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Guest experience is quickly becoming an increasingly important factor in the hotel world, with decisions being made on where to stay based on service and reliability.  To aid with this, service robots are being introduced.  But, while hoteliers are open to adopting new technologies to enhance guest experience, safety devices are often neglected.

Since 2019, a Formula 1 rule states that the fastest lap winner of each race gains a bonus point, encouraging drivers to get to the finish line sooner every lap.

This means that Fire Protection Groups and Fire Departments must be cautious when it comes to battery selection.  Many factors must be considered, from high performance to longevity.

Films about fictitious shrinking devices - like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Despicable Me - have captured the imagination of audiences for many years.  So imagine the excitement in 2011 when Chinese engineers claimed to have made the world’s first shrinking device.  While it may sound like it came from a film, the device only created the illusion of a smaller object, rather than actually shrinking it. 

It is hard to imagine life without the 9V battery.  It has powered so many household and industrial devices for over six decades that it can easily be taken for granted.  Yet Ultralife Corporation are still manufacturing these power houses after more than a quarter of a century; phenomenal considering the rate of scientific and technological change. 
 

Did you know that the lead acid battery is over 160 years old?  Since its invention there have been many improved variations, including the first sealed, or maintenance-free, lead acid (SLA) that was introduced in the mid-1970s.  However, in 1996, an alternative chemistry – Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) – was introduced that can serve the same applications with significant advantages.

In October 2021, for the second year running, the U.S. Postal Service implemented a temporary price increase due to the heightened number of online shopping packages being delivered in the run up to the holidays.  No surprise, as ever-expanding e-retail dreadnaughts like Amazon are setting us up for another Christmas filled with home deliveries.  It’s perfect timing then that the smart doorbell has skyrocketed in popularity.

Effective decontamination and sterilization of hospital wards and bathrooms is essential in reducing the risk of cross infection. This is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we consider that there are just 20 critical care beds per 100,000 people in the US.  Here, we explore the vital role robotics play in sterilization and what to consider when choosing a power supply.

Robots for military, medical, surveillance and logistics purposes are all assisting humans by undertaking dangerous or monotonous tasks but can still have very different power needs, based on the legislations they are subject to and their reliance on battery power.  Here we examine the vital functionalities of bomb disposal robots, drones, surgical robotics and logistics robots that can influence the power solutions they require.

For large medical devices, battery power is mainly used as a backup in case of mains failure.  For handheld and wearable devices however, they are the primary power supply.  Any downtime could threaten the well-being of the patient, which makes the efficacy of the batteries just as vital as the monitors or sensors they might be powering.