Water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208186-B2
Application number	US-202017279099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 10, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish includes a body, pitching pectoral fins, variable-structure pectoral fins, a caudal propulsion module, a sensor module and a controller. The caudal propulsion module is controlled to achieve underwater fish-like body-caudal fin (BCF) propulsion, and the variable-structure pectoral fins is adjusted to achieve air gliding and fast splash-down diving motions of the bio-robotic flying fish. The coordination between the caudal propulsion module and the pitching pectoral fins is controlled to achieve the motion of leaping out of water during water-air cross-medium transition. The ambient environment is detected by the sensor module, and the motion mode of the bio-robotic flying fish is controlled by the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish, comprising a body, pitching pectoral fins, variable-structure pectoral fins, a caudal propulsion module, a sensor module and a controller, wherein
there are two pitching pectoral fins; the two pitching pectoral fins are symmetrically arranged on left and right sides of the body; the two pitching pectoral fins are rotatably mounted on the body around a left-right axis under a drive of a first power device;
there are two variable-structure pectoral fins; the two variable-structure pectoral fins are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the body; the two variable-structure pectoral fins are foldably mounted on the body along a front-back direction under a drive of a second power device; each of the two variable-structure pectoral fins comprises a leading edge fin ray, a median fin ray, a trailing edge fin ray, a fin membrane and a fin ray transmission shaft; wherein the leading edge fin ray is fixedly mounted on the fin ray transmission shaft; the trailing edge fin ray is fixed to the body; the median fin ray is provided with a D-shaped hole, the fin ray transmission shaft is provided with a sliding and rotating part, and the sliding and rotating part is in clearance fit with the D-shaped hole; in a driving process of the second power device, the fin ray transmission shaft drives the leading edge fin ray to rotate outwards, and the median fin ray slides relative to the fin ray transmission shaft through the sliding and rotating part until the corresponding D-shaped hole is engaged and rotates synchronously;
the caudal propulsion module is mounted at a rear of the water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish;
the sensor module is mounted on the body, and the sensor module is configured to detect at least one of the following: an attitude of the body, a rotation angle of the two pitching pectoral fins, a depth of the water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish in a water environment and a gliding height of the water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish in the air, an unfolded/folded state of the two variable-structure pectoral fins, a swing frequency of the caudal propulsion module and an ambient environment of the body; and a signal output terminal of the sensor module, a control terminal of the first power device, and a control terminal of the second power device are respectively signal-connected to the controller.

2. The water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish according to claim 1 , wherein the first power device drives the two pitching pectoral fins to rotate through a first transmission mechanism; the first transmission mechanism comprises a driving gear, a driven gear, a bearing and a first transmission shaft; a power output terminal of the first power device is in transmission connection with the driving gear; the driving gear and the driven gear are rotatably mounted on the body and the driving gear and the driven gear are meshed; the first transmission shaft and the driven gear are coaxially fixedly connected; the first transmission shaft is rotatably mounted on the body through the bearing; and both ends of the first transmission shaft are respectively fixedly connected to the two pitching pectoral fins.

3. The water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish according to claim 1 , wherein the fin ray transmission shaft is in transmission connection with the second power device;
the sliding and rotating part comprises a planar zone and a cylindrical zone connected and sealed along the fin ray transmission shaft; the sliding and rotating part is provided with an action groove; the action groove penetrates the planar zone and the cylindrical zone;
a connection of the action groove and the cylindrical zone and a connection of the action groove and the planar zone are sequentially arranged along a rotation direction of the fin ray transmission shaft;
an angle of the action groove is equal to an angle between the leading edge fin ray and the median fin ray when the fin membrane is fully unfolded; a line between the connection of the action groove and the planar zone and the connection of the action groove and the cylindrical zone is a first line; the angle of the action groove is an angle between the first line and the planar zone;
there are two fin membranes; the two fin membranes are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the body; and each of the fin membranes is fixedly connected to the leading edge fin ray, the median fin ray and the trailing edge fin ray.

4. The water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish according to claim 1 , further comprising the caudal propulsion module, an eccentric wheel and a sliding rail; wherein
the caudal propulsion module comprises a caudal drive module and a caudal module; wherein
the caudal drive module comprises a third power device and a reduction gearbox; the reduction gearbox is fixedly connected to an output terminal of the third power device; the eccentric wheel is fixedly connected to an output terminal of the reduction gearbox; the third power device drives the reduction gearbox and the eccentric wheel to rotate;
the caudal module comprises an active link and a caudal fin; the active link is hinged to the body; the sliding rail is hinged to the active link, and the sliding rail is configured to convert a unidirectional continuous rotation of an output shaft of the reduction gearbox into a left-right reciprocating swing of the active link; the caudal fin is hinged to the active link; alternatively, the caudal fin is fixed to the active link.

5. The water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish according to claim 4 , further comprising an action rod, wherein the eccentric wheel is rotatably mounted in a plane perpendicular to a length direction of the water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish; the action rod is fixed to the eccentric wheel and keeps a distance from a rotation axis of the eccentric wheel;
the sliding rail comprises two action parts; the two action parts are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the body; and a distance from a free end of the action rod to the eccentric wheel is greater than a distance from a side of each of two the action parts facing the eccentric wheel to the eccentric wheel.

6. The water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish according to claim 5 , wherein the controller controls a rotation of the two pitching pectoral fins, a folding or unfolding of the two variable-structure pectoral fins and a swing frequency of the active link to implement three working modes of the water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish, and the three working modes comprise an underwater high-speed and high-maneuverability motion mode, a water-air cross-medium transition motion mode and an air gliding motion mode; wherein
in the underwater high-speed and high-maneuverability motion mode, the third power device acts as a caudal propulsion mechanism to drive the active link and the caudal fin to make a left-right reciprocating swing, to provide power for the water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish to move forwards; a swing frequency of the active link is controlled to adjust a forward speed of the water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic flying fish; the first power device controls, by using the first transmission mechanism, the two pitching pectoral fins to move, and controls a pitch angle of the two pitching pectoral fins to achieve upward and downward motions in the water, wherein the two variable-structure pectoral fins are folded on both sides of the body;
in the water-air cross-medium transition motion mode, the water-air amphibious cross-medium bio-robotic

Assignees

• Inst Automation Cas

Inventors

• Yu Junzhi
• Wu Zhengxing
• Chen Di
• Tan Min

Classifications

• B64U20/40

  Modular UAVs · CPC title

• B64U30/12

  Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep · CPC title

• B64U10/70

  Convertible aircraft, e.g. convertible into land vehicles · CPC title

• B64U10/40

  Ornithopters · CPC title

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title