A Bi-Directional Dual-Path Boost-48V-Buck Hybrid Converter for High-Voltage Power-Transmission Cable in Light-Weight Humanoid Robots

Humanoid robots have high potential to replace human labors for various tasks in the near future [1], [2]. As the robots are now very intelligent and smart, battery energy is the only thing that stops the robots from going further. A key issue in humanoid robots is that the battery pack (heart) is located in the main body while the energy is mostly consumed through legs and hands, demanding thick wires (strong blood vessels) to deliver power for the actuators (muscles). As illustrated in Fig. 9.9.1, the parasitic cable resistance would introduce large I²R conduction losses in a distributed electronic system, like an agile robot would need high current on their limbs. Thus, the thick and heavy wires account for a considerable portion of the total weight. To solve this issue, high-voltage (HV) power transmission is the key.