The Influence of Energy Consumption and the Environmental Impact of Electronic Components on the Structures of Mobile Robots Used in Logistics

Industrial development has implicitly led to the development of new systems that increase the ability to provide services and products in real time. Autonomous mobile robots are considered some of the most important tools that can help both industry and society. These robots offer a certain autonomy that makes them indispensable in industrial activities. However, some elements of these robots are not yet very well outlined, such as their construction, their lifetime and energy consumption, and the environmental impact of their activity. Within the context of European regulations (here, we focus on the Green Deal and the growth in greenhouse gas emissions), any industrial activity must be analyzed and optimized so that it is efficient and does not significantly impact the environment. The added value of this paper is its examination of the activities carried out by mobile robots and the impact of their electronic components on the environment. The proposed analysis employs, as a central point, an analysis of mobile robots from the point of view of their electronic components and the impact of their activity on the environment in terms of energy consumption, as evaluated by calculating the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The way in which the activity of a robot impacts the environment was established throughout the economic flow, as well as by providing possible methods of reducing this impact by optimizing the robot’s activity. The environmental impact of a mobile robot, in regard to its electronic components, will also be analyzed when the period of operation is completed.