Biomimetic turtle

Abstract

A biomimetic turtle includes a waterproof housing unit, front and hind limb driving motors, and front and hind limb modules. The waterproof housing unit includes a waterproof casing defining a waterproof space therein, and having front and hind limb connecting holes in fluid communication with the waterproof space, and front and hind limb connectors connected respectively to the front and hind limb connecting holes. Each front limb driving motor includes a front limb driving shaft connected to a respective one of the front limb connectors. Each hind limb driving motor includes a hind limb driving shaft connected to a respective one of the hind limb connectors. The front and hind limb modules are connected respectively and detachably to the front and hind limb connectors, and are driven respectively by the front and hind limb driving motors via the front and hind limb connectors as being controlled by a control unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A biomimetic turtle, comprising:
 a waterproof housing unit that includes
 a waterproof casing defining a waterproof space therein, and having
 two front limb connecting holes that are in fluid communication with said waterproof space, and 
 two hind limb connecting holes that are in fluid communication with said waterproof space, 
 
 two front limb connectors connected respectively to said front limb connecting holes, and 
 two hind limb connectors connected respectively to said hind limb connecting holes; 
   two front limb driving motors that are disposed in said waterproof space, each of said front limb driving motors including a front limb driving shaft that is connected to a respective one of said front limb connectors;   two hind limb driving motors that are disposed in said waterproof space, each of said hind limb driving motors including a hind limb driving shaft that is connected to a respective one of said hind limb connectors;   two front limb modules that are connected respectively and detachably to said front limb connectors, and that are driven respectively by said front limb driving motors via said front limb connectors;   two hind limb modules that are connected respectively and detachably to said hind limb connectors, and that are driven respectively by said hind limb driving motors via said hind limb connectors; and   a control unit that is mounted in said waterproof space of said waterproof casing, and that is configured to control said front limb driving motors and said hind limb driving motors.   
     
     
         2 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of said front limb driving motors further includes a front motor body;   each of said hind limb driving motors further includes a rear motor body;   said waterproof space has
 two front motor accommodating chambers accommodating respectively said front motor bodies of said front limb driving motors, and 
 two rear motor accommodating chambers accommodating respectively said rear motor bodies of said hind limb driving motors; and 
   said waterproof casing includes
 a main casing portion, 
 two front limb motor casing portions formed respectively with said front limb connecting holes, and cooperating with said main casing portion to define said front motor accommodating chambers, and 
 two hind limb motor casing portions formed respectively with said hind limb connecting holes, and cooperating with said main casing portion to define said rear motor accommodating chambers. 
   
     
     
         3 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said biomimetic turtle further comprises:
 a weight module disposed in said waterproof space and including
 a weight member that is slidable relative to said waterproof casing along a longitudinal axis extending in a front-rear direction, 
 a weight member driving motor that is mounted to said waterproof casing, and 
 a crank connecting mechanism that is connected between said weight member and said weight member driving motor; and 
 
   said control unit is configured to control said weight member driving motor to drive movement of said weight member via said crank connecting mechanism.   
     
     
         4 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 3 , wherein said weight member is a battery unit. 
     
     
         5 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 3 , wherein said weight member driving motor includes a weight driving shaft rotatable about an upright axis perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and connected co-movably to said crank connecting mechanism for driving the movement of said weight member. 
     
     
         6 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 3 , wherein:
 said waterproof casing further has a head connecting hole in fluid communication with said waterproof space;   said biomimetic turtle further comprises a head module extending through said head connecting hole and connected to said weight member; and   said waterproof housing unit further includes a waterproof cover mounted between said head module and said waterproof casing.   
     
     
         7 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 6 , wherein:
 said head module includes
 a connecting rod extending through said head connecting hole and connected to said weight member, 
 a head casing opening rearwardly in the front-rear direction, and 
 a dual shaft motor connected between said connecting rod and said head casing, and driving said head casing to rotate relative to said connecting rod; and 
   said waterproof cover cooperates with said head casing to define a head space for accommodating said dual shaft motor therein.   
     
     
         8 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of said front limb connectors is rotatable about a first front rotating axis extending in a front-rear direction; and   each of said front limb modules includes
 an L-shaped link rod having
 a first segment that is mounted to a front portion of the respective one of said front limb connectors and that extends away from said first segment of said L-shaped link rod of another one of said front limb modules, and 
 a second segment that extends forwardly from a distal end of said first segment in the front-rear direction, and 
 
 a front limb mounted to and covering a front portion of said second segment, extending away from said front limb of said another one of said front limb modules, and rotatable about a second front rotating axis that is perpendicular to the first front rotating axis. 
   
     
     
         9 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 8 , wherein:
 each of said front limb modules further includes an angle limiting mechanism mounted between said L-shaped link rod and said front limb for limiting a rotation angle of said front limb relative to said second segment of said L-shaped link rod; and   said angle limiting mechanism has
 an arcuate sliding groove formed in one of said L-shaped link rod and said front limb, and 
 a sliding protrusion slidably engaging said arcuate sliding groove and formed on another one of said L-shaped link rod and said front limb. 
   
     
     
         10 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 8 , wherein
 said front limb of each of said front limb modules includes
 a front limb frame mounted to the front portion of said second segment of said L-shaped link rod, and 
 a deformable front flipper portion surrounding and covering said front limb frame, and extending rearwardly away from said deformable front flipper portion of another one of said front limb modules. 
   
     
     
         11 . The biomimetic turtle of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of said hind limb connectors is rotatable about a rear rotating axis extending in a transverse direction; and   each of said hind limb modules includes
 a hind limb link rod extending in a direction parallel to the transverse direction, and mounted to a rear portion of the respective one of said hind limb connectors, and 
 a deformable hind flipper mounted to and covering a rear portion of said hind limb link rod and extending rearwardly in the front-rear direction.