Special suspension-type tracked underwater robot adaptable to ultra-soft geological conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11498378-B2
Application number	US-201916597456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2019
Priority date	Feb 2, 2018
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A special suspension-type tracked underwater robot adaptable to ultra-soft geological conditions comprises traveling mechanisms, wherein the traveling mechanisms are track-mud sled structures, the mud sled structures are fixedly arranged on two sides of each track, and the bottoms of the mud sled structures are higher than the bottoms of the tracks and are provided with arched plate heads; the arched plate heads are provided with plate water-jet devices capable of spraying water forwards; and in the traveling process of the traveling mechanisms, and the arched plate heads press water downwards to form a water film at the bottoms of the mud sled structures together with the water sprayed by the plate water-jet devices, so that the traveling mud resistance is reduced, and the robot can stably advance under ultra-soft geological conditions. The special suspension-type tracked underwater robot further comprises a propelling mechanism, an adjustment device, an operating module, and the like, can autonomously advance on a seabed, can suspend in water, can repair itself when broken, and can achieve detailed operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tracked robot, comprising:
traveling mechanisms, wherein the traveling mechanisms comprise tracks, a mud sled structure being fixedly arranged on a side of each track, and wherein each mud sled structure is provided with an arched plate head; wherein each arched plate head is provided with plate water-jet devices capable of spraying water; and in a traveling process of the traveling mechanisms, each arched plate head presses water downwards to form a water film at the bottoms of the mud sled structure together with water sprayed by the plate water-jet devices.

2. The tracked robot according to claim 1 , wherein track shoes are arranged on the tracks, and track water-jet devices are fixedly arranged on the tracks.

3. The tracked robot according to claim 2 , wherein each mud sled structure further comprises arched plate tails, and the plate water-jet devices are mounted on the arched plate heads.

4. The tracked robot according to claim 1 , wherein the tracked robot further comprises a support beam and a power mechanism, wherein the traveling mechanisms are arranged on two sides of the support beam.

5. The tracked robot according to claim 4 , wherein the power mechanism comprises a waterproof motor case and an electrical cabinet.

6. The tracked robot according to claim 1 , wherein each track comprises a rubber track body, track shoes, a plurality of track rollers, a driving gear, a guide wheel assembly, traveling mechanism side panels, and track water-jet devices, wherein the rubber track body is connected with the track shoes.

7. The tracked robot according to claim 1 , wherein:
the tracked robot further comprises a collection box, a floating mechanism and a control mechanism, the collection box is arranged on the tracks, an operating module and a propelling mechanism are respectively arranged on a head and a tail of the collection box, the operating module is used for collecting minerals and then conveying the minerals into the collection box, the floating mechanism comprises a plurality of adjustable buoyant airbags which are horizontally and symmetrically distributed at a top of the collection box.

8. The tracked robot according to claim 7 , wherein each adjustable buoyant airbag comprises an airbag body and a membrane arranged in a middle of an interior of the airbag body and dividing an inner cavity of the airbag body into a first cavity and a second cavity, wherein two-way air valves are arranged at the first cavity and the second cavity and are connected with the control mechanism.

9. The tracked robot according to claim 8 , wherein the airbag body comprises nylon.

10. A method of operating the tracked robot according to claim 8 , the method comprising:
S 1 : opening the two-way air valves of the plurality of adjustable buoyant airbags to have a buoyancy of the robot lower than a gravity of the robot;
S 2 : adjusting a diving speed and an attitude of the robot;
S 3 : starting propellers, controlling the propellers to rotate forward or in reverse or to rotate at a variable speed to enable the robot to advance, retreat or steer to reach a specified submarine mining area;
S 4 : shutting down driving motors when the robot arrives at a seabed, stopping the propellers, and starting the traveling mechanisms to enable the robot to advance on the seabed;
S 5 : starting a mechanical arm, and controlling a mechanical gripper.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein S 2 comprises: opening the two-way air valves to allow air to enter the airbag body, wherein the diving speed is determined according to a position finder.

12. The tracked robot according to claim 7 , wherein the operating module comprises a submarine adaptive collector, water suction tubes, and a plurality of mineral inlets formed in the head of the collection box and communicated with the collection box, and the submarine adaptive collector is connected with the plurality of mineral inlets via the water suction tubes.

13. The tracked robot according to claim 12 , wherein telescopic adjustment mechanisms are arranged at the plurality of mineral inlets and are connected with the water suction tubes to adjust a length of the water suction tubes.

14. The tracked robot according to claim 13 , wherein the propelling mechanism comprises two propellers symmetrically arranged on two sides of the tail of the collection box and respectively connected with two driving motors, and a filter screen is arranged in the collection box.

15. The tracked robot according to claim 7 , wherein a horizontal platform is arranged on the head of the collection box and is provided with a mechanical arm, and a mechanical gripper.

16. The tracked robot according to claim 15 , wherein a position finder and an attitude sensor are mounted on the collection box, and the attitude sensor comprises a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

17. The tracked robot according to claim 7 , wherein a flared opening is positioned in a center of a chassis of the robot, the collection box is of an annular structure in which a columnar space is defined, a water inlet is formed in an upper end of the columnar space, a water outlet is formed in a lower end of the columnar space, and a propeller is arranged at the water inlet to guide water into the columnar space; and a baffle plate is fixedly arranged below the columnar space.

18. The tracked robot according to claim 17 , wherein a filter screen is arranged on an inner wall of the collection box, and collection ports are formed in an outer wall of the collection box.

19. The tracked robot according to claim 18 , wherein distance sensors and image recognition sensors are arranged at the collection ports, and flowmeters are arranged in collection tubes connected with the collection ports.

Assignees

• Univ Shanghai Jiaotong

Inventors

• Xiao Longfei
• Yang Jianmin
• Zhao Guocheng
• Peng Tao
• Tang Lei
• Lu Haining
• Liu Mingyue
• Kou Yufeng
• Zhao Weijie

Classifications

• B62D55/253

  having elements interconnected by one or more cables or like elements · CPC title

• B60F3/0015 Primary

  comprising tracks specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B62D55/065 Primary

  Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks {(soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C)} · CPC title

• B62D55/14

  Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers · CPC title

• B62D55/088

  with means to exclude or remove foreign matter, e.g. sealing means, self-cleaning track links or sprockets, deflector plates or scrapers · CPC title