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WiBotic 1kW System (battery not included). | Credit: WiBotic
WiBotic as we speak unveiled a brand new 1kW wi-fi charging product for larger-capacity battery methods. The Seattle-based firm has made a reputation for itself within the cellular robotics market by offering contactless charging as an aftermarket different to OEM contact-based altering methods. The prior product hyperlink included 150-watt, 250-watt, and 300-watt wi-fi charging choices.
The 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 based mostly on supply energy circuit traits, in order to not journey a facility energy circuit.
WiBotic says contactless charging guarantees advantages
The benefit of transferring from contact charging to wi-fi charging is twofold, based on WiBotic.
First, with contact charging, methods must 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 methods use proprietary connectors.
End customers that deploy cellular robots with contact chargers from a couple of OEM will finally find yourself with a wall of devoted charging stations that may solely be utilized by particular robots. This 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: WiBotic
“WiBotic’s new wi-fi 1kW charging platform enhances operations,” said Peter King, vp of Cypher Robotics Inc., an Ottowa-based supplier of warehouse AMRs and drones.
“We’ve efficiently deployed WiBotic chargers for patrons in a spread of purposes and in some troublesome environmental circumstances — however traditionally solely in purposes the place in a single day charging was doable,” he mentioned. “With the brand new 1kW system, robots will cost at thrice the earlier velocity, opening up a complete new set of purposes 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.
Depending on the variety of cellular robots in an finish person’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).
Wireless communication for operational knowledge
When retrofitting a cellular robotic with the WiBotic charging system, a wise charger controller unit must be put in onto the AMR. This sensible charger autonomously manages the ability 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 sensible charger.
The sensible charger then wirelessly communicates with the powered pad to regulate the movement of vitality wirelessly between the supply pad and the onboard energy receiver. With the brand new 1 kW energy system, it will probably switch extra vitality, extra shortly, to bigger cellular robots, mentioned WiBotic.
Using a proprietary wi-fi communication channel, the onboard charger may also relay statistical data and different knowledge, not solely in regards to the onboard battery, but in addition from the robotic controller. This knowledge dump is separate from any Wi-Fi or 5G communication connection to the robotic and supplies OEMs with an alternative choice for knowledge switch and communications.
Ben Waters, co-founder and CEO of WiBotic, described the sensible 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 autos. There are a variety of battery-powered autos on the market as we speak that aren’t but robotic or autonomous. They’re simply dumb gadgets within the sense that they aren’t 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 knowledge from the gadgets. It could be a easy diagnostic, like: ‘How many hours does my ground scrubber have on it?’”
The firm has additionally developed its personal administration software program, WiBotic Commander. Customers can simply monitor the charging standing and battery well being of whole fleets of robots in actual time. Charging procedures can then be applied proactively to range cost present and voltage to dramatically improve battery lifespan.
While 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 kinds of prospects,” mentioned Matt Carlson, vp of enterprise growth 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 prospects, we work with their engineering groups very intently.”
“In some instances, 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 motive or one other, charging is a large downside for them. It’s a giant price as a result of on the finish of on daily basis, some worker has to cost all of the batteries on the entire robots, to organize for the following day.”
The Wibotic Commander software program is a ‘single pane of glass’ for managing the charging of a robotic fleet. | Credit: WiBotic
Higher-frequency charging helps forestall inductive heating
Another key function of WiBotic’s system, based on Waters, is that it makes use of increased radio frequencies for vitality switch than a few of its rivals.
“Some of those inductive methods function at a decrease frequency, usually between 50 and 200 kilohertz,” he advised The Robot Report. “WiBotic makes use of 6.78 megahertz, which remains to be method beneath all of your Wi-Fi [communication].”
WiBotic mentioned its platform reduces security dangers from electrical shorts and hearth threat from sparking throughout contacts, making it appropriate for environments the place dust, mud, water or corrosion can result in failed charging cycles.
“But 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 methods are additionally on this vary, so if there may be some free steel round, it will probably warmth up [as a side effect]. Quite a lot of [our competitors] have very strong overseas object detection, which is nice. This will forestall steel objects from heating up, but it surely’s going to cease charging.”
“So working on the increased frequency and including in a few of 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 show its new 1kW system at Booth 4087 close to the ARM Demo Area at Automate in Chicago subsequent week.
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