JP2003340753A - robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the size of an actuator used for a leg, improve rigidity of a leg, and increase the speed of operation, as well as the positioning accuracy of the tip of the leg, as compared with the related art. Provide a legged mobile robot that can be expected to be improved. SOLUTION: The leg 3 of the robot 1 is constituted by an arm 8 and a parallel mechanism 9. The parallel mechanism 9 includes a base 1 attached to the tip of the arm 8.
5, the foot portion 16 and three cylinders 17 connecting these components to each other.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot having a plurality of legs and moving by moving the legs, and more particularly to a robot having parallel mechanisms on the legs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A so-called leg type mobile robot having a plurality of legs and moving by operating the legs is widely known. The leg portion of a conventional robot generally uses a serial link mechanism in which a plurality of links are connected in series. In this type of robot, actuators such as motors are provided at joints which are connecting portions of each link, and each joint is operated by driving these actuators.

In addition to this, there is also a robot using a parallel link mechanism for the legs. Parallel link mechanism is 4
It is a mechanism that combines two links to form a parallelogram. In a robot using such a parallel link mechanism, the leg joint is operated by an actuator provided on the leg base end side (robot body side).

[0004]

However, in the robot using the serial link mechanism for the legs as described above, the distance from the distal end to the proximal end of the leg is increased.
Since the moment acting on the joint increases, the actuator on the proximal end side has become large. In addition, since the structure is a cantilever, bending stress acts on each link, and a highly rigid link is required to ensure sufficient rigidity, which increases the mass of the link and the actuator. Had led to a further increase in size. Therefore, there is a demand for the actuator used for the leg portion of such a robot to be as small as possible while ensuring an output capable of operating the leg portion. Has a problem that it is difficult to speed up the operation.

There is also a problem that the positioning accuracy of the tip portion is low due to the backlash of the speed reducer or the like connected to each actuator.

Further, in a robot that uses a parallel link mechanism for the legs, it is necessary to centrally arrange actuators for operating the legs at the base ends of the legs, which requires a space for installing the actuators. There is a problem that the robot becomes large in size in order to secure it.

Further, since the actuators are concentratedly arranged at the base ends of the legs, there is a problem that the center of gravity of the robot becomes high.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and by using the parallel mechanism, the actuator can be made smaller, the rigidity can be improved, and the operation speed can be increased as compared with the conventional one. An object of the present invention is to provide a robot that can be expected to improve the positioning accuracy of the tip portions of the legs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a robot which is smaller than the conventional one and has a low center of gravity.

[0010]

A robot according to the present invention is provided with a plurality of legs, and the robot moves by operating the legs, wherein the legs have a base end portion, a tip end portion, and A parallel mechanism having a base end portion and a distal end portion, and an operating portion for changing the relative position of each connection portion, wherein the base end portion and the distal end portion are connected by a plurality of the operating portions. It is characterized by including.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are conceptual diagrams illustrating the parallel mechanism. The parallel mechanism is a mechanical structure in which a first member 91 and a second member 92, which are spaced apart from each other and face each other, are connected by a plurality of links (operating units) 93. Such parallel mechanisms include telescopic type, rotary type, linear type, and wire type.

FIG. 11A shows a telescopic parallel mechanism, and FIG. 11B shows a rotary parallel mechanism. As shown in FIG. 11A, the telescopic parallel mechanism has a structure in which the link 93 has a rod shape with both ends thereof connected to the first member 91 and the second member 92, respectively, and has a structure that expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction. There is. In this parallel mechanism, a universal joint or the like is used at each of the connecting portion of the link 93 with the first member 91 and the connecting portion of the link 93 with the second member 91.
3 is tiltable with respect to the first member 91 and the second member 92 at any angle within a predetermined range. In such a telescopic parallel mechanism, the first member 91 and the second member 92 can be relatively moved in any direction within their operating range by independently controlling the expansion and contraction of each link 93. it can.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), in the rotary type parallel mechanism, a link 93 is constituted by two rod-shaped joints each of which one end is pivotally attached, and the other end of one joint is The structure is such that it is connected to the first member 91 and the other end of the other joint is connected to the second member 92. Further, the joint on the first member 91 side is a base end portion (the other end portion) by a rotary actuator.
The second member 9
The joint connected to the second side can be tilted at any angle within a predetermined range by a universal joint or the like. In such a rotary type parallel mechanism, by independently controlling the swing of the joint on the side of the first member 91 of each link 93, the first member 91 and the second member 92 can be moved in any direction within their operating range. It can be moved relatively even to.

In such a parallel mechanism, even if the actuator for operating each link 93 is small, the output of each actuator acts in parallel, so that a large output can be generated as a whole of the parallel mechanism. There is an advantage. Further, no matter what direction force is applied to the first member 91 and the second member 92, almost no bending stress acts on each link 93, but only tensile stress or compressive stress acts on each link 93. Therefore, such a parallel mechanism is characterized in that it is easy to secure sufficient rigidity for the intended purpose even when each link is made of a lightweight material.

In the robot according to the present invention, since the legs are constructed by such a parallel mechanism, the actuator as compared with the conventional one can be used while securing the output as a whole sufficiently for the purpose of use. It can be miniaturized. Moreover, it is possible to secure sufficient rigidity while being lightweight for the purpose of use. Further, the lighter weight and higher output than the conventional one enables the operation to be speeded up.

Further, since the output of each operation unit (actuator provided in each operation unit) may be relatively small, a speed reducer or the like is not required in many cases. This enables further size reduction and weight reduction. Further, when a speed reducer or the like is not provided, backlash due to this hardly occurs, so that it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of the tip portions of the legs. Further, by not requiring a speed reducer or the like, higher speed operation can be expected.

Further, since the parallel mechanism has a structure in which the respective operating parts are arranged between the base end portion and the tip end portion, it is not necessary to centrally arrange the actuators on the base end side of the leg portion,
It is possible to prevent the body portion of the robot from increasing in size.
Further, this also makes it possible to lower the position of the center of gravity of the robot.

In the above invention, the operating portion may be configured to operate so as to change the separation distance of the connection point. Accordingly, each operating unit only needs to perform a simple operation of changing the separation distance of the connection point, and the configuration of each operating unit can be simplified.

In this case, it is also possible that the operating unit has a rotary operating unit that performs a rotary operation, and a conversion unit that converts the rotary motion of the rotary operating unit into a linear motion. As a result, various known mechanisms such as a cam mechanism, a ball screw mechanism, a link mechanism, etc. can be used as the converting means, and an operating unit having a simple structure can be configured.

Further, in the above invention, it is possible that the operating portion has a direct-acting actuator. This makes it possible to further simplify the structure of the legs of the robot.

Further, in this case, in the operating portion, one of the piston rod and the cylinder tube is connected to one of the base end portion and the tip end portion, and the other of the piston rod and the cylinder tube is the base end portion. It is also possible to have a configuration in which a fluid cylinder is connected to the other of the section and the tip section. This not only simplifies the structure of each operating unit, but also allows the operating unit to operate at a relatively high speed and obtains relatively large power.

Further, by adopting such a configuration,
The occurrence of backlash can be eliminated.

In the above invention, the four leg portions may be provided. As the number of legs of the robot increases, the control of the movement becomes complicated, so
It is desirable to reduce the number of legs as much as possible. Further, when the number of legs is 4 or more, the robot can perform so-called static stable movement in which the center of gravity is always held within the support surface, so that the posture of the robot can be easily stabilized and there is a risk of falling or the like. Few. Therefore, according to the invention described above, it is possible to configure a robot in which the control of the operation is relatively easy, the risk of falling is small, and the posture is easily stabilized.

[0024]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a robot according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 1
As shown in FIG. 1, the robot 1 according to the first embodiment is mainly composed of a body portion 2 and four leg portions 3.
The body portion 2 includes a front member 4 and a rear member 5. The front member 4 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped tubular shape with both ends in the longitudinal direction open, and its front and rear ends are open ends. The rear member 5 also has a shape similar to that of the front member 4. The rear end of the front member 4 and the front end of the rear member 5 are connected via an intermediate member 6.

The intermediate member 6 has a short cylindrical shape whose opening is substantially the same as the opening of the front member 4 and the rear member 5, and the front and rear ends of the upper surface and the lower and front ends thereof are substantially the same. It is projected in an arc shape. Further, the upper and lower surfaces of the rear end portion of the front member 4 also project in a substantially arc shape. The arcuate projecting portions of the rear end of the front member 4 are in a state of overlapping with the arcuate projecting portions of the front end of the upper surface and the front end of the lower surface of the intermediate member 6, and these overlapped portions are Connected by pin bonding. As a result, the front member 4 and the intermediate member 6 are rotatable laterally with respect to each other.

Similarly, the upper and lower surfaces of the front end portion of the rear member 5 also project in a substantially arcuate shape. The projecting portions of the front end portions of these rear members 5 are in a state of overlapping with the projecting portions of the rear ends of the upper and lower surfaces of the intermediate member 6, and these overlapped portions are connected by pin joining. . As a result, the rear member 5 and the intermediate member 6 are rotatable laterally with respect to each other.

One end of a pneumatic or hydraulic damper 7 is pivotally mounted near the rear end of the upper surface of the front member 4, and the damper 7 is mounted near the front end of the upper surface of the rear member 5. The other end is pivotally attached. As a result, a damping force acts when the front member 4 and the rear member 5 relatively rotate,
It is designed to rotate smoothly.

The front member 4 and the rear member 5 are each provided with two leg portions 3. These legs 3 include an arm 8 and a parallel mechanism 9. Arm 8
Is composed of the support member 10 and the four links 11 to 14, and is attached to the substantially central portions in the longitudinal direction of both side surfaces of the front member 4 and the rear member 5, respectively, as described below. The support member 10 has a substantially channel shape, and includes an upper surface portion and a lower surface portion facing each other, and a side surface portion positioned between them. Support member 1
The side surface portion of 0 is fixed to the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the side surface of the front member 4 (rear member 5), and the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion project to the side of the front member 4 (rear member 5). It is in the state of doing.

The link 11 is pin-connected to the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion of the support member 10 so that the link 11 is rotatably supported in the front-rear direction. The links 11 to 14 are formed by using, for example, a metal channel material in order to achieve high rigidity and light weight, and these constitute a parallel link mechanism. More specifically, link 11 and link 12
Is shorter than the links 13 and 14, and the link 12 is arranged at a position separated from the body 2. The link 11 and the link 12 are connected by the link 13 and the link 14. The link 11 is arranged such that the channel-shaped facing surface portions are located at the front and rear, respectively, and one end portion of each of the link 13 and the link 14 is sandwiched between these facing surface portions. Further, the facing surface portion of the link 11 is connected to the link 13 and the link 14 by pin joining, whereby the link 13 and the link 14 are rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the link 11.

The link 13 is arranged with its channel-shaped opening side facing substantially downward, and the link 14 faces the lower side of the link 13 with its opening side facing substantially upward and is substantially parallel to the link 13. It is arranged in a simple state. Further, both side surfaces of the link 13 and both side surfaces of the link 14 are in a state of being overlapped with each other.

The link 12 is arranged with its channel-shaped opening side facing upward, and the other end portions of the link 13 and the link 14 are sandwiched between the facing surfaces thereof. The other ends of the link 13 and the link 14 are connected to the link 12 by pin joining, so that the link 13 and the link 14 are rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the link 12.

The link 12 is arranged with its intermediate surface portion facing downward, and the parallel mechanism 9 is attached to the outer surface of the intermediate surface portion. The parallel mechanism 9 includes a base (base end portion) 15, a foot portion (tip portion).
16 and a cylinder (operating unit) 17 are mainly configured. The base 15 has a shape such that three parts are extended outward so as to have a substantially Y shape in a plan view. The upper surface of the central portion of the base 15 is fixed to the lower surface of the link 12.

The respective extending portions of the base 15 are provided so as to be separated from each other by approximately 120 °. Furthermore,
One of the extending portions of the base 15 connected to the front member 4 is rearward and extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the connected arm 8. Therefore, the other two of the extending portions of the base 15 are provided forward. On the other hand, one of the extending portions of the base 15 connected to the rear member 5 is the front and the connected arm 8
Extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the, and the other two extend rearward. And such a base 1
The lower surface of the tip of each extended portion of 5 is connected to the cylinder 17 via a universal joint.

The cylinder 17 is a pneumatic or hydraulic fluid cylinder. The cylinder 17 is arranged such that its cylinder tube 18 is located at the upper side and the piston rod 19 is located at the lower side, and the upper end portion of the cylinder tube 18 is connected to the tip of the extended portion of the base 15 via a universal joint. There is. Further, the lower end portion of the piston rod 19 of each of the three cylinders 17 is connected to the foot portion 16 via a universal joint.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the structure of the foot 16 of the robot 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the foot portion 16 is mainly composed of a connecting member 20, a damper 21, a leaf spring member 22 and a grounding portion 23. The connection member 20 is substantially Y in plan view.
Each of the three parts extending in the shape of a letter is a piston rod 1 via a universal joint.
9 is connected to the lower end portion. Further, one end of a damper 21 made of an elastic member such as rubber and having a substantially cylindrical shape is fixed to the lower surface of the central portion of the connecting member 20. The other end of the damper 21 is fixed to the leaf spring member 22.

The plate spring member 22 is a plate member made of metal and having a substantially Y shape in a plan view, and holes not shown are provided in each of the portions extending in three directions. And the grounding part 23 is attached to this hole. The grounding portion 23 has a rod-shaped screw member 24 and a grounding member 25 attached to one end of the screw member 24. One end surface of the ground member 25 projects in a conical shape, and the other end surface has a substantially disk shape with a flat surface, and the flat surface serves as a ground surface. In addition, a substantially spherical hole is provided at the tip of the conical surface of the ground member 25. One end of the screw member 24 is formed in a substantially spherical shape, and the one end and the ground member 25
The holes are engaged with each other to form a universal joint. That is, the ground member 25 can be tilted with respect to the screw member 24 in any direction within a predetermined range.

Such a grounding portion 23 is provided with the screw member 24 in a state where the screw member 24 is penetrated into the hole of the leaf spring member 22.
The leaf spring member 22 is fastened to the leaf spring member 22 by sandwiching the leaf spring member 22 from above and below by the two nuts 26 and 27 screwed to the male thread portion.

With the above-described structure, the grounding portion 23 is provided with the damper 2 even when the connecting member 20 is not horizontal.
When 1 bends, the grounding surface of the grounding member 25 can be grounded following the ground. Even if the ground has unevenness, the universal joint tilts the grounding member 25 to a position where the grounding area is larger, so that each leg 3 can be grounded in a stable state.

The structure of the leg portion 3 will be described with reference to FIG. Two cylinders 28 are connected to the upper surface of the front end of the front member 4. These cylinders 28
It is a pneumatic or hydraulic fluid cylinder, and the base ends of the respective cylinder tubes 29 are connected to two laterally spaced locations on the upper surface of the front end of the front member 4 via universal joints. Also, one cylinder 28
Of the piston rod 30 is connected via a universal joint to the front side portion of the base 15 included in the leg 3 closer to the cylinder 28 among the legs 3 connected to the front member 4. ing. Similarly, the tip end portion of the piston rod 30 of the other cylinder 28 is also connected to the front side portion of the base 15 included in the leg portion 3 on the side opposite to the leg portion 3 via a universal joint.

Further, the base end portions of the cylinder tubes 32 of the two cylinders 31 are also connected to the upper surface of the rear end portion of the front member 4 at two laterally spaced locations via a universal joint. Here, the cylinder 31 is the cylinder 2
8, the cylinder tube length, the piston rod length, and the stroke are the same. One cylinder 3
1, the end of the piston rod 33 is connected to the rear portion of the base 15 of the leg portion 3 connected to the front member 4 which is closer to the cylinder 31 via a universal joint. It is connected. The tip of the piston rod 33 of the other cylinder 31 is also connected to the leg 3
In the rear part of the base 15 of the leg part 3 on the opposite side,
Connected via a universal joint.

Therefore, the base 15 of the leg portion 3 connected to the front member 4 includes the arm 8 and the cylinders 28 and 31.
Is connected to the front member 4. Further, the cylinder 28 is arranged in front of the arm 8 and the cylinder 31 is
It is arranged behind the arm 8.

The leg portions 3 connected to the rear member 5 are also connected by the cylinder 28 and the cylinder 31, respectively, but since they have the same structure as the leg portion 3 connected to the front member 4, their description will be omitted. Is omitted.

Next, the operation of the robot 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The operation of the robot 1 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) built in the body 2. 3 to 5 show Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the robot 1 according to the present invention. When the lengths of the cylinder 28 and the cylinder 31, that is, the protrusion amount of the piston rod 30 from the cylinder tube 29 and the protrusion amount of the piston rod 33 from the cylinder tube 32 are respectively half of the stroke, the arm 8
Is in a state in which the longitudinal direction thereof is a lateral direction, that is, a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the front member 4 and the rear member 5 to which the arm 8 is connected. Hereinafter, this state is referred to as an arm neutral state.

From this arm neutral state, as shown in FIG. 3, when the cylinder 28 is shortened and the cylinder 31 is extended, the arm 8 is centered on the joint point between the support member 10 and the link 11. Rotate forward. As a result, the foot portion 16 connected to the arm 8 moves forward.

On the other hand, when the cylinder 28 is extended and the cylinder 31 is shortened from the arm neutral state, the arm 8 pivots rearward about the joint point, and the foot tip portion 16 rearward. Move to.

When the cylinder 28 and the cylinder 31 are shortened by the same length from the arm neutral state, as shown in FIG. 4, the link 13 and the link 14 become
It rotates upward around the joint point with each link 11. As a result, the link 12 moves upward along the arcuate locus, and the foot portion 16 moves upward accordingly.

On the other hand, when the cylinder 28 and the cylinder 31 are extended by the same length from the arm neutral state, the link 13 and the link 14 respectively rotate downward about the joint point. As a result, the link 12 moves downward along the arcuate locus and the toe 16
Moves downward.

The three cylinders 17 included in one parallel mechanism 9 have the same stroke length. When the piston rods 19 of these cylinders 17 are projected from the cylinder tube 18 by a length of half the stroke thereof, the parallel mechanism 9 is in a state of extending in a substantially vertical direction. Hereinafter, this state is referred to as a parallel mechanism neutral state.

The parallel mechanism 9 connected to the rear member 5, that is, the parallel mechanism 9 on the rear leg side, is moved from the neutral state of the parallel mechanism as described above to one of the three cylinders 17 included therein as shown in FIG. , The front one
If one is extended and / or the rear two are shortened, the toe part 16 moves rearward. In this way, by expanding and contracting the three cylinders included in one parallel mechanism 9, it is possible to move the sole 16 in any direction.

The robot 1 can perform the required motions by performing the above motions in combination on the respective legs 3. For example, each leg portion 3 is formed in a well-known walking pattern such as static walking when the number of legs is 4, which is called a crawl gait.
The robot 1 can be caused to perform a walking motion by operating.

The parallel mechanism 9 can extend the entire length of the parallel mechanism 9 by extending the three cylinders 17 included therein from the parallel mechanism neutral state by the same length. By shortening 17 respectively by the same length, the length of the entire parallel mechanism 9 can be shortened. By using such an operation and / or the above-described operation of rotating the arm 8 up and down, for example, a step can be overcome.

In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the operating unit of the parallel mechanism 9 is the cylinder 17 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the linear motor may be connected to one of the toes 16 and the runner to the other. Further, for example, each operating unit includes a motor having a cylindrical rotary shaft having an internal threaded portion provided on the inner surface thereof and a moving shaft having an external threaded portion provided on the outer surface thereof and penetrating in a threaded state with the rotary shaft. The moving shaft may be moved in the axial direction by the operation of the motor, and the moving parts may be expanded and contracted by the movement of the moving shaft. Each of the moving parts may be a rotary shaft having a male screw part on a part of its outer surface. And a moving shaft that is internally threaded on its inner surface and that is screwed onto this rotating shaft. When the motor operates, the moving shaft moves in the axial direction, and the operating unit expands and contracts. May be

Not limited to these, each operating unit
A rotary actuator such as a motor and a conversion means such as a rack and pinion, a belt, and a ball screw for converting the rotary motion of the motor into a linear motion are provided. If the separation distance between the connection points with respect to the tip portion 16 changes,
It may have any configuration.

In the first embodiment, the cylinder 17 constitutes each operating portion, but each operating portion is constituted by another linear actuator such as a solenoid, and the linear actuator is formed. The distance between the connecting portions of the operating portion with respect to the base 15 and the toe portion 16 may be changed by the operation of.

Further, the operating portion is not a linear or rotary actuator, but an actuator such as a shape memory alloy which performs a motion different from a rotary motion and a linear motion, and the motion of this actuator causes the motion part to move. The separation distance between the connection points with respect to the base 15 and the foot portion 16 may be changed.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the configuration in which one parallel mechanism 9 is provided in one leg portion 3 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of parallel mechanisms may be connected in series. It may be configured to be connected to each other and used for the leg portion 3.

In the first embodiment, the parallel mechanism 9 is connected to the body portion 2 via the arm 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The base 15 may be directly connected to the body portion 2.

FIG. 6 shows the robot 1 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining an example of use of FIG. 7, and FIG. 7 is a side view for explaining another example of use of the robot 1 according to the first embodiment. The usage example of the robot 1 shown in FIG.
The body 2 and the arm 8 of the robot 1 according to the first embodiment are covered with a cover 101, and the parallel mechanism 9 is covered with a flexible bellows-shaped cover 102. A seat portion 103 for an operator to sit on is provided on the top of the cover 101, and a joystick 104 for operating the robot 1 is provided in front of the seat portion 103. Further, in the usage example of the robot 1, the foot portion at the tip of the parallel mechanism 9 is a hemisphere whose lower side is a spherical surface.

Further, the robot 1 according to the first embodiment
Can also be used as shown in FIG. The example of use of the robot 1 shown in FIG. 7 has a configuration in which wheels 105 are provided in the center of the cover 101 in the front-rear direction. The tip of the parallel mechanism 9 is a wheel having a smaller diameter than the wheel 105. Other configurations are the same as the usage example shown in FIG. With this configuration, the robot 1 according to the first embodiment can be used as a wheelchair. In this case, it is possible to easily ride over obstacles, steps, etc., which are difficult to get over with a conventional wheelchair, by using the legs 3.

Further, a robot capable of being carried by a human as shown in FIG. 6 can be configured so that it can be used also as a simulator for robot operation training as described below. desirable. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an operation training simulator system using the robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this system, the robot 1 is used by fixing the legs of its legs to, for example, the floor surface in the room. The robot 1 is connected to a control circuit 106 provided outside. Robot 1
Is connected to the control circuit 106 in this way,
The operation signal from the joystick 104 is transmitted to the robot 1
The actuators of the robot 1 are controlled by the control signals output from the control circuit 106 instead of the control units incorporated in the robot 1. ing.

Further, the control circuit 106 includes the image generation circuit 1
It is connected to 07. The image generation circuit 107 includes, for example, a DVD reading device, and the control circuit 1
Image data is generated according to the instruction from 06.

The image generation circuit 107 is also connected to the image output device 108. This image output device 108
Is composed of a CRT or LCD, receives image data output from the image generation circuit 107, and outputs an image corresponding to the image data.

A user who conducts operation training sits on the seat 103 of the robot 1 and uses the joystick 104 to
Instruct the robot 1 to operate. This operation signal is given to the control circuit 106, and the control circuit 106 does not move the robot 1 in the front-rear direction and / or the left-right direction, but when the operation instruction is given (forward, backward, turn, etc.). ) Outputs a control signal to the robot 1 to cause the robot 1 to perform an operation according to (1). With this control signal,
Each actuator of the robot 1 is driven, and the robot 1
Works. At this time, for example, when the user gives an instruction to move forward, the robot 1 does not move forward, but only moves the body portion up and down or tilts when moving forward.

Further, the control circuit 106 outputs to the image generation circuit 107 a signal for instructing the generation of image data according to the operation instruction from the user. The instruction signal includes, for example, the moving direction and moving speed instructed by the user. In response to the instruction signal, the image generation circuit 107, based on the image currently displayed by the image output device 108, image data of a landscape in front of the robot 1 when the robot 1 moves in the moving direction at the moving speed. Is generated and is output to the image output device 108. Then, the image output device 1
08 outputs an image in front of the robot 1 according to this image data.

As a result, the user can operate the image output device 108.
By operating the joystick 104 while visually observing the display image of 1, the operation training of the robot 1 can be performed as if the robot 1 was actually moved.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the structure of a robot according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9
As shown in FIG. 3, the robot 3 according to the second embodiment of the present invention
4 includes an upper device 35 provided above the body 2. The upper device 35 is configured as follows.

Mounted on the upper surfaces of the front member 4 and the rear member 5 are pedestals 36 and 37 each having a shape in which a plate is bent so that its central portion projects in a substantially rectangular shape. Guide end members 38 and 39 each having a shape in which the plate is bent into a substantially L shape are attached to the upper surface of the stepped portion of 37 with the horizontal plate portion facing downward. The front guide end member 38 is rotatably attached to the pedestal 36 and is movably attached within a predetermined range, and the rear guide end member 3 is provided.
9 is rotatably attached to the pedestal 37. Further, the respective guide end members 38, 39 are arranged such that the respective horizontal plate portions are directed toward the side close to each other, and the facing surfaces of the respective vertical plate portions, that is, the surfaces on the inner side of bending of the respective vertical plate portions. Two guide rods 40 and one screw rod 41 are passed in parallel with each other. Thereby, each guide end member 38,
Although the distance between 39 is regulated, since the guide end members 38 and 39 are attached to the pedestals 36 and 37 as described above, the front member 4 and the rear member 5 can be bent within a predetermined range. Is.

Each of the guide rod 40 and the screw rod 41 is in a state of penetrating the moving member 42 having a flat and substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A portion of the moving member 42, through which the screw rod 41 penetrates, is formed in a female screw shape.
And are screwed together. Further, the lower end of the screw rod 41 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 43 attached to the back surface of the vertical plate portion of the guide end member 39, so that the screw rod 41 can be rotated when the motor 43 is rotated. The moving member 42 rotates and moves back and forth along the guide rod 40 and the screw rod 41.

Vertical plate-shaped support plates 44 are attached to both side surfaces of the moving member 42. The support plates 44 face each other above the moving member 42, and the rear end portions of the two links 45 and 46 are sandwiched between the facing surfaces. The width of the links 45 and 46 is the same as that of the moving member 4
The width is approximately the same as the width of 2. Also, links 45 and 46
Are rotatably attached by two pivots (not shown) passed between the opposing surfaces of both support plates 44. Further, the pivot that penetrates the upper link 45 is located diagonally above and rearward of the pivot that penetrates the lower link 46.

The lengths of the links 45 and 46 are substantially the same. Then, the tip ends of the links 45 and 46 are connected to a mounting member 47 as described below. The mounting member 47 has a shape in which a metal plate is bent so that its central portion projects in a substantially rectangular shape. Further, the mounting member 47 has a plate shape in which both side end portions, that is, both side portions of the central portion projecting in a substantially rectangular shape, are inclined slightly rearward from the vertical plate, and both of these portions will be described later. Part 48
Is attached. The apex of the rectangular central portion of the mounting member 47 constitutes a surface inclined further rearward than the mounting surface of the arm portion 48, and this portion serves as a mounting surface of an image capturing unit 49 described later. There is.

On the back side of the central portion of the mounting member 47 projecting in a rectangular shape, that is, in the rectangular recessed portion, the links 45,
The tip portion of 46 is inserted. Also, the mounting member 47
Two pivots (not shown) are passed between the facing surfaces of the rectangular projecting portions of the shafts, and these pivots pass through the links 45 and 46, respectively, whereby the links 45, 46 46 is rotatable. And link 4
The connection point for the attachment member 47 of 5 is located diagonally above and behind the connection point for the attachment member 47 of the link 46, and the straight line connecting both connection points extends between the connection points for the support plates 44 of the links 45, 46. It is said to be parallel to the connecting straight line. Further, the distance between the connection points of the links 45 and 46 to the mounting member 47 and the distance between the connection points of the links 45 and 46 to the support plate 44 are substantially the same. That is, both support plates 44, links 45 and 46, and mounting member 47.
The parallel link mechanism is configured by the above.

A cylinder 50 is arranged above the link 45 substantially in parallel therewith. This cylinder 50
Is a pneumatic or hydraulic fluid cylinder, and the base end of the cylinder tube is rotatably attached to a pivot 51 passed between the facing surfaces of both support plates 44, and the tip of its piston rod. Is rotatably attached to a pivot 52 extending between opposing surfaces of a central portion of the attachment member 47 which is recessed in a rectangular shape. Therefore, when the cylinder 50 expands and contracts, the links 45 and 46 are connected to the support plates 4 respectively.
The mounting member 47 is rotated around the connection point with respect to 4.
However, they will move up and down while maintaining the same posture.

An image pickup section 49 is attached to the surface of the apex of the central portion of the attachment member 47 which projects in a rectangular shape. The image pickup unit 49 is provided with a CC inside the transparent cover of a hemisphere.
An imaging device such as a D or a television camera is provided and configured.

Further, on the upper surface slightly rearward of the longitudinal center portion of the rear member 5, a pedestal 5 for mounting a control device is provided.
3 is provided. The data of the image picked up by the image pickup unit 49 is output to the control device attached to the pedestal 53.

As described above, the arm portions 48 are attached to both end portions of the attachment member 47. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the structure of the arm portion 48. As shown in FIG. 10, the arm portion 48 includes a base 54, an end effector 55,
Mainly composed of the operating parts 56, 57 and the intermediate member 58. The base 54 has a plate shape with a round hole in the center, and is attached to the surfaces of both end portions of the attachment member 47. The following six operating parts 56 are connected to the surface of the base 54 opposite to the mounting surface of the mounting member 47 by universal joints 59, respectively.

Each operating unit 56 has a cylinder 60. The above-mentioned universal joint 59 is attached to the base end portion of the cylinder tube 61 of the cylinder 60, and the universal joint 63 is attached to the tip end portion of the piston rod 62. In addition, a disc-shaped contact member 64 is provided at an intermediate portion of the piston rod 62.
Is attached. More specifically, the contact member 64 has a disk shape having an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the cylinder tube 61 of the cylinder 60, and the piston rod 62 penetrates the center of the piston rod 62.
Is fixed to the middle part of. Also, the cylinder tube 6
From the first head cover (the end surface from which the piston rod 62 projects), two round bar-shaped guides 65 extending substantially parallel to the piston rod 62 are provided. These guides 6
5 penetrates the abutting member 64 in a state in which appropriate play is provided, whereby the abutting member 64 is guided by the guide 6
5 can be slid.

At the tip of the guide 65, the contact member 6
4, a disk-shaped stopper 66 having an outer diameter approximately the same as that of No. 4 is provided. At the center of the stopper 66, the piston rod 6
There is a hole with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of 2,
The piston rod 62 penetrates this hole.
Therefore, in the piston rod 62, from the state where the contact member 64 contacts the head cover of the cylinder tube 61,
Within the range of contacting the stopper 66, the guide 65
It is possible to move in the axial direction by being guided by.

The tip of the piston rod 62 is connected to the edge of the plate-shaped intermediate member 58 by a universal joint 63. The intermediate member 58 has a plate shape slightly smaller than the diameter of the base 54, and has a round hole at the center thereof. As described above, since the operating portion 56 is connected to the base 54 and the intermediate member 58 by the universal joints 59 and 63, the operating portion 56 can be tilted with respect to the base 54 and the intermediate member 58 in any direction.

Further, both ends of the operating portion 56 are connected to the outer edge portion of the base 54 and the outer edge portion of the intermediate member 58 so as not to intersect each other. Moreover, two adjacent operation units 56 are arranged so as not to be parallel to each other. That is, in the two adjacent operating portions 56, the distance between the connection points to the respective bases 54 and the distance between the connection points to the respective intermediate members 58 are different. With such a configuration, expansion and contraction of each operating portion 56 enables, for example, an operation in which the intermediate member 58 is twisted with respect to the base 54, that is, an operation in which the base 54 and the intermediate member 58 are relatively rotated. Has become.

Thus, the base 54, the operating portion 56, and the intermediate member 58 constitute a parallel mechanism.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the intermediate member 58
On the surface opposite to the surface facing the base 54 of the
7 is connected. Each of these operating parts 57 is provided with a cylinder 67, and is configured substantially similarly to the operating part 56. A universal joint 68 is attached to the base end of the cylinder tube of the cylinder 67, which connects the cylinder 67 to the intermediate member 58. Further, a universal joint 70 is attached to the tip of the piston rod 69 of the cylinder 67, which connects the cylinder 67 to an end effector 55, which will be described later. Both ends of the operating portion 57 are connected to the outer edge portion of the intermediate member 58 and the outer edge portion of the end effector 55 so as not to intersect each other. Moreover, two adjacent operation units 57 are arranged so as not to be parallel to each other. Other than that, the configuration of the operation unit 57 is the same as the configuration of the operation unit 56, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this way, the intermediate member 58, the operating portion 57,
And the end effector 55 constitutes a parallel mechanism. That is, the arm portion 48 according to the second embodiment is configured by connecting two parallel mechanisms in series.

Next, the structure of the end effector 55 will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the end effector 5
5 includes a base portion 71 having a shape in which a substantially cylindrical portion extends from a conical apex portion. A pivotal support member 72 having a shape obtained by bending a plate-like member into a channel shape is attached to a columnar portion of the base portion 71, and is sandwiched between opposing surfaces of the pivotal support member 72. In this state, the respective base ends of the three finger members 73 each having a finger shape are pivotally supported. The two finger members 73 are pivotally supported by the same pivot, and the other one finger member 73 is pivotally supported by a pivot provided at a different position. In this way, the end effector 55 is shaped like a hand, and when the finger members 73 rotate about their respective pivots, the operation of gripping or releasing the object becomes possible. There is.

Further, the end effector 55 is provided with a motor (not shown), and by operating the motor, the finger members 73 can rotate about their respective pivots. .

The end effector 3 is not limited to the structure in which it is operated by a motor.
It may be configured to be operated by an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like.

Further, the end effector 3 is not limited to the structure of a hand type capable of gripping an object, and for example, an end effector for welding, drilling, screwing or the like. It goes without saying that the configuration using may be used.

The operation of the arm portion 48 is controlled by the control device mounted on the pedestal 53. The configuration relating to the control of the arm portion 48 is as follows, for example. The data of the image captured by the image capturing unit 49 is
The captured image is displayed by the image display device which is provided to the control device and is connected to the control device. While confirming this, the operator operates the operating device connected to the control device. Then, data regarding the operation of the arm portion 48 is input to the control device, and based on this data, the control device causes the arm portion 4 to move.
8 operation is controlled.

In addition, the robot 3 according to the second embodiment
The configuration of 4 is the same as the configuration of the robot 1 according to the first embodiment, and therefore, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted.

The operator is not limited to the configuration in which the operating device is operated and the arm portion 48 is operated in accordance with this operation. For example, the control device is an end effector 55.
Is calculated based on the image picked up by the image pickup unit 49, the movement amounts of the respective movement units 56 and 57 are calculated so that the end effector 55 reaches this target position, and the arm 48 is moved according to the calculation result. It may be configured to operate.

Further, although the configuration of the arm portion 48 in which two parallel mechanisms are connected in series is described in the second embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more parallel mechanisms are connected in series. Alternatively, the arm portion 48 may be configured.

[0092]

As described above in detail, according to the robot of the present invention, the legs are formed by the parallel mechanism, so that the output as a whole is sufficiently secured for the purpose of use. The actuator can be downsized as compared with the conventional one. Moreover, it is possible to secure sufficient rigidity while being lightweight for the purpose of use. Further, the lighter weight and higher output than the conventional one enables the operation to be speeded up.

Further, since the parallel mechanism has a structure in which the respective operating parts are arranged between the base end portion and the tip end portion, it is not necessary to centrally arrange the actuators on the base end side of the leg portion,
It is possible to prevent the body portion of the robot from increasing in size.
Further, this makes it possible to lower the position of the center of gravity of the robot, and the present invention has excellent effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a configuration of a foot portion of the robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining an example of use of the robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining an example of use of the robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a simulator system for operation training using a robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a robot according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an arm portion of the robot according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a parallel mechanism, in which (a) shows a telescopic parallel mechanism,
(B) is a diagram showing a rotary parallel mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,34 robot 2 torso 3 legs 4 Front member 5 Rear member 6 Intermediate member 8 arms 9 Parallel mechanism 10 Support member 11-14 links 15 Base (base end) 16 Toe (tip) 17 cylinders (operating part) 20 Connection member 21 damper 22 Leaf spring member 23 Grounding part 24 screw members 25 Grounding member 28, 31 cylinders 35 Upper device 42 Moving member 43 motor 44 Support plate 45,46 links 47 Mounting member 48 arms 49 Imaging unit 54 base 55 End Effector 56,57 Working unit 58 Intermediate member 60,67 cylinders

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A robot comprising a plurality of legs, wherein the robot moves by operating the legs, wherein the legs are connected to a base end portion, a tip end portion, the base end portion and the tip end portion, A robot having an operating part that changes relative positions of respective connection points, and a parallel mechanism in which the base end part and the distal end part are connected by a plurality of the operating parts. 2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is configured to operate so as to change a separation distance of the connection point. 3. The robot according to claim 2, wherein the operation unit includes a rotation operation unit that performs a rotation operation, and a conversion unit that converts a rotation motion of the rotation operation unit into a linear motion. 4. The robot according to claim 2, wherein the operation unit has a linear actuator. 5. In the operating part, one of a piston rod and a cylinder tube is connected to one of the base end part and the tip end part, and the other of the piston rod and the cylinder tube is connected to the base end part and the tip end part. The robot according to claim 4, further comprising a fluid cylinder connected to the other of the robots. 6. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the four leg portions are provided.