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WiBotic 1kW System (battery not included). | Credit score: WiBotic

WiBotic at present 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 an entire 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, in line with WiBotic. 

First, with contact charging, programs have to be manually linked 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 crucial facility flooring area, 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,” acknowledged Peter King, vp 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 circumstances — however traditionally solely in functions the place in a single day charging was attainable,” he mentioned. “With the brand new 1kW system, robots will cost at thrice the earlier velocity, opening up an entire 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 accessible 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 person’s fleet, this idea can vastly simplify the charging course of, claimed the corporate. Facility operators can place wi-fi charging stations at varied 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 wise charger controller unit must be put in onto the AMR. This good 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 allows an AMR to simply talk with the onboard good charger.

The good charger then wirelessly communicates with the powered pad to regulate the stream of vitality wirelessly between the supply pad and the onboard energy receiver. With the brand new 1 kW energy system, it could switch extra vitality, extra shortly, to bigger cellular robots, mentioned WiBotic.

Utilizing a proprietary wi-fi communication channel, the onboard charger may relay statistical data and different information, not solely in regards to the onboard battery, but additionally from the robotic controller. This information dump is separate from any Wi-Fi or 5G communication connection to the robotic and supplies OEMs with an alternative choice for information switch and communications.

Ben Waters, co-founder and CEO of WiBotic, described the good communication characteristic:

“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 number of battery-powered autos on the market at present that aren’t but robotic or autonomous. They’re simply dumb gadgets within the sense that they don’t seem to be linked gadgets, and OEMs don’t have a method to remotely speak to them. By including wi-fi charging to their gadgets, additionally they now can talk information from the gadgets. It may be a easy diagnostic, like: ‘What number of hours does my flooring scrubber have on it?’”

The corporate has additionally developed its personal administration software program, WiBotic Commander. Prospects 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 fluctuate cost present and voltage to dramatically improve battery lifespan.

Whereas finish customers should 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 work with contact chargers, offering cost administration choices for any cellular robotic energy want.

“We [primarily] work with two sorts of prospects,” mentioned Matt Carlson, vp 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 prospects, we work with their engineering groups very carefully.”

“In some instances, we work with the top buyer, the place they may function a number of robots or various kinds of carts,” he added. “And for one cause or one other, charging is a large downside for them. It’s a giant price as a result of on the finish of every single day, some worker has to cost all of the batteries on the entire 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

Larger-frequency charging helps stop inductive heating

One other key characteristic of WiBotic’s system, in line with Waters, is that it makes use of greater radio frequencies for vitality switch than a few of its opponents.

“A few of these inductive programs function at a decrease frequency, usually between 50 and 200 kilohertz,” he instructed The Robotic Report. “WiBotic makes use of 6.78 megahertz, which remains to be manner under all of your Wi-Fi [communication].”

WiBotic mentioned its platform reduces security dangers from electrical shorts and fireplace danger from sparking throughout contacts, making it appropriate for environments the place filth, mud, water or corrosion can result in failed charging cycles.

“However there are some necessary technical benefits, particularly on the greater energy ranges,” mentioned Waters. “One is that we don’t warmth international objects. Inductive heating programs are additionally on this vary, so if there may be some free metallic round, it could warmth up [as a side effect]. Numerous [our competitors] have very sturdy international object detection, which is nice. This may stop metallic objects from heating up, however it’s going to cease charging.”

“So working on the greater frequency and including in among the issues that we do round our adaptive tuning [means] we don’t have this phenomenon of heating metallic objects,” he mentioned.

WiBotic plans to show its new 1kW system at Sales space 4087 close to the ARM Demo Space at Automate in Chicago subsequent week.

Study from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and lots of extra.