(P11-7) Powering the Next Generation of Robotics

Humanoid robots, autonomous mobile robots and mobile manipulators are moving from research platforms towards practical industrial deployment. However, the transition from compelling demonstration to reliable, economically useful work exposes a common constraint: power must be designed as a coordinated system rather than a collection of independent rails. This paper examines three interdependent challenges: extracting useful runtime within severe mass and thermal limits; managing fast, bidirectional energy flow created by actuation, braking and compute transients; and maintaining deterministic, observable and fault-contained power states that support safety and uptime. It then maps these challenges to Analog Devices solutions.