The first electric vehicle charging robot

In the real world.

In an increasingly automated world, even connecting a power cable to your electric car can become a thing of the past, imagine parking and without having to leave the vehicle, a robot appears, connects to your car, recharges the battery and then leaves elegantly, it seems exaggerated because you should know that this is already happening.

Hyundai has just started the implementation of autonomous robots for charging electric vehicles in one of the largest airports in the world, Incheon in South Korea. The innovation is part of the system called ACR, developed by Hyundai with the use of artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art sensors. It has already been tested in industrial environments and is now being used in real situations serving drivers.

The operation is simple but brilliant.

The electric vehicle communicates wirelessly with the robot system, the AI ​​locates the charging door, the robotic arm extends the cable, connects precisely and begins the recharging process, all with visual recognition through cameras and sensors, guaranteeing efficiency and safety.

ACR was designed with a focus on accessibility and convenience, drivers with reduced mobility, elderly people or even passengers in a hurry when embarking and disembarking can benefit from a system that eliminates any physical interaction with the equipment, in addition, the robot follows strict safety standards, it has already been certified in South Korea and validated according to the basic standards of the European Union, demonstrating that it is not a simple prototype but a solution ready to be used on a large scale.

The calibration of the sensors ensures that the cable never forces incorrect entries and that everything is carried out with extreme precision including the removal of the plug and the automatic closing of the lid after recharging, the entire interaction is coordinated by an integrated AI system.

The robot recognizes the vehicle model, adjusts its position automatically, adapts the reach of the arm and guarantees the insertion of the connector at the exact angle. If there is any obstruction, the system pauses and reconfigures the movement, avoiding accidents or failures. As Hyundai thinks about the future, this same system is being integrated with autonomous vehicle technologies. Soon, a robot taxi will be able to go to a station, be recharged by another robot and continue its route without any human interaction.

What begins in a South Korean airport can soon expand and Hyundai has already stated that the project will be expanded to other infrastructures around the world with robots in charge of supplying the vehicles and also other robots. I start to imagine the future and how far all this will go.