Towards Sociable Robots: Beyond Energy Autonomy

This thesis studies aspects of self-sufficient energy (energy autonomy) for truly autonomous robots and towards sociable robots. Over sixty years of history of robotics through three developmental ages containing single robot, multi-robot systems, and social (sociable) robots, the main objective of roboticists mostly focuses on how to make a robotic system function autonomously and further, socially. However, such approaches mostly emphasize behavioural autonomy, rather than energy autonomy which is the key factor for not only any living machine, but for life on the earth. Consequently, self-sufficient energy is one of the challenges for not only single robot or multi-robot systems, but also social and sociable robots.

This thesis is to deal with energy autonomy for multi-robot systems through energy sharing (trophallaxis) in which each robot is equipped with two capabilities: self-refueling energy and self-sharing energy. In addition to behavioural autonomy, the robots obtaining the capabilities are able to become truly autonomous and further sociable robots.