector of the second connector 620 may be changed.

The second connector 620 may include a second upper connector 630 provided on an upper surface of each module component constituting an intermediate module and a second lower connector 640 provided on a lower surface thereof. In addition, the second upper connector 630 may have the same structure as the first connector 610 described above.

Referring to FIG. 10, a second upper connector 630 may be provided on an upper surface of the power control unit 200, and a second lower connector 640 may be provided on a lower surface of the power control unit 200. For example, when the power control unit 200 is coupled to the upper portion of the driving unit 100, the second lower connector 640 of the power control unit 200 is connected to the first connector 610 of the driving unit 100. Can be connected.

Likewise, when any one of the remaining module components is coupled to the upper part of the power control unit 200, the second lower connector 640 provided in the module configuration unit is the second upper connector 630 of the power control unit 200. Can be connected to

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second upper connector 630 and the second lower connector 640 described above may be electrically connected directly. That is, each module component constituting the intermediate module may transmit power and electrical signals in both directions (up and down directions). Accordingly, even if the positions of the module components constituting the intermediate module are changed, power and electrical signals may be connected to each other.

The third connector 650 may be provided at the front and rear sides of the manipulator 500 in the x-axis direction, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 11, the third connector 650 may be provided at the front and rear sides of the manipulator 500 so as to correspond to the position of the second upper connector 630.

In this case, the third connector provided at the front may be a transceiving connector that is electrically connected to other module components to transmit and receive electrical signals, and the third connector provided at the rear may be a power supply connector for supplying power. The transmission/reception connector is composed of a pair, and may be a communication connector and an I/O connector, respectively. In addition, the power supply connector is configured as a pair, and may be a power unit (+) connector and a power unit (-) connector, respectively. The positions of the transmission/reception connector and the power supply connector of the third connector 650 may be changed.

The third connector 650 is provided on a lower surface of a module configuration portion constituting the top module, and may have the same structure as the second lower connector 640 described above.

For example, when the power control unit 200 is directly coupled to the lower portion of the manipulator unit 500, the second upper connector 630 of the power control unit 200 is the third connector 650 of the manipulator unit 500 Can be connected to

That is, in the module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, the module components are structurally stacked and combined, and electrical connection is also made to enable transmission and reception of power and electrical signals.

In connection with this, FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connection relationship between module components according to an embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of understanding, FIG. 12 omits the base module and the top module and shows only the electrical connection relationship between the intermediate module.

Referring to FIG. 12, the power control unit 200 includes a driving unit (not shown), a sensor unit 300, a coupling unit 400, or a manipulator unit (not shown) through a second connector 620A provided on one side (front). It is electrically connected to city), so that power and electrical signals can be exchanged.

The power control unit 200 supplies power to the driving unit (not shown), the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, or the manipulator unit (not shown) through a second connector 620B provided on the other side (rear). I can.

Referring to FIG. 12, as described above, since the upper connector and the lower connector are electrically directly connected, each module component (excluding the base module and the top module) may transmit power and electrical signals in both directions.

Meanwhile, FIGS. 7 to 12 may be referred to together to examine the mechanical coupling relationship between the first connector 610 and the second connector 620.

Referring to FIG. 8, the first connector 610 may be formed of first

male fastening portions

611 and 612 having a shape protruding upward from an upper surface of the driving unit 100. For example, a pair of first male fastening units may be arranged in a front and a pair in the rear, so that a total of four may be formed. At this time, a pair of first male fasteners disposed in the front may be a communication connector and an I/O connector, respectively, and a pair of first male fasteners disposed at the rear may be a power supply unit (+) connector and a power supply unit (-), respectively. It can be a connector.

Referring to FIG. 10, the second upper connector 630 may include second

male fastening parts

631 and 632 protruding upward from the upper surface of the power control unit 200, and the second lower connector 640 ) May be formed of second

arm fastening portions

641 and 642 that are drawn in from the lower surface of the power control unit 200 and have an internal space. For example, a pair of the second male fastening part and the second female fastening part are arranged in a front and a pair in the rear, respectively, so that each can be formed of four.

The second

arm fastening parts

641 and 642 may have a structure corresponding to the first

male fastening parts

611 and 612 or the second

male fastening parts

631 and 632. For example, the second

female fastening parts

641 and 642 may have a structure in which the first

male fastening parts

611 and 612 or the second

male fastening parts

631 and 632 are male and female.

For example, when the power control unit 200 provided with the second lower connector 640 is directly stacked on the driving part 100 provided with the first connector 610, the second lower connector 640 A male and female fastening into which the first

male fastening parts

611 and 612 of the first connector 610 are inserted into the inserted internal space of the second

female fastening parts

641 and 642 constituting) may be made.

For another example, when the sensor unit 300 is stacked on the power control unit 200 while the power control unit 200 is stacked on the driving unit 100, the sensor unit 300 The second

male fastening parts

631 and 632 of the second upper connector 630 of the power control unit 200 are inserted into the inner space of the second

female fastening parts

641 and 642 constituting the second lower connector 640. The inserted male and female fastening can be made.

Referring to FIG. 11, the third connector 650 may include third

arm fastening portions

651 and 652 that are inserted from a lower surface of the manipulator 500 and have an internal space. For example, a pair of third arm fastening portions may be arranged in a front and a pair in the rear, so that a total of four may be formed. At this time, a pair of third arm fastening units disposed in the front may be a communication connector and an I/O connector, respectively, and a pair of third female fastening units disposed at the rear are a power supply unit (+) connector and a power supply unit (-), respectively. It can be a connector.

The third

arm fastening portions

651 and 652 may have a structure corresponding to the second upper connector 630. For example, the third

female fastening parts

651 and 652 may have a structure in which male and female are fastened to the second

male fastening parts

631 and 632.

That is, the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector are base modules such as the driving unit 100, the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, and the manipulator unit 500 , The intermediate module, and the module components including the top module may be mechanically or electrically connected by stacking and bonding.

On the other hand, with respect to the mechanical coupling structure by lamination of module components, one or more of the module components may include a guide step, and some of the module components facing the guide step may include a guide extension. .

In this regard, looking at the driving unit 100 and the power control unit 200 together with reference to FIG. 5, the upper surface of the driving unit 100 is stepped at a position spaced from the circumference by a certain distance (d1, d2) inward. A guide step portion 150 protruding so as to be formed may be provided.

A guide extension 260 may be provided on a lower surface of the power control unit 200 facing the guide step 150. The guide extension 260 may extend downward along a lower circumferential portion of the power control unit 200.

The guide extension part 260 is a distance (d1, d2) spaced apart from the circumference of the upper surface of the driving part 100 when the power control part 200 is seated on the upper part of the driving part 100 While supporting the region corresponding to the guide step 150 may be wrapped.

Accordingly, the stacking coupling may be easily guided through the guide step 150 and the guide extension 260.

Meanwhile, in FIGS. 13 and 14, a fastening member 710 and a fastening hole 732 for mechanically coupling each module component to each other are shown. 13 and 14, in the module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, the manipulator unit 500, and the power control unit 200 are respectively fastened to the upper surface. A hole 732 is formed, a fastening member 710 is embedded under the fastening hole 732, and a lower surface may be penetrated by the lower end of the fastening member 710.

Specifically, the power control unit 200, the sensor unit 300, the coupling unit 400, and the manipulator unit 500 include a fastening member 710 that is coupled to the fastening hole 732 of another module component disposed below. can do.

The fastening member 710 may also be included in the driving unit 100, but in an embodiment of the present invention, it may be provided inside each module component except for the driving unit 100. As shown in FIG. 13, the fastening member 710 includes a body portion 712 in which threads may be formed at least in part, and has a cross-sectional area larger than that of the body portion 712 at the upper end of the body portion 712. The head portion 714 may be formed, and may be disposed in the fastening chamber 730 formed inside the module component.

A fastening member 710 is disposed inside the fastening chamber 730, and a fastening hole 732 may be formed in the upper part, and the fastening member 710 has a body part 712 extending downwardly to a fastening chamber 730. ) Through, that is, through the lower surface of the module component, and the lower end may be exposed to the outside.

13 schematically shows a state in which the power control unit 200 is stacked on the top of the driving unit 100 and coupled through the mutual fastening member 710 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the fastening member 710 built in the power control unit 200 has a fastening hole 732 formed on the upper surface of the driving unit 100 by extending the lower end of the body part 712 through the fastening chamber 730. ) Can be combined. A screw thread may be formed in the body portion 712 of the fastening member 710, and may be screwed into the fastening hole 732.

Meanwhile, a fastening hole 732 of the power control unit 200 is formed at the upper end of the fastening chamber 730 of the power control unit 200, and although not shown in FIG. 12, the sensor unit 300 is located above the power control unit 200. When are stacked, the fastening member 710 of the sensor unit 300 may be coupled to the fastening hole 732 of the power control unit 200.

The fastening chamber 730 of the module configuration part may be provided in various numbers and positions as necessary, and in FIG. 14, a total of four fastening holes 732 are shown in the square cross section of the driving part 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The appearance provided on the side of each vertex is shown. A fastening member 710 and a fastening hole 732 may be formed at a position corresponding to the fastening hole 732 of the driving part 100 in each of the module components stacked above the driving part 100.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fastening hole 732 and the fastening member 710 are arranged on a vertical line, and the fastening member 710 built in any one of the module components is adjacent to the stacking of each module component. It may be coupled to the fastening hole 732 of the module component.

In addition, during the lamination process, the operator can insert a coupling tool such as a screwdriver or a wrench through the fastening hole 732, and through the coupling tool, the fastening member 710 of the module component can be fastened. The work is possible.

Meanwhile, FIG. 15 is a state in which an object is lifted by binding the module robot and another module robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 15, when defining the module robot as a first module robot 10A and another module robot as a second module robot 10B according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first module robot 10A and The second module robot 10B may be bound to each other in the lateral direction (y-axis direction). For example, it may be bound through a connection between the binding protrusion 410 of the coupling portion 400 and the binding groove 420 described above. Meanwhile, although not shown in the drawings, the first module robot 10A and the second module robot 10B may be bound to each other in the x-axis direction.

Referring to FIG. 15 together with FIGS. 4 to 6, the first module robot 10A and the second module robot 10B are wired or wirelessly connected to each other through a power control unit 200 provided therein to control various It is possible to transmit and receive signals and command signals, and accordingly, both

module robots

10A and 10B can be synchronized with each other.

In this way, the first module robot 10A and the second module robot 10B mechanically bonded and synchronized with each other can operate as one module robot system.

Therefore, the first module robot 10A and the second module robot 10B move toward the object at the same time, and the first manipulator of the first module robot 10A to lift the object 1 located in front of the x-axis ( The first grip part 525A provided in 520A supports one side of the object 1, and the second grip part 525B provided in the second manipulator 520B of the second module robot 10B is the object 1 While supporting the other side of ), the object 1 can be lifted by applying force in opposite directions.

Meanwhile, the first module robot 10A and the second module robot 10B bound to each other may share power with each other. For example, a plurality of

module robots

10A and 10B bound and synchronized with each other share power, so that even when power is insufficient from one of the module robots, the plurality of

module robots

10A, 10B) Full operation may be possible.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is possible to implement various modifications within the scope of the claims, the detailed description of the invention, and the accompanying drawings. It is natural to fall within the scope of the invention.

(Explanation of code)

10: module robot 100: driving unit

200: power control unit 300: sensor unit

400: coupling portion 410: binding protrusion

420: coupling groove 500: manipulator part

520: manipulator 521: hinge joint

522: articulated arm 525: grip

610: first connector 620: second connector

710: fastening member 730: fastening chamber

Claims

As a stacked module robot,

A base module disposed at the bottom of the module robot;

A top module disposed on the top of the module robot; And

At least one intermediate module disposed between the base module and the top module;

Including,

The base module, the at least one intermediate module, and the top module

Modular robots that are detachable to be selectively coupled to each other, stacked in a vertical direction and coupled, and electrically connected in a coupled state.
The method of claim 1,

The at least one intermediate module

A module robot comprising a power control unit connected to the base module and the top module to supply and control power and communicate with the outside.
The method of claim 2,

The at least one intermediate module

Further comprising a sensor unit provided with a sensor for detecting a peripheral state of the module robot, and a coupling unit having a binding protrusion or a binding groove for binding and electrically connected to at least one other module robot,

The power control unit is connected to the sensor unit and the coupling unit to supply and control power,

The power control unit, the sensor unit, and the coupling unit are detachably coupled to each other in a vertically stacked state on an upper portion of the base module.
The method of claim 3,

The base module is a traveling unit having a moving means for moving the module robot,

The top module is a manipulator unit having a manipulator that performs a robot hand function of the module robot.
The method of claim 2,

The module robot further comprises a connector provided in the base module, the at least one intermediate module, and the top module and electrically connected to each other.
The method of claim 5,

The connector,

A first connector provided on an upper surface of the base module;

Second connectors provided on each of the at least one intermediate module; And

A third connector provided on a lower surface of the top module;

Including,

The second connector,

Consisting of a second upper connector provided on an upper surface of each of the at least one intermediate module and a second lower connector provided on a lower surface,

As the at least one intermediate module is stacked and coupled to an upper portion of the base module, any one of the second lower connectors of the at least one intermediate module is connected to the first connector,

As the top module is stacked and coupled to an upper portion of the at least one intermediate module, any one of the second upper connectors of the at least one intermediate module is connected to the third connector.
The method of claim 6,

The second upper connector and the second lower connector are electrically connected directly to each other.
The method of claim 7,

The first connector and the second upper connector,

It is made in the shape of a male joint,

The third connector and the second lower connector,

A module robot having a shape of an arm connection part corresponding to the shape of the male connection part.
The method of claim 5,

The connector,

A transmission/reception connector for transmitting and receiving electrical signals of the power control unit; And

A power supply connector to which power is supplied to the power control unit;

Module robot comprising a.
The method of claim 2,

The power control unit,

A first power supply for supplying the power, and at least one second power supply for additionally supplying the power,

The second power supply unit,

A module robot that is selectively added to the module robot according to the power demand of the module robot.
The method of claim 3,

The coupling portion is formed in a shape including four side surfaces, the module robot having at least one binding protrusion and a binding groove on the side surfaces.
The method of claim 11,

A module robot having a binding protrusion on one side of the side surfaces and a binding groove on the other side.
The method of claim 11,

A module robot having alternately provided binding protrusions and binding grooves on one side of the side surfaces, and alternately provided with binding protrusions and binding grooves on the other side.
The method of claim 4,

The manipulator,

A hinge fastening part that is hingedly fastened to be rotatably at an angle with respect to the manipulator; And

An articulated arm having one end connected to the hinge fastening part and a grip part for gripping an object at the other end;

Including,

The multi-joint arm is a module robot that is composed of a plurality of actuators and connecting members connecting the actuators to enable a multi-degree of freedom movement.
The method of claim 4,

At least one of the driving part, the power control part, the sensor part, the coupling part, or the manipulator part includes a guide step part formed to be stepped apart from the circumference of the upper surface inward,

A guide extension portion extending downward along a circumferential portion is provided at a lower end of the power control portion, the sensor portion, the coupling portion, or the manipulator portion facing the guide step portion,

The guide portion is formed in a shape surrounding the circumference of the guide step portion to guide the stacking.
The method of claim 4,

The sensor unit, the coupling unit, the manipulator unit, and the power control unit each have a fastening hole formed on an upper surface thereof, a fastening member is embedded under the fastening hole, and a lower surface is penetrated by a lower end of the fastening member.