# US 11,305,817 B2 · Soft ground crawling robot

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- Number: US 11,305,817 B2
- Document ID: US11305817B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/959,414
- Filed: 2018-12-21
- Published: 2020-10-22
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-30
- Assignees: Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Applicants: Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Inventors: Jinguo Liu; Chenguang Chang; Qingliang Song
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305817B2

## CPC

- B62D 11/04: by means of separate power sources
- B62D 57/022: {consisting of members having both rotational and walking movements}
- B62D 57/028: having wheels and mechanical legs (B62D57/024 takes precedence; ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle, wholly or in part B60S9/00)
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)

## Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of robots, and relates to a soft ground crawling robot. Front wheels are connected on both sides of the front end of a body shell; a universal wheel is arranged on the rear end; rotary stepping motors are installed on both sides of a supporting assembly; an output shaft of the rotary stepping motor on each side passes through the body shell and then is connected with the front wheel on the same side; a swinging stepping motor is installed on the supporting assembly; the output shaft is connected with a connecting plate; the connecting plate is connected with the body shell through a connecting shaft; the body shell is driven to swing by the swinging stepping motor; lower end covers are rotatably connected on both sides of the body shell; a wheel bracket is connected to the rotary stepping motor on each side; and the wheel bracket on each side is connected with the lower end cover on the same side. The crawling robot of the present invention can crawl on all soft ground while moving in a plane, and overcome the phenomenon that some existing crawling robots cannot walk and work on the soft ground such as sand due to sinking.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A soft ground crawling robot, characterized by comprising front wheels, a universal wheel (8), lower end covers (4), a body shell (15), and a connecting plate (1), connecting shafts (3), wheel brackets (5), a supporting assembly, rotary stepping motors (11) and a swinging stepping motor (13) which are respectively installed in the body shell (15), wherein the front wheels are connected on both sides of the front end of the body shell (15); the universal wheel (8) is arranged on the rear end; the rotary stepping motors (11) are installed on both sides of the supporting assembly; an output shaft of the rotary stepping motor (11) on each side passes through the body shell (15) and then is connected with the front wheel on the same side; the swinging stepping motor (13) is installed on the supporting assembly; the output shaft is connected with the connecting plate (1); the connecting plate (1) is connected with the body shell (15) through the connecting shaft (3); the body shell (15) is driven to swing by the swinging stepping motor (11); the lower end covers (4) are rotatably connected on both sides of the body shell (15); the wheel bracket (5) is connected to the rotary stepping motor (11) on each side; and the wheel bracket (5) on each side is connected with the lower end cover (4) on the same side.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The soft ground crawling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that each front wheel comprises a front wheel body (6) and front wheel end covers (7); the front wheel body (6) is connected with the output shaft of the rotary stepping motor (11); and the front wheel end covers (7) are installed on both sides of the front wheel body (6).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The soft ground crawling robot according to claim 2, characterized in that the wheel surface of the front wheel body (6) is provided with a plurality of equidistant inner concave surfaces (17) with the same size along the circumferential direction; and the front wheel end covers (7) are arc-shaped wheel covers protruding outwards.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The soft ground crawling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting plate (1) is arc-shaped; both ends are respectively provided with the connecting shafts (3) connected with the body shell (15); a position between both ends of the connection plate (3) extends upwards to form an extension part A(18); the extension part (18) is provided with the connecting shaft (3) connected with the body shell (15); the end part of one end of the connecting plate (3) extends downwards to form an extension part B(19); and the extension part B(19) is connected with the output shaft of the swinging stepping motor (11).

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The soft ground crawling robot according to claim 4, characterized in that the connecting plate (1) is provided with flanges (2) in the positions of connection of the connecting shafts (3); each of the connecting shafts (3) is passed by the flange (2); and both ends are connected with the body shell (15).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The soft ground crawling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the swinging stepping motor (13) is installed on the supporting assembly through a joint bracket (16); one end of the joint bracket (16) is cylindrical, and the other end is an “L”-shaped plate; a body bracket (14) is arranged on the connecting plate (1); one end of the body bracket (14) is cylindrical, is sleeved on the cylindrical end of the joint bracket (16), and is connected with the output shaft of the swinging stepping motor (13).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The soft ground crawling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the supporting assembly comprises an I-shaped supporting plate (9), a lower supporting plate (10) and an upper supporting plate (12); both ends of the upper supporting plate (12) and both ends of the lower supporting plate (10) are respectively connected with the wheel brackets (5) on both sides; the I-shaped supporting plate (9) is connected between the lower supporting plate (10) and the upper supporting plate (12); and both sides of the I-shaped supporting plate (9) are respectively provided with the rotary stepping motors (11) installed on the lower supporting plate (10) to drive the front wheels.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The soft ground crawling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that the body shell (15) is divided into left and right parts with the same shape and structure.