Supporting lifestyles with mobile robots

Mobile robots support
our daily lives We are researching automatic battery charging systems using mobile robots as a daily life support service for humans which mount both wireless charging functions and personal mobility that have a high level of compatibility with humans.
　Mobility as a means of transportation has become a part of the public infrastructure, and therefore, the rise of new forms of mobility will contribute the growth and development of society. In recent years, personal mobility has caught public attention. For instance, single seated motor vehicles called “senior cars” for the aged have become well-known. Thus, we are conducting R&D around personal mobility that maintains a high affinity with both the user and society.
　Dead batteries are a problem when using mobile devices which are small and light. It not only makes them inconvenient to use but also having to charge them regularly is troublesome as well. A system that can automatically charge batteries may be one way to solve these problems. Though wireless power transmission is thought to be suitable for automation due to the elimination of wires, it hasn’t become common in use for daily life. One of the reasons for this is due to the short range over which power can be transmitted. Therefore, to realize automatic charging which satisfies both connection-free and location-free aspects, we have proposed a “Wireless Charging Robot” which is a mobile robot equipped with a wireless charging function.