The impact of tires on service robots
In recent years, due to technological progress, improved human living standards, and rising labor costs, the service robot industry has experienced unprecedented development. Various types of robots swarmed out, greatly improving human living standards and efficiency.
The main types of service robots are delivery robots, unmanned delivery robots, cleaning robots, inspection robots, hotel service robots, etc. Their common feature is that they require tires to carry the robots and provide direct power to work on the ground.
The impact of tires on robots is mainly reflected in aspects such as Shore hardness, grip, lifespan, presence or absence of marks, and these factors are not independent and closely related.
The smaller the Shore hardness, the larger the contact area between the tire and the ground, the greater the tire's grip, and the more stable the robot's walking. On the other hand, the wear resistance of tires will be worse, resulting in a shorter lifespan. Frequent tire replacement can lead to higher after-sales maintenance costs for robots.
The greater the Shore hardness, the smaller the contact area between the tire and the ground, the less grip the tire has, and the robot is prone to slipping and unstable walking on the ground. On the other hand, tires have better wear resistance, longer lifespan, and almost no need to replace tires in the later stage, which leads to a decrease in the after-sales maintenance cost of robots.
The difference between tires with and without marks mainly depends on the environment in which the robot needs to work. Tires with scratches have better wear resistance, but they are prone to leaving marks on the ground and are difficult to clean. Non marking tires do not leave marks on the ground, but they have poor wear resistance and are prone to wear, resulting in a shorter lifespan;
For robots such as food delivery, cleaning, and hotel delivery, the main working environment is indoors, and a good ground environment can also reduce tire wear. Non marking tires are preferred, as they will not leave any marks on the ground, making the environment clean and tidy.
For outdoor delivery, inspection and other robots, the working environment is outdoors. If seamless tires are chosen, due to the poor wear resistance of the original seamless tires and the complex outdoor road environment, the wear speed of the tires is intensified. Therefore, seamless tires are the preferred choice for outdoor robots.
Some robots work in both indoor and outdoor environments, for example, some unmanned outdoor delivery robots occasionally work indoors. Therefore, it is necessary for robot manufacturers to test, evaluate, and select tire properties such as scratch, no scratch, and Shore hardness multiple times.
The tire materials for service robots today are mainly divided into rubber and polyurethane.
Rubber tires can be suitable for both indoor and outdoor use; Traditional rubber tires belong to marked tires, but nowadays, seamless rubber tires can also be achieved.
Polyurethane tires, due to their inability to achieve deep pattern shapes and typically have a flat surface, are only suitable for working in indoor environments and belong to the category of seamless tires. Good wear resistance, but with higher Shore hardness, lower grip, and longer lifespan;
For two wheel drive robots, today's tires are sufficient to meet their requirements. However, some four-wheel drive and six wheel drive robots, due to their turning mainly relying on the friction between the tires and the ground to change the direction of the robot, greatly accelerate the wear speed of the tires, and greatly reduce the lifespan of the tires. Moreover, these four-wheel drive and six wheel drive robots also need to meet both indoor and outdoor work requirements, making it difficult for existing tires to meet their requirements. The future improvement direction can focus on the indoor working environment of robots to avoid leaving marks that are difficult to handle; It is also possible to directly improve the tire material, making the tire both scratch free and wear-resistant.
Shenzhen Zhongling Technology has been deeply involved in the service robot industry for many years, and has cooperated with thousands of customers for a long time. The types of robots produced by customers are also very diverse, and there are also various choices for tires. The vast customer base has accumulated rich robot experience for Zhongling Technology, which can recommend the best tire types and various attributes to customers, thereby reducing many detours in their robot projects.
