Mechanism Design for Battery Swapping in a Heterogeneous Robotic System

This paper presents the design and development of a heterogeneous robotic system that integrates ground and aerial robots through a docking module equipped with a battery-swapping mechanism. The system is designed to extend the operational autonomy, particularly for repetitive tasks. The battery-swapping mechanism incorporates custom components for translational motion, ensuring precise alignment and a reliable connection between the battery and the aerial robot or docking module. The development process includes both a design phase and prototyping, followed by preliminary testing on the ground platform, aerial platform, and battery-swapping mechanism. Special attention is given to evaluating the performance of the x-axis mechanism to ensure smooth and efficient battery swapping. The results demonstrate the system’s potential to enhance operational autonomy.