With the rapid development of humanoid robot technology, its endurance has become one of the key factors restricting the scope of application. For example, Lu Hanchen, director of the High-tech Robot Industry Research Institute, said: "At present, the battery life of most humanoid robot manufacturers is less than 2 hours, and there is obviously a lot of room for improvement. Qiao Anran, an analyst at TrendForce, also pointed out, "The current humanoid robot has a battery life of between 2 and 6 hours, and each charge takes at least 1 hour. However, Lu Hanchen also emphasized: "At present, the battery life problem has not become the focus of humanoid robot manufacturers, but it is expected to receive more attention in the future." "How to make the robot work efficiently for a long time after charging in a short time has become an urgent problem to be solved in the current science and technology industry. The development of high-performance batteries is bringing light to this problem.
1. Limitations of existing battery technology
At present, most humanoid robots are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Although lithium-ion battery technology is quite mature and widely used in various electronic devices and electric vehicles, it is still insufficient in the face of the special needs of humanoid robots. Humanoid robots usually need to work continuously for a long time in a complex and changeable environment, which puts forward extremely high requirements for the energy density, charging speed and cycle life of the battery. However, the existing lithium-ion batteries face a bottleneck in improving the energy density, and further increasing the energy density may lead to a decrease in battery safety. Charging speed has increased, but charging too quickly can shorten battery life.
Figure: The solution to the problem of battery life of humanoid robots
2. Exploration and breakthrough of high-performance battery technology
(1) Zinc-air battery
With their energy density of up to 400 Wh/kg, zinc-air batteries are a promising alternative. Its working principle is to use zinc as the anode and oxygen in the air as the cathode, and generate electricity through the chemical reaction of zinc and oxygen. This design makes the battery simple in structure, lightweight and inexpensive. In addition, zinc-air batteries are highly scalable and suitable for a variety of application scenarios, including humanoid robots. However, there were some challenges to the battery, such as performance being heavily affected by humidity and CO2 concentration, and the problem of water evaporation in the electrolyte that needed to be addressed.
(2) Quantum dot batteries
Quantum dot batteries utilize nanoscale semiconductor quantum dots to increase the battery's electrical conductivity and charging speed. The unique electronic properties of quantum dots allow them to significantly improve the performance of conventional batteries, including higher energy density and longer lifetimes. The application of quantum dot batteries in humanoid robots is expected to achieve ultra-fast charging, which can greatly shorten the "rest" time of the robot and improve work efficiency. However, the stability of quantum dots and the complex manufacturing process make the technology still in the research and development stage.
(3) Solid-state batteries
Solid-state batteries are one of the popular research directions in the field of battery technology. Compared with traditional lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries use a solid-state electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte, which has higher safety and energy density. Some leading battery manufacturers, such as CATL and BYD, are actively advancing the R&D and commercialization of solid-state batteries. The high energy density and fast charging capability of solid-state batteries make them an ideal power source for humanoid robots. CATL, for example, plans to commercialize solid-state batteries by 2025, with the goal of charging batteries to 80% in five minutes.
3. The importance of battery management system
In addition to the breakthrough in battery technology itself, an efficient battery management system is also crucial to improve the endurance of humanoid robots. The advanced battery management system can monitor the status of the battery in real time, including voltage, current, temperature and other parameters, so as to achieve accurate charge and discharge control. Through intelligent algorithms, the management system can optimize the battery usage strategy, extend the battery life, and ensure a stable energy supply for the robot during the working process.
4.The future outlook
With the continuous development of high-performance battery technology and the improvement of battery management system, the problem of battery life of humanoid robots is expected to be completely solved. In the future, we may be able to see humanoid robots work easily for two hours or even longer after charging for one hour, so as to play their unique advantages in more fields and make greater contributions to the development of human society. The realization of this goal requires not only the continuous innovation of scientific researchers in the field of battery technology, but also the collaboration and cooperation of related industries to jointly promote the progress of humanoid robot technology.
