A coreless track-type seamless wireless charging system using co-planar wires enabling quasi-free planar movements for mobile logistics robots

Abstract

The adoption of mobile robots in industrial automation is rapidly expanding, driven by not only economic advantages but also considerations for environmental conservation and worker safety. Dynamic wireless power transfer systems for mobile logistics robots emerge as a promising technology, enhancing the feasibility of battery-less mobile robots while concurrently reducing energy and raw material consumptions associated with battery production. Recent research in track-powered mobile robots has advanced the achievement of uniform and reliable power transfer for moving vehicles. In this paper, we introduce an optimally designed transmitter and receiver for seamless charging, affording full degrees of freedom for vehicles within a two-dimensional space. The technique for adjusting the self-resistance of the receiver with a ferromagnetic core has demonstrated a dependable efficiency of nearly 90%, enabling the provision of 100 W of power, sufficient for mobile robot operations. The track length is 16 m, the most prolonged coreless track in the research field. Moreover, we present a communication-less feedback system for multiple vehicles and validate human safety near the robot through simulations and experiments. We anticipate that the proposed wireless charging system will play a fundamental role in promoting the widespread of mobile robots, effectively addressing economic, environmental, and societal challenges.