Bionic robot and spine apparatus thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019351543-A1
Application number	US-201916418993-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 21, 2019
Priority date	May 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 21, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A bionic robot and a spine apparatus thereof. Magnetorheological fluids are filled in the cavity, the first tube and the second tube to actuate the first end of the piston rod, so that the piston rod is actuated to move along the axial direction of the cavity. The excitation coil is wound around the first tube. When the controller provides a variable current for the excitation coil, the excitation coil produces a variable magnetic field at the first tube, thereby causing a magnetorheological effect that the magnetorheological fluid is in low liquidity and high viscosity. Then, the transmission speed of the piston rod is changed, which is presented as a damping characteristic, reducing the pause and transition in the spine apparatus, and improving the flexibility and the bionic performance of the robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A spine apparatus of a bionic robot, comprising:
an upper base, a lower base, and a plurality of actuating devices provided between the upper base and the lower base, and configured to actuate a motion of the upper base and/or the lower base; wherein each of the plurality of actuating devices comprises: a linear actuator comprising a cavity and a piston rod, wherein a first end of the piston rod is provided in the cavity, and the piston rod reciprocates along an axial direction of the cavity under an external force; the cavity comprises a first tube and a second tube that are respectively in fluid communication with an inner cavity of the cavity, and are respectively provided at two sides of the first end of the piston rod; a magnetorheological fluid filled in the cavity and driving, together with the first tube and the second tube, the first end of the piston rod to move along the axial direction of the cavity; a control valve connected to the first tube and the second tube for adjusting a flow rate of the magnetorheological fluid in the first tube and the second tube; an excitation coil wound around the first tube; and a controller connected to the excitation coil and the control valve and configured to provide the control valve with a flow rate control signal for indicating and adjusting the flow rate of the magnetorheological fluid in the first tube and the second tube; wherein the controller is further provided a variable current for the excitation coil, so that the excitation coil produces a variable magnetic field at the first tube.

2 . The spine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a second end of the piston rod is coupled with the upper base via a first joint; and a first side of the cavity away from the second end of the piston rod is coupled with the lower base via a second rotary joint.

3 . The spine apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first rotary joint is a ball joint, and the second rotary joint is a hinge joint.

4 . The spine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a current limiting resistor connected in series with the excitation coil; and the current limiting resistor and the excitation coil connected in series are provided at two ends of a variable-voltage transformer.

5 . The spine apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller further comprises:
a first operational amplifier, wherein a non-inverting input terminal and a non-inverting output terminal of the first operational amplifier are connected in series by a first variable resistor and a first variable capacitor, so that a sinusoidal self-oscillation is generated; the non-inverting input terminal of the first operational amplifier is grounded by a first resistor; an inverting input terminal of the first operational amplifier is grounded by a first current limiting resistor; and a first feedback resistor is provided between the inverting input terminal and the inverting output terminal of the first operational amplifier which are connected in series; a second operational amplifier, wherein a non-inverting input terminal and a non-inverting output terminal of the second operational amplifier are connected in series by a second variable resistor and a second variable capacitor, so that the sinusoidal self-oscillation is generated; the non-inverting input terminal of the second operational amplifier is grounded by a second resistor; an inverting input terminal of the second operational amplifier is grounded by a second current limiting resistor; and a second feedback resistor is provided between the inverting input terminal and the inverting output terminal of the second operational amplifier which are connected in series; a first capacitor, wherein a first end of the first capacitor is arranged between the non-inverting input terminal of the first operational amplifier and the first resistor; a second capacitor, wherein a first end of the second capacitor is arranged between the non-inverting input terminal of the second operational amplifier and the second resistor; a second end of the first capacitor is connected to a second end of the second capacitor; a coupling resistor; the coupling resistor is arranged between a juncture of the second end of the first capacitor and the second end of the second capacitor and the ground; and a potential difference between the junction of the second end of the first capacitor and the second end of the second capacitor and the non-inverting input terminal of the second operational amplifier is configured to provide a variable voltage.

6 . The spine apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller further comprises a coupling inductor connected in series with the current limiting resistor and the excitation coil.

7 . The spine apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of actuating devices are coupled with one another via respective coupling inductors.

8 . A bionic robot, comprising:
a main body, the spine apparatus of claim 1 provided at the main body, and a fluid source configured to provide the spine apparatus with the magnetorheological fluid.

9 . A bionic robot, comprising:
a main body, the spine apparatus of claim 2 provided at the main body, and a fluid source configured to provide the spine apparatus with the magnetorheological fluid.

Assignees

• Univ Jiliang China

Inventors

• Wang Binrui
• Zhang Ke
• Jin Yinglian
• Guo Zhenwu

Classifications

• B25J19/068

  Actuating means with variable stiffness · CPC title

• B25J9/144

  Linear actuators · CPC title

• B25J17/00

  Joints · CPC title

• B25J11/00 Primary

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B25J9/10 Primary

  characterised by positioning means for manipulator elements · CPC title