/ Zhiyou · Yarai /
Recently, the Zhiyou · Yarai innovation platform has invested in a project—— VITA Dynamics (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “VITA Dynamics”) shared its technical explorations and breakthroughs in the silent movement of embodied intelligent robots.
As robots move towards home scenarios, a subtle yet critical challenge has emerged: how to make them walk more quietly? The Vbot R&D team noticed a jarring “thud” sound during an indoor test, which sparked a technical exploration into vibration reduction, noise reduction, and lightweight design.
Below is a detailed technical analysis; let us understand how Vbot achieves “quiet walking”:
During the R&D process, we found that when the robot walks indoors, each step on the floor produces a clear “thud” sound. A quiet space acts like a natural “amplifier,” making this footstep sound particularly jarring. As robots enter homes, noise issues become more sensitive, prompting us to consider how to reduce the sound of the robot’s footsteps on the floor.
Vbot quadruped robot indoor walking test
01
Where Does the “Thud” Sound from the Robot’s Feet Come From?
The essence of sound is mechanical waves produced by the vibration of objects. When the robot walks, the weight of each step is transmitted through the foot to the ground. To reduce the sound produced when the foot strikes the floor, we essentially need to minimize the vibrations generated and transmitted at the moment of contact. Several factors influence this:
① Foot Material
When hard materials collide directly with the floor, there is almost no deformation, and the impact force is transmitted directly through the air, resulting in a crisp and sharp sound. Soft materials, when in contact with the floor, deform slightly, absorbing some of the impact energy, resulting in a relatively softer sound.
② Foot Size
The contact area affects pressure. A smaller area results in greater pressure under the same force, concentrating the impact force at the moment of contact, which easily produces a loud “thud”; a larger area can distribute the weight, reducing the instantaneous amplitude, resulting in a quieter sound. It’s like wearing flat shoes compared to high heels.
③ Landing Method
The speed, angle, and force of landing affect the transmission of impact energy. A quick, heavy landing produces a louder sound than a gentle one. This led us to focus on landing control and gait optimization during robot movement.
Based on this, we began to seek ways to make the foot’s contact with the floor quieter from the source, starting from the structural level to absorb and disperse the vibrations generated at the moment of landing.
Sound Propagation Diagram
02
Crystal Structure: Giving Robots “Cushion” Shoes
In the search for solutions, we discovered a special design—lattice structure.
Unlike a solid block of material, it is made up of countless small grids forming a hollow mesh, as strong as a honeycomb. Each small grid can be combined in various directions and positions to form a diverse overall structure, characterized by vibration reduction and lightweight properties.
Lattice structure minimum unit diagram
① Vibration Reduction
Traditional solid structures transmit vibrations directly along rigid materials when stressed, resulting in more concentrated and sharper noise. The lattice structure, composed of numerous voids and small cells, creates a honeycomb-like mesh within the material. Each small grid can slightly deform under stress, sharing the impact force. When the robot’s foot lands, the internal cells act like “springs” that absorb some energy during slight deformation, dispersing the impact energy and weakening the vibration’s outward propagation.
② Lightweight
While traditional solid structures are stable, they are often too heavy. The heavier the foot, the higher the energy consumption. The lattice structure is hollow, making it lighter than solid structures while still maintaining strength. It’s like having countless micro-cushions in the robot’s foot, which can reduce impact while bearing weight, allowing the robot to walk more lightly and quietly.
Lattice structure diagram
03
Why Use 3D Printing Technology
The lattice structure, which can buffer impacts, reduce noise, and is lightweight, seems like an ideal solution, but the challenge lies in its complex geometry. Traditional processes struggle to meet this requirement.
3D Printing Technology Application
Injection molding is like making ice cubes with an ice tray, pouring liquid into the mold, and waiting for it to solidify before demolding. However, if there are many suspended details inside, the mold cannot be completely “pulled out.” CNC machining is like carving wood, where tools cut away excess material layer by layer. But tools can only enter from the outside, and when faced with complex internal cavities and interwoven grids, they quickly get “stuck.”
Traditional processes are better suited for processing solid bodies or regular shapes but cannot handle the intricate and complex internal structures of lattices. 3D printing offers a new path.
The principle of 3D printing is the opposite of traditional processes; it does not require demolding or cutting materials but instead builds up layer by layer based on three-dimensional model data, directly creating a physical model that is completely consistent with the corresponding digital model. It is formed in one piece, with no excess joints, which also helps avoid looseness and noise to some extent. The layer-by-layer stacking method not only saves materials but also makes the manufacturing of complex structures feasible.
Vbot quadruped robot silent foot pad
In the process of building a robot, we constantly think about how humans and machines can coexist more naturally and comfortably. We hope that when robots enter homes, they should not only be smart and reliable but also “quiet.” The combination of lattice structure and 3D printing has allowed us to find a new balance between vibration reduction and lightweight design, making it possible to “reduce footstep noise.”
About
VITA DynamicsVITA Dynamics
Vbot VITA Dynamics is the first consumer-grade embodied intelligence company in China, dedicated to creating intelligent companions for living spaces through innovative AI robot technology. The founding team comes from Horizon and Li Auto, having led the large-scale production of autonomous driving technology and products over the past decade. The core R&D team consists of AI and robotics professionals from top domestic and international institutions, committed to building a full-stack product R&D organization that develops robot bodies, operating systems, and embodied intelligence algorithms.
Vbot VITA Dynamics develops intelligent robots for both outdoor and indoor scenarios, achieving the implementation and productization of AI technology for autonomous movement and operation. The first product, the Vbot intelligent companion robot, will be launched in Q4 of this year, marking the industry’s first all-terrain autonomous mobile robot partner. In August of this year, Vbot VITA Dynamics officially announced deep cooperation with five industry partners, including JD.com, Volcano Engine, Digua Robot, Hesai Technology, and EVE Energy, to accelerate the large-scale production and application of the Vbot intelligent companion robot.
Since its establishment, Vbot VITA Dynamics has completed its angel round of financing, raising 300 million yuan, and has completed the production and pre-production preparations for its first intelligent companion robot. It will start manufacturing in September, begin mass production-level early bird testing in October, and complete product launch by the end of this year, with overseas market testing to follow.
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