Staying Alive: A Docking Station for Autonomous Robot Recharging

Autonomous mobile robots are constrained in their long-term functionality due to a limited on-board power supply. Typically, rechargeable batteries are utilized that may only provide a few hours of peak usage before recharging is necessary. Recharging requires a robot to be taken offline, and attached to a battery charger via human intervention. This is unacceptable in environments where long-term autonomous capabilities are necessary. We present a method to provide long-term autonomy by implementing autonomous recharging. A recharging station design is presented, consisting of a stationary docking station and a docking mechanism mounted to a Pioneer 2DX robot. The docking station and robot docking mechanism are designed to work together, providing a mechanical and electrical connection between the charging system and the robot. Algorithms are implemented to monitor the battery voltage and control the docking procedure, as well as account for any errors that may occur. Initial experiments that demonstrate the validity of the approach and design are presented.