Some mobile companions move on a wheeled base to follow a person or move around the home. The drive is light, quiet and slow, built for indoor floors and for safety around feet and pets. The wheel-drive system connects the robot’s main control unit to a motor driver that powers the wheel. The driver integrates control logic, protection, a gate driver, power MOSFETs, and a power-generation stage to operate the motor. Magnetic position sensors and an encoder provide wheel-position feedback, while signal-conditioning circuits process current and sensor signals using comparators and operational amplifiers.
Companion robot configurations
| Block | What it does | ST devices |
|---|---|---|
| Motor-control MCU | Runs the wheel motors | STM32G4/G5 |
| Motor driver | Drives the traction motors | STSPIN |
| Power stage | Switches the motor phases | Low-voltage MOSFETs |
| Current sensing | Closes the speed loop and limits current | Current-sense amplifiers |
| Wheel feedback | Measures wheel speed and position | Magnetic position sensors |