Mobotic, the provider of compact and highly integrated Drive Systems for Mobile Robots, has released an integrated Steered Traction unit specially developed for highly maneuverable Agricultural Autonomous Mobile Robots.
MOBOTIC – Mobile Robotic Technologies – is a company exclusively dedicated to Mobile Robotic applications on the level of key Systems and components. Mobotic provides solutions to the manufacturers of indoor AGVs and AMRs, outdoor mobile machinery and electric vehicles in agriculture, security and surveillance, and last-mile logistics and mobility.
Their offering is organized in the following product segments: drive systems, autonomous driving, energy management, and vehicle control and connectivity. Agriculture is one of the key strategic market segments for Mobotic and therefore they are developing customized systems especially for the agricultural mobile robotics operating in vineyards, open fields, polytunnels, greenhouses, and increasingly in indoor vertical farms.
Integrated steered traction unit is an established concept for indoor omnidirectional mobile robots. This made the main challenge for Mobotic engineers to make it more protected and robust for harsher outdoor agricultural environments without losing the performance, compactness, and compliance with all safety industrial standards applicable to indoor and outdoor electric mobile machinery.
The unit has a load capacity of up to 1.000kg with up to 500Nm of maximum torque on the wheels and has two main sub-systems: steering disc and traction unit. The steering disc is able to output an incredible torque of 200Nm and ensure rotary movements at well over 90deg/s. The steering disc integrates a slip ring system for endless rotation and at the same eliminates all well-known cabling challenges. The slip ring not only transmits the power supply, but also CAN communication and safety-critical signals from the vehicle safety controller.
The traction unit integrates a brushless PM synchronous motor specially designed for traction applications with a wide torque-speed range of optimum efficiency, high-quality planetary gearbox for integration inside the wheel, integrated electro-magnetic parking and emergency brake with an optional manual release lever and position sensor with outputs for motor control and speed supervision.
There are several configuration possible providing a wide torque-speed range exceeding 500Nm of torque and 15km/h of translational motion
Both brushless steering and traction motors are controlled by integrated motor controllers. On top of all this Mobotic can offer a VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) designed especially for electric vehicles, plus a powerful master computer that can control and supervise the complete 4WD with eight drives in real-time. VCU can act as a master vehicle computer controlling also other systems like BMS, battery charger, auxiliary motors (pumps, actuators, etc…).
A very sophisticated system, but assembled from best and proven sub-components, it shortens the validation times at the manufacturers of agricultural mobile robots and also enables the scalability of the solution for reasonable engineering cost.
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