MANUFACTURING
Innovative battery technology enables 24/7 operation of autonomous mobile
robots for warehouses Autonomous mobile robots used in warehouse operations typically employ a combination of Li-Ion rechargeable batteries and ultra- capacitors to optimise utilisation. The ultra-capacitors supply short bursts of high power while the batteries provide energy to enable operation for extended periods.
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arehouse robots often stop frequently, move in short bursts, and may need to lift or accelerate quickly. Ultra- capacitors can provide short power bursts and recharge quickly, so robots spend less time idle and can keep working in near-continuous operation. Li-Ion batteries operate at lower power levels and provide long duration energy but require regular time-consuming recharging which requires the robot to be taken out of service several times over a 24-hour period. In many cases, this requires the warehouse to employ a larger number of robots to ensure continuous operation.
Faster charging batteries: Best of both - Ultra-capacitors & Li-Ion batteries
In a typical Lithium-ion battery, ions travel from the cathode into the anode when the battery charges and then reverse direction when discharging. In a typical Li- Ion cell, the Graphite anode has a layered structure, but those layers limit how quickly ions can enter and leave, so fast charging to the anode. A Niobium Tungsten oxide anode, often abbreviated NWO, has a more open structure. That structure creates larger internal pathways, so ions can insert
Figure 1. Ragone plot showing the power and energy advantage for a 2-in-1 transitional energy storage solution that can handle high power from milliseconds to seconds. (Courtesy of Nyobolt)
themselves into the anode more quickly and in a more controlled way. Because ions move faster and more smoothly, the battery can accept higher charging currents without creating as much heat or structural stress. That lowers the risk of lithium plating and other degradation mechanisms that often limit traditional fast-charging batteries. The result is a battery that is better suited to high-power use cases, such as mobile warehouse robots, where short charge windows and frequent cycling matter more than maximum energy density alone.
Figure 2. Autonomous robot battery utilises ad- vanced technology to allow nearly uninterrupted operation 24/7. (Courtesy of Nyobolt)
38 MAY 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
Energy density vs. power density Autonomous mobile robots in warehouse operations require both short-burst high power and longer-duration energy for run-time, demands that traditional Li-Ion batteries struggle to meet alone. Ultra- capacitors deliver very high power but low energy, charging and discharging rapidly;
conventional Li-Ion batteries offer a blend of power and energy but rarely charge quickly. NWO cell chemistry bridges this gap: combining the high energy density of a battery with the high-power density of an ultra-capacitor, it delivers a 2-in-1 capability that eliminates the need to choose between the two — and charges fast enough to keep AMRs productive ().
Proven performance
A major manufacturer of mobile robots reports that this battery technology provides six times more energy capacity than the ultra-capacitors previously used, is 40 per cent lighter and offers at least 10 times the cycle life of traditional lithium-ion battery that means the robots can stay operational longer, and charge very rapidly, which increases uptime and reduces how often
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