Planning a battery for an AMR or AGV

A mobile robot needs energy for a mission and a predictable response when conditions change. Capacity alone does not define either. Use this brief to connect operations, electrical integration and service planning. It describes questions to resolve with the robot and battery teams; the linked component manuals illustrate principles, not compatibility or ratings for a CY battery.

1. Describe a complete mission, not only motor power

List travel, lifting, sensors, computing and standby loads with their durations. Include payload changes, repeated starts and tasks that run at the same time. Separate shift energy from maximum current demand. State the energy reserve required to finish a task or reach a charger, and describe the colder or heavier operating case that matters. This makes runtime a defined acceptance condition rather than an unsupported number of hours.

2. Match the charging plan to real downtime

Record when charging is possible, for how long and at what ambient conditions. Supply the charger and docking interface information. A brief pause does not mean the pack can accept whatever current would refill it in that time: battery limits, temperature, charger control and the end-of-charge profile must be considered. Agree how the robot starts, interrupts and completes a charge, and what happens after a failed docking attempt.

3. Define a communication contract

Specify which battery data the robot actually uses: state of charge, voltage, temperature, permitted current and faults. For a digital interface, provide message definitions, units, timing and the expected response when data is missing. The label “CAN” alone is insufficient. Check that the robot and charger act on battery limits as designed; showing a value on a dashboard does not prove that control and protection are coordinated.

4. Include failure recovery and service access

Describe low-energy, communication-loss and pack-disconnect behaviour with the robot system team. Identify which functions must stop and what maintenance staff can safely restore. Provide mounting, cable access and the replacement procedure. Distinguish powered-down swapping from a requirement to keep equipment running during replacement; the latter needs an explicitly designed system. Battery protection is one part of the overall robot safety design, not a substitute for it.

5. Turn lifetime and uptime goals into tests

A cycle-life target needs a charge and discharge profile, temperature, depth of discharge and end-of-life criterion. A fleet-uptime target also depends on docking, software and maintenance. Agree a representative pilot mission and record the battery configuration, operating logs and fault outcomes. Compare measured results with the agreed criteria before scaling. Do not transfer a cell rating or a competitor robot runtime directly to the proposed pack.

6. Prepare for repeat builds and field support

State prototype quantity, pilot fleet size, expected demand and target delivery windows. Define the required drawings, interface revision, acceptance record and shipment documentation for the agreed configuration. Decide how pack revisions and replacement units will be identified and approved. Pricing, MOQ, testing scope and schedule are confirmed during review. Keep the equipment integration owner involved after the first successful sample, not only the purchasing team.

Bring a mission profile, charging-window plan, available space and interface requirements. If some are undecided, identify the engineering owner and the next decision so the project can move forward with clear assumptions.

Start the conversation

This guide supports initial project discussions. Model-specific limits and the equipment manufacturer’s instructions take precedence during integration.