Conductive Floor Power Delivery for Robot Mobility

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Motor-operated robots face limitations in mobility and power availability due to the weight and capacity constraints of portable power supplies, such as batteries, which affect their in-service availability and operational efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A power delivery system utilizing a conductive floor with stationary conductors arranged in a pattern, where adjacent conductors can form circuits to supply power to robots or machines via contacts on their bottom surfaces, eliminating the need for traditional power cables and allowing for ambulatory robots to move freely while maintaining power availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If portable power supplies (batteries) are used to power motor-operated robots, then the robots can operate independently without external power sources, but the weight and capacity constraints of the batteries limit mobility and reduce in-service availability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindependent operationVSAvoidweight of power supply

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the power supply function from the mobile robot itself and relocates it to the stationary floor infrastructure. The robot no longer carries its own power source (battery), but instead receives power continuously from the conductive floor through its contacts, thereby eliminating the weight penalty while maintaining operational independence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The conductive floor acts as an intermediary power delivery system between the stationary power source and the mobile robot. Instead of the robot directly carrying a battery or being connected by a cable to a remote power source, the floor provides a distributed intermediate power interface that the robot contacts through its bottom surface contacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If portable power supplies are used, then the robots can move freely without power cables, but the capacity constraints of the batteries limit operational duration and require periodic recharging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemobility freedomVSAvoidoperational duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The conductive floor provides continuous power delivery as the robot moves, eliminating the intermittent charging cycles required by batteries. The robot maintains constant contact with the power source through its bottom surface contacts, ensuring uninterrupted power supply and extending operational duration indefinitely as long as the robot remains on the conductive floor.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The limitation of finite battery capacity is removed by extracting the power storage function from the mobile robot and replacing it with an infinite-capacity stationary floor power source. The robot becomes purely a power delivery endpoint rather than a self-contained power unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If power cables are used to supply power to robots, then continuous power availability is maintained, but the cables interfere with the robot's work envelope and rotational/translational movement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower availabilityVSAvoidmovement freedom

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical cable connection system is replaced with an electrical conduction system through the floor. Instead of a physical cable that must be managed and constrained, power is delivered through stationary conductors in the floor that the robot contacts electrically through its bottom surface contacts, eliminating the mechanical interference with movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of bringing power to the robot through a cable from above or the side, the invention inverts the approach by having the robot contact the power source from below through the floor. The power delivery interface is flipped from a top-down cable connection to a bottom-up floor contact system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enhances the mobility and operational efficiency of robots by providing a continuous power source without the weight and capacity constraints of portable power supplies, enabling robots to operate indefinitely as long as they remain in contact with the conductive floor.

Implementation Method 1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentUS11059375B2Robots and apparatus, systems and methods for powering robots

Publication Date: 2021.07.13 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Robots and apparatus, systems and methods for powering robots are disclosed. A disclosed conductive floor to power a robot on the floor includes a plurality of stationary conductors positioned in a pattern and a power delivery circuit to cause adjacent ones of the conductors to have different electrical potentials, the adjacent ones of the conductors to form a circuit to deliver power to the robot via contacts formed in a bottom surface of the robot.