Shock-Absorbing and Vibration-Damping Neck Device for Legged Mobile Robots

Vibration-Damping Neck Device for Legged Mobile Robots Combining a Shock Absorber and a Tunable Mass Damper

This technology is a shock-absorbing and vibration-damping neck device designed to stabilize sensor data for legged mobile robots. It features a linkage-based shock absorber and a tunable mass damper mounted on a sensor platform, which adjusts the absorption frequency in real-time by controlling the position of a linear stepping motor based on the robot's gait frequency.

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 and inertial navigation. Conventional passive vibration-damping devices have struggled to adapt to changes in a robot's walking speed.

This technology utilizes a multi-joint linkage structure with hydraulic dampers and springs to absorb primary shocks. It further incorporates a tunable mass damper that adjusts the distance of the mass body via a torsion spring and linear stepping motor control. By actively varying the vibration-damping frequency to match the robot's gait, it ensures clear sensor data. This technology fundamentally enhances the perception performance of quadrupedal and patrol/inspection robots, serving as a critical component for reliable autonomous navigation in legged robots.

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Key Features:

• A shock absorber fixed to the body of a legged mobile robot, where multiple legs support the body, to absorb shocks and vibrations.
• A sensor platform coupled to the shock absorber, equipped with cameras and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to collect sensor data during operation.
• A tunable mass damper mounted on the sensor platform that adjusts the absorption frequency for shocks and vibrations caused by movement.
• A structure where the shock absorber and tunable mass damper reduce shocks and vibrations transmitted to the sensor platform, minimizing movement and rotation.