Hyundai looks for solutions for charging electric cars: this is the automatic charging robot

Charging an electric car is one of the most problematic moments when driving one of them. And there are so many different models that it is hard to find a charger that all of them can use. Each manufacturer places the charging port in a different location, and this can be a problem when charging. For example, Tesla chargers are open to all models, but it turns out that their cables are very short and can cause problems for certain users when connecting.

Drivers with mobility problems may also find serious difficulties charging, due to the weight of the cables and the steps needed to connect them. But there are manufacturers looking for solutions to all these inconveniences. Hyundai has presented a robot that will autonomously connect the charging station cables to the vehicle.

The robot is called Automatic Charge Robot (ACR) and is capable of carrying out the actions needed to locate the charging port on the car, connect to it and start the charging process. A 3D camera captures images of the vehicle and its surroundings and, using an artificial intelligence algorithm, locates the charging port and the access system to it.

Furthermore, the light level does not matter, since the robot has a high-vision lens and a spotlight that illuminates the space so nothing is missed. For now, there is no information about how long the whole process takes. It will not be the same as what a human can do, but that does not mean it will be slow or inefficient.

It is not the only manufacturer proposing this kind of solution. Volkswagen already presented a prototype of this type in 2020, while Ford has also filed a similar patent in 2022, aimed at helping people with disabilities. Ziggy is also working on a similar project, and a functional robot may soon be present at charging stations to improve the service.