Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd
A new device allows robots used in warehouses and third-party logistics (3PL) facilities to draw power or recharge batteries wirelessly while in operation.
The technology could have a big impact on the capabilities of mobile industrial robots, potentially freeing them from limitations imposed by modern batteries.
Waypoint Robotics, which makes custom mobile robots for the supply chain industry, unveiled its EnZone Wireless Charging Dock at this year's MODEX, the largest supply chain expo in North & South America and the hottest ticket in town this week for the mobile robotics industry.
The underlying technology for the wireless charging system comes from partner WiBotic, which makes plug-and-play devices for the wireless transmission of power to robotic platforms.
Last year, WiBotic made a splash with a wireless charging pad it claims can keep drones in the air indefinitely. That capability could prove indispensable if drone delivery takes off the way many analysts believe it will.
Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/untethered-wireless-power-transmission-will-make-robots-hard-to-stop/
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday April 11 2018, @10:59AM (7 children)
Get mind uploading working, and you won't want it to stop.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday April 11 2018, @07:38PM (6 children)
So long as sleeves are cheap and easy to come by.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @09:23PM (5 children)
That's the weird twist in Altered Carbon: clones are still expensive, but everyone can afford a stack?
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday April 11 2018, @10:53PM (4 children)
I thought the same thing.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @11:09PM (3 children)
Well, with backups and double+ sleeves, they've got basically infinite reboot capability in the story department.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Thursday April 12 2018, @12:03AM (2 children)
It's the gift that keeps on giving. And given how the concept lends itself to a USB stick, the concept maps nicely to today's tech world.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday April 12 2018, @12:33AM (1 child)
The rebooting in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom felt a lot more natural to me, less contrived to drive story. I mean, sure, it's more exciting to contemplate "real death," but... anyone who can afford a sleeve can certainly afford a USB stick to back up from, and the idea that with multiple worlds and blink-casting from one to the other that a single piece of malware could wipe out all backups... c'mon.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Thursday April 12 2018, @02:35AM
Yea, like I said, It's rough around the edges. But still a fun watch. If there is a second season, I'm hoping for some better writing.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @11:25AM (5 children)
Mark me sceptical but I do not believe in wireless charging. Energy transfer rates and densities will not change and we know how it goes with wires. Wireless will only introduce huge losses and horrible results with immediate distance increases. And who or what will want to be near that charger transmitter, behaving like an EMP weapon or a microwave oven turned inside out?
Or maybe it is all about light/laser direct line of sight systems, which could make some sense.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @12:04PM
In the wired world of power transmission losses, people work hard to shave another 1% off of the existing losses - going wireless would be a huge step back in efficiency of transmission. It works, and maybe it can be done without heating tissue caught in the transmission flux, but it translates to significantly increased energy costs.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @12:17PM (3 children)
You already have a power conversion step to charge a battery. These power converters are in the range of 80 - 95% efficiency. Wireless power transfer systems under development also charge batteries have an air gap, they have similar efficiencies. Check out this:
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/wireless-power/publications/ [imperial.ac.uk]
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @09:25PM (2 children)
But, how big is this air-gap?
Is it even within two orders of magnitude (distance capability) of being able to power a pizza delivery drone? Assume the drone has to fly at least 30m above any infrastructure.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Thursday April 12 2018, @12:17AM (1 child)
You guys drifted completely off the original topic and are talking about something completely different. This is about powering Industrial robots inside of a controlled warehouse. This isn't running down Main St, USA where Bobby Joe and little Susie play. So it's safe to assume that safety is being factored in to the layout of such facilities and people working within will be safe. And don't forget about lights out facilities where wireless powered robots can operate 24/7 without stopping for charging, battery swapping and eliminating the hazards and liability (HELLO! McFly! Insurance companies love that risk reduction shit!) associated with high energy density lithium batteries. Unless you want them to go back to, ugh, lead acid.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday April 12 2018, @12:36AM
Well, the summary drove it toward drones, and drones are much more fun to talk about than the Amazon distribution warehouse...
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @12:07PM (18 children)
Kudos to the author " drone delivery takes off " - as shown in Ready Player One, except: the thrust necessary to lift a medium pizza would require the decapitation device from hell to achieve - and the pizza itself is blocking the central area under the drone, so the blades will need to be set pretty wide.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @12:15PM (10 children)
Seemed to work for Dominoes:
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/16/dominos-has-delivered-the-worlds-first-ever-pizza-by-drone-to-a-new-zealand-couple.html [cnbc.com]
Drone battery life could be the real grounder. Some people will try to damage the drones but we also have pizza boys getting shot up (more likely than being fucked by a MILF on the job?)
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @01:38PM (3 children)
As I said: the decapitation device from hell.
That's a pretty big hexacopter, and a pretty small pizza in the box. For a normal 12" (30cm) pizza with extra cheese, you're looking at an even bigger 'copter with even shorter battery life. You can put shrouds on the propellers to reduce the risk of injury, but that further increases weight, decreases battery life, and may necessitate even larger prop blades.
There are some interesting use cases where it makes sense, but unless the delivery is in "one hop" range of the pizza oven, it's all rather silly: driving a big truck to carry a drone so a single 12" pizza can make the last mile hop by drone.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1) by webnut77 on Wednesday April 11 2018, @07:59PM (2 children)
To add to your observation, the downdraft from the propeller blades will quickly cool the pizza.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @09:09PM
So what we need are mobile pizza-prep delivery-drone carrying trucks that circle town dispatching drones when they're within one-hop of te destination address.
And to avoid cooling the pizza, use mini-harrier-jets instead of hex-copters and cook the pie en route!
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @09:21PM
The Kiwi demo (video linked above) addresses this by protecting the pizzabox from downdraft, but they're also using a pretty hefty hexacopter to lift the assembly.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @01:42PM (4 children)
However I can imagine that some people who would never shoot up a delivery boy would have no issue damaging a drone. While I'd expect that those who don't hesitate to shoot up delivery boys also would not mind damaging drones.
(Score: 2) by Snow on Wednesday April 11 2018, @03:01PM (3 children)
Just charge the credit card on file for the cost of a new drone.
(Score: 2) by vux984 on Wednesday April 11 2018, @05:14PM (2 children)
"Just charge the credit card on file for the cost of a new drone."
"Just dispute the charges with the credit card company"
Game - set - match.
Seriously, you can't just charge the card on file. You don't have authorization for that. That's illegal and the credit card companies are going to tear you a new one. Meanwhile the customer didn't order a drone, and you can claim they broke your drone all you like, but unless you sue them, and win a judgement in court they don't owe you anything for it. And that means, you do have to sue them, and and prove your case.
Good luck... and pray the drone wasn't taken out by neighborhood kids or something else... like the wind or a clothesline or a kite string.
(Score: 2) by Snow on Wednesday April 11 2018, @06:45PM (1 child)
Well, sir, the fine print you agreed to when you placed your order says otherwise. We also have a video stream from the drone showing you in a bathrobe attacking the drone with a blender.
(Score: 3, Funny) by vux984 on Wednesday April 11 2018, @08:29PM
Sure, but the CC company is still going to reverse the charge. You'll have to sue if you want your money.
As for the video stream, while it does show someone in a bathrobe with a blender, I dispute that it is me. Or that I was attacking it. Plus the person in the video looks like he is defending himself and his property from a drone attack, after it swooped down and frightened, attacked?? the kids playing in the yard... ;)
Also... i never got my pizza. You owe me a pizza.
(Score: 2, Funny) by webnut77 on Wednesday April 11 2018, @08:19PM
In our neighborhood, we had a pizza delivery guy's vehicle stolen while he was at the door.
The next time I ordered pizza I was tempted to order a large pepperoni and a black SUV.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Wednesday April 11 2018, @12:31PM (3 children)
> and the pizza itself is blocking the central area under the drone
Hang the pizza on a wire or rope.
(Score: 5, Funny) by knarf on Wednesday April 11 2018, @01:26PM (2 children)
The solution is obvious: toroidal pizza, thew new status symbol. Handcrafted with drone delivery in mind. The concept can be adapted by doughnut parlours to deliver mega-doughnuts.
Another option would be a square pizza with propeller holes. Delta-shaped pizzas for extra fast delivery, the possibilities are endless.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PiMuNu on Wednesday April 11 2018, @04:39PM (1 child)
Hot wings!
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @06:33PM
I didn't realize the drone was an ornithopter drone. Or that it was on fire.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday April 11 2018, @07:48PM (2 children)
If works like the delivery guys by my old place, they'll hang it sideways. Besides, who doesn't love trying to distribute the side of cheese and sauce they included with your pre-cooked pizza kit?
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @09:18PM (1 child)
I thought about the vertical delivery option, but that requires significant modification to the concept of "what is pizza," anything I consider (tip-worthy delivered) pizza would be unrecoverably damaged by spending any time in the vertical orientation.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Thursday April 12 2018, @12:19AM
What, you didn't order half double cheese and half wetted with sauce?
(Score: 2) by looorg on Wednesday April 11 2018, @12:43PM (2 children)
Didn't Tesla already try this about 110ish years ago? The Wardenclyffe tower. Wasn't that the point of it? Wireless electricity transmission. So how have they improved upon the design? Did it take this long due to patents or?
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Wednesday April 11 2018, @01:13PM
My guess is that today we have decent FEA codes that can model the transformers much better, so product development is cheaper and quicker than hardware prototyping,
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday April 11 2018, @01:41PM
I think Tesla's idea worked, but was rather lacking in efficiency.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by leftover on Wednesday April 11 2018, @03:53PM (2 children)
Another short-range charging pad. They are using a very weak definition of "in operation" for flying robots. On the other hand, tiling the backbone thoroughfares in a warehouse with these pads, or maybe just a dispersed population of them like rest stations, could come closer to in-operation for wheeled robots.
Bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Wednesday April 11 2018, @04:23PM (1 child)
Wouldn't it be easier to just insulate the drones enough that it can just fly next to (or sit on top of or next to) powerlines and get their charge that way? Power companies will probably be pissed about drones stealing power and have to come up with some inventive way of selling a drone-power-subscription or something.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 11 2018, @08:38PM
60Hz is a very long wavelength. Stealing power might take two drones, one at each end of a long wire antenna?