Butting mechanism between every two unit modules of modular self-reconfigurable robot and butting method

Abstract

The invention discloses a butting mechanism between every two unit modules of a modular self-reconfigurable robot. Two butting surfaces are respectively arranged on a front arm and a rear arm of each unit module; the abutting surface of the front arm of anyone unit module is butted with the butting surface of rear arms of other unit modules; a motor is fixedly arranged at the inner side of the butting surface of the front arm; a gear is fixedly arranged at the tail end of an output shaft of the motor; a through hole provided with a bearing is arranged in the center of the butting surface of the front arm; a gear with a central convex circle is arranged in the through hole; the central convex circle is sleeved in the bearing; a conical head of which the excircle is provided with a jaw is arranged at the tail end of the central convex circle; a plane at the tail end of the conical head is fixedly connected with the front end face of the central convex circle of the gear; the gear and the conical head are respectively arranged at the inner side and the outer side of the butting surface of the front arm; a clamping hole matched with the conical head provided with the jaw is arranged in the center of the butting surface of the rear arm; and when the gear is meshed and rotates, the jaw of the conical head is aligned to or displaced with a notch of the clamping hole, so that the two butting surfaces are separated or locked.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a modular self-reconfigurable robot, in particular to a docking mechanism and a docking method between unit modules of a modular self-reconfigurable robot. Background technique [0002] The modular self-reconfigurable robot is composed of a number of unit modules with certain autonomy and perception capabilities. Each module has a unified mechanical and electrical interface, which can be autonomously docked and assembled into various conjoined configurations and can be converted to each other to achieve different movements. and operating functions. The main features of modular self-reconfigurable robots are self-reconfiguration and self-repair functions. The docking mechanism of the unit modules must ensure reliable mechanical connections between unit modules and easy separation. At the same time, it requires small size, energy saving, and simple mechanisms. Therefore, the docking mechanism is one of the most important...

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Problems solved by technology

Mechanical connection is mainly divided into claw mechanism and pin-hole mechanism. Among them, the claw mechanism is relatively compact, but the mechanism is complicated and the docking accuracy is high; the permanent magnet connection mechanism has the advantages of high connection strength and small size, but its main The problem is that the shear resistance of the docking surface is weak. If the speed planning is unreasonable during the overall movement of the robot, the connection will be unreliable if there is a relative motion trend between the two connecting modules; the electromagnetic docking mechanism can reduce the complexity of the mechanism design , but there are problems such as large volume, heavy weight, large heat generation and small load capacity; SMA and mechanical combination, because the action of SMA consumes time and energy, it is not suitable for the situation where fast locking and separating actions are required

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