Energy Sources of Mobile Robot Power Systems: A Systematic Review and Comparison of Efficiency

Abstract

Mobile robots can perform tasks on the move, including exploring terrain, discovering landmark features, or moving a load from one place to another. This group of robots is characterized by a certain level of intelligence, allowing the making of decisions and responding to stimuli received from the environment. As part of Industry 5.0, such mobile robots and humans are expected to co-exist and work together in a shared environment to make human work less tiring, quicker, and safer. This can only be realized when clean, dense, and economical energy sources are available. The aim of the study is to analyze the state of the art and to identify the most important directions for future developments in energy sources of robotic power systems based mainly on batteries. The efficiency and performance of the battery depends on the design using different materials. Work environments and performance requirements are considered in this systematic review to classify solutions that help developers choose the best-suited power system for specific application. Indirectly, the aim of the work is to generate discussion within the scientific and engineering community. A narrative review of publications from six major bibliographic databases according to preset inclusion criteria is combined with a critical analysis of current and future technologies. The main findings of the review allow answering the question of what is the role of modern power source technologies, artificial intelligence, and ground-breaking research work in global policies related to energy saving, green policies, and sustainable development. The main opportunities and threats are discussed, and a brief feasibility analysis is carried out. The novelty of the article relates not only to the analysis of technologies, but also to approaches and their use under conditions of limited resource availability, when resource usage must be minimized. The article provides an overview of batteries, their specifications, classifications, and their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, we propose (1) an algorithm for selecting the main energy source for robot application, and (2) an algorithm for selecting an electrical system power supply. Current mobile robot batteries are, in most cases, the robot’s biggest limitation. Progress in battery development is currently too slow to catch up with the demand for robot autonomy and range requirements, limiting the development of mobile robots. Further intensive research and implementation work is needed to avoid years of delay in this area.

Enabling Technologies for the Navigation and Communication of UAS Operating in the Context of BVLOS

“…Detect and Avoid (DAA) technologies are key to unlocking commercially viable BVLOS operations, as they allow a safe and efficient integration into civilian airspace, by helping UAS to avoid collisions with other aircraft, buildings, and other obstacles. The growing number of UAS applications has made a necessity for sophisticated and highly dependable collision avoidance systems, as evident and incontestable from the public safety perspective [21]. Such systems are based on the use of sensors to detect and position obstacles to subsequently establish maneuvers to guarantee the safety of the aircraft.…”

Optimizing an Autonomous Robot’s Path to Increase Movement Speed

“…These planners [3][4][5] allow robots to make decisions about how they move from one location to another. This requires the use of route planning algorithms based on several criteria: requirements imposed by users [6][7][8], the multitude of obstacles that may appear (static or dynamic) [9][10][11][12], the energy resources available [13,14], the on-board capabilities for processing sensor data [15,16], and the communication system [17,18].…”

Review on Type of Sensors and Detection Method of Anti-Collision System of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

“…UAVs can access risky or inaccessible locations without risking human lives. Therefore UAVs should be built to operate independently and avoid crashing into anything while in flight [ 15 ]. Precision agriculture is an application of UAVs that has been increasing rapidly worldwide.…”

“…Figure 1 shows the basic architecture of an anti-collision system that will be implemented in a vehicle. Anti-collision systems consist of two major parts: the input and output [ 15 ]. These parts can also be recognized as perspective and action.…”