Algorithm for Replacing the Battery of a Robotic Tool Using Serving Mobile Robots

An algorithm for replacing the battery of a robotic tool (RT) by a group of serving mobile robots (SMR) is proposed in the paper. The algorithm includes the following tasks: positioning the SMR under the battery compartment of the RT; removal of a discharged and installation of a charged battery. For the positioning of the SMR, data from the LiDAR are used, on the basis of which the RT wheels are clustered and the set of necessary offsets for positioning is determined. Then positioning is carried out according to Aruco markers, images of which the system receives using cameras installed on each of the robots in the group. The proposed algorithm was implemented using ROS (Robotic Operating System) and tested in the Gazebo simulator. The deviation of the SMR orientation from the orientation of the RT battery module was less than 4 degrees. As a result of experiments conducted in the Gazebo simulation, mobile robots successfully removed a discharged battery and installed a charged battery; the average time to complete a battery replacement based on the developed algorithm was 4 minutes 8 seconds. The advantage of the developed solution is the completely autonomous replacement of the battery with the help of serving mobile robots, which reduces the idle period of the RT.