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The robot ran 5 km without stopping

01.08.2021

Dynamics Robotics Laboratory specialists organized a 5-kilometer Cassie robot marathon. He managed to cover the distance without stopping to recharge. On the one hand, the news is pleasant - technologies are reaching a new level, on the other hand, terrible - even an athlete will not be able to hide from such a mechanism.

The company's engineers worked for two years to create a "two-legged" development. It seems that during its construction they were inspired by the image of an ostrich: at least outwardly, Cassie very much resembles a member of the ostrich family. According to the test results, it became clear that the robot is quite successfully able to overcome various obstacles in its path.

At some point, it crashed and stopped: specialists had to spend about 6 minutes to eliminate the technical problem. An overheated computer led to a malfunction, and an unfortunate turn of Cassie led to his fall. But these troubles did not bother the manufacturer in any way: the company is convinced that they have reached the maximum and limit of the machine's capabilities.

The movement of the robot became possible thanks to the introduction of deep learning algorithms. Technological development allows the car to analyze the type and condition of the road surface while driving. Due to this ability, the robot balances and always remains upright even in difficult conditions.

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Advanced EV batteries from QuantumScape 12.12.2020

QuantumScape's solid-state lithium metal batteries promise to be second-generation electric vehicle batteries with range comparable to ICE vehicles.

Previously, solid state lithium metal batteries were considered promising, but suffering from a lot of negative side effects. In particular, they were safer and more capacious than lithium-ion, but had a narrow operating temperature range. QuantumScape batteries are said to be free from the childhood ailments of solid-state lithium metal batteries and could be commercially viable in as little as four years.

New batteries do not have an anode. More precisely, in the production of QuantumScape batteries, the anode is not manufactured. This electrode is formed in an already assembled battery cell by deposition of lithium metal during the cell charging process. The claimed lithium deposition rate during anode formation surpasses all previous figures and reaches one micron per minute, which promises high charging current density and fast charging: up to 80% capacity in 15 minutes.

The battery anode is designed with "zero excess lithium". In other words, even a minimal amount of lithium in the form of foil or deposition at the site of anode formation is not necessary during the production of the cell. This significantly reduces the cost and simplifies the production of cells.

Another important invention of QuantumScape was the creation of a ceramic separator that separates the electrodes. The QuantumScape separator is thinner than a human hair and non-flammable. In a conventional lithium ion cell, the separator is made from organic materials and is one of the reasons for the fire hazard of the cells. It should be noted that the QuantumScape battery cells will be made in the form of "bags", and not in a cylindrical form factor. Perhaps this is one of the features of the use of ceramic separators.

QuantumScape batteries also boast thick cathodes capable of handling high density currents in excess of 3 mAh/cm2 for an hour of charging and discharging at 1C currents. After going through 800 charge and discharge cycles, the QuantumScape cells retained over 80% capacity, potentially promising hundreds of thousands of miles on a single battery. More importantly, the batteries maintain their performance down to -30°C, which was not possible with alternative designs. Also, due to the fact that graphite or graphite-silicon is removed from the anode, the electrolyte substance does not degrade during side reactions in the processes of charging and discharging the cell. This keeps the operating parameters of the cell as long as possible.

QuantumScape promises to bring the capacity of commercial solid-state lithium metal batteries to the lab-tested maximum of 1000 Wh/L. Thus, battery capacity can increase by 80% compared to the best modern lithium-ion cells and bring the range of electric vehicles to values comparable to the capabilities of cars with internal combustion engines.

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