Components and design of a robot power system
Now that we have a good understanding of the various considerations that go into designing a power system, let us look more closely at the individual components that may go into it. We will organize the components into three categories: the core components that are used to distribute the power, components that can be used to monitor the power system’s status, and components to control the power system and ensure its safe operation.
Power distribution
Distributing the power from the batteries to the components that need it is the fundamental function of the power systems. Everything else is optional.
Batteries
The batteries are what power your robot. The two most important parameters of a battery are its nominal voltage and its capacity.
During normal operation, the voltage of a battery will vary: it will be a little higher than nominal when it is fully charged, and lower when it is empty. It also changes depending...