Wireless Technology
Mobile manipulators: Wireless inductive charging system enables new era of robotics
By Marco van der Linden from PULS UK T
he growing shortage of skilled workers is increasing the pressure on industrial companies to automate their processes. Flexible, cost-effective and
easy-to-implement robotics solutions such as autonomous mobile robots and collaborative robots are therefore in demand. Mobile manipulators connect both robot systems, but often cannot be used economically due to insufficient battery power. Wiferion’s Wireless Power Kit is designed to enable inductive charging for both systems simultaneously.
Mobile manipulators can do more than their battery power allows Collaborative robots (cobots) are one of the most dynamically growing segments of robotics. In contrast to conventional industrial robots, which have to be shielded from the human workplace by a protective device, they are designed for safe collaboration with humans. Mobile manipulators (MoMas) combine the advantages of cobots with those of autonomous mobile robots (AMR). A robot arm is mounted on an AMR. With MoMas, even more complex handling and transportation tasks can be automated with one system without having to install a stationary robot and a transport system with several AMRs. This makes this type of robot a flexible solution for a wide range of applications in industry, logistics and other areas. For the company, this means that investment requirements are reduced, as a separate robot is no longer needed for each process.
Mobile manipulators are suitable for:
Pick-and-place applications Equipping and testing production machines and machine tools
Material transportation Order picking of containers with assembled parts to the test station
14 July/August 2024
Mobile manipulators combine the advantages of cobots with those of AMR.
are to reach the mass market. The problem is that there is hardly any space in the AMR platforms for additional batteries to extend the operating time. Integration into existing AMR models is difficult. One solution to this is the Wireless Power Kit, a system consisting of an intelligent charger and intelligent batteries. The kit is installed in the MoMa and efficiently supplies the complete system of AMR and cobot with sufficient energy for its tasks. The Wireless Power Kit can be equipped with a scalable number of batteries and has an inductive charging system. It can be flexibly dimensioned depending on energy requirements. The energy system reliably supplies both a 24V and a 48V robot arm. In addition, it is possible to equip the kit with industry-standard DC/AC converters to provide any type of industrial power supply with 230 V AC (US 220/120V) or 400 V AC. This expands the possibilities of handling solutions that can be operated with the AMR if, for example, a robot arm only has an AC connection.
Vehicle inspection (e.g. cracks or paint on moving products)
Laboratory automation Wafer production (semiconductor industry) Applications in the healthcare sector The market for mobile manipulators has grown continuously in recent years. Experts assume that this trend will continue in the coming years. This is because, in most cases, complex automation solutions do not pay off for the automation of small parts handling for small and medium-sized series.
In practice, however, economical operation of the systems often fails due to the energy supply. As a MoMa combines two systems that were originally developed separately, the two technologies are often not considered as a holistic construct during design. The energy supply in particular proves to be a weak point.
Components in Electronics
As the battery is only designed to supply the AMR, the operating time of the system drops rapidly if another power guzzler has to be supplied along with the robot arm. This means that 24/7 operation of MoMas is hardly possible with the AMRs currently available on the market and their battery capacity. In order to bridge the downtimes, additional systems have to be purchased to take over during the charging breaks. This necessary oversizing of the MoMa fleet makes the cost-effectiveness of such systems considerably more difficult.
Wireless Power Kit enables complete system consisting of AMR and cobot
It is clear that the energy supply of MoMas must be thought through further if the systems
Inductive charging enables 24/7 continuous operation In addition to a higher energy density, the Wireless Power Kit offers an inductive quick-charging system. This can increase the productivity of the MoMa by up to 32 per cent. Wireless charging enables automated intermediate charging of the manipulator at pick or work stations. With in-process charging, the energy level of the vehicle battery remains constant. There is no need to fully discharge the battery and the associated long charging pauses.
The charging process takes place while the manipulators carry out their work. If a MoMa inserts new parts at a machine tool, for example, it is charged fully automatically and quickly for as long as the work step lasts. The process is repeated continuously at each subsequent work station. Even the
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