One of the most important design issues in swarm robotics is power efficiency. Power
supplies are a critical aspect that significantly impacts the performance and efficiency of swarm
robots. Currently, swarm robots rely on onboard batteries as the primary power source. It
restricts the ability of swarm robots to perform long-duration and complex tasks. It also requires
frequent need to replace the batteries, which reduces overall efficiency. Developing batteries
with efficient energy consumption greatly enhances the autonomy, operational duration, and
performance of swarm robots. However, it requires careful consideration of other factors such as
size and weight. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jr/2020/5972398/#sec4
Optimizing the hardware design with energy-efficient batteries greatly reduces energy
consumption without compromising the performance of the robots. Lithium-Polymer batteries
offer a potential solution to power efficiency problems in swarm robots. Unlike ordinary
batteries, Lithium-Polymer batteries are small, light, and easy to install in swarm robots and have
good charging and discharging characteristics[B1]. Another solution proposed is using Nickel
Metal Hydride batteries. Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are cheap, durable, rechargeable, and
can withstand high-power applications[B2]. Incorporating these solutions allows for longer
operational duration, greater autonomy, and improved overall performance of swarm robots.
[B1] https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jr/2020/5972398/#sec2
[B2] https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/52956857.pdf
Incorporating these solutions significantly increases the efficiency and performance of
swarm robots. Lithium-Polymer batteries offer several advantages to power efficiency. An
importance benefit is their relatively small size, and weight, which is suitable for swarm robots.
However, Lithium-Polymer batteries are considered sensitive, especially to heat, and are expensive
when compared to other batteries[B1]. This causes technical and economic limitations to the
adoption of Lithium-Polymer batteries in certain applications. While Nickel Metal Hydrate
batteries are cheap, durable, and resilient, their size and weight. On the other hand, the price,
durability, and resilience of Nickel Metal Hydrate batteries make them a great solution to power
source problems. However, they are bigger, heavier, and have a higher discharge rate than other
batteries[B2].
The Electrical Engineering aspect of this topic is essential to the power management, and
communication protocols of swarm robots. It is concerned with designing and developing energyefficient swarm robots that can communicate, coordinate, and perform tasks without consuming
much energy. Addressing these aspects enhances the autonomy, operational duration, and overall
network performance.
[1] T. Abukhalil, H. Almahafzah, M. Alksasbeh, and B. A. Y. Alqaralleh, “Power optimization
in Mobile Robots using a real-time heuristic,” Journal of Robotics,
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5972398 (accessed Jun. 10, 2023).
[2]M. Patil, T. Abukhalil, S. Patel and T. Sobh, "UB robot swarm — Design, implementation, and
power management," 2016 12th IEEE International Conference on Control and Automation (ICCA),
Kathmandu, Nepal, 2016, pp. 577-582, doi: 10.1109/ICCA.2016.7505339.
[1] M. Patil, T. Abukhalil, S. Patel, and T. Sobh, “UB Robot Swarm design , implementation ,
and power management- core,”
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=7505339,
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/52956857.pdf (accessed Jun. 10, 2023).