Shock-absorbing and vibration-dampening neck device for legged mobile robots

This technology is a shock-absorbing and vibration-dampening neck device for legged mobile robots. It features a linkage-based shock absorber combined with a variable dynamic vibration absorber mounted on a sensor platform. By adjusting the position of a linear stepping motor according to the walking frequency, it changes the absorption frequency in real time to ensure the stability of sensor data.

Legged mobile robots often experience periodic shocks and vibrations during locomotion that resonate with the sensor platform, causing motion blur and reducing the accuracy of visual-inertial odometry. Conventional passive vibration reduction devices have struggled to adapt to changes in a robot's walking speed.

This technology utilizes a multi-joint linkage structure, including hydraulic dampers and springs, to absorb primary shocks. A variable dynamic vibration absorber mounted on top adjusts the mass position through a torsion spring and linear stepping motor control. This allows the system to actively tune the vibration reduction frequency to match the robot's walking frequency, ensuring clear sensor data. It fundamentally improves the perception performance of quadrupedal and patrol/inspection robots, serving as a core technology for enhancing the reliability of autonomous navigation in legged robots.

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Key Features:

• A shock-absorbing device fixed to the body of a legged mobile robot, where multiple legs support the body, designed to absorb shocks and vibrations.
• A sensor platform coupled to a portion of the shock-absorbing device, comprising a camera and an inertial measurement unit (IMU).
• A variable dynamic vibration absorber mounted on the sensor platform to adjust the absorption frequency of shocks and vibrations caused by movement.
• A structure in which the shock-absorbing device and the variable dynamic vibration absorber reduce the translation and rotation of the sensor platform.