Six-legged walking robot having robotic arms for legs and plurality of joints

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9359028-B2
Application number	US-201314375398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2013
Priority date	May 17, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is a hexapod walking robot having a robot arm combined with a leg and a plurality of joints. The hexapod walking robot having a robot arm combined with a leg and a plurality of joints includes a robot body; a plurality of legs installed to the robot body such that the legs have various degrees of freedom; and at least one grip unit installed to at least one of the legs such that at least one grip unit is foldable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hexapod walking robot having a robot arm combined with a leg and a plurality of joints, the hexapod walking robot comprising:
a robot body;
a plurality of legs installed to the robot body such that the legs have various degrees of freedom; and
at least one grip unit installed to at least one of the legs such that the at least one grip unit is foldable,
wherein each of the legs includes:
a fixing member installed to the robot body;
a rotation body rotatably installed in parallel with the fixing member;
a first unit leg connected to the rotation body such that the first unit leg is rotated up and down;
a second unit leg linked with the first unit leg such that the second unit leg is rotated up and down; and
a rotation unit for controlling rotations of the rotation body and the first and second unit legs,
wherein a receiving space is formed in the second unit leg and the grip unit is received in the receiving space in a folded state,
wherein the rotation unit includes a first rotation unit, a second rotation unit and a third rotation unit,
wherein the first rotation unit includes:
a first horizontal rotation shaft installed to the fixing member;
a second horizontal rotation shaft for forming a rotation center of the rotation body;
a first tension member for connecting the first and second horizontal rotation shafts to each other; and
a first motor for rotating the first horizontal rotation shaft,
wherein the second rotation unit includes:
a first vertical rotation shaft formed in the rotation body to form a rotation center of the first unit leg;
a second vertical rotation shaft installed to the first unit leg in parallel with the first vertical rotation shaft;
a second tension member for connecting the first and second vertical rotation shafts to each other; and
a second motor for rotating the first vertical rotation shaft, and
wherein the third rotation unit includes:
a first additional vertical rotation shaft installed at a link portion between the first and second unit legs to form a rotation center of the second unit leg;
a second additional vertical rotation shaft installed to the first unit leg in parallel with the first additional vertical rotation shaft;
a third tension member for connecting the first and second additional vertical rotation shafts to each other; and
a third motor for rotating the first additional vertical rotation shaft.

2. The hexapod walking robot of claim 1 , wherein the legs are installed to both sides of the robot body such that a number of the legs at one side about a central line of the robot body corresponds to a number of the legs at an opposite side about the central line.

3. The hexapod walking robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first tension control member installed to the fixing member;
a second tension control member installed to the rotation body; and
a third tension control member installed to the first unit leg,
wherein each of the first to third tension control members includes:
a tension meter for measuring tension values of the first to third tension members;
a pressing member closely adhering to the first to third tension members so as to move as pressure is applied thereto; and
a controller for controlling a movement of the pressing member such that a measured tension value corresponds to a preset reference tension value.

4. The hexapod walking robot of claim 3 , wherein the grip unit includes a fourth rotation unit; a rotation member; and a gripper,
wherein the fourth rotation unit includes:
a first grip rotation shaft installed to the second leg in parallel with the second additional vertical rotation shaft;
a second grip rotation shaft installed to a lower end of the second unit leg;
a fourth tension member for connecting the first and second grip rotation shafts to each other; and
a fourth motor for rotating the first grip rotation shaft,
wherein one end of the rotation member is rotatably connected to the second grip rotation shaft,
wherein the gripper includes:
a fixing body installed to an opposite end of the rotation member and having a fifth motor; and
a grip installed to the fixing body,
wherein a main gear interworking with a rotation of the fifth motor and a pair of supplementary gears interworking with the main gear are installed to the fixing body, and
wherein the grip includes a pair of grips, one end of which is connected to the pair of supplementary gears such that the pair of grips interworks with the pair of supplementary gears.

5. The hexapod walking robot of claim 4 , further comprising a force-moment sensor installed between the fixing member and the robot body to measure a force generated between the fixing member and the robot body,
wherein a first load cell is installed to one end of the rotation member,
wherein a second load cell is installed to a lower end of the second unit leg which does not have the grip unit to measure a pressure value generated between a sea floor of seabed and the lower end of the second unit leg,
wherein the controller receives the force measured by the force-moment sensor and the pressure value measured by the first and second load cells and controls the first to third motors to control a posture of the robot body such that a center of gravity of the robot body is balanced according to an angle of a ground on which the legs stand.

6. The hexapod walking robot of claim 4 , wherein the controller is connected to a work instruction selecting unit for transmitting a working signal or a walking signal to the controller,
the controller allows the rotation member to escape out of the receiving space by using the fourth and fifth motors and allows the grip to perform a grip operation when the controller receives the working signal from the work instruction selecting unit, and
the controller allows the rotation member to be placed in the receiving space when the controller receives the walking signal from the work instruction selecting unit.

7. The hexapod walking robot of claim 6 , wherein the legs include side legs including plural pairs of side legs installed at both sides of the robot; and
working legs including a pair of working legs installed to one end of the robot, and
wherein the grip unit is foldably installed to the second unit leg of each working leg.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Ocean Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Jun Bong-Huan
• Kim Jung-Yup
• Park Jin-Yeong
• Shim Hyung-Won
• Kim Bang-Hyun
• Baek Hyuk
• Lee Pan-Mook

Classifications

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• B62D57/032 Primary

  with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid (B62D57/024 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25J19/00 Primary

  Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators (safety-devices in general F16P; protection against radiation in general G21F) · CPC title

• B25J9/06

  characterised by multi-articulated arms · CPC title