|
Hearken to this text  |
WiBotic 1kW System (battery not included). | Credit score: WiBotic
WiBotic right this moment unveiled a brand new 1kW wi-fi charging product for larger-capacity battery programs. The Seattle-based firm has made a reputation for itself within the cellular robotics market by offering contactless charging as an aftermarket various to OEM contact-based altering programs. The prior product hyperlink included 150-watt, 250-watt, and 300-watt wi-fi charging choices.
The brand new higher-power 1kW system opens a complete new class of machines for wi-fi charging, mentioned WiBotic. It makes use of 110v energy and a minimal 30 amp circuit, delivering the upper energy with out the necessity for three-phase supply facility energy circuits.
The WiBotic Commander software program will handle the charging present primarily based on supply energy circuit traits, in order to not journey a facility energy circuit.
WiBotic says contactless charging guarantees advantages
The benefit of shifting from contact charging to wi-fi charging is twofold, in keeping with WiBotic.
First, with contact charging, programs have to be manually related and disconnected to the charger, it mentioned. Some automated guided car (AGV) and self-driving car producers present autonomous contact chargers, however these programs use proprietary connectors.
Finish customers that deploy cellular robots with contact chargers from a couple of OEM will in the end find yourself with a wall of devoted charging stations that may solely be utilized by particular robots. That is inefficient and takes up important facility ground house, the firm famous.
Cypher Robotics cellular robotic in a warehouse – with built-in drone pad for aerial stock – docked to WiBotic’s Edge transmitter. | Credit score: WiBotic
“WiBotic’s new wi-fi 1kW charging platform enhances operations,” said Peter King, vice chairman of Cypher Robotics Inc., an Ottowa-based supplier of warehouse AMRs and drones.
“We’ve efficiently deployed WiBotic chargers for purchasers in a variety of functions and in some troublesome environmental situations — however traditionally solely in functions the place in a single day charging was potential,” he mentioned. “With the brand new 1kW system, robots will cost at 3 times the earlier pace, opening up a complete new set of functions the place quick and ultra-reliable charging is required.”
The second benefit of wi-fi charging is within the uniformity of the charging infrastructure, mentioned WiBotic. Any out there wi-fi charger station in a facility can be utilized by any robotic within the fleet in want of a recharge.
Relying on the variety of cellular robots in an finish consumer’s fleet, this idea can vastly simplify the charging course of, claimed the corporate. Facility operators can place wi-fi charging stations at numerous websites to allow them to utilized by any autonomous cellular robots (AMRs).
Wi-fi communication for operational information
When retrofitting a cellular robotic with the WiBotic charging system, a sensible charger controller unit must be put in onto the AMR. This good charger autonomously manages the facility switch from the wi-fi charging pad to the cellular robotic unit.
WiBotic has an open API [application programming interface] that permits an AMR to simply talk with the onboard good charger.
The good charger then wirelessly communicates with the powered pad to manage the stream of power wirelessly between the supply pad and the onboard energy receiver. With the brand new 1 kW energy system, it may possibly switch extra power, extra rapidly, to bigger cellular robots, mentioned WiBotic.
Utilizing a proprietary wi-fi communication channel, the onboard charger may also relay statistical data and different information, not solely concerning the onboard battery, but in addition from the robotic controller. This information dump is separate from any Wi-Fi or 5G communication connection to the robotic and offers OEMs with another choice for information switch and communications.
Ben Waters, co-founder and CEO of WiBotic, described the good communication function:
“This higher-power product permits us to get into markets that aren’t robotic, machines like carton handlers, pallet jacks, and floor-cleaning automobiles. There are quite a lot of battery-powered automobiles on the market right this moment that aren’t but robotic or autonomous. They’re simply dumb gadgets within the sense that they don’t seem to be related gadgets, and OEMs don’t have a solution to remotely discuss to them. By including wi-fi charging to their gadgets, in addition they now can talk information from the gadgets. It may be a easy diagnostic, like: ‘What number of hours does my ground scrubber have on it?’”
The corporate has additionally developed its personal administration software program, WiBotic Commander. Clients can simply monitor the charging standing and battery well being of complete fleets of robots in actual time. Charging procedures can then be carried out proactively to range cost present and voltage to dramatically enhance battery lifespan.
Whereas finish customers can buy and deploy the wi-fi chargers, WiBotic has targeted on constructing relationships with OEMs and serving to to combine their cellular robotic controllers to the WiBotic energy controller. The WiBotic controller may also work with contact chargers, offering cost administration choices for any cellular robotic energy want.
“We [primarily] work with two sorts of clients,” mentioned Matt Carlson, vice chairman of enterprise improvement at WiBotic. “We work with the OEMs providing the robots as a service, however they’re the corporate who builds the robotic, after which they supply it to the top buyer. So with these clients, we work with their engineering groups very carefully.”
“In some circumstances, we work with the top buyer, the place they may function a number of robots or several types of carts,” he added. “And for one purpose or one other, charging is a big downside for them. It’s an enormous price as a result of on the finish of day by day, some worker has to cost all of the batteries on all the robots, to arrange for the following day.”
The Wibotic Commander software program is a ‘single pane of glass’ for managing the charging of a robotic fleet. | Credit score: WiBotic
Greater-frequency charging helps stop inductive heating
One other key function of WiBotic’s system, in keeping with Waters, is that it makes use of increased radio frequencies for power switch than a few of its opponents.
“A few of these inductive programs function at a decrease frequency, sometimes between 50 and 200 kilohertz,” he informed The Robotic Report. “WiBotic makes use of 6.78 megahertz, which continues to be approach under all of your Wi-Fi [communication].”
WiBotic mentioned its platform reduces security dangers from electrical shorts and hearth danger from sparking throughout contacts, making it appropriate for environments the place dust, mud, water or corrosion can result in failed charging cycles.
“However there are some vital technical benefits, particularly on the increased energy ranges,” mentioned Waters. “One is that we don’t warmth overseas objects. Inductive heating programs are additionally on this vary, so if there’s some unfastened steel round, it may possibly warmth up [as a side effect]. A variety of [our competitors] have very sturdy overseas object detection, which is nice. This may stop steel objects from heating up, but it surely’s going to cease charging.”
“So working on the increased frequency and including in among the issues that we do round our adaptive tuning [means] we don’t have this phenomenon of heating steel objects,” he mentioned.
WiBotic plans to exhibit its new 1kW system at Sales space 4087 close to the ARM Demo Space at Automate in Chicago subsequent week.
Be taught from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and lots of extra.