JP2001260056A - Humanoid robot - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a humanoid robot compactly configured with a parallel mechanism having excellent mobility as a waist motion actuator. SOLUTION: Between a support table 7 and a waist frame 12, 3
The linear motion actuators 13 are connected to each other in a swingable manner in parallel, and the linear motion actuators 13 are attached to the waist frame 12.
The center tube 29 is swingably connected to the center tube 29, and the center tube 29 is supported by a guide member 38 that restricts rotation around the axis while allowing the center tube 29 to move up and down in the axial direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a humanoid robot having an actuator for operating a waist,
More specifically, the present invention relates to a humanoid robot having a compact configuration and excellent mobility.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A parallel mechanism is known as an actuator of a device requiring a multidimensional operation.
This parallel mechanism was originally developed for aircraft flight simulators (Stuart platform), and generally drives multiple linear actuators connected in parallel between a support and a movable frame. Thus, it is possible to realize a six-degree-of-freedom operation including a three-dimensional parallel movement and a three-dimensional rotational displacement around an axis. If a specific displacement of the linear motion actuator is restricted, the degree of freedom can be arbitrarily reduced. Although such a parallel mechanism has the advantage of high rigidity and capable of high-speed movement, its application field is limited due to a narrow movement range and a complicated structure.

On the other hand, in the field of robot technology, needs for humanoid robots imitating human shapes are increasing, and multidimensional actuators suitable for these humanoid robots are required.

[0004] Therefore, if a parallel mechanism can be applied to the waist movement actuator of the humanoid robot, it is possible to give the humanoid robot excellent mobility. However, it has been extremely difficult for the conventional parallel mechanism to have a compact configuration while securing the degree of freedom necessary for a humanoid robot.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a humanoid robot in which a parallel mechanism having excellent mobility is compactly configured as a waist motion actuator.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a humanoid robot according to the present invention has three linear actuators connected in parallel between a support base and a waist frame so as to be swingable, and A central shaft member extending along the linear motion actuator is swingably connected to the waist frame,
The center shaft member is supported by a guide member that restricts turning around the axis while allowing the center shaft member to move up and down in the axial direction.

As described above, while the three linear motion actuators are connected in parallel between the support base and the lumbar frame, the center shaft member connected to the lumbar frame is supported by a guide member capable of moving up and down and restraining rotation. By doing so, three of the six degrees of freedom can be restricted based on the relationship between the center shaft member and the guide member. Therefore, a simple structure in which three degrees of freedom required for a humanoid robot are secured can be realized only by the three linear motion actuators in addition to the center shaft member and the guide member. In addition, it is possible to exhibit excellent mobility as a parallel mechanism by driving the linear motion actuator.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the direct acting actuator comprises a power cylinder which expands and contracts by driving a servo motor. The linear motion actuator including the power cylinder has high rigidity and can move at high speed.
In addition, it is preferable that a universal joint is interposed between a connecting portion between the waist frame and the linear motion actuator and a connecting portion between the waist frame and the central shaft member. By interposing a universal joint in these connecting portions, it is possible to realize an operation corresponding to human movement while securing high rigidity.

In order for the humanoid robot to perform an operation closer to the movement of a human, a torso is mounted on a waist frame and an arm is connected to the torso, and an operation mechanism of the arm is provided. It is preferable to configure from a combination of seven axes.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3 illustrate a humanoid robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a bogie, 2 denotes a control unit, 3 denotes a waist operation actuator, 4 denotes a trunk, 5 denotes an arm, and 6 denotes a head. Trolley 1
Is provided with a pair of left and right front wheels 8 (drive wheels) and a pair of right and left rear wheels 9 (driven wheels) on a support base 7, with a waist motion actuator 3 mounted on the front side, and a control unit 2 mounted on the rear side. It is supposed to. A torso 4 is attached to the upper part of the waist movement actuator 3, and a pair of left and right arms 5 having a number of joints and a head 6 having a pair of left and right imaging cameras are attached to the torso 4. Have been. In addition, 10, 1
1 is a cover member.

As shown in FIG. 3, this humanoid robot has a neck longitudinal swing axis NJ1, a neck lateral swing axis NJ2, a neck pivot axis NJ3, an eye horizontal swing axis EJ1, an eye vertical swing axis EJ2,
Shoulder pivot axis AJ1, shoulder vertical swing axis AJ2, upper arm torsion axis AJ
3. Elbow rotation axis AJ4, wrist left / right swing axis AJ5, wrist front / back swing axis AJ6, wrist rotation axis AJ7, finger opening / closing axis AJ8, waist expansion / contraction axis WJ1, waist left / right swing axis WJ2, hip back / front swing axis WJ
3, a waist rotation axis WJ4, a steering axis S, and a traveling axis R are provided, and a desired operation is performed by rotating these axes by an appropriate amount under the control of the control unit 2.

In particular, the operation mechanism of the arm portion 5 includes a shoulder pivot axis AJ
1. Shaft vertical swing axis AJ2, upper arm torsion axis AJ3, elbow rotation axis AJ4, wrist left and right swing axis AJ5, wrist front and rear swing axis AJ
6. Since the configuration is such that the wrist rotation axes AJ7 are arranged to intersect each other, it is possible to realize a smooth operation similar to a human movement.

FIGS. 4 to 11 show the actuator for waist movement of the above-mentioned humanoid robot in detail. Three linear motion actuators 13 are connected in parallel between the support base 7 and the waist frame 12 at equal intervals. The linear actuator 13 is composed of a power cylinder. That is, the linear actuator 13 includes a vertically extending cylinder 14, a piston rod 15 slidably inserted inside the cylinder 14, and a gear mechanism 16 for transmitting a predetermined thrust to the piston rod 15.
And driven by a servomotor 17 with a speed reducer.

As shown in FIG. 11, a servo motor 17 is fixed to a gear mechanism 16 by bolts, and a rotary shaft 17a of the servo motor 17 and a drive shaft 16a of the gear mechanism 16 are connected to each other via a coupling 18. Are linked. The servo motor 17 is controlled by the control unit 2, and according to the rotation direction and the rotation amount, the piston rod 1 of the power cylinder is rotated.
5 is vertically extended and contracted from the upper end side of the cylinder 14.

A bracket 20 at a lower end of the linear motion actuator 13 is connected to a clevis 21 of the support 7 via a hinge pin 22 so that the linear motion actuator 13 can swing with respect to the support 7. On the other hand, the upper end of the linear motion actuator 13 is connected to the waist frame 12 via the universal joint 23, so that the linear motion actuator 13 can swing with respect to the waist frame 12. As shown in FIG. 10, the universal joint 23 includes a pair of clevises 24
It is connected to a block 28 via 6, 27.

A hollow center tube (central shaft member) 29 extending along the linear actuator 13 is provided at the center of the waist frame 12. The upper end of the center tube 29 is connected to the waist frame 12 via a universal joint 30 so that the center tube 29 can swing with respect to the waist frame 12. As shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 0 denotes a pair of clevises 31, 32 connected to a ring 35 via shafts 33, 34 orthogonal to each other. On the other hand, the lower end of the center tube 29 is in a free state.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, three support legs 36 are erected on the support base 7 at equal intervals so as to be alternate with the three linear actuators 13 described above. These support legs 36 are shorter than the linear actuator 13 in the contracted state, and all the support legs 3
A support frame 37 is attached so as to straddle 6. However, as shown in FIG.
6 has openings 39 at positions corresponding to the three linear motion actuators 13, so that the support frame 36 does not interfere with the operation of the linear motion actuators 13.

At the center of the support frame 37, a cylindrical guide member 38 for supporting the center tube 29 from the left and right directions is attached. The guide member 38 has a double structure of an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder fixed to each other, and has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the center tube 29. Further, the inner tube of the guide member 38 and the center tube 29 are prevented from rotating with each other due to the formation of the ball spline. Therefore, the guide member 38 restricts the rotation around the axis while allowing the center tube 29 to move up and down in the axial direction.

As described above, the support 7 and the lumbar frame 12
In the waist motion actuator 3 in which the three linear motion actuators 13 are connected in parallel and the center tube 29 connected to the waist frame 12 is supported by the guide member 38, the guide member 38 is connected to the center tube. Since the turn is restrained while allowing the 29 to move up and down,
As the operation of the waist frame 12, three degrees of freedom including a parallel movement in the front-rear direction, a parallel movement in the left-right direction, and a rotational displacement about the vertical axis can be restricted.

On the other hand, three linear actuators 1
3 by driving it properly,
An operation with three degrees of freedom consisting of a rotational displacement about a left-right axis and a rotational displacement about a front-rear axis can be performed. For example, if all the linear motion actuators 13 are expanded and contracted in the same direction, vertical translation can be performed. In addition, if the front two linear actuators 13 are expanded and contracted in the same direction while the rear one linear actuator 13 is kept as it is, the rotational displacement (falling) around the longitudinal swing axis can be performed. Furthermore,
Rear one linear actuator 13 is left as it is and front two
If the linear motion actuators 13 are expanded and contracted in opposite directions, rotational displacement (falling) around the left-right swing axis can be performed. These three-degree-of-freedom operations may be performed simultaneously.

According to the present embodiment, the center tube 2
The waist motion actuator 3 having a simple structure that secures the three degrees of freedom required for the humanoid robot can be realized only by the three linear motion actuators 13 in addition to the nine linear motion actuators 13 and the guide member 38. In addition, the driving of the three linear motion actuators 13 can exhibit excellent mobility as a parallel mechanism. Note that the center shaft member may have a solid structure, but a center tube 29 having a hollow structure may be used to speed up the parallel mechanism.

Further, since the linear actuator 13 is constituted by a power cylinder which expands and contracts by driving the servomotor 17, the rigidity of the multi-dimensional actuator is high, and high-speed movement is possible.

Furthermore, universal joints 2 are provided at the connection between the waist frame 12 and the linear motion actuator 13 and at the connection between the waist frame 12 and the center tube 29, respectively.
Since the third and the third are interposed, it is possible to realize an operation corresponding to a human movement while securing high rigidity.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, three linear actuators are connected between the support base and the waist frame so as to be swingable in parallel, and the linear actuator is connected to the waist frame along the linear actuator. The center shaft member extending and extending is swingably connected, and the center shaft member is supported by a guide member that restrains turning around the shaft while allowing the shaft member to move up and down in the axial direction. A humanoid robot with excellent mobility can be configured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing a humanoid robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view showing the humanoid robot according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an operation mechanism of the humanoid robot according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing a waist movement actuator of the humanoid robot according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the humanoid robot according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a waist movement actuator partially cut away.

6 is a view as viewed in the direction of arrows AA in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view taken in the direction of arrows BB in FIG. 5;

8 is a view taken in the direction of arrows CC in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a view as seen in the direction of arrows DD in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing part E of FIG. 5 with a part cut away.

11 is an enlarged view showing part F of FIG. 5 with a part cut away.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Actuator for waist movement 4 Body 5 Arm 7 Support base 12 Waist frame 13 Linear actuator 17 Servo motor 23 Universal joint 29 Center tube (center shaft member) 30 Universal joint 38 Guide member

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A linear motion actuator is connected between a support base and a waist frame so as to be swingable in parallel.
A center shaft member extending along the linear actuator is swingably connected to the waist frame, and the center shaft member is supported by a guide member that restricts pivoting around the axis while allowing the center shaft member to move up and down in the axial direction. Humanoid robot. 2. The humanoid robot according to claim 1, wherein said linear actuator comprises a power cylinder which expands and contracts by driving a servomotor. 3. The humanoid according to claim 1, wherein a universal joint is interposed between a connecting portion between the waist frame and the linear motion actuator and a connecting portion between the waist frame and the center shaft member. robot. 4. The body according to claim 1, wherein a body is mounted on the waist frame, an arm is connected to the body, and an operation mechanism of the arm is constituted by a combination of seven axes. The humanoid robot described in Crab.