研究了新型网格型三维运动空间自重构模块机器人M-Cubes的对接系统的机构设计,在此基础上,针对该机器人的自修复性能和模块连接可靠性的不足,为其设计了一个新的对接系统。该对接系统主要由可伸缩轴和可变孔组成,通过可伸缩轴和可变孔的对中、配合、锁紧和松开可实现正常模块与正常模块、正常模块与故障模块的连接和分离,从而可实现自重构,保持机器人整体构型的完整性。对相邻模块对接时垂直锁紧机构进行了受力分析和仿真和实验的结果证实,该系统能够满足自修复的要求,连接的可靠性也更高。
The paper proposes a novel docking system of the lattice-type homogeneous self-reconfigurable modular robot, called M-Cubes, and describes its mechanical structure. It mainly consists of extension pegs and expansile holes. In order to finish its self-repairing action, each extension peg and each expansile hole are designed to perform the connection/disconnection among normal modules and normal modules, normal modules and bad modules. So they can finish the self-reconfiguration and keep the whole configuration of the robot. Then, the locked force between two neighboring modules is analyzed in vertical direction. The simulation and experiment show that the docking system can finish the self-repairing action and has a higher feasibility.