US-20260124769-A1 - ROBOTIC ARM AND HUMANOID ROBOT

US20260124769A1US 20260124769 A1US20260124769 A1US 20260124769A1US-20260124769-A1

Abstract

A robotic arm and a humanoid robot that relate to a technical field of robots are provided. The robotic arm includes an upper arm assembly. The upper arm assembly includes an upper arm, a shoulder joint motor and an elbow joint motor. The upper arm includes an elbow joint end and a shoulder joint end. The shoulder joint motor includes a first housing and a first rotating shaft. The first housing is connected to the shoulder joint end of the upper arm. The elbow joint motor includes a second housing and a second rotating shaft. The second housing is connected to the elbow joint end of the upper arm. At least one of the first housing and the second housing is integrated with the upper arm. An integrated design of the upper arm meets lightweight and low-cost needs of the humanoid robot, and thus meets requirements of industrial applications.

Inventors

Yang Liu
WENHUA FAN
Xuchao Du

Assignees

UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP LTD

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20250910
Priority Date: 20241107

Claims (11)

1 . A robotic arm, comprising: an upper arm assembly; wherein the upper arm assembly comprises an upper arm, a shoulder joint motor, and an elbow joint motor; wherein the upper arm comprises an elbow joint end and a shoulder joint end, the shoulder joint motor comprises a first housing and a first rotating shaft, the first housing is connected to the shoulder joint end of the upper arm, the elbow joint motor comprises a second housing and a second rotating shaft, and the second housing is connected to the elbow joint end of the upper arm; wherein at least one of the first housing and the second housing is integrated with the upper arm.
2 . The robotic arm according to claim 1 , wherein the second housing is integrated with the upper arm, an axis of the second rotating shaft is perpendicular to an axis of the first rotating shaft, the axis of the first rotating shaft coincides with or is parallel to an axis of the upper arm, a first groove is defined in the shoulder joint end of the upper arm, the shoulder joint motor is disposed in the first groove, the first groove comprises first groove walls, and the first housing is connected to a corresponding one of the first groove walls.
3 . The robotic arm according to claim 2 , wherein the first groove walls comprise two first groove walls, the first groove further comprises a first groove bottom wall, the two first groove walls are disposed opposite to each other, the first groove bottom wall abuts against the first housing, and the two first groove walls abut against the first housing; wherein lightening holes are defined in the first groove bottom wall and/or the two first groove walls, at least one lightening groove is defined in the upper arm, and the upper arm further comprises reinforcing ribs.
4 . The robotic arm according to claim 3 , wherein the robotic arm further comprises a shoulder assembly, the shoulder assembly comprises a shoulder connecting end, a second groove is defined in the shoulder connecting end of the shoulder assembly, and the second groove comprises a second groove wall; wherein the upper arm assembly further comprises a first interconnecting piece, the first interconnecting piece is connected to the first rotating shaft, the first interconnecting piece passes through the second groove, the first interconnecting piece is connected to the second groove wall, and the first interconnecting piece and the second groove are in transition fit or interference fit.
5 . The robotic arm according to claim 4 , wherein the upper arm assembly further comprises a first zero-position marking piece, the first zero-position marking piece is connected to the first housing of the shoulder joint motor, and the first zero-position marking piece comprises a first zero-position marking hole; wherein the shoulder connecting end of the shoulder assembly defines a first mating hole, the first mating hole is located on a moving path of the first zero-position marking hole, and when the first mating hole and the first zero-position marking hole are coaxial, the first rotating shaft is in a zero position.
6 . The robotic arm according to claim 5 , wherein the robotic arm further comprises a forearm assembly, the upper arm assembly further comprises a second interconnecting piece, and the second interconnecting piece is connected to the second rotating shaft; wherein the second interconnecting piece comprises a first connecting end and a second connecting end disposed opposite to the first connecting end, the first connecting end of the second interconnecting piece is connected to the second rotating shaft, the second connecting end of the second interconnecting piece is rotatably connected to the second housing, and the second connecting end and the first connecting end of the second interconnecting piece are rotatable coaxially.
7 . The robotic arm according to claim 6 , wherein the upper arm assembly further comprises a third interconnecting piece, the third interconnecting piece comprises a plugging end, and one end of the third interconnecting piece away from the plugging end is connected to the second connecting end of the second interconnecting piece; wherein a third groove is defined in the second housing, a bearing is disposed in the third groove, the bearing and the third groove are in interference fit, the bearing and the second rotating shaft are coaxially disposed, a mounting hole is defined in the second connecting end of the second interconnecting piece, the plugging end of the third interconnecting piece passes through the mounting hole and an inner ring of the bearing, the plugging end of the third interconnecting piece is in interference fit with the inner ring of the bearing, and a gap is defined between the second connecting end of the second interconnecting piece and the bearing.
8 . The robotic arm according to claim 6 , wherein the shoulder assembly further comprises a limiting portion, the shoulder assembly is configured to be disposed on an external torso assembly, the limiting portion is located on a moving path of the first zero-position marking piece, and the limiting portion is configured to limit a rotation range of the shoulder joint motor, so that the external torso assembly is located outside a motion range of the forearm assembly.
9 . The robotic arm according to claim 6 , wherein the upper arm assembly further comprises a second zero-position marking piece, the second zero-position marking piece is connected to the second interconnecting piece, and the second zero-position marking piece comprises a second zero-position marking hole; wherein the second housing comprises a second mating hole, the second mating hole is located on a moving path of the second zero-position marking hole, and when the second zero-position marking hole and the second mating hole are coaxially disposed, the second rotating shaft is in a zero position.
10 . The robotic arm according to claim 7 , wherein the third interconnecting piece comprises a first section, a second section, and a third section, wherein the second section connects the first section and the third section, and outer diameters of the first section, the second section, and the third section reduce in sequence; wherein the mounting hole and the second section are in interference fit, an outer diameter of the second section is greater than an inner diameter of the inner ring and is less than an outer diameter of the inner ring, an outer diameter of the first section is greater than a diameter of the mounting hole, and an axial length of the second section is greater than a thickness of the second connecting end of the second interconnecting piece.
11 . A humanoid robot, comprising: the robotic arm according to claim 1 .

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present disclosure claims foreign priority to Chinese Patent Application No. CN202411585768.X, titled “ROBOTIC ARM AND HUMANOID ROBOT”, filed on Nov. 7, 2024 in China National Intellectual Property Administration., and the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a technical field of robots, and in particular to a robotic arm and a humanoid robot. BACKGROUND Robotic arms are representative and complex components in humanoid robot systems and are essential for humanoid robots to perform grasping tasks and facilitate human-robot interaction. However, the robotic arms are complex in structure and heavy, and manufacturing cost of the robotic arms is high. As humanoid robots enter industrial applications, there is an urgent need for lightweight and low-cost designs of the robotic arms. SUMMARY In view of deficiencies in the prior art, a purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a robotic arm and a humanoid robot, in which an upper arm thereof is integrated to meet lightweight and low-cost requirements of the humanoid robot, thereby meeting requirements of industrial applications. In a first aspect, embodiments of a first aspect of the present disclosure provide a robotic arm. The robotic arm comprises an upper arm assembly. The upper arm assembly comprises an upper arm, a shoulder joint motor and an elbow joint motor. The upper arm comprises an elbow joint end and a shoulder joint end. The shoulder joint motor comprises a first housing and a first rotating shaft. The first housing is connected to the shoulder joint end of the upper arm. The elbow joint motor comprises a second housing and a second rotating shaft. The second housing is connected to the elbow joint end of the upper arm. At least one of the first housing and the second housing is integrated with the upper arm. In one embodiment, the second housing is integrated with the upper arm. An axis of the second rotating shaft is perpendicular to an axis of the first rotating shaft. The axis of the first rotating shaft coincides with or is parallel to an axis of the upper arm. A first groove is defined in the shoulder joint end of the upper arm. The shoulder joint motor is disposed in the first groove. The first groove comprises first groove walls. The first housing is connected to a corresponding one of the first groove walls. In one embodiment, the first groove walls comprise two first groove walls. The first groove further comprises a first groove bottom wall. The two first groove walls are disposed opposite to each other. The first groove bottom wall abuts against the first housing. The two first groove walls abut against the first housing. Lightening holes are defined in the first groove bottom wall and/or the two first groove walls. At least one lightening groove is defined in the upper arm. The upper arm further comprises reinforcing ribs. In one embodiment, the robotic arm further comprises a shoulder assembly. The shoulder assembly comprises a shoulder connecting end. A second groove is defined in the shoulder connecting end of the shoulder assembly. The second groove comprises a second groove wall. The upper arm assembly further comprises a first interconnecting piece. The first interconnecting piece is connected to the first rotating shaft. The first interconnecting piece passes through the second groove. The first interconnecting piece is connected to the second groove wall. The first interconnecting piece and the second groove are in transition fit or interference fit. In one embodiment, the upper arm assembly further comprises a first zero-position marking piece. The first zero-position marking piece is connected to the first housing of the shoulder joint motor. The first zero-position marking piece comprises a first zero-position marking hole. The shoulder connecting end of the shoulder assembly defines a first mating hole. The first mating hole is located on a moving path of the first zero-position marking hole. When the first mating hole and the first zero-position marking hole are coaxial, the first rotating shaft is in a zero position. In one embodiment, the robotic arm further comprises a forearm assembly. The upper arm assembly further comprises a second interconnecting piece. The second interconnecting piece is connected to the second rotating shaft. The second interconnecting piece comprises a first connecting end and a second connecting end disposed opposite to the first connecting end. The first connecting end of the second interconnecting piece is connected to the second rotating shaft. The second connecting end of the second interconnecting piece is rotatably connected to the second housing. The second connecting end and the first connecting end of the second interconnecting piece are rotatable coaxially. In one embodiment, the upper arm assembly further comprises a third interconnecting piece. The third interco