Leg joint assist device for legged movable robot
First Claim
1. A leg joint assist device for a legged mobile robot having legs, each of the legs configured by connecting a plurality of link members from a body via a plurality of joints, comprising:
- a spring means for generating an auxiliary driving force acting on a specific joint among the plurality of the joints with an elastic energy stored in accordance with relative displacement motion between a pair of link members connected by the specific joint, together with a driving force of a joint actuator that drive the specific joint, wherein the spring means is provided so that, during the relative displacement motion between the pair of link members, the auxiliary driving force increases as a relative displacement amount between the pair of link members increases when the relative displacement amount is smaller than or equal to a predetermined displacement amount, and so that the auxiliary driving force becomes smaller than or almost equal to the auxiliary driving force obtained at the predetermined displacement amount after the relative displacement amount exceeds the predetermined displacement amount.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An assist device is provided with a spring device that generates an auxiliary driving force, by an elastic energy, acting on a joint of a leg The spring device includes a gas spring having a cylinder and a piston. Bending/stretching motion between link members and at the joint is transmitted to the spring device through a motion transmission device that includes a link arm. The spring device is provided so that the auxiliary driving force increases as a knee bending angle θ increases until the knee bending angle θ reaches a predetermined angle, and so that, once the knee bending angle θ exceeds the predetermined angle, the auxiliary driving force becomes smaller than or equal to the driving force obtaining at the predetermined angle. Thus, a burden on an actuator of the joint of a legged mobile robot is effectively reduced, thereby ensuring favorable utilization efficiency of energy and miniaturization of the spring device.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A leg joint assist device for a legged mobile robot having legs, each of the legs configured by connecting a plurality of link members from a body via a plurality of joints, comprising:
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a spring means for generating an auxiliary driving force acting on a specific joint among the plurality of the joints with an elastic energy stored in accordance with relative displacement motion between a pair of link members connected by the specific joint, together with a driving force of a joint actuator that drive the specific joint, wherein the spring means is provided so that, during the relative displacement motion between the pair of link members, the auxiliary driving force increases as a relative displacement amount between the pair of link members increases when the relative displacement amount is smaller than or equal to a predetermined displacement amount, and so that the auxiliary driving force becomes smaller than or almost equal to the auxiliary driving force obtained at the predetermined displacement amount after the relative displacement amount exceeds the predetermined displacement amount. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification