Autonomous recharging of mobile robots.

Abstract

The paper discusses technical issues related to autonomous recharging of mobile robots. In doing so, the paper focuses on robots with small to medium energy-consumption, i.e., robots powered by NiCd or NiMH-cells. A concrete set-up with autonomous robotic vehicles and their charging mechanism is presented. Several potential methods for controlling the actual charging are discussed. Pitfalls in the standard methods for charging secondary batteries are presented. The paper explains why these methods are not suited for autonomous robots and offers alternatives. Furthermore, the question is addressed, how the state of charge of batteries in use can be reliably measured. This is crucial for an autonomous robot to decide when to go for a "re-fill". The problems involved are discussed and solutions presented. INTRODUCTION One of the key issues in getting mobile robots moving is to supply them with energy, which is usually electrical power. A primitive solution is to use a so-called umbilical...