Robots That Can Plug Themselves In To Recharge

uary 14th, 2010 :: 4 Comments

An Intel robot that can plug itself into a wall socket.

Robotics news site Hizook has an article showcasing robots that are able to find wall sockets and plug themselves in to recharge.  This has been an overlooked part of autonomous robotics, but it is a very important concept.  As robots are continuously being built with more autonomy and less human control, the need to recharge internal batteries on the fly becomes more and more important.  Depending on a person to charge a robot is a tether to true autonomous robotics, but projects at Intel Research Labs and Willow Garage are looking to cut that tether and give robots freedom.  I personally think it is a terrible idea -- but more on that later.

The robots from both companies are able to effectively find an outlet and plug itself in.  The Intel Labs robot includes a scanner that searches for electric fields that surround an active power outlet.  It closely scans the area around the outlet to determine the exact location of the plug.  The Willow Garage robot looked for visual clues on the plug itself, such as a certain plug color or pattern.  Videos of both robots are below:

Intel Labs Marvin

Willow Garage PR2

Although the process of finding an outlet is currently on the slow side, these projects could become very important to autonomous and mobile robotics used in healthcare, in-home care, customer service and more.  Many projects developing the next generation of robots could benefit greatly from a self-charging robot.  Along with artificial intelligence and mobility systems, the ability to recharge itself is what a robot needs to become truly autonomous and self sufficient.

It is also a terrifying concept -- when the Robot Armageddon begins, should we make sure their is no power to make sure the attacking robots will eventually run out of juice?  Doing so would make life remarkably more difficult for any human survivors, but it could be the only option.  Unless robots start using nuclear power or put every human into the Matrix, this technology and the ability to produce electricity could become very important.

Anyway, the article at Hizook is far more scientific and much less paranoid.  There are more pictures and videos too, so check it out for yourself.