Robots can run, but they can't cover distance. (Image credit: VCG via Getty Images)
Earlier this year, a robot ran the Beijing Half Marathon in under 2 hours and 40 minutes. That time was slower than the human winner, who completed the race in just over an hour, but it was still an impressive feat. Many a running enthusiast would be proud of that time. The robot maintained the pace for more than 13 miles (21 kilometers).
But it couldn’t do it on a single charge. In the process, the robot had to stop three times to change batteries. This aspect, while easy to overlook, highlights a larger problem in robotics: power supply.
Modern robots can move with amazing dexterity, mimicking the movements of animals and performing complex tasks with mechanical precision. In many ways, they rival biological creatures in coordination and efficiency. However, when it comes to endurance, robots still lag behind. They don’t tire from physical exertion – they simply run out of energy.
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As a robotics researcher focused on energy systems, I’ve been studying this problem closely. How can scientists give robots the endurance of living organisms — and why are we still so far from that goal? While most robotics research focuses on improving batteries, there’s another possibility: creating robots that can “eat.”
Robots can move, but they run out of energy
Today’s robots are remarkably efficient at locomotion. Thanks to decades of research into biomechanics, motor control, and actuators, machines like Boston Dynamics’ Spot and Atlas can walk, run, and climb with agility once thought impossible. In some situations, their motors are even more efficient than animal muscles.
Endurance, however, is a different matter entirely. For example, Spot can only run for 90 minutes on a full charge. After that, it takes about an hour to recharge. These runtimes are a far cry from the eight- to 12-hour shifts expected of humans, or the multi-day endurance of sled dogs.
The problem isn’t how robots move, but how they store energy. Most modern mobile robots use lithium-ion batteries, the same kind found in smartphones and electric cars. These batteries are reliable and common, but their performance has improved slowly: Each year, new lithium-ion batteries are about 7% better than the previous generation. At that rate, it would take a full decade to double a robot’s runtime.
Walk, Run, Crawl, RL Fun | Boston Dynamics | Atlas – YouTube
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Animals store energy in the form of fat, which has a high energy density: almost 9 kilowatt-hours per kilogram. That's about 68 kWh in total for a sled dog, which is comparable to
Sourse: www.livescience.com
