Fictionlab Leo Rover Charging Station

Technical Parameters 

• Supply Voltage: 12 VDC
• Charging Current: 3 A
• Estimated Charging Time (0-100%): 2 hours (for the standard battery of Leo Rover)
• Main Materials: Aluminum, PET-G

Dimensions (in millimeters)

• Dimensions of the Charging Station:

• Width: 460 mm
• Depth: 481 mm
• Height: 296 mm
• Central width: 156 mm
• Housing height: 195 mm
• Base height: 102 mm

Additional Features

• Battery level indicator
• Holes for mounting the station on a surface
• Autonomous docking capability based on ARTag (see our tutorial)
• Compatibility with standard chargers from Leo Rover
• Ability to autonomously center the rover on the station
• Protection against aggressive driving onto the station – once the rover is positioned, it is locked in place
• Easy plug & play modification of the rover – only the cover and connection cables need to be replaced
• Ability to hot-swap the batteries on the station – without shutting down the rover

Charging Process

Note: A rover with a modified cover with charging pads is required.

1. Docking the Rover:
   • The rover docks to the station – either remotely controlled or autonomously.
   • When docking, the position of the rover is adjusted by the shape of the station to perfectly fit the pads.
2. Start of Charging Process:
   • Charging starts as soon as the rover's pads touch the station's pads.
   • The LED on the charging station changes its color depending on the charging status of the rover.

LED Colors:

• Solid Green: ~90% charge
• Solid Yellow: ~70% charge
• Slow Blinking Yellow: ~50% charge
• Fast Blinking Yellow: ~20% charge
• Solid Red: ~10% charge
• Slow Blinking Red: ~5-7% charge
• Fast Blinking Red: Under 5% charge

Notes:

• Due to the characteristics of lithium-ion batteries, it is recommended to leave the fully charged rover on the station for some time to balance the battery cells (do not remove the rover immediately after the green LED lights up).
• The battery voltage can also be checked in the device interface or via ROS.

Safety

Currently, the station has no safety features. Make sure not to place metal objects on it (that have contact with the pads), as this may cause damage to the charger.